Chapter 1 Teenage Useless Son-in-law

• Of course, Oliver was just a teenager, but that didn’t mean they had the right to treat him like a slave. He stood at the sink, sleeves rolled up, scrubbing plates with quiet focus when a loud clatter startled him.
• Miranda had just thrown a stack of plates in his direction.
• He looked up quickly but bit back any words that might slip out. Arguing with his mother-in-law was the last thing he wanted.
• Then came the sharp crash!
• The plates shattered on the tiled floor. Miranda spun around instantly, and their eyes met in the tense air.
• “I’m sorry…” Oliver stammered, his voice low, but Miranda was already marching toward him. The cold look in her eyes told him exactly where this was going.
• She bent, picked up one of the unbroken plates, and leveled it at him. “Sorry? But for what?” Her tone was strict, cutting through the air like glass.
• He lowered his gaze. “I should have picked the plate… it’s all my fault.”
• Miranda’s lips curled into a grin. The expression didn’t soften her face—it only made her look more smug, like the walking embodiment of luxury itself.
• “How many times do I have to make it clear to you that this house is nothing like the basement you used to live in?” she said, pacing around him slowly. “This is luxury, Oliver. And what do you know about it? You know exactly nothing! All you are good at is to sleep, wake up, eat your ass off and repeat the same! You are no different from a church rat!”
• Oliver swallowed hard, trying to keep his eye level low from Miranda. He is already used to her fire backs and harsh attitude towards him which has already become a habit for her.
• After all, Miranda was right when she said he leeches off her daughter's wealth. He has been married to her daughter for two years now but has no source of income, and doesn't even have a good paying job!
• Still in the lost of how all these started, Oliver knew he had to pay all his respect to Miranda.
• “I apologize again, Mom—”
• “Who is your mom?!” she snapped, cutting him off sharply. “Don’t you dare call me that!”
• He bowed slightly, trying to keep his voice neutral. “Noted.”
• She turned to leave, but stopped mid-step. Spinning back toward him, her tone was colder than before.
• “That doesn’t mean this will slide. The plates you broke cost ten dollars each. Five plates are gone—that’s fifty dollars. I’ll have it deducted from your salary.”
• Oliver’s hand froze around the sponge. He turned to her, stunned.
• “But Ma’am, I was counting on this month’s salary. If you deduct fifty dollars… that means I’ll have nothing left. My salary is fifty dollars—”
• “And how is that my concern?” she interrupted without a shred of sympathy, closing the distance between them. The more he spoke, the more her irritation seemed to flare.
• She grabbed another ceramic plate from the counter, holding it up as if to emphasize her point. “Tell me, what does an eighteen-year-old boy like you even need fifty dollars for? Besides, you should’ve thought about that before marrying Zora!”
• With deliberate force, she let the plate drop. It shattered on the floor.
• A sudden voice cut through the room.
• “Mom!”
• Both Oliver and Miranda turned toward the kitchen doorway.
• Zora stood there, framed by the light from the hallway. Her black eyes made her beauty striking—slim, tall, the graceful frame of a model, though her clothes were simple.
• Seeing her daughter only seemed to fuel Miranda’s irritation. She plastered on a fake smile and walked toward her.
• “Mom, you don’t have to do this to Oliver!” Zora’s voice was firm.
• “And who are you to defend him?” Miranda shot back immediately, her tone laced with challenge.
• Zora exhaled slowly, choosing not to argue further just yet. She brushed past her mother and went to Oliver, who stood silent by the sink.
• “Are you okay, babe?” she asked softly.
• Miranda burst into laughter. “Babe?” she repeated mockingly, stepping closer. “Can you even hear yourself right now, Zora. Calling a boy like him BABE? When will you finally accept the fact that Oliver is a nobody?”
• “Mom, Oliver is my husband,” Zora fired back, her eyes wide with defiance. “You can't keep on insulting him this way! The only crime he committed was being 18 years old. Besides, we already received Grandpa's blessings, so what's all these?”
• “Zora, you should be ashamed of yourself for calling that idiot your husband!” Miranda snapped angrily. “He ruined your life, destroyed your future, and tarnished our image! What’s next? Will you keep him around until he sells our family secrets to our business rivals for a quick payday?”
• Zora’s hand tightened around Oliver’s arm, ignoring her mother’s venom. She asked again what had happened between them, but Oliver only gave a small chuckle and assured her he was fine.
• “Let’s just leave it,” he murmured.
• Zora turned back to Miranda. “Mom, the best thing you can do right now is let my husband and I live our lives. You can’t expect us to obey you all the time.”
• She straightened her posture, her voice rising. “We are no longer teenagers. We’re eighteen now, and that gives us the right to make our own decisions!”
• “You shouldn’t have agreed to our marriage if you were going to fight it every step of the way!”
• Miranda kept her gaze locked on Oliver, whose eyes stayed firmly on the floor. If only she had knew that Oliver would turn into a problem for Zora and her family. If only she could turn back the hands of time!
• She was still thinking about this angrily, when Zora's voice rang out.
• “Excuse us, Mother. We'll have to be on our way now!” Zora said sharply, taking Oliver’s hand and turning toward the doorway, but just when they were about to leave, Miranda's voice shot up.
• “Hold on!”
• Zora stopped, her shoulders tensing. “What is it now, Mom?” she asked, her tone edged with impatience.
• Miranda stepped forward and held out an envelope. “Take this.”
• Zora frowned but accepted it. “What is this?”
• “Why don’t you look inside before you start complaining,” Miranda replied, her eyes narrowing with a weary glare.
• Zora opened the envelope. One glance at its contents sent a shock across her face. She shook her head, glaring back at her mother.
• “What?!” she gasped.