The Trillionaire Son-in-law

"I'll be fine, John," Mama Pat's voice broke through the serene hospital ward, now filled with the sterile scent of antiseptics.

John sat by her side, not even knowing what to say or how to react. The mere thought of Mama Pat not feeling well was already weighing him down.

He didn't know what he'd do if something bad should happen to Mama Pat, the woman who had helped shapen his life and had made him the man he was at that moment.

John Moxley was a 29 years old young man who was exiled from his family due to his reckless and prodigal lifestyle.

As a privileged young man who was born into the most powerful family in the world, John felt there was no need to work hard, instead he lived a life of extravagance, spending money like he had a garden where money grew on trees.

When John's grandfather saw the way John was living his life, he feared what might become of the Moxley's legacy if eventually he dies, considering now that John's parents whom he believed would take over after his death, were already dead, leaving him to face the harsh reality that the one who would take over after his death, was none other than John himself.

In a bid to instill into him a sense of responsibility, grandfather Moxley had to banish him from the family for five years. He wanted John to learn that certain privileges were meant to be cherished not abused and being born into Moxley's family was one of such privileges.

It was during the time when he was exiled, that Mama Pat took him in. Mama Pat was a woman with a large heart who looked after abandoned children and those who had no parents.

She became more like a godmother to him and John had grown to love her so much that he couldn't bare the sight of seeing her suffer from the disease which now held her down.

John took her hand, feeling her fragile form, "Godmother, I may have to beg my grandfather to revoke my exile," he said, his gaze fixed on her tired eyes. "I need money to take care of you."

Mama Pat managed to muster a weak smile, "No, you mustn't," she insisted. "You're not at fault here. Your grandfather must come to his senses on his own. I won't have you begging for my sake."

As they were still talking, a group of young orphans, children whom Mama Pat had just newly begun to take care of before she fell sick, timidly entered the room.

The youngest of them clutched at John's sleeve, "John, please do something," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Just then, the doctor walked in, his expression grave. He had been waiting for the right moment to let John know of the severity of the situation. "We need two million dollars to save her life," he said, his tone firm as he approached them. "And we need it as soon as possible." He added.

John immediately felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. There was no way on earth he could possibly raise two million dollars all by himself.

He noticed the children's desperate faces turned to him, suggestive of the fact that their hopes were hinged on his next move.

He wished he still had access to the Moxley's wealth, then two million dollars wouldn't have been a problem. He felt really helpless that he wished he had not abused the privilege he once had.

Just then, his phone rang, cutting through the tense silence. He glanced at the screen and saw his wife's name. Hesitating for a moment, he answered the call.

"Where are you?" Christine's voice came through. "Father's birthday party has just begun and everyone's asking about you."

John had almost forgotten that it was his father-in-law's birthday. "I'll be on my way soon," he replied simply before dropping the call.

Torn between duty and desperation, John cast an anguished look at Mama Pat and the children.

"I have to go," he managed to say. "I'll find a way, I promise."

With a heavy heart, he turned and hurried out of the hospital room.

John immediately hailed a taxi, asking the driver to take him to the grand estate where the birthday of his father-in-law, Mr. Benard was being held.

His phone buzzed again, another call from Christine. "I'm on way may," he answered, his voice strained.

As the taxi sped through the city, weaving through the traffic, all that was in his mind were thoughts of Mama Pat. Her frail form kept flashing before his eyes.

After few minutes on the road, the taxi pulled up in front of the grand estate where the birthday was being held. Stepping out of the taxi, John steeled himself, his heart pounding as he paid the driver.

He could hear the sounds of laughter and celebration drifting towards him as he moved closer, a stark reminder to the grim reality he had just left behind.

He could tell from the sounds that came out of the hall where the party was actually taking place, that those who were around were some of the most highly esteemed business men and women in the city.

Of course, Mr. Bernard was a highly respected figure in the society, a man whose influence and prestige attracted the city's most prominent personalities.

Stepping in, he noticed the spacious hall adorned with elegant decorations, twinkling lights and the hum of conversation mingling with soft music.

Everyone seemed to be well dressed, making him feel quite uncomfortable. He saw Christine walking towards him, a smile adorning her beautiful face.

"What took you so long?" She asked, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Something urgent came up," John replied, not wanting to break the news of Mama Pat's illness at such a wonderful moment.

He noticed the happiness in the air and didn't want to ruin it with his own problems. Although, one of the reasons he had actually come for the party was to ask Mr. Bernard for help in raising the money needed for Mama Pat's treatment.

"Come, it's time to present father's gift to him." Christine said, pulling him by the hand.

He joined her, standing beside her in a line of family and friends, each waiting to present their carefully chosen gifts to Mr. Bernard.

