Chapter 1 Insult

Chapter One

"What the fuck is still keeping you in the kitchen, you wretched bitch?!" A deep voice growled from the dining room causing the man in the kitchen to tremble in fear.

It was Leonard Parker, James' father-in-law.

"I'm almost done, sir. I'll be there in a few minutes." James Thomas' heart skipped and raced heavily while responding politely.

Leonard was a physique body-built man who always beat him up constantly, not because he had no strength, but because he showed him respect as his elder and, most especially, his father-in-law.

"You better be fast with whatever you're doing, fool!" Leonard barked, settling comfortably on the chair in the dining area.

He then sighed exasperatedly, letting his angry face slowly shift to that of concern. "Olivia?" He called out to his daughter, James' wife, calmly. "How's the company going? Getting better?" He asked.

Olivia let out a frustrating sigh and reluctantly nodded her head, "Yes, it's moving fine. I'm just putting in my best to see that things work out well." She replied, leaning forward on her seat.

"So sorry, sis. You have been doing this all alone without any assistance." Amelia, Olivia's younger sister, said, clearly concerned.

"And please, know that we're right behind you. Don't stop. Our family's financial stability depends on this family company. Keep striving, okay?" Grandma Aurora added.

"Thank you, Grandma." Olivia nodded, feeling eased. "I'll forever continue to put in my best." She replied and Aurora smiled, impressed by her answer.

"Indeed, you're taking after-" She halted in her words immediately James walked in with a tray of dishes in his hand.

Aurora's smile quickly faded away, twisting into a disdainful look. Everyone equally looked at him disdainfully except Evelyn. It took them, if not almost everything in them, to spit in his face.

"Here he comes. Such a wretched and useless man." She spat, her anger towards James flaring. "So useless that he can't even support the family in terms of finance. Just wondering why he's still living in this house." Her gaze shifted between James and Olivia before finally settling on James.

She had always instructed Olivia to file for a divorce but Olivia wasn't heeding despite her hatred for James.

James only sighed, ignored her, and started to dish out the meal into each bowl, setting them in front of everyone. He occasionally looked at Olivia, his wife with admiration.

Olivia was dressed in a pink gown and her black hair was neatly packed, cascading at her back as she settled comfortably on the chair. Her face was thick with makeup, adding to her beauty which shone like the morning star.

"James, what kept you so stuck in the kitchen? You should know that Olivia had some tasks to tackle today and she wouldn't leave without having her breakfast." Evelyn questioned, her voice soft.

James glanced at Olivia before shifting his eyes to Evelyn, "I'm sorry, Mom." He apologized, sincerely. "I was just-" He tried to explain but Olivia angrily cut him off.

"Just shut up and stop trying to give those nonsense excuses of yours!" She yelled, her eyes blasting with anger.

James looked at her and only sighed. Her anger towards him seemed to increase day after day. And he wondered why she even agreed to marry him in the first place.

James began to serve the meal to everyone, ignoring the insults they were all throwing at him.

"He's so pathetic that I can't bear to even look at him." Grandma Aurora twisted her face in disgust. "It irritates me each time I do. Just wish he could be wiped from the surface of the earth." She added, coldly.

James threw a sharp and piercing look at her. If looks could kill, Aurora at that moment, would have been a dead woman.

To him, Grandma Aurora's ruthlessness was the worst but everyone in the family was just the same except for Evelyn, his mother-in-law, who, out of pity, never joined them.

"Mother, it's best we shouldn't talk to him like that." Evelyn intervened, addressing Aurora. "He's a grown-up man and has a family. Insulting him is only bringing down his self-esteem."

"Self-esteem my foot!" Aurora scoffed, angrily. "Does he even have confidence in himself? He's been married to Olivia for a good three years and has done nothing to prove that he's a man and here you're talking about self-esteem."

"Mom, this man here is just nothing but a burden to this family," Olivia added, supporting Aurora and retorting Evelyn's and her mother's words.

James only remained silent, listening to all their insults. His eyes were formed with tears, and a tear almost dropped from his eyes, but he held them back.

The insults didn't start that day. It has been since he became the live-in-son-in-law of the family. Although he had gotten used to their insults, being truthful to himself, it was really draining him off.

"It hasn't been my fault, Grandma." James, after dishing out the meal and setting them in front of everyone, summoned the courage to speak; his voice was adorned with emotions. "I've been looking out for different jobs but none is working out for me." He explained.

Everyone shot him a deadly shot. This is what he had been saying for the past years now. Evelyn only sighed, clearly tired of his usual excuses.

"That's because you're useless. Wretched, senseless, and useless all at the same time." Aurora fired. "How do you expect anyone to employ someone like you, huh? Tell me."

She glared at James, waiting to hear his response. None came. She then sighed exasperatedly and was about to shoot him another word, but Leonard interjected for the first time.

"Mom, why waste your time on a useless thing like him?" He asked, firing James a fierce stare that almost daggered his heart. "Let's eat and have something important to do with our time instead of wasting it."

Just after that, everyone daggered their gazes at James one more time before concentrating on their meals. Once the lids were lifted, the aroma of the meal wafted into the air, giving the atmosphere a nice scented odor.

However, everyone's faces remained stern as they began to eat except for Evelyn who complimented after a spoonful taste, her voice barely above a whisper, "Well-cooked rice and stew." She nodded approvingly. She smiled, giving James a well-done thumb.

Everyone also secretly nodded their heads, impressed but pretended they didn't like it. Leonard looked up to James, "And why are you still standing there?" He sneered, "Get out and go get yourself useful! Bitch!"

James shamefully bowed his head to the ground and started to walk away.

But Olivia called after him, "Hey, come back here!" Her voice echoed with contempt and authority.