The Unworthy Husband Comes Back

The night deepened.

It was shockingly cold all year around in Mapleley.

A military jeep just began treading the snow-covered road, leaving a trail of white billows in its wake. The young man in the back seat rubbed his tired, slightly red eyes.

A little ways behind the jeep was a military base with a dense mass of uniformed soldiers gathered at the gates.

At this moment, they all saluted with moist eyes at the fading jeep.

"Thank you for your service, God of War!"

"Thank you for your service, God of War!"

All the soldiers shouted in unison, and the frigid air carried their voices into the night.

A burly man named Vincent Wagner was driving the military jeep, and he glanced at his passenger through the rearview mirror. He cleared his throat and reluctantly asked, "Is this really it for you, General? Are you really leaving the service?"

The man to whom he was speaking was Ryder Valdez. He was a young man who had only been in the army for five years but had already made great contributions.

At the age of twenty-seven, he managed to become the youngest General to ever guard Mapleley.

After rising to the rank of General, he had led his men into countless battles and won, earning himself the title God of War.

"Now that we're unconquerable in Mapleley, who will dare pick a fight with us?"

After saying that, Ryder took out a photo.

In the photo, he was next to a woman with fine features. She looked like she was in her early twenties, and she had long hair, which was tied in a ponytail. Her eyes were bright, her nose was straight, and her mouth was plump. She was even lovelier than those female stars.

However, in the photo, she didn't look happy.

"I wonder how you're doing now, Zoey," Ryder murmured, staring at the woman in the photo.

It was the only picture he had gotten with her. A happy smile soon curled his lips as memories flooded his mind.

Five years ago, Zoey Swain, who just started her senior year in college, founded Sanhoy Group and then went on to become one of the most well-known successful businesswomen in Linbourne.

Unfortunately, at the critical moment of Sanhoy Group's development, she had been set up. She was drugged, and slept with one of her company's security guards.

And that lucky security guard was Ryder.

"Linbourne's Prominent Woman Allegedly Involved with a Security Guard!"

Before Ryder and Zoey could even make it out of the hotel, the news had already spread like wildfire. The media went on a frenzy, and Zoey's reputation went down in flames.

Overnight, Zoey went from being a formidable entrepreneur to being a woman who had a one-night stand with a security guard.

And along with her name, the market value of Sanhoy Group plummeted.

In order to perform damage control, the Swain family searched for and found Ryder and convinced him to marry Zoey.

The news of the two's nuptials quickly gripped all of Linbourne. For a while, it was all everybody could talk about, but at the same time, the Swain family had become a joke.

However, not long after their wedding, Ryder left secretly and went on his own way, hoping to make himself worthy of Zoey.

Over the past five years, he had made Zoey his inspiration. Whenever he thought about giving up, he just pictured her perfect face, and then he was ready to give his all again. Zoey was the reason he had reached the peak of glory.

However, Ryder also felt debilitating guilt when he thought of her.

Three days later, an airliner landed at the Linbourne International Airport.

"Finally, I'm back."

Ryder deplaned and, for the first time in five years, set foot in Linbourne. He couldn't help putting on a bright smile.

"Mommy! Mommy, where are you?"

At the airport's arrivals area, Ryder heard a little girl crying. For some reason, he felt his heart crack a little.

"General..."

Before Vincent could continue, Ryder interrupted him. "We're no longer in Mapleley, Vincent, and I'm no longer General. Put away the title."

Looking at Ryder's serious face, Vincent trembled slightly and muttered tentatively, "Ryder?"

Seeing that Ryder dipped his chin in acknowledgement, he smiled and proceeded, "I can't help noticing that that little girl looks a lot like you. Are you related?"

Ryder turned to look at the crying little girl and knitted his brows. The moment he laid eyes on her, he couldn't look away. A strong sense of familiarity came over him.

The poor thing was still sobbing, and every second of it broke his heart.

As if sensing Ryder's gaze, the little girl suddenly stopped crying and looked in his direction. She wiped her tearful eyes with her tiny hand.

Ryder and the little girl stared at each other for a few heartbeats. Ryder couldn't explain why, but he felt strongly drawn to the little girl.

She had a delicate face and smooth skin. She blinked her big, misty eyes at him. Her eyelashes were long, and they had tears on them.

The little girl seemed four years old. Although she was still a kid, she was already magnificent. She would definitely grow up to be an incredible beauty.

"Daddy!" the little girl suddenly called out.

Before Ryder could react, the little girl was already running to him. Then, she hugged his legs tightly.

At this moment, Ryder's ears started ringing. He felt as if his mind was melting.

