3 | Father-in-law?

Alex returned to Bella’s mansion as he pondered about what the doctor told him. He could not even think of how to come up with such an amount of money, hundred of thousands of dollars!

Even if he were to borrow money from the loan sharks again, they would only beat him up and maybe sell him this time.

He gently pushed the door open as he walked into the living room. The wealthy crowds left the living room in a dirty state.

Cups, empty bottles, and trays of food were everywhere on the couch. The music was stopped and some maids were cleaning the living room already. He walked up to Bella’s room, and he sighted Bella all alone, on the sofa with a goblet of wine in her hand.

“Bella, Mum is at the hospital and the doctors need some money for treatments.” Alex spoke slowly as he was scared of how Bella would respond. He knew Bella would only give him money if she wanted to post it on her social handles.

Bella slowly sips her wine before turning to Alex. “Open the drawer and take as much money as you want,”

Stunned with happiness booming in him, Alex hurriedly opened the drawer and he took the money he needed.

“Thank you so much, Bella!” He exclaimed quickly. He strode towards the door then something struck his mind.

Recalling that the loan sharks may try to attack him if he was with money, Alex wrapped the money into his jacket before dipping the jacket inside his pants.

Immediately he felt the money was safe there, he rushed out of the mansion as his mind still pondered about his mother’s health. His mother, Irene was the only family he had before he got married to Bella, he could not afford to lose her.

Alex ran down the lane then suddenly, a bright light from a van blinded him. He squinted his eyes to see what it was, and immediately he sighted the black van, he assumed it was the loan sharks since that was how they usually come with their vans to kidnap him and beat him mercilessly.

Alex bolted away like a madman, but his path was blocked by another van.

When he turned around to flee, a masked assailant struck him on the head with a gun, rendering him unconscious. He got blindfolded and his mouth was also covered with fabric by the assailants before he was later thrown into the black van.

The van sped off to a boat launch and Alex was dragged out of the van before he was thrown to the ground.

Rain poured heavily, splattering itself on Alex who has just been a little conscious of the pain he felt from falling on the ground.

His hands were tied at his back and his ears itched at the loud screeching sound. A Mercedes Car had rolled over to the boat launch where Alex and the masked assailants were.

A man stepped out of the Mercedes car before he opened the passenger’s door elegantly. A walking stick was held out with a wrinkled hand pressed on it.

An older man crept out of the car with his walking stick pressed against the ground. An umbrella was raised over his head by another man while his walking stick glittered as it was made of gold. The name, Mr. Vanderbilt was carved on the golden walking stick, indicating that the old man is Mr. Vanderbilt, Bella’s father.

He walked gently towards Alex and the umbrella was raised higher, making his face visible. There were wrinkles over his face with his grey hair that had been packed to the back of his head, earning him a little beauty. He looked extremely wealthy and elegant.

“Sir, he is the same man in the picture you sent.” An assailant in a black mask spoke up and the old man stretched his neck, before glaring at Alex. “Alright, then. I would like to see him,” The old man responded quickly.

Right there, the assailants hurriedly removed the blindfold from Alex’s face and the old man laughed at the sight of Alex looking miserable and helpless. It was an enjoyable scene for the old man.

The other assailants raised Alex's chin up, jolting Alex as he looked up to notice that his surroundings were no longer dark.

Alex’s gaze wandered around and he couldn't think of how he got there until he sighted an assailant. The assailant removed the fabric around his mouth, then Alex gasped at the sight of the old man who was before him.

“Father-in-law?”

“Father-in-law my foot!” The old man bellowed, stamping his foot to the ground. Alex's world shattered when he heard the voice of the old man. His body froze, his eyes widened, and a gasp escaped his lips.

It was his father-in-law, the man who despised him from the moment they met, and the same man who refused to let him marry Bella.

Before Alex could utter a word, the old man's response was harsh and immediate, filled with contempt and disgust. “Foolish boy!”

Alex got confused at the old man’s reaction. He thought the old man was there to help him get released from the loan sharks he had assumed kidnapped him.

A smirk ran down the old man’s lips, he grasped Alex’s shoulder-length hair before yanking it. Alex screamed in pain as he felt like his hair was being uprooted from his head.

“You’ve always been worthless,” The old man spat, “How about I end your miserable life?”

“No, sir” Alex pleaded as he could still feel the pain from the yank. “I want to live,” Alex’s voice trembled with emotions, as tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Oh foolish boy, you should have left my daughter when I told you to, but now you just have to face the consequences.” The old man retorted and a dagger was handed over to him.

The old man chuckled wickedly as Alex continued to plead but he wouldn't listen to his pleas. He slowly shaved down Alex's shoulder-length hair as he laughed at every bit of Alex’s hair falling off. He shaved Alex’s hair to the extent that his head was blazing clean with no hair on it. After this, the old man smirked before facing Alex.

“Just before you die, how about a little scar?” He spoke happily and Alex shook his head with tears flowing down his chin as he understood what his father-in-law could do to him. The old man was an ex-convict before he suddenly topped the business industry, shattering every record as he became the richest. No one knew where he got his capital from but everyone just want to be around him. Never in Alex's wildest imagination did he imagine his father-in-law torturing him like the devil he is.

The old man raised the dagger to Alex’s face before giving it a hard yank on Alex’s left eye.

“Ah!” Alex screamed, blood pouring down his eye. The old man paused, then returned the dagger to the assailants. “Dump his body when you are done," He spoke tartly. He returned to his Mercedes car and the car zoomed off, back to the city.

Alex was still screaming as he was in pain. Before he could blink, sharp blows rained down on him, as he could hear the sound of his bones breaking, and feel the sensation of warm blood gushing from his wounds. The assailants threw Alex into the river, where he sank like a stone. He struggled to stay afloat, but his body was weak and battered.

The hum of an engine echoed loudly, shattering the silence in the boat launch. A fisherman spotted blood that surfaced in the water before he drove the boat towards the place Alex sank.