It was my birthday. I'd booked a table at a fancy restaurant, but my wife and father-in-law both claimed they had to work late. Though disappointed, I understood. I enjoyed the meal alone. Then my phone buzzed with a wedding livestream. There, in a suit, toasting the guests, was my father-in-law. “This first toast is to myself. I’ve endured every hardship building this business and raising my daughter. Today, I finally live for myself.” “The second toast is to surviving. For my child, I endured a stifling marriage. Now, I’ve found someone who truly cherishes me.” “The third toast is to my family. Look at this table—my daughter, my wife, and my devoted Wilson. This is our family, complete. I just pray my daughter doesn’t follow in her father’s footsteps.” Watching my wife nestled in the man’s arms, gazing at my father-in-law with emotion, cold dread spread through me. I picked up my phone and revoked their unlimited signing privileges at the hotel. I wanted to see how this “happy” family would manage to leave today. 1 The company just closed a huge deal. To celebrate, I gave all my employees the day off. Finally, I had some time free from my busy schedule. Coincidentally, it was my birthday, so I booked a table at a high-end restaurant, planning a nice weekend with my wife and her family. But my father-in-law claimed he had important matters to attend to, and my wife, looking apologetic, explained she had to work overtime at her company and couldn’t make it. I understood, regretfully heading off to enjoy the lavish meal by myself. While scrolling through my phone, however, I was pushed a live stream of a wedding. It was, unmistakably, taking place at a hotel under my company’s ownership. And my father-in-law was there, in a groom’s suit, smugly toasting the guests, with my wife smiling and sitting beside him. In the live stream, the woman clinging to my father-in-law looked familiar. She was the nurse we’d hired when my mother-in-law was gravely ill. My father-in-law had, at some point, gotten involved with her. What angered me even more was that the wine my father-in-law was toasting with was the very jar of “daughter’s red” that my mother-in-law, in her final moments, had painstakingly prepared and sealed for our future child. My mother-in-law’s blessings were still faintly visible on it. Yet, his relatives acted as if they were blind, echoing my father-in-law’s words, saying he had finally overcome his hardships. This wedding, it seemed, was being held at the expense of my mother-in-law’s and my dignity! My rage boiled. My hand trembled slightly as I picked up my phone. I quickly dialed my wife’s number. In the live stream, the moment she saw my name on her phone, her expression subtly changed. But the next second, she chose to hang up, then flipped her phone face down. Not giving up, I bombarded her with calls. After several rings, I saw my father-in-law frown, pick up my wife’s phone, and tap it a few times. When I called again, the line just kept showing “in use,” and her phone didn’t react at all. Not only that, but whether it was WhasApp or other contact methods, all showed I’d been blocked. My father-in-law’s phone was the same. I took a few deep breaths, then called my wife’s aunt. This time, it was answered quickly. But the voice on the phone was no longer as amiable as before; instead, it held a sharp, disdainful edge. “Well, well, isn’t this Ethan Gummer? What, not going to your dead-end job today? You actually have time to call me?” 2 Her words were harsh, laced with schadenfreude, but I had no time to argue with her. “Put Joyce on the phone. I need to talk to her.” “What’s with your attitude, man? Don’t think you’re still a son-in-law of the Hayes family. My brother didn’t even invite you to his wedding. If you ask me, young Wilson is much more sensible than you. You’re simply not good enough for our Joyce!” I almost laughed in anger. The Hayes family’s true colors were utterly shameless. When they thought I had value, they were all respectful. Now, believing my father-in-law was rich and seeing his displeasure with me, they were openly hostile. “Think carefully. I haven’t divorced Joyce yet. We are legally married. Hand the phone to her, now!” The aunt hesitated this time. She mumbled some unsavory words, then held the phone out. I watched Joyce in the live stream, frowning and shaking her head, and heard her voice through the earpiece, refusing to take the call. My father-in-law chimed in from the side, impatiently waving his hand at the aunt. “Why pick up? It’s my big day, and this tactless fool just has to interrupt. Don’t waste words on him!” Hearing that, the aunt scoffed dismissively and immediately hung up. I held my phone in silence, feeling as if I were watching some absurd tragicomedy unfold. My wife of ten years betrayed me, falling for another man. And my father-in-law, who had been a model husband to my mother-in-law, had apparently never liked her from the start. He’d feigned affection for years, waiting for my mother-in-law to pass, only then revealing his true self. Their proclaimed “family” never included my mother-in-law or me. It turned out love truly could be an act. And now, the curtain was about to fall on this performance. Recalling everything from the past, I felt a faint ache in my chest. I stared blankly at my phone. In the live stream, my father-in-law was proposing to his second spring, his face beaming with happiness. But the dowry he offered her made me utterly disbelieving. My father-in-law was smiling like a giddy teenager, excitedly slipping a ring onto Serena’s finger. Before, when my mother-in-law was alive, he always maintained an air of detached intellectualism, never getting emotional, much less losing his composure like this. “Your willingness to marry me truly moves me. Meeting you, I finally understood what a true soulmate is. I wish I had been with you from the very beginning.” “Serena, don’t you worry. I won’t shortchange you. This hotel and the villa at home will be transferred to your name tomorrow. Consider it a small token of my affection.” “As for Wilson, I know he’s a filial boy. He’s the son-in-law I’m truly pleased with. So, I’ll make a small sacrifice for him. Just let him tolerate that troublesome one at home. As compensation, I’ll give him that estate on the city outskirts.” Serena and her son’s eyes gleamed as they listened. My father-in-law then turned and patted Joyce’s shoulder. “Daughter, your dad has faith in you two. I just really don’t want you and Wilson to go down the