Chapter 9 “The Son-In-Law’s Return”

When Arthur Dwight walked slowly into the party, it seemed as if conversation stopped to sit in stunned silence. He had everyone’s attention.

He moved with the stealth of a jaguar, yet the atmosphere was thick with tension, as if everyone was holding their breath, and you could almost sense someone would betray their partner just to get his attention.

“No way, that can’t be Arthur!” Andrew protested, shaking his head in disbelief.

“If that’s not him, then who the heck is that?” Mark chimed in.

Lea, Arthur’s wife, was thinking the same thing. She was used to seeing him in worn-out shirts or his delivery uniform, but today he looked like a completely different person.

“Arthur’s a total weakling! That guy is built like a tank!” Andrew continued. “And you really think he could afford a suit? Come on, he must be some dude who just looks like that loser!”

But Lea knew very well that Andrew was wrong.

The scrawny guy transformed into a muscular giant. Towering at two meters, his suit was stretched tight across his broad shoulders and chest. His sharp jawline and long lashes gave him a delicate, almost angelic look, which was a total contrast to the fiery intensity of his gray eyes.

There was an undeniable aura of strength surrounding him.

‘Did he actually hit the gym while he was away for two months?’ Lea wondered, nearly forgetting to close her mouth.

She glanced around and noticed other women gazing at her husband with admiration. And honestly, it annoyed her to see all the attention Arthur was getting.

Clenching her fists, Lea released Mr. Chain’s hand and marched over to her husband.

“Hey!” she called out, a bit too bluntly.

Arthur halted and locked eyes with his wife. She looked gorgeous as always, but he wasn’t oblivious to her sly nature.

"Where have you been? I can't believe I spent two months trying to track you down!" Lea grumbled.

One by one, the rest of Shawn's family made their way over, including Lea’s parents, uncles, aunts, grandma, and siblings.

They all stared at Arthur, a mix of admiration and disbelief on their faces.

"Wow! Is that really you, Arthur?" Lea’s aunt gasped. "The last time I saw you, you were as thin as a twig. But now, look at those forearms! You could probably take down a whole forest!"

The crowd seemed to agree. Some of them had heard the rumors about Lea’s husband being the black sheep of the Shawn family, labeled a loser and a nobody. But seeing him now made them reconsider.

"Man! Is this why you disappeared for months?" Andrew chuckled. "How many gallons of estrogen did you chug?"

"You mean steroids?" Mark jumped in.

"Shut it, Mark!" Andrew shot back, then turned to Arthur with a smirk. "Anyway, you look different, dude. Is it the haircut or those suits? Where’d you rent those? You should’ve borrowed from me; I’d let you have them for free. Pfft…!"

“What is the meaning of this?!” Margaret Shawn, the matriarch of the family, stormed in, clearly not pleased.

Using her canes for support and leaning on her daughter Adyta, she made her way into the room.

“Arthur Dwight! What’s with the dramatic entrance at my grandson’s celebration? Aren’t you embarrassed to hog the attention? You useless man.”

“And where have you been hiding?” Adyta chimed in. “Mom wanted to see you, but you just vanished. I really shouldn’t have trusted my daughter with someone as irresponsible as you.”

If the Shawn family aimed to embarrass their son-in-law in front of everyone, they hit the mark.

Whispers filled the air, with guests feeling sorry for the man at the center of it all.

But Arthur wasn’t there to slip back into his old life.

“Can I get a word in now that you’re all done talking?” Arthur said quietly.

His bluntness seemed to take the Shawn family by surprise. Was Arthur always this determined?

"To start off, I didn’t come here to join the party. I’m here to tidy up the mansion." Then, Arthur turned to the guests and, with a goofy grin, declared, “Hello everyone! I hate to break it to you, but the party’s over. Time to head out!”

The room erupted with chatter.

“Arthur!” the elderly lady exclaimed. “Did you just tell the guests to leave?!”

“Mom, chill out,” Adyta’s husband, Geoffrey, stepped in. He shot a disapproving look at his son-in-law and said, “This isn’t right, Arthur. I know you’re still upset about that silly game my sons played with you before.”

“You’re overreacting,” Adyta chimed in.

Unfazed, Arthur shot back, “I don’t think so. As the owner of this mansion, I have every right to ask unwanted guests to leave. Plus, no one bothered to ask for my okay. So, who’s really overreacting here?”

People in the room started whispering to each other.

“I thought this mansion was owned by the Shawn family.”

“Does that mean Lea’s husband is really the owner?”

“Then why did the Shawn family live here?”

The tables turned. Instead of Arthur being the one embarrassed, it was the Shawn family who found themselves under fire.

“You ungrateful brat!” Margaret yelled. “We took you in despite your lowly beginnings.”

“Exactly!” Andrew chimed in. “Do you think I’m proud to be your brother-in-law? I can’t even face you when I see you on the street delivering food!”

“Come on, brother, don’t be so petty,” Mark said. “We’re family. Families share everything.”

“Right,” Arthur replied, nodding. “You mean like when Andrew swiped $500,000 from my bank account? That’s what family is?”

“You sh*t,” Andrew swore under his breath before glancing at his parents and Grandma. “That’s a lie! I didn’t take anything! He’s already a beggar! What could I possibly steal from him?! That money was my sister’s! Right, Lea?!”

Lea had reached her limit. She couldn’t put up with Arthur’s strange antics any longer. So, she fixed him with a glare and said, “Listen, stop it. I know we had a fight earlier. But come on, don’t act like this. How am I supposed to face my family, OUR FAMILY, after all this, huh?”

Arthur’s sarcastic grin at Lea, who had just been flirting with someone else, made her feel weak in the knees.

“You might have forgotten, sweetheart,” Arthur said quietly. “But we won’t be a family much longer. I already sent you the divorce papers. Didn’t you get them this morning?”

Lea’s eyes went wide. She was horrified that Arthur would bring up the divorce in front of her family!

“What divorce? What is he talking about, Lea?” Margaret demanded.

“Sweety, explain this to us,” Adyta remarked.

Lea was a moment late when Arthur said, “Lea asked me for a divorce. I sent her the papers, so we’re no longer a family.”

Unable to bear the embarrassment, Lea grabbed Arthur’s hand, saying, “We need to talk.” She was about to lead him away.

But then, someone intervened. Lea turned to see her secret boyfriend, Harry Chain.

“Let it go,” Harry told her.

With Harry by her side, Lea felt a bit more relaxed. She released Arthur’s hand and stood next to Harry, the most powerful guy at the party.

Harry looked at Arthur and grinned. “It’s been ages since we last met. When was it? Oh right! When you dropped off that pizza at my hotel.”

Lea’s siblings raised their heads, hopeful that Harry could handle the situation and finally put Arthur in his place.

“I get why you’re so fed up with feeling like a loser,” Harry said. “So let’s do this the classy way. Sell me the mansion and get out of here.”

Out of nowhere, Harry pulled something from his suit and tossed it onto the floor.

Lea’s brother, Mark, leaned in to check it out. His eyes widened, “No way! It’s a blank check!”

“Seriously?!” Andrew shouted. “Oh man! Arthur, you just hit the jackpot! This is your chance to ditch this crummy life!”

Arthur glanced at the check, then shot a look back at the smug Harry.

“Just name your price and scram,” Harry said.

Arthur picked up the check, and everyone thought he was about to cash in on this golden opportunity. But then…

Rip!

Arthur tore the check right in front of them.

As the pieces fluttered to the ground, he glared at them and ordered, “I’M NOT REPEATING MYSELF. ALL OF YOU, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY MANSION.”