Chapter 11. To be a live-in Son-in-law
1723 Words
Chapter 11 To be a live-in Son-in-law
Roslyn did not expect her father to change his mind. Being a live-in son-in-law was humiliating enough, and now he offered money to let Dan go, which was even more humiliating!
"Dad, what are you talking about? You're going too far..." She expressed her mind.
"Roslyn, don't be unruly. What's the point of yelling at your father in front of our guest?" Her mother remonstrated.
She approached, pulled her aside and started whispering some advice. "Don't be silly. Your father is testing the man for you. If he is tempted by a mere one million, then won't you think that he would be even more tempted by the Baron family's billions of assets? We hope he likes you as a person, not our money."
Roslyn thought her mother was right, but she was more certain that Dan would not accept the one million from her father.
"He won't," she opined, rather vehemently.
No sooner had she finished speaking, than she saw Dan picking up the bank card. Her heart sank. Could it be that her vision of men was really bad, and she had made a mistake again?
But Dan just played with the bank card in his hand and did not put it in his pocket.
Mr. Brandon was unsure of Dan's intention, so he decided to be more convincing.
"Mr. Panter, if you think this amount is too little, I can add another five hundred thousand and we call the marriage a sham."
Dan had been keenly observing his unwilling father in-law. He was totally flabbergasted by the fact that they could take him for a good-for-nothing vagabond.
"Your daughter is only worth 1.5 million in your heart?" He contemptuously posed.
"How much do you want?" Mr. Brandon sounded infuriated.
He wanted to buy off the besmirching union with money, but that did not mean he was easy to bully and let anyone ask for a sky-high price.
If Dan asked for too much, he would call the police immediately to arrest this him. He glared at his unreadable, blank face.
"Well, I don't want a penny from you. If you excuse me, I would like to have a word with Roslyn." Dan's inscrutable face expressed no emotion as he put the bank card back on the coffee table, pushed it to Mr. Brandon's side, and then stood up.
"Do you share the same sentiments as your parents?" He asked Roslyn.
He vowed to himself that if Roslyn had the same idea as her parents, he would readily turn around and leave. There was nothing to regret. A woman who did not have her own principles was not suitable to be his wife.
"How would you even think about it! Of course, it's not my idea. I didn't have any prior knowledge of it untill now." She demurred as she walked over and stood side by side with him. She took the initiative to hold his hand, and the two interlocked their fingers.
She ignored her mother's pleading eyes and reiterated her earlier sentiments even more solemnly.
"Mom and Dad, you have taught me since I was a child that I should keep my word and not do things that go against my conscience, but what you are doing now has disappointed me so much.Yesterday, he and I swore at the wedding that we would never leave each other no matter what, poverty or illness notwithstanding. Then if I regretted it the next day, what kind of person would I be? I won’t abandon him unless he leaves me. I can live a poor life with him even if he doesn’t want your money."
Feeling disrespected and betrayed, her father slapped the table and started scolding her.
"It’s all our fault for taking such good care of you that you never suffered any hardship. You don’t understand the truth about poor couples having many sorrows. He is just a poor boy who doesn’t even have his own house. How are you going to live?"
A moment after the bitter reprimanding, Mr. Brandon suddenly changed his face and tone and started addressing his son-in-law in more friendly manner.
"There is another way," he continued. "You gotta work in our company and become our live-in son-in-law. That way, we will recognize your marriage to our daughter."
This proposal took both Dan and Roslyn by surprise.
Roslyn could not help but admire her father's subtle scheme. She realized that it would be easy to be rejected if Dan was asked to be a live-in son-in-law directly, but it would be a lesser evil to be accepted if he offered money as a prelude first. The old geezer!
After a brief pause, Dan quickly understood Mr. Brandon'ss true intention. They were both wolves pretending to be sheep.
"I agree to go to work in the company, but I won't be a live-in son-in-law," Dan responded, firm and determined.
