Chapter One: The useless son-in-law
"Really? The Linhares family finally needs me?” Regan scoffed as he scowled at the impressive figure in front of him.
The woman dressed elegantly and sipped from a glass, the most expensive of white wine.
“This is a chance to redeem yourself and-” The woman began to say but he snickered, uninterested in her lies.
“What? Rowland made a mess of himself and you realize I'm appropriate and the one who's meant to be in control not him? A chance to redeem myself you say? Is this some sort of joke? You kicked me out and deemed me worthless three years ago!” Regan fired, slightly raising his voice.
“The family needs you, we're sorry for what ever happened in the past, let it go and return home.” The woman advised him, enthusiasm evident in her eyes.
Regan scoffed deliriously. “Get Rowland out of prison and feed him these lies, I'm not interested. He's always had his way with words didn't he? Let him find a way out of this.” He fired and rose to his feet, ready to leave.
“Regan! He's your twin brother and we're your family!” The woman barked at him.
He stared icily back at her, his eyes full.of rage and resentment. “ You should have thought about that before selling me off like a piece of furniture to that family, leave me alone. Three years of living like a commoner has made me accustomed to it.”
“You're a Linhare, it is your responsibility to-”
“Don't talk to me about responsibility when you've failed at yours…. Mom.” Regan cut her short and tut before finally leaving.
He sauntered out of the biggest restaurant in the city, his shabby clothes being a contrast of the private suite he just got out from. The cold wind blew past his face, making him clutch his worn-out coat tightly.
Two hours later, he arrived at a huge mansion and with a heavy sigh, he walked in only to stopped by a woman.
“Where the hell have you been?” She yelled at him and then her eyes trailed down to the wooden box he was holding.
“Donna.” He muttered, bowing his head.
Donna is his wife, the woman whose life was termed unfortunate by others because she was someone allowed to marry him; a nobody with no name.
“I told you not to embarrass me, where did you get that from?” She scolded.
“It's a gift for Grandma, it's not much but-”
“Spare the details, the whole family is here already, do me a favor and just stay off the grid. Things are bad as it is, don't make it worse.” She instructed, ignoring his words.
Donna's life was turned upside down after her grandfather had made it his wish for her to get married to him, she loved him dearly and didn't want to disobey or make the old man unhappy.
His words made her stay with the wretched husband he got her married to ‘Donna, never underestimate Regan, he's more than you think he is.’
Three years later and all he's amounted to is a joke, a pathetic one that brings shame to her and her family. Divorce was inevitable but she was waiting for the right time.
“Look who's here, the pauper and his bride.” Isaiah announced with a loud voice as Regan and Donna stepped in.
Donna rolled her eyeballs and stepped aside, not wanting to be in the limelight with Regan, the shameful limelight.
Isaiah, being the oldest grandson of the family prided in the fact that he was more successful than any of them and his grandpa’s favorite granddaughter was stuck with a pauper.
“Shut up Isaiah, we're here for grandma.” Donna said, tiredly.
Isaiah chuckled and turned around to face Regan squarely, scoffing at the wooden box he held in his hand.
“What? Where did you get that? At a junkyard sales?” Isaiah said, insultingly.
The rest of the family laughed at him, joining in the fun.
“No, I bought it from a store.” Regan replied him and Donna felt her dignity go down the drain, if only her foolish husband would keep mute and stay out everyone else's way.
Isaiah flaunted what he was holding.” I got her a $150000 wine, expensive I know but worth it, it's aged and extremely rare.” He announced with a loud voice.
This arouse murmurs from others, praising him and voicing their envy towards how lavishly he could spend money, his eyes were filled with satisfaction, after all, he loved the attention.
“Aged and expensive you say?” Regan questioned.
Isaiah's eyebrows furrowed in a frown and Regan covered the distance between them, making a gesture for Isaiah to pass the wine to him. “Handle it with care, it's worth more than your entire lifetime.” Isaiah commented snidely.
Regan nodded and carefully observed the bottle, he scrutinized his nose and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “It's a fake, judging from the texture and aroma coming from the bottle, even I can tell it's a fake, did you say you paid a fortune for this? How can you be so shallow minded?”
Isaiah looked taken back by the sudden accusations, his forehead creased in a frown as his heart skipped a beat, chuckling nervously. “Give me that!” He growled, snatching the bottle away from Regan.
“There are tons of wine peddlers in the streets these days, they preserve wine for a year or two, mix in some chemicals to make it give off an aged aroma but it's a facade, you just fell into a trap.” Regan announced, monotonously.
“What? He bought a fake?”
“He has been fooled.”
“This is humiliating.”
“How are you slander me!” Isaiah bellowed, angrily.
He had truly gotten it from a local store that sold fakes and thought to lie since no one would knew and impress the grand mistress of the family but Regan somehow exposed his plans.
“It's lethal enough to pose a life-threatening effect on grandma, are you trying to kill her?” Regan accused.
“Are you sure about what you're saying?” Donna whispered to her husband.
“I can bet my life on it.” He swore.
Donna stepped forward and snickered loudly. “Some filial grandson you are! You should be ashamed of yourself.” She insulted, loudly.
Isaiah began to stammer, he was unexpectedly caught in his own web of lies, after all; the old woman wouldn't bother drinking the wine but Regan had made a fuzz about it.
“You little piece of trash! How dare you lie?” Isaiah thundered, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
“What is going on here?” A thin but firm voice questioned.
They bowed their head slightly, honoring the entrance of a powerful figure.
“Grandma.” Isaiah started, staring at Regan with evident hatred in his eyes. “Look, I bought you this fine wine for your birthday.”
“It's fake.” Regan interjected.
Marietta De Croix, the matriarch of the family took the wine from his hand and inspected it. “You're sure it's fake?” She asked firmly, her icy tone commanding respect.
“You can check it out.”
Sweat beads broke off Isaiah's forehead, his grandma might be odd but she wasn't easy to fool. She clicked her tongue and shook her head disapprovingly. Donna smiled satisfactorily as the woman took slow but stead steps towards Regan.
Pah!
“How dare you slander my grandson!”