∆∆1: Unnecessary punishment

The sound of a ceramic dish as it shattered against the wall echoed through the room as Sharon flung her plate out of annoyance. 

Andi flinched as his ear caught the sound of the plate that only missed his face by a hair and his heart almost seized. 

"What in the world is wrong with this useless animal?!" Sharon hollered as she sprung to her feet. 

Andi fell to his knees at once. "Mother, please I--"

Before he could even complete his sentence, a spoon hit his face and he groaned. He hadn't even expected it. Fresh blood seeped from his bursted lips and his eyes ached but he dared not move an inch from the spot. 

Sharon Simmons, the wife of a well known millionaire, their names were known in almost every part of the city as they were one of the prominent families in Los Angeles. 

She was also the mother in law of Andi Emerson, he was married to her first daughter, Taylor. 

But Andi was despised by the entire family because he was a nobody and had nothing to call his own, not even a penny. 

From being a well known billionaire to a poor live in son in law who brought nothing but shame and dishonor to the Simmons' name.

Andi was once rich, the richest in the city. People always called his family the family at the top of the pyramid. But one faithful day, his family suddenly went bankrupt, the shock causing his mother to be bedridden at a hospital and him becoming a useless man to his wife's family that they ceaselessly mocked. 

Every single member of the family had sworn to torment him until his last days if he insisted on remaining with Taylor. 

His life was worse than hell, but what love made people do sometimes was questionable. 

He could just leave and try to make a name for himself, it wasn't going to be easy of course but a man who could endure all that his wife's family were putting him through was definitely strong enough to face the waves of life with his boat keeping steady no matter how hard the waters rocked it. 

Yet he chose to remain there as a nobody, nothing more than the shadow of the family. Their foot mat that they dusted their legs on, their trash can that they hurled all their garbage in.

At first, it was only verbal abuse, but they noticed that that wasn't enough to rock his boat, so they decided to upgrade to physical. 

"Who is your mother? Me?" She scoffed a laugh. "You disgusting little pig! Do I look like an animal to you?" Her brow arched as she asked him. 

He immediately shook his head. "No ma'am, of course not." 

"Then why do you keep calling me your mother, huh? You're the child of an animal! You filthy rat! Oh you stink!" 

Andi remained there on his knees and bowed his head. "I am so sorry ma'am, I didn't mean to get you angry, I am very sorry ma'am." He apologized.

As much as it hurt him to speak due to the wound on his lips, he still forced himself to apologize before another item would come flying at his face. 

She moved closer to him. "Do you think you have any right in this house? How dare you even try to disobey me? Didn't I ask you not to touch my things? My valuables?! That aside, you still don't know how to prepare a proper meal? After all these years of training you, you still cook this garbage for us? Are you trying to poison my children and I?" 

"No ma'am! I really didn't try to do anything like that! I followed the recipe accordingly so I don't know how..." His voice trailed off as he recalled the recipe he used to prepare their meal. It was just the way she had told him to prepare it so he didn't know where he went wrong. 

Actually he didn't go wrong, she just needed an excuse to mistreat him and she wouldn't stop until he took his own life or peacefully left her daughter. 

"I told you he was a failure and nothing more, mother." Mable, Sharon's second daughter spoke up as she sat crossed legged and watched her mother torture her brother in law. 

Andi was older than her by more than five years but she didn't respect him at all. She hurled abusive words at him as if she were trying to discipline a ten year old. 

"Why do you try to keep up with all of this? Just leave our family Andi! Nothing will ever change no matter how long you stick with Taylor, you will always be a failure and a disgusting trash." She said as she rose to her feet and strolled towards her mother. 

Andi still remained on his knees. "I am really sorry--"

"Shut up!" Sharon snapped. "You are not the prominent man you used to be before, Andi, you worship my family now so you should bow down in our presence and lick our feet on our order! Next time you get on my bad side, your lips won't be the only thing bleeding." She threatened with flames burning in her deep brown eyes. 

The sound of heels against the stairs caught their ears and a beautiful young woman soon came into the light. Taylor was known for her flawless look and demeanor, that was what made her the perfect bride for the Emerson's. 

Her red lips pouted and a stern look flashed in her blue eyes. "Mother, I think he has been sanctioned enough, please?"

Andi felt the heavy anchor pulling his heart down lift and his sorrows washed away in the open sea. 

Ever since he got married to Taylor, he felt like he had known peace. Even though it was an arranged marriage, he couldn't be any happier to have spent the last four years with a woman like her. 

She smiled at him, a smile as bright as the sun. Nothing could be compared to her beauty. It was surprising how she never changed to him when he lost everything and it still surprised him. 

He couldn't help to feel this tension that one day, she would wake up and hate him. Hopefully, it wasn't today...