Standing aside and watching this scene, Vincent was also shocked. He asked, "Is she really your daughter, Ryder?"

After a while, Ryder snapped back to his senses. He squatted down and faced the little girl who was staring at him with huge, expectant eyes. In the gentlest voice he could muster, Ryder started, "Young lady, I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not your daddy."

However, just as Ryder finished his sentence, the little girl burst into tears again.

"No!" She whimpered in between sobs, "Daddy doesn't want me anymore! Daddy doesn't want me anymore!"

All the passers-by looked over and started whispering and pointing at Ryder.

Ryder began panicking. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't stand seeing the strange little girl cry.

As the General in Mapleley, he had made numerous men tremble with fear, but now in front of a bawling four-year-old, he was helpless. If news of this ever spread, many would absolutely be dumbfounded.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie, but I'm really not your father."

"Daddy doesn't want me..."

Every time Ryder tried to say something, the little girl cried even harder.

Five minutes passed.

Finally, with sweat all over his forehead, Ryder decided to carry the little girl in his arms.

Once again, the little girl stared at Ryder with her big, tearful eyes. From the moment Ryder scooped her up, she had held on to him and refused to let go, fearing that he would leave her.

"Ryder, since this little girl likes you so much, why don't you raise her like she's really yours?" Vincent teased Ryder with a smile. Ryder shot him a death glare, which immediately made him shut his mouth.

Helplessly, Ryder took the little girl to the airport's information desk.

The little girl started crying again when Ryder set her down, but Ryder suppressed his emotions, turned around, and left with Vincent.

As soon as Ryder and Vincent left, a long-haired woman in a black business suit rushed into the airport's information desk.

"Sloane! Oh, thank God!"

When she saw the crying little girl, she almost collapsed with relief. Tears welled up in her eyes as she locked the little girl in a tight embrace, unwilling to let her go.

For her, this little girl was her everything.

Five years ago, not long after she got married, she found out that she was pregnant, but the father of her child suddenly disappeared. Her mother told her that her husband asked her father for five hundred thousand dollars and then left.

At that time, she was so heartbroken that she attempted to kill herself but gave up at the thought of her baby.

She spent the last five years in total humiliation. During her pregnancy, her family seized the first-ever enterprise she had built from the ground up. And all that pain and disappointment were because of that man who abandoned her and their daughter.

She hated that man. He left without saying goodbye and vanished into thin air, and she hadn't heard from him in five years.

"Mommy, I saw Daddy!" Sloane exclaimed, blinking her doll-like eyes.

Then, she pouted and appeared as if she was about to start crying again. "But Daddy doesn't want me anymore!"

Hearing her little girl's words, the long-haired woman shivered. She felt as if she had just been struck by lightning.

At this time, a black Rolls-Royce with the license plate LBE 8888 slowly pulled over at the arrivals area of the airport.

A middle-aged man in a black suit got out of the car and went to open the back-seat door.

If the upper-class people of Linbourne saw this scene, they would be shocked because this middle-aged man was the richest man in the city, Trent Sanchez. But at the moment, he had to open the car door for someone else.

An old man with silver-white hair carefully stepped out of the luxury vehicle. He was in a dark blue suit and holding an exquisite cane in his hand. At the cane's hilt was a sapphire the size of an egg. The toll of time could be seen on his face, but he still stood chin up and spine straight. He exuded an aura of power and nobility.

"Mr. Valdez should come out soon."

With eyes shining brightly, the old man stared expectantly at the arrivals gate of the airport.

A few minutes later, two men walked out of the exit.

The old man fixed his gaze upon the younger one of the two men, the one walking ahead of the large, brawny one. To Trent's surprise, the old man quickly walked over and bowed deeply to the young man. Then, the old man said respectfully, "Good day, Mr. Valdez. My name is Omar Russell, the butler of the Schultz family in Bliostein. I have come to pick you up. The Schultz family is waiting for you. You are in charge now."

When he heard the old man introduce himself, Ryder instantly understood who he was.

However, at the mention of the Schultz family, he frowned. Anger bubbled up from his core and threatened to boil over the joy he felt now that he was back in his hometown.

Ryder looked at Omar defiantly and replied, "Funny. Ten years ago, the Schultz family banished me and my mother from Bliostein only because I was an illegitimate child and didn't have any right to inherit anything from the family. And now you're telling me that the Schultz family is mine to run? Eighteen years ago, when I was only nine years old, my mother and I spent an entire rainy night at the gates of the Schultz family's mansion, kneeling and pleading like a couple of vagrants. Did you lot take pity on us? Five years ago, my mother fell seriously ill. I begged the Schultzs to help her, but what did you lot do?"