Living in his in-laws was not only demeaning, but it could also jeopardize his relationship with his grandfather.
Mr. Brandon was slightly taken aback because he had obviously been left with no better option.
"Well, let's talk about the living with us later. You come to work in the company first and be my assistant," he agreed.
The following day, Dan went to work in the company after Roslyn had prepared a fitting suit and tie for him in lieu of his usual jeans and T-shirts.
"Have you remembered everything I taught you?" She had severally asked him before living for work.
"I remember. I can recite it all," he had dutifully responded, helplessly looking at her.
After they had come back the previous day, she had began teaching him earnestly about what to do in the company from a business administration book which she read page by page. The book was frivolously full of information and he wondered if the author was among the richest person in the world.
Professionally a kindergarten teacher, she had treated him as a child as she explained the book's concepts. So focused was she that she had unconsciously leaned into his arms.
He he had not intended to take anything she read to him to heart, but with such a soft and fragrant girl in his arms, he had felt comfortable listening to her in sorts of ways.
"I wish you a smooth first day at work," she bid him in the morning, a broad smile on her face.
"Okay, I will definitely impress my father-in-law."
"Husband, I believe in you," her optimism could not be gainsaid.
* * * * *
Moments later, Dan arrived at the company. Mr. Brandon took a look at his dress and became slightly surprised. He was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, tall and graceful, with his six packs more pronounced.
When they stood together, Dan looked more like the company's boss, while Mr. Brandon looked like the assistant. With such an air of grandeur, who would believe that he was an assistant?
"Your workstation is over there." Mr. Brandon pointed to a position in the corner and asked Dan to get familiar with his work.
On the first day of work, there was nothing too complicated, just small things like sending and receiving documents and serving tea and water. Mr. Brandon had thought that he should be able to do small small things well, but he was so angered by his demeanour that he almost cursed.
Dan sat at his workstation, crossing his legs like a boss. He just glanced at his work content and finished it in seconds, then picked up his mobile phone to play games, rather enthusiastically.
"Mr. Panter, print out this document, it's urgent." The secretary put a document in front of Dan who glanced at it and did not move.
"Did you hear me?" The secretary growled, agitated that Dan was not making any move towards printing her document.
It so happened that secretary had been observing Dan for some time and had long been annoyed that he only played games and appeared not to be working. He had tolerated him for a long time, and now he asked him to print a document without doing it. It was too arrogant.
"I heard you, but I won't print it," Dan's firm answer cut through the palpable tension in the room.
"If you don't want to work, get out. Our company doesn't keep idle people."
"You don't have the final say."
The argument between the two alarmed Mr. Brandon who frowned.
"Why don't you work?" He inquired of Dan. "Are you ashamed to be an assistant? Young people should not be too ambitious. If you can't do such a small thing, it will be difficult to do big things in the future."
"Far from it, I'm neither ashamed of the position, nor am I ambitious. It is only the contents in the document is erroneous. If it is printed and sent out, it will cause great losses to the company."
The secretary was not convinced. "Don't make excuses for yourself. You can see the mistake just by taking a glance? Where is the mistake? If you can really see it, I will respect you."
He was sure of the legality and accuracy of the document's contents. He had sorted it out himself and checked it three times. He was ready to print it only after making sure there was no problem. As a result, he saw that the new assistant was only playing games and not working, so he wanted to instruct him to print it. However, he had the temerity to say that there was an error in the document!
Dan pointed to a place among the densely packed clauses.
"Here," he indicated the error.
The secretary took it and looked at it carefully, not convinced.
"There is no problem here. What do you know on your first day at work? Print it quickly. The general manager has already signed it. Can you afford the loss of delaying the progress of the work?" He refused to be cowed.
"Let me take a look," Mr. Brandon called from his work station. Of course he did sign the document, but for safety reasons, he still took it over to check.
Just one glance and he broke out in a cold sweat.
- Writer
