The Rise Of The Penniless Son-in-law

Chapter 3

Alex took a cab to Hudson Avenue where the hotel is situated, Davis hotel is one of the biggest hotels in the city of Rochester, when he got to the Davis Hotel, he was not allowed to go inside because of how he looked, Alex was still dressed in his old clothes and had not changed. 

He tried several times to reach George and he was still unreachable, Alex felt devastated. He needed to find the money immediately so he took another cab to Lake Avenue to see Roland McCartney. 

He arrived at Roland's apartment and when he knocked Roland’s wife Catherine came out and she told him Roland travelled, but he saw a man that looked like Roland inside the apartment and he remembered he saw Roland's car outside. He left and stood outside the building, he waited patiently and after a few moments, he saw Roland coming out of his apartment and entering his car. He went close to Roland's car when it was about to move but Roland ignored him and drove away.

Alex's expression entwined from pain to hatred. He couldn't believe his friend Roland, whom he had helped back then at the orphanage and when he was working at the restaurant would act like this towards him when he needed help the most.

He had no other place to go, he opted to visit the bank but he remembered his request had been rejected on multiple occasions, his only option was to go back home and beg his family-in-law for help, he needed to save his daughter. He looked at his pocket and there was no money to take a car or a bus home. He thought about walking home.

****** 

At the Williams mansion, Mrs. Charlotte was still angry about her daughter not wanting to divorce Alex. “ That useless daughter of mine still loves that foolish pauper, what did she even see in him?” She said Inwardly. 

Then they heard a knock at the door and she hurriedly walked towards the door in anger and pressed the doorknob and the door creaked up, Mrs. Charlotte was about to curse when she raised her head upward and saw Henry Walker, the manager of Luxe Living Interior. He wore a white suit, he wore a smiling face as he walked inside. 

Mrs. Charlotte's face switched immediately from sadness to excitement as she saw Henry. She quickly adjusted herself and smiled at him.

“Hello, Henry, What are you doing here? Come inside” She said smiling.

Henry waved at her as she walked closer to him, she couldn't help but smile as if she had found gold. Although Henry was her gold, he is from a rich and influential family in Rochester. 

“I'm here to see Claire, she called me,” Henry said, smirking.

Mrs. Charlotte was shocked and surprised to hear that Claire called him and he came, he is her boss and she is supposed to respect him. Mrs. Charlotte gave him a seat and she ordered for the maid to bring him their best wine. While she walked upstairs to call Claire.

Before she could move to the staircase, Claire was already coming down the stairs.

“Claire, Henry is here to see you,” she said.

Claire looked at her mom and understood why she was smiling but ignored her. She called Henry immediately after Alex left the house. She informed him about Naomi's condition and Henry was willing to help with the money. But she will have to divorce Alex.

Claire walked up to Henry and they sat close to him on the couch. Mrs. Charlotte's face was full of excitement and Joy, her plan was working. Seeing Henry and Claire together is what she had always wanted.

Henry was sipping from the wine cup, as he watched Claire's face. She was not looking happy, He tried to cheer her up and also to impress Mrs. Charlotte.

“I will pay for the hospital bill, send me the hospital account details and even send you extra money,” Henry uttered.

Mrs. Charlotte was happy not because he promised to pay the hospital bill but because of the extra money he had promised to send, she knew she would get something from it when he sent it to Claire. Just when she was about to walk away Henry said something that made her stop.

“If you want, I will send money to your parents too, what's their account details?” Henry asked.

Henry knew the Williams family was greedy and selfish, and sending the money would make them despise their son-in-law the most.

Mrs. Charlotte smiled, and she was about to call her account details when Alex walked into the house. The atmosphere was silent and she became angry seeing her pauper son-in-law.

“What are you doing here Alex? And where are you coming from?” Mrs. Charlotte asked in anger. 

Alex looked at her from head to toe, he didn't utter a single word. He swallowed hard in pain.

She didn't feel anything, She was supposed to help save the life of her granddaughter but instead, she is happy and walking around the house freely. He noticed a man was sitting next to his wife. Alex knew Henry was Claire's boss. 

He had seen them together on several occasions and he didn't suspect anything going on between them and he didn't see his wife as someone that would cheat on him with another man.

“Mom, I went to look for help for Naomi's surgery but I couldn't find help. Please Mom, could you help me? I promise I will pay it back.” Alex pleaded.