After a pause, he continued, "And now that I have returned from Mapleley with great honor and power to my name, you want me to take charge of the Schultz family? Go back and tell your boss that the Schultz family means nothing to me! If he dares bother me again, I will go to Bliostein and make him regret it."

Those words had been buried in his heart for so many years. Five years of serving in the army had made his heart tough and strong, and since becoming a military man, he hadn't experienced such a powerful surge of emotions. But at this moment, all the long suppressed memories just shot up from deep within him and made him explode.

Omar let out a long sigh. He seemed to have expected such an answer from Ryder. He said, "When your mother was still in Bliostein, she founded a company and named it after you and herself. It's called Ryca Group, and soon, it's setting up shop in Linbourne. Now that your mother's gone and you're back, we're giving the company back to you."

With a cold sneer, Ryder corrected Omar, "My mother's company is not for the Schultz family to give to me. Ryca Group belonged to my mother, but it was ruthlessly taken away by the Schultz family."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ryder marched away.

"The Schultz family indeed owed you and your mother!"

Looking at Ryder's receding figure, Omar pressed his lips together in a thin line. Then, he ordered Trent beside him, "Trent, from now on, you must try your best to help Mr. Valdez."

Hearing this, Trent replied respectfully, "Mr. Russell, without you, I wouldn't have been where I am. Don't worry. I will wholeheartedly assist him."

Omar added, "By the way, he got married five years ago to the daughter of the Swain family. On behalf of the Schultz family, you should inform his wife that he has returned."

"Consider it done."

The taxi that Ryder hailed sped away. He sat quietly in the back seat, lost in thought.

Five years ago, his mother was hospitalized because of a serious illness. At that time, Ryder just graduated and was penniless. He was working in Zoey's company as a security guard to get by and pay his mother's hospital bills. He went down on his knees to the Schultz family to help his mother, but they didn't move a muscle. And to top it all off, somebody set him and Zoey up to sleep together, causing a scandal that turned both their worlds upside down.

In order to maintain his family's reputation, Ruben Swain, Zoey's father, decided to wed his daughter to Ryder and allowed Ryder to become part of the Swain family. Desperate to save his mother's life, Ryder agreed and borrowed five hundred thousand dollars from the Swain family to pay for his mother's treatment. Unfortunately, his mother passed away before Ryder could get to her with the money. Ryder didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

After his mother's death, Ryder held up his end of the bargain and became Zoey's husband and the Swain family's son-in-law. He knew that he didn't deserve her. So not long after their wedding, he left and joined the army.

It had been five years since they parted.

A brand-new Maybach was parked in front of the Swain family's house.

Taking a look at the priceless luxury car, Ryder chuckled and said, "It seems that Zoey's family is more valued by the whole Swain family now than five years ago as evidenced by my father-in-law's posh car."

Returning to this house after all these years, Ryder had a very complicated feeling. Although he was also a victim of that horrible setup five years ago, he still took away Zoey's virginity. She was the most beautiful woman in Linbourne, and he tainted her.

Five years ago, he agreed to marry her, and later on, he left without saying a word. It was all his fault.

It wasn't that hard to imagine the terrible rumors Zoey had to bear over the years.

But at that time, Ryder was unworthy. Only by joining the army could he be good enough to be Zoey's husband. Now that he was retired from the service and had tremendous accomplishments, power, and wealth to his name, he was finally the man that Zoey deserved.

When he walked to the front door in a bid to knock, Ryder suddenly froze. He overheard people talking inside the house.

Zoey's mother, Rylee Swain, said, "Platt, I'm applying for that loser's death certificate. Don't worry. After the death certificate is approved, Zoey will be single again."

Zoey's father, Ruben, chimed in, "By then, I will be the first to agree to your and my Zoey's marriage."

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Swain. But persuade Zoey, please."

"We got you, Platt. I'm sure Zoey will come around."

"I'll leave that to you then. By the way, I brought gifts for you two to show my appreciation. Some are from my friend abroad, and some are bought by me from Utrua."

Zoey's parents' laughter filled the entire house, but Ryder didn't feel quite as happy as they were.

But when he thought of Zoey, Ryder suppressed his anger. He owed her.

Besides, she was the only reason he came back.

He took a deep breath, and banged on the door.

"Who is it?"

Rylee's voice was full of impatience. She was very unhappy that an unexpected guest was suddenly interrupting. Ryder heard Rylee's footsteps get closer and closer.

When she opened the door, the smile on Rylee's face completely disappeared. She found herself staring at the face of the last person she wanted to see. She gritted her teeth and started, "Are you... Ryder?"

