The Return Of Alexander Bennett; Ex Soldier Son In Law

Chapter Two

Alex was jolted awake by a sudden splash of water on his face.

"What the fuck!" he cursed.

Groggily, he opened his eyes to find his mother-in-law, Gloria, standing beside his bed, her face twisted in anger.

"What's gotten into you, Gloria?" Alex demanded, wiping the water from his face. "You could've woken me up without resorting to this."

Gloria shot back, her sarcasm dripping like venom, "Oh, good evening to you too, Your Highness. It's almost midnight, in case you didn't know."

Alex's eyes narrowed, his anger simmering just below the surface.

Gloria, however, remained unimpressed. She thought to herself that her son-in-law was nothing like the charming, obedient men she'd seen in novels and on TV.

No, Alex was a force to be reckoned with, his pride and ego was like a mountain.

Despite his face full of unshaven beard, Gloria had to admit that Alex was a handsome man if only he'd shave and present himself properly.

But that was beside the point. The real issue was that he'd somehow managed to gain control over every argument, leaving her feeling powerless.

Alex, however, was unfazed by his mother-in-law's angry face.

He simply asked her, his voice low and calm, "Can't you just let me sleep for a while? I didn't get much rest last night."

Gloria's response was curt. "If I let you sleep, who'll cook dinner? It's almost evening, and we have no idea what we're having. Get downstairs and prepare something, or else..."

Alex raised an eyebrow, inviting her to continue, but Gloria's threat was left hanging in the air. There's no way she could continue judging from Alex's pierced gaze on her.

Frustrated, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Alex was used to these outbursts by now. He'd been living with the Westwood family for four years, and he knew exactly how to handle Gloria's tantrums.

With a sigh, he got out of bed, changed into some fresh clothes, and headed downstairs to prepare dinner."

As Alex entered the hall, he noticed his sister-in-law Janet in conversation with someone.

He decided to ignore her, knowing perfectly well that she was a handful to deal with.

Nearby, his father-in-law Michael sat reading a newspaper, oblivious to his presence.

Alex greeted him with a friendly "Hello, Michael," and his father-in-law looked up, peering over his glasses with a hint of a smile.

Alex returned the smile and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. If he were honest with himself, this family, despite their quirks, had been good to him after the great-grandfather's [his savior] death.

However, his mother-in-law Gloria had a sharp tongue, and his wife Cassie, beautiful as she was, often treated him with disdain. Not to mention his sister-in-law Janet, who seemed to take pleasure in making him feel insecure in the family.

Just as Alex was finishing up in the kitchen, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs.

The family turned to see Cassie, resplendent in a stunning dress with makeup, descending into the room.

Janet couldn't resist complimenting her sister, and Gloria beamed with pride.

"Sis! You look gorgeous!" She said with a wide grin.

"Of course, she's my daughter. Both my daughters are beautiful like me." Gloria boasted proudly.

Cassie had dressed up for a dinner date with Brandon, an old classmate, hoping he could help her with her father's company issues.

She smiled at her sister and mother before taking her seat beside Alex at the dinner table. She didn't even glance at Alex and the latter totally ignored her too.

Before they began to eat, the clinking of spoons against plates filled the air, drawing everyone's attention.

Janet couldn't help but remark, "Alex, can't you see my sister is here? Or are you pretending not to see her? How could you be so rude to your wife and not compliment her beauty?

At least, can't you pretend to be a bit interested in her? And besides, why did you start eating when none of us has started?"

Alex looked up, his eyes meeting Cassie's, and a single, blunt word escaped Alex's lips:

"Ugly."

The room fell silent, shocked by his audacity. He just called his wife, Cassie, 'Ugly', making everyone shocked in disbelieve.

Cassie instantly became angry. Her anger was palpable, but before she could respond, Janet intervened furiously.

"Alex! How dare you claim to be a man and yet fail to recognize beauty when you see it?" Janet asked, her voice trembling with rage as she continued...

"Look at my sister - isn't she stunning? As her husband, shouldn't you be complimenting her instead of insulting her?"

Alex exchanged confused gazes with everyone, unsure why he was being reprimanded for telling the truth.

In Alex's mind, there was no need to sugarcoat reality. If something was black, he'd say it was black; if it was white, he'd say it was white. So, why should he pretend Cassie was beautiful at the moment when, in his opinion, she wasn't?

With an innocent expression, Alex added, "But she really does look ugly. I'm just telling the truth." He even shrugged his shoulder as if it were nothing.

The women in the room were outraged, their anger boiling over.

Michael, however, remained calm, struggling to stifle a laugh at Alex's naivety.

He didn't want to intervene, but the situation was becoming increasingly heated.

Gloria was furious. "How dare you insult my daughter like that?" she exclaimed.

"You've made her life miserable since you married her. The rest of the family constantly criticizes her, and it's all because she married someone like you. A good-for-nothing who can't even get a job!" She spat.

Alex was taken aback, unsure what he had done wrong. He thought he was simply stating the truth.

Realizing his words might have come out wrongly, he attempted to explain.

"Why is everyone so angry? I just told the truth. Cassie is a natural beauty. But with all that makeup, well, that isn't what I call beauty," Alex said, still maintaining his innocent face.