“I don't have Alex, Henry here was even planning on giving me money before you came Inside.” Mrs. Charlotte uttered as she gave Henry a white paper containing her account details.

Mrs. Charlotte was still trying to avoid eye contact with her daughter when she received a notification on her phone, and she opened it and it was an alert from the transaction Henry just did. She was excited, she Sauntered back and forth the house feeling overwhelmed with you.

if not for her husband and daughter having been there she would have hugged Henry. She stared at her phone again.

Henry transferred twenty thousand dollars to her, she thanked him so heartedly and turned to Alex

“Look at someone I hardly know just transferred twenty thousand dollars to me right now, while you are here begging me for money.” She said in a mocking tone.

‘But mom, I am not begging for money to use it to buy something. I need the money to save my daughter's life.” Alex uttered.

Mrs. Charlotte gave him a cold glance “You better sign the divorce papers and leave us. Go away, leave my daughter alone.”

Alex looked at Claire who was still sitting without saying anything, And he said “Claire, please talk to your mom. Our daughter needs to undergo surgery. I can't allow her to die.” 

Claire yelled at Alex “ Alex, don't call my name again. What do you want me to do? Can't you see it was all your fault? I'm tired and disappointed. I regret getting married to you. Since we got married, I have faced humiliation and sorrow from my place of work and even my friends are mocking me all because I got married to a lazy man like you. This marriage is over, I'm done.

Alex's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, his furrow his eyebrow in disgust. His heart was in heavy pain.

Mrs. Charlotte was happy that her daughter had finally spoken up, she had been waiting for a day like this. One day when Her daughter Claire will speak about getting tired and wanting to divorce Alex.

“What do you mean, Claire? Is this how you want to treat me?” He asked.

“Alex, who are you? You are a nobody. I'm with Henry now. Can't you see he has money and he can offer me what I need? ” She said as she moved closer to Henry using her hand to rub his chest. 

Alex stared at them angrily, he saw the mocking glance on Mrs. Charlotte's face. 

She continues “Look around, this family feeds you and even gives you a place to stay. You can't even pay for your daughter's bill and you want me to still stay in this good-for-nothing marriage with you. Alex, I'm tired.”

A small smile curled on Henry's, and Alex's face reddened in anger. “All I want is for you to save my daughter, and pay for her surgery and I will do anything you people want,” Alex said.

Alex was willing to do anything for the Williams family, even if it meant leaving the house all he wanted was for them to save his daughter, whilst Mrs. Charlotte was not willing to help, she wanted Claire to divorce Alex even if it meant losing his daughter. Naomi is the only way to break the two of them. But with Claire's new behaviour. Mrs Charlotte's work has been made easy.

“Then Sign it and leave us.” Mrs. Charlotte said. handing him the divorce papers she collected from the table drawer.

Alex looked at Claire “Is that what you want? Do you want me to leave your life?” He said sarcastically.

Alex took the blue pen from Mrs. Charlotte when his eyes darted to the file as he scrolled to the end. He saw Claire's signature. She had already signed, Alex felt betrayed, his heart was tugging in pain. His expression was mixed with pain and disbelief.

Alex appended his signature on the document, he was waiting to hear from them, Mrs. Charlotte and Henry were the most excited people after the divorce.

“Will you help Naomi now, she needs to be alive. You need to help me save her life.” Alex pleaded.

Claire leaned forward towards Alex, she took a deep breath, which was a sign of relief, and then cleared her throat “ Alex, I have something to tell you. She stated.

They all turned to look at her, Alex asked “What is it, I have done what you wanted. Help me save my daughter Naomi.” 

“Naomi is not your daughter, Henry is her father,” Claire said.

Mrs. Charlotte, Benjamin and her husband Jacob were all shocked, their mouths awe in and surprise. They never believed that Claire would ever cheat on Alex or even do something like that. 

Alex was also shocked by her statement but still didn't believe her. Claire had never given him a reason to believe she was cheating. He felt betrayed and the word sounded like an arrow. He felt his heart have been stabbed twice by Claire.

He rushed out of the house and ran to the hospital, only the blood test could tell the truth. 

Claire and Henry also followed him, and they all rushed to the hospital. Henry was shocked to hear he had a daughter with Claire and she never told him in the past three years of their secret affair.