After five years, Rylee still looked as charming as she had been.

Years of serving in the army didn't effect big changes in Ryder's appearance, but it did alter his aura and spirit. To Rylee, Ryder was as good as dead, so when she saw him again, she felt both shocked and angry.

"Hi, Rylee. It's me."

Ryder put on a gentle smile. He only came back to make things up to Zoey.

Finally, Rylee was sure that the man in front of her was Ryder, her long lost son-in-law.

"It's really you, you damned loser!" She put her hands on her hips, furrowed her brows, and snapped, "Just when Zoey is about to get remarried, you reappear out of nowhere. You're here on purpose to make trouble, aren't you?"

At this time, Ruben walked over to the front door and stood behind his wife. He overheard Rylee talking to Ryder, so he had to see if it really was Ryder himself. Without saying anything, Ruben raised his fist and shouted angrily, "You bastard! How dare you come back!"

Before Ruben could land his punch, a burly man came over in an instant. He grabbed Ruben's wrist and said coldly, "No one hurts him."

The man who stopped Ruben was, of course, Vincent.

He had fought alongside Ryder for years. He was very tall and strong, and he looked fierce. His appearance instantly struck fear in Ruben.

"Let him go, and get out," Ryder ordered icily as his sharp eyes fell on Vincent.

Although Vincent was unwilling to let Ruben go, he would never dare disobey Ryder. He released Ruben and muttered, "Sorry, Ryder."

"If you know you're wrong, then walk away. From now on, don't interfere in my business unless I tell you to. Understood?" Ryder's face betrayed emotion; his tone was enough to make Vincent turn around and distance himself.

At this moment, Ryder inadvertently showed his sternly assertive side. Rylee and Ruben thought that their useless son-in-law seemed to have changed after being gone for five years. But that thought only lasted for a moment. In the blink of an eye, Ryder was back to being a good-for-nothing scum for Rylee and Ruben.

After Vincent interfered, Rylee and Ruben didn't dare make a move against Ryder anymore.

"Now you don't take me seriously. You get lost, now!" Ruben screamed. He would've tried to hit Ryder again if it weren't for his fear of Vincent coming back.

Ryder was burning with rage, but he thought of Zoey, the only reason why he was here. He had missed her for the last five years, and he would do anything to do right by her, including controlling his temper.

"We can't turn away this loser now, Ruben. He has come at the perfect time. We'll make him divorce Zoey today so that Zoey can marry Platt. Getting a divorce is a lot easier and faster than applying for a death certificate," Rylee explained and grabbed one of Ryder's arms, fearing that Ryder would disappear again for a long time.

Ruben was suddenly enlightened. He grabbed Ryder's other arm and said to Rylee, "You're right, dear. Of course." Then, he told Ryder, "You and Zoey should go get divorced when she comes back."

Rylee and Ruben dragged Ryder inside the house. People who didn't know them might even think that they were happy to welcome their son-in-law back home.

Ryder walked into a living room full of people, all of them Rylee's relatives. There was a big table in the center of the room.

In the sea of familiar faces, a strange one stood out to Ryder. He was a young man dressed in a casual ensemble that was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at the least. He seemed to be intentionally flashing his Rolex to the crowd from time to time. Rylee's relatives were all sitting around him and gawking at him.

At this moment, the strange young man squinted at Ryder, who was led to the house by Rylee and Ruben.

There was a massive cake on the table. It seemed that everybody was celebrating someone's birthday.

But to the best of Ryder's knowledge, today wasn't Rylee's, Ruben's, or even Zoey's birthday. Then whose birthday was it?

Merely moments ago, they were discussing getting Ryder's death certificate. Now, Ryder was standing in the living room, alive and well. Everyone was shocked and frightened at first, but before long, they all got excited. Their eyes lit up as they were ready for a good show.

"Ryder? Didn't he disappear five years ago? Why did he suddenly come back?"

"He has returned at the exact same time Platt is going to marry Zoey. I'm afraid he's here with a purpose."

"A purpose? Compared to Platt, Ryder is just a loser. He can't compete with Platt at all."

All of Rylee's relatives were whispering, but Ryder could still hear them and so could the young man named Platt Quinn.

But Platt acted as if he heard nothing. He looked at Rylee and asked in confusion, "Who is this man, Mrs. Swain?"

With a sneer, Rylee took a look at Ryder in disgust and replied, "He's the one for whom I was going to apply the death certificate. He left my daughter five years ago. But don't worry. He reappeared at the most opportune moment. It will take some time to apply for a death certificate, but a divorce can be handled today."

