THE LOATHSOME SON-IN-LAW

A SERPENT MAY SHED ITS SKIN

Andrew was back in the hospital the following day, and luckily for him, his space had not been given to any patient yet.

After being treated for several wounds and dislocation on his body, the unhappy son-in-law of the O'Connor family was at last discharged after a week of intensive treatment. 

"Welcome, Mr Andrew. It's been days since I saw you around." A bald man opened the gate of their villa and bowed to welcome him back. 

Since he was too weak to take part in a chit-chat, he nodded in answer, gestured to the driver to drive forward and alighted in from of his villa. he was almost fainting when he dragged his feet into the parlour, wavered at the eyes peering at him, shrugged and started to climb the steps to his room.

"Come back here. Are we too small or you are blind and can't see us?"

"I don't have the strength to talk, please excuse me."

"Let him be, Mary. He was just discharged from the hospital and looked pale."

"Why is my dad always defending this useless man?"

"Because they were a bed of a feather. If not for my wisdom, this cunning man here is planning to take over our estate."

Andrew shrugged and resumed his climbing, and he was in his room promptly. 

He knew his place had been ransacked, and his eyes bulged out when the money under his rug had suddenly grown wings and vanished into thin air. 

Luckily for him, half a million dollars remained on his credit card, and this was the only source of joy for the man who soon fell into a deep sleep.

The sun was already glaring in the sky when he woke up, and after having a cold shower and getting dressed in a white armless shirt and jeans trousers, he descended the stairs and was surprised to meet his wife glaring at him.

"Where are you going under this hot sun?"

"Did you care?"

"Of course, I don't. Just don't get drunk and pass the night inside a gutter as always."

"I didn't get drunk. Moana paid some goons to attack me and I passed out and then spent the night inside a gutter. Asked her if am lying."

"They did a bad job and should have gotten rid of you."

"Then you will all lose the property you so much craved for. Remember nothing must happen to me until Brian's will is read, otherwise, all his assets will go to the orphanage home."

"And that is the reason why you are still alive," Andrea answered back. Now tell me where you are going."

"How I live my life is none of your concern. Please excuse me," he retorted back, stepping off his wife's front and descending the rest of the stairs when his wife cried after him.

"Don't come back late and don't even dare to knock on my room door. My man will be arriving soon and will spend the night with me."

"Enjoy yourself, dear!"

When he first discovered his wife was cheating on him, he cried for several days, refused to eat, and was at the point of insanity when Brian summoned him to his room.

"I heard you caught my granddaughter with a man and refused to eat since then?"

"Huh!"

"She had given birth to a son for you, and that is what matters. Plan for your life and the future of your son, and don't kill yourself over a woman who won't even blink her eyes at your death."

"I love her, and I want her to love and respect me as her husband. Is that too much to ask for?"

"No. But you can't force her to love you, and respect is earned, and not given. You have the brightest future and she will one day be sorry for treating you like this."

"Stop lying, Brian. I am a nobody. I am the one lucky to be married to a beautiful daughter from a rich family."

The old man cracked up for a while, gestured to Andrew to look up in the sky and let out, "Count them."

"What ?"

"Count the stars and tell me how many they were."

"Uncountable."

"And that is the wealth awaiting you. Keep your vow to me, and I will bequeath a priceless gem that will change your life and show you who you are."

"Give it to me now. Why making me wait when I can have it now?"

"There is time for everything... I will, at the right time."

The hooting of cars at his back brought him out of his reverie, and the lost-in-thought man stood at the roadside and glared as the vehicles moved to and fro.

A car branched and parked beside the highway, and Andrew's face beamed with happiness at the sight of the man who poked his head out and waved to him to come closer.

"Where are you going to?" 

"To the police stations. Moana hired goons to beat me up and dumped me inside the gutter over there." 

"I heard you are hospitalised when you get drunk, slumped, and then woke up inside a gutter."

"Lies to cover their evil act."

"Please forgive Moana. Remember she is my Anty and part of O'Connor's family. Any legal action against her will affect our good names."

"That is all you all cared about. Your godawful names and nothing else. Did you care how I felt?... No, you don't."

"I am so sorry, Andrew.  But you must agree to maintain the good name of our family is important as well... Will you forgive her?"

"For your sake, I will. I remembered you are the only one who stood by me despite the warning from your mother to avoid hanging out with someone like me."

"Thank you, Andrew. I hope my mother will also see you as part of us one day," Ajay announced as he ignited his car and drove off. 

How Madam Alice had given birth to such a nice man was still a mystery to Andrew as he stood undecided, and he suddenly jerked awake at the hearing of his name.

"Andrew, please wait."

"What did you want?"

"I want to tell you something very important."

"Speak up. I have an important place to go."

"Tomorrow will make it two years since Brian's death, and we are having a dinner in memory of him."

"Okay."

'Please dress very well and don't mind the taunts of the rest of my family.'

"I have grown a thick skin to all of you. Is that all you have to tell me?"

The woman hesitated for a while, bit her lower lip, and muttered, " I am sorry for sending you down there. Mary gave the package to me some days ago, and I have no idea it will lead you to danger."

"It's okay. I have already forgiven you because Ajay begged me to, and not because of your crocodile tears."

"Thank you, Andrew. Oh. Thank you, I hope we can now be friends henceforth."

"You hate me, Moana. Why should I be friends with you?"

"I was ashamed of all I have committed against you when you never meant us any harm. So sad, we have all turned into beasts because of a dead man's wealth?"

"I have forgiven you. I mean, did I have any other choice? I was the only stranger among you, and the fact that your grandfather loved me is enough to rouse your jealousness."

"Did you mean you have forgiven me?"

"Yes, Moana. Please excuse me."

"Thank you, Andrew. Please check on us whenever you are free. Our door is always open, and my husband would also like to beg you for his part as well."

"Okay, Moana. I need to go," Andrew mumbled, turned and hurried before Moana called him back.

Just like the rest of the family, Moana had hated him since he can remember. And unlike others who bottled up their feelings, she made it clear that the sight of Andrew despised her and all the young man's effort to win her to his side was in vain.

"A serpent will always remain a serpent, even when it shed its skin," Andrew mumbled as he stepped into The palace hotel to have his lunch.