Christine turned and smiled warmly at him, her arms linked through his, unaware of the turmoil within him. The line moved slowly, each gift accompanied by murmurs of appreciation and polite applause.

Finally, it was his and Christine's turn. The room fell silent, all eyes turning towards them in anticipation.

Mr. Bernard looked at John, his eyes demanding and expecting something quite valuable from him. "What gift have you brought?" He asked, his voice authoritative.

Surprisingly, instead of John handing him a present like everyone else was doing, he knelt down, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Sir, please I need your help," he began, his eyes pleading. "My godmother is gravely ill, and we need two million dollars for her medical bills. I have no where else to turn to."

A hush fell over the room and for a brief moment there was stunned silence. Then whispers started, quickly growing louder giving rise to murmurs as the guests exchanged incredulous glances.

Christine's surprise was palpable, "What are you doing?" She asked, trying to pull him up, as her face was flushed with embarrassment.

She wasn't expecting John to embarrass her like that on such an important day. It was bad enough that she was trying everything to make her parents accept John as her husband. Putting up such a show in public would only make things worse now.

"How dare you bring such a request here?" One guest sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

"Do you think this is the place to beg for money?" Another added, her voice filled with mockery.

"What insolence!" Mrs. Bernard, Christine's mother exclaimed.

One by one, the guests took turns to insult him, their words laced with scorn and indignation. "You have no shame," a woman hissed. "This is a celebration, not a charity."

Bernard's face hardened, his eyes cold and anger filled. "You are such a disgrace," he spat. "If you cannot respect this occasion, then you do not belong here."

"You're so pathetic!" Benard continued. "Why must you always embarrass yourself?" He spat angrily, his face flushed with anger and his expression hardening into a mask of fury.

"How dare you bring such a request here?" Mrs. Bernard joined her husband, her voice echoing through the grand hall.

The once festive atmosphere had suddenly evaporated, replaced by a tense uncomfortable silence.

Turning to face Christine, "You see why I never supported this marriage from the beginning?" Mr. Bernard's eyes lit up with anger. "I demand that you divorce this man immediately!"

"Father!" Christine exclaimed as gasps of shock echoed through the room.

"You'll divorce this man right here and now and that's final!" Mr. Bernard blurted out angrily.

Sons of Bernard's billionaire friends who had an eye for Christine seeing how beautiful she was rushed forward, hoping to be the perfect replacement for John.

"We support your decision, sir," one of them declared, his shoulders raised high, swelling with pride.

"Yes sir, your daughter deserves better than this beggar," another chimed in, stepping forward, his tone dripping with contempt. "I've always admired your daughter," he declared publicly.

Another young man stepped forward, "Yes sir, your daughter deserves someone who can provide for her and not someone who begs for money," he proudly proclaimed.

Christine, with her face pale with shock and embarrassment, fell to her knees beside John seeing that every attempt to pull him up on his feet had proved futile.

"Please father," she begged, her voice breaking. "Don't do this. He only asked out of desperation. He loves me and I love him too. Please, reconsider."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as her mother and sisters walked up to her and pulled her up dragging her out. "You can't stay with him," Mrs. Bernard said firmly. "This is for your own good!"

"Come on, sis," Joyce, Christine's younger sister or sixteen chimed in. "How can you say you love that man who does nothing but to embarrass himself everywhere he goes?"

"No, please!" Christine cried, struggling against their grip. I don't want a divorce. I love him!"

"Can you just hear yourself, sis?" Joyce retorted. "What is there to love about him?" She spat angrily as her mother kept dragging Christine out of the room.

John watched helplessly as Christine was being dragged, her cries echoing in his ears. His heart ached with a mix of grief and anger, but there was nothing he could do.

"You're going to agree to divorce my daughter right here and now," Mr. Bernard sneered as the guests burst into laughter.

Feeling defeated and totally humiliated, John managed to rise to his feet, ready to take his leave when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

He pulled it out and saw a text message from an unknown number. With trembling hands, he opened the text message and saw the words that changed everything:

[YOUR EXILE FROM THE MOXLEY'S FAMILY HAVE BEEN REVOKED. YOU NOW HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THAT IS NAMED WITH THE MOXLEY'S ACROSS THE GLOBE.]

He couldn't believe that when he thought everything was over, the universe decided to smile at him, just when he needed it the most.

The Moxley's family's wealth and influence which he had once lost due to his wayward life in the past, were once again within his grasp.

He looked up, his eyes shinning with new found determination. The end to his mockery had finally come and he wouldn't have to beg to pay for Mama Pat's hospital bills any longer.

At that moment, Mr. Bernard's fury, the scorn of the guests and the heartbreak of Christine's tears all seemed to fade away.

A sly smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he slid the phone back into his pocket.

"What's funny?" Mr. Bernard asked, unable to understand the reason behind his sudden smile.