Chapter 6: Chapter 6 The Jealous Mother-in-Law

Words : 1975 Updated : Feb 26th, 2025

"Come on, let's head home right now!" Grace pulled Dante along to head home as soon as they stepped out. Thomas quickly turned to his bodyguard and said, "Go, drive my car from the parking lot and give it to Mr. Casson." The bodyguard was momentarily stunned. A Rolls-Royce had just arrived today and had only been driven to pick up Thomas from the airport for the first time. The bodyguard hurriedly chased after them, but Dante was nowhere to be found, so he returned. Thomas was about to get angry when Luke smiled and said, "You'll see him again next time." ... Although Grace's car was hit, the damage was not severe and didn't affect its mobility. "Get in!" After retrieving the car, Grace didn't give Dante a chance to refuse and pushed him inside. The car sped along the road, and Grace kept glancing at Dante out of the corner of her eye. At that moment, Dante felt like a stranger to her. Or perhaps Dante had always been a stranger to her. When Dante was brought into the Thubron family, he was suffering from a mental illness. The information Grace learned about Dante back then was scant. When a sudden family tragedy struck, he was a senior college student about to graduate. Burglars mistakenly killed his parents during a home invasion. Overnight, he lost both parents, and the shock led him to develop a mental illness. In the three years since their marriage, Grace had mostly treated Dante as a fool to be cared for. But now, the fool had transformed into a confident and composed young man. She watched him protect her, stand confidently before Thomas, and speak eloquently before a renowned doctor. The complex emotions brought on by this contrast couldn't be explained in just a few words. Before long, the car stopped in front of a well-known local restaurant. Grace quickly touched up her makeup in the car, and her already delicate features became even more alluring. Dante was mesmerized. What a stunning beauty. "Are there many people at Uncle's birthday party?" Dante suddenly asked. Grace pursed her lips. "It's not a major birthday, so not many are invited. You don't have to go if you don't want to." Dante chuckled bitterly, "Afraid I'll make a fool of myself?" "No!" Grace's expression changed slightly, but she didn't explain further. "I know our marriage was forced upon you. I agree if you want a divorce," Dante said after some thought. Although he had no complaints about Grace, she was beautiful and had married him to her father's promise, caring for him for three years. Such a woman was hard to find. But he wouldn't force her. In response to Dante's words, Grace coldly stepped out of the car without saying a word. Dante couldn't quite grasp what that meant. Yet, Grace didn't walk away. She stood at the restaurant entrance, waiting for him. Women are hard to figure out. Dante smiled wryly as he exited the car and followed her inside. They were led to a large private room on the second floor, where two large round tables were filled with family and friends. Raymond, Grace's father and Karina were seated at one of the tables. Karina's expression soured at the sight of Dante. Grace led Dante around to greet the elders. Dante didn't know these relatives and could only follow her, appearing awkward and foolish. The relatives looked at Dante with mockery, treating him with indifference. Raymond, smiling, gestured for Dante to sit next to him. Grace sat down next to Karina. Grace's uncle and aunt's family occupied the main table. Although her uncle was the birthday star, their son-in-law, Drake, was the center of attention, beaming as he toasted. In his thirties, Drake had a prosperous appearance and carried himself like a seasoned businessman. "Thank you all for coming to my father-in-law's birthday celebration. I'll drink this in honor of you!" Drake said, downing his drink in one go, exuding a hearty demeanor. "Drake, your business is booming now. Give us a hand when you can!" "Yes, I heard your recent project was with the Sabey family." "Doing business with the wealthiest family, even a little leftover from them, could last us a lifetime." "Don't forget us poor relatives when you make it big!" "Hey, I'm just a regular guy in construction, earning a living through hard work. You're flattering me." Drake said, though his eyes couldn't hide his pride. Most of the relatives present were salaried workers. Besides Drake, only Raymond could be considered a businessman. However, the Thubron family was in the herbal medicine business, and Raymond, being generous, shared profits with his siblings, making their earnings less than entrepreneurs. The group continued to flatter Drake. Grace's uncle and aunt were also beaming with pride. They were proud of Drake's achievements. Especially Simone, Grace's aunt, had always had a strained relationship with Karina. Karina used to boast about Grace marrying into a wealthy family due to her beauty. But now, Grace had married a mentally ill man. In contrast, Simone's daughter and son-in-law were successful and wealthy, and Simone's triumphant gaze was full of provocation. Karina's anger was palpable, her face flushed with frustration. She whispered to Grace, "Such boasting! It's just a landscaping project for one of the Sabey family's buildings. Probably hasn't even met the project manager more than a few times, yet boasts like this without fear of biting his tongue!" Grace sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation, and didn't respond. Raymond placed several pieces of braised pork on Dante's plate. Dante ate them one after another. Karina grew even angrier seeing Raymond's and Dante's behavior. Drake was in the spotlight, while Dante couldn't even be considered accomplished. Curing his mental illness would be a blessing. The stark contrast left Karina feeling sour. Noticing Karina's discomfort, Simone smirked and said, "Karina, Dante's illness is troublesome. It's hard to find him a regular job. No one dares to hire him." "But Drake, being in construction, doesn't mind. Why not let him work with Drake? It's not sustainable to support him forever." "Mom, I don't mean disrespecting you, but that won't work. Our sites are strict. I can't hire anyone with health issues," Drake apologized with a smile. "Wow, he can't even qualify for a laborer's job?" Simone drawled sarcastically. Seeing Dante humiliated, Grace retorted, "Dante's illness is cured." "Cured?" The people present were skeptical, suspecting Grace was just being stubborn. Dante didn't say much, only smiled. Raymond didn't take it seriously and laughed, "Today is truly a good day. It's my brother-in-law's birthday, and my son-in-law's illness is cured!" "Come on, everyone, let's drink to celebrate!" Karina gritted her teeth angrily. Raymond always tried to smooth things over. Drake smirked and said, "Dante, you know a man's got to support his family, right?" Dante nodded nonchalantly. "We're brothers-in-law, so I'll help if I can. Now that you're better, working as a laborer doesn't suit you." "I have a site in northern Myanmar that needs a manager. Would you consider it? You could easily earn fifty thousand dollars a year." Drake spoke grandly, acting like he was offering a favor. Raymond frowned, but before he could speak, Dante squinted and smiled. "I've heard it's quite chaotic, with high-paying jobs luring people to harvest organs. Drake, you're not planning to sell me, are you?"

Chapter 6: Chapter 6 The Jealous Mother-in-Law

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