same old path your dad did.” Joyce was overcome with emotion, feeling her father’s profound love for her. I was so disgusted I couldn’t speak. The hotel, the villa, and the estate—they were all my assets. On what grounds did my father-in-law think I’d willingly give them away? Truth be told, Joyce and I came from vastly different backgrounds. I was the eldest son of the Gummer family; she was from an ordinary working-class family. Our marriage only happened thanks to my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law and my birth mother had been best friends since childhood. Even after my mother-in-law’s family went bankrupt, it didn’t affect their bond. My mother passed away after giving birth to me, entrusting me to my mother-in-law on her deathbed. My father, busy with the company, was often absent, so my mother-in-law essentially raised me. In my heart, she was no different from my birth mother. So, after she married, I often visited. My decision to be with Joyce, besides genuinely liking her, was also partly influenced by wanting to stay close to my mother-in-law. Over the years, the Hayes family had largely thrived, smoothly sailing through life, relying on my mother-in-law’s and my resources. When my mother-in-law passed away, I was more heartbroken than anyone else, burying myself in work to numb the pain. 3 Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely against my father-in-law finding a new partner. My mother-in-law had even encouraged me to accept it before she passed. But this was too fast. My mother-in-law had only been gone for six months, and he was already married to another woman, who, to top it off, was the nurse who had cared for my mother-in-law. The thought of them hooking up right by my mother-in-law’s sickbed filled me with an uncontrollable hatred. Joyce’s reaction chilled me even more. My father-in-law had never lifted a finger; my mother-in-law had handled all of Joyce’s upbringing and daily needs since childhood. Yet, not only was she not angry about her father’s betrayal, she sympathized with him, claiming to have found “true love” herself. The child my mother-in-law gave birth to had become a sharp knife plunged into her. Joyce was worse than a piece of rotten meat! I watched as the crowd below cheered, and the comments section flooded with praise for my father-in-law’s generosity and his image as a good man. A fleeting comment asking if I, her rightful husband, would agree, was noticed by a relative. He rolled his eyes, then nosily asked the question aloud. My father-in-law on stage scoffed, a look of domineering authority on his face. “How dare he disagree? He eats my food, uses my things, I support him. It’s generous enough that I haven’t made my daughter divorce him. What right does he have to stop my daughter and me from pursuing true love?!” The audience applauded loudly. Watching Joyce tightly clasping Wilson’s hand, I let out a cold laugh. My past sincerity? I guess I just fed it to the dogs. My father-in-law’s words were very true. They ate my food, used my things, I supported them—but not so they could step on my mother-in-law and me to pursue “true love”! I picked up my phone and revoked their unlimited signing privileges at the hotel. I wanted to see how this “happy” family would manage to leave the hotel after I stopped being their blood bank. You see, at my father-in-law’s insistent request, this wedding banquet, from the food to the decorations, was all of the highest possible standard. After a moment’s thought, I called the hotel manager, instructing him to settle the bill immediately. After all, without an audience, I feared my father-in-law’s little show wouldn’t last. The hotel manager’s face immediately tightened upon receiving my call. When my father-in-law had made the booking, he had used my name. Now I was telling the manager I didn’t know them. Realizing the enormous cost of the event, and fearing a no-show, the manager disregarded the lively scene and hurriedly ran up to demand payment. My father-in-law, his declaration to Serena interrupted, shot an annoyed glance at the manager. “Is this your hotel’s service attitude? Coming to collect payment in the middle of a wedding banquet?” The relatives below chimed in, supporting him. “Exactly! How tactless is this guy? I’ve never been to a wedding where they demand payment halfway through!” “Old Man Hayes is your company’s boss, isn’t he? If you do this, you’ll be fired!” My father-in-law, basking in the flattery, nodded at the crowd below, proudly promising. “From now on, anyone who wants to come, just come and have fun. Just tell them my name, Garrett Hayes, when you check out. My Hayes family has plenty of money!” Serena also smiled and nodded. “That’s right, we’re all family. Once it’s under my name, everyone is welcome anytime. I’d be delighted.” But the manager remained unmoved. He had received my call and naturally knew my father-in-law’s lies. My father-in-law, seeing his persistence, gave him a cold look. “No common sense, huh? Fine, settle the bill now. Once you’re done, you can pack your things and leave. My hotel doesn’t need you!” Seeing him agree to pay, the manager nodded and presented the bill. “Your wedding venue decoration and food together total one and a half million dollars. How would you like to pay?” “Pay? I’m the owner of this hotel. I have signing authority. Bring it, I’ll sign!” The manager was quite confused, but still, upholding his professional integrity, he checked his phone. Then he looked up at my father-in-law. “I apologize, sir, you do not have authorization at this hotel… Do you have another payment method?” My father-in-law’s face turned ugly. He stared at the manager in disbelief. The relatives below also fell silent, their gazes subtly sweeping over my father-in-law. He flushed crimson, pulling Joyce forward. “I must have forgotten to activate my own authorization. Swipe her card. I remember I gave my daughter full access!” My father-in-law thought I was just trying to block him. He was convinced I wouldn’t deny my wife access, but he was destined for disappointment. “This lady also has no authorization. How would you like to proceed, sir?” This time, Joyce’s face also changed. She tried to appear calm, reassuring her father. “It’s okay, it must be a system glitch. Let’s just settle the bill directly. It’s all just transferring money from one pocket to another anyway.” She said, pulling out the black card I had given her. “Use this card to pay.”
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