Rylee made no secret of her intention to make Zoey divorce Ryder. After talking to Platt, she told Ryder complacently, "Ryder, this is Platt Quinn, the eldest son of the head of the Quinn family in Linbourne. He will take his father's place in a few years. We all have agreed to his and Zoey's marriage, so I advise you not to waste your time or have any improper thoughts toward my daughter. Zoey's going to be here any second now, and you two can end your marriage. Let's not drag this out."

At the table, all of Rylee's relatives were talking at the moment. They all wanted to suck up to Platt by mocking Ryder.

Ryder gnashed his teeth together and narrowed his eyes.

Rylee's relatives were really annoying. If it weren't for Zoey, he would've taught them a lesson already.

Platt was very satisfied. Putting on a relaxed, smug look, he leaned against his chair and swirled the red wine in his glass. He grinned at Ryder and said in a mocking tone, "Where have you been in the last five years, Ryder?"

Ryder looked at him indifferently and answered, "I was in Mapleley."

"Mapleley? What did you do there? Did you shovel snow there?" one of Rylee's relatives chimed in before Platt could say anything.

He laughed loudly, and the rest of Rylee's relatives burst into laughter as well.

Ryder kept silent.

With a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, Platt reached into his jacket pocket and took out his checkbook. He signed a check, ripped it out of the book, and slid it across the table toward Ryder. He chirped, "You look like a smart, perceptive man. You must've known that you're not welcome here, so you must've shown up for money. Here's a blank check. Write whatever amount you want on it and cash it at any bank in Linbourne. All I want in exchange is that you divorce Zoey."

All of Rylee's relatives looked at Platt and then at Ryder with wide eyes. They wished they were the ones receiving that blank check.

"You don't need to give him money, Platt. Zoey is my daughter. If I want them to divorce, they must divorce. No need to give her soon-to-be ex-husband money," Rylee cut in. Looking at the check, she felt as if she were the one throwing money at Ryder to divorce Zoey.

Disdain flashed in Platt's eyes, but he still smiled and said, "Mrs. Swain, it's okay. Money isn't the issue here. I don't want anything to go wrong. I just want Zoey to become single as soon as possible."

Hearing what Platt said, Rylee didn't dare say anything more. She just looked at Ryder coldly.

Under everyone's envious gaze, Ryder picked up the blank check.

Just when everyone thought Ryder was going to take the money, he tore the check into pieces.

Then, he looked at Platt and said calmly, "If Zoey wants to divorce me, I will sign the divorce papers. But if she doesn't, we will stay married whether you all like it or not."

If Ryder's subordinates from Mapleley were present right now, they would tell everyone in the room that when Ryder was this calm, he was most dangerous.

Platt narrowed his eyes slightly. This man in front of him just put pressure on him with a few well-said words, which upset him.

The others fixed their eyes on Ryder. They thought that by offending Platt, Ryder was courting death.

The tension in the air was broken by the clicking of high-heeled shoes against the marble floors. After a few moments, Zoey walked into the living room with Sloane in tow.

"Platt? What are you doing here again? This is my house. You're not welcome here. Please leave right now." As soon as Zoey saw Platt, her face darkened, and she directly asked him to leave.

Hearing his wife's familiar voice, Ryder, who had his back to the door, trembled.

He had imagined his reunion with Zoey a million times over the years. He even practiced his response when he finally saw her again. But when he was about to face her for real, he realized that even if he had practiced for a thousand years, it never would have been enough. Guilt threatened to swallow him whole as he struggled to keep his knees from buckling. He wasn't sure if he could show his face to the woman he abandoned five years ago without completely falling apart.

"Daddy!"

Before Ryder could turn around, a small, awfully familiar voice came from behind him. Once more, he shivered. When he turned around, he saw a cute little girl joyfully rushing over to him.

It was the little girl he met at the airport, the same kid who ran to him and called him "Daddy".

Instinctively, Ryder squatted down and caught the little girl in his arms.

The reflex came so naturally that he felt as if he had hugged the little girl countless times already.

At this moment, Zoey also saw Ryder. Their eyes met. For a few heartbeats, everything seemed to have slowed down, and the couple felt as if they were the only people in the world.

Not a day went by in the last five years that Zoey didn't cross Ryder's mind. He missed her every single day, and the thought of coming back to her was what made him persevere. And so he did. It had been a long and exhausting journey, but here he was now, finally worthy of her.

Zoey fixed her eyes on him, and he watched as emotions played like a movie on her beautiful face.

"Hi, Zoey. I'm back." It was Ryder who first broke the silence.