The Astonishing Rise Of Hector Henderson

Chapter 5

Hector was shocked. How could this be happening? How was it possible? He ran his hand through his hair, several thoughts racing through his head.

He wondered if the housekeeper was joking with him, but then he remembered the housekeeper was not someone to joke about something like that.

The event from three years ago was still fresh in his mind. It was the day his grandfather was poisoned and became unconscious. Hector was framed, but there was no proof that he was the one who had poisoned his grandfather.

Instead of killing him, they kicked him out of the family. They didn’t believe him when he said he wasn’t the one who had poisoned his grandfather. How could he have poisoned the very man who cared about him the most in the family?

Despite his efforts to find the real culprit, it was fruitless. He was painted as the villain, and all the suspicion led to him.

They cast him aside like a bug that wasn’t needed anymore. Ever since then, he had become the useless son-in-law of the Edmund family.

“How am I the one who inherited all the family wealth?” Hector asked, still not understanding how his fate had turned around like this.

As far as he knew, his grandfather was still unconscious, and the real culprit hadn’t been caught. Why would he be the one to inherit all the family wealth?

“Young master, you inherited the wealth because the master ordered it,” the housekeeper revealed.

Hector was shocked. “You mean grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“Has he woken up?” he asked, concern etched across his face.

“Yes, young master. He woke up five days ago and told the truth about that night three years ago.”

Hector’s gaze fell. Perhaps his grandfather had believed others and thought that he had poisoned him.

“He revealed that you didn’t poison him,” the housekeeper said. “Although the master woke up, he didn’t make it. That’s why, before his death, he gave you all the family wealth and made you the lord of the family. This is not a joke, young master. I am being serious.”

His grandfather had woken up five days ago and told the truth. He made Hector the lord of the family, inheriting all the wealth and assets, and he would hide back to figure out who poisoned him 3 years ago.

Hector's lips slowly curled into a smile. He was ecstatic. That smile soon turned into laughter, and his eyes teared up over his grandfather's death and all the injustice he had endured during those years of being kicked out of the family.

Finally, after three years, the truth he had always wanted to scream from the rooftops had been revealed.

He had finally been proven not guilty, something he had hoped for so long. His laughter grew louder, and he failed to notice his wife and mother-in-law approaching the gate.

Seeing him laughing outside, a frown crossed Abigail's face. Her teeth clenched, fists tightened, and fury flared in her eyes. Her daughter had agreed to marry someone like Jack, and all Hector could do was laugh.

Storming toward him, she kicked him in the leg without warning, snapping Hector out of his trance.

“Ouch! Who the heck did—” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence when he turned around and saw Abigail glaring at him. The annoyed look on his face softened. “Oh, mother.”

Abigail shot daggers at him. If only he were a rich man, he could have stopped her daughter from marrying Jack.

“Now you’re cursing at me, right?!” she demanded, growling. “I can see that you’re very happy Madison is marrying a man like Jack. How can you be this shameless?”

Hector opened his mouth to speak but was cut off immediately.

“You acted all tough and mighty in front of us and everyone else, claiming that you wouldn’t let her marry Jack! Now here you are, happy about your freedom and that one million dollars! Isn’t that right, you bastard!”

Abigail thought he was laughing about gaining his freedom, and that infuriated her. If Madison married Jack, she and Hector would definitely be divorced. While she didn’t mind her daughter leaving Hector, she was livid thinking that he was happy about it.

“I’ll ask again. Don’t you have any shame?” Abigail snarled. “You better not be happy about this divorce. My daughter is the only woman who’d ever think of marrying a man like you! Other women wouldn’t even look at you, let alone marry you!”

“What makes you think you can be happy without her? She made your life better than it ever would have been if you hadn’t married. And when you heard she was getting a million dollars for you, you pretended not to agree, but secretly, you liked the idea!”

Hector’s brow furrowed. He wanted to explain the misunderstanding but wasn’t given the chance. What made her think he was happy about the separation from his wife?

“Even if you divorce my daughter, you’re still a loser, and I’ll still treat you the same. Or maybe after the divorce, you can work here as a full-time maid instead of doing it for free since you love money so much.”

‘Don’t you love money too?’ Hector thought.

“I have no time to waste on you!” Abigail pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. She turned back to her daughter. “Let’s go, Madison. Leave this loser to be happy about his stupid freedom.”

Abigail stormed off, seething with anger. But Madison stayed behind, her gaze lingering on Hector.

“I wasn’t laughing because—”

“I don’t need your silly explanation,” Madison interrupted, the disappointed look on her face returning. “Just don’t get too happy about our divorce. I only asked for that one million dollars because I felt sorry for you, but don’t make me regret it or make me take back my words of giving you the money.”

With that, she turned to leave.

“That’s not what I was laughing about!” Hector called after them, but they ignored him and walked away. “Just listen to me!”