Chapter 3: Vow

Darren Letherdale's mood was clearly sour, but he still forced his patience and tried to talk her down. "It's already come to this. What's the point of complaining nonstop? Do you really need to make everyone in the family miserable?" "Why wouldn't I?" Aya Showyer snapped back. "I get wronged and I'm not allowed to say a word? Did I say anything wrong?" "If it weren't for the old man's will, with our Jayla's looks and background, we could've picked any promising young man in all of Midcoast." "And forget the rest. Just look at Edward Zorn. He's young, and he's already the general manager of a Zorn Group branch. His future's basically limitless. Back then, he chased after our Jayla like his life depended on it. If you'd listened to me and let Jayla marry him, would we be living like this?" She slapped the table hard again. The more she spoke, the angrier she got. "And what's it like for us anymore, huh? Have you heard what people say?" "Other families marry up and turn into princesses overnight. Our family? We took in a useless live-in son-in-law, and we still have to feed him and keep him." "If he had even a shred of promise, I wouldn't say a thing. But look at him. Just look at him! A grown man, wearing an apron at home every day, doing laundry, sweeping floors, cooking meals. Is that something a man with any self-respect would do?" By then, Holden Duffus finally understood what this was really about. The Letherdale family was basically a family business. The one in charge was the eldest, Damian Letherdale, and their main line of work was imported liquor. Showyer Group, on the other hand, owned the largest number of mid-to-high-end restaurants and star-rated hotels in Midcoast. If the Letherdales could secure Showyer Group's order, their annual revenue would rise by at least several million. For a third-rate family like the Letherdales, their yearly net profit was only a few million to begin with. Showyer Group was naturally one of their biggest potential clients. Even back when Darren's father was still alive, the Letherdale family had tried again and again to win that order, but they had never managed it. So it had come up again at a family meeting, and someone had taken the chance to mock them. After all, they had a useless son-in-law like him. Once Holden pieced that together, the anger stirred up by his mother-in-law's words faded a good bit. Showyer Group. Kyla Showyer… He was still debating whether to speak when Juliana Letherdale suddenly said, "Actually… about Showyer Group… Holden might be able to help." Holden looked up, stunned. Juliana, who had always disliked him, had actually spoken up for him? Everyone else stared at her too. A moment later, Aya finally snapped out of it and said irritably, "You silly girl, what nonsense are you spouting? He can help? Help with what, make a fool of himself?" Darren frowned as well. "Enough. Eat your dinner. Isn't it chaotic enough already?" Seeing nobody believed her, Juliana immediately panicked. "Dad, Mom! I'm telling the truth! Holden knows Kyla Showyer! This afternoon, I even talked to her!" "What did you say?" Aya froze. She looked at Juliana, then at Darren, and the two of them burst out laughing. After a moment, Aya shook her head, still chuckling. "Alright, alright. Sweetie, Mom's not mad anymore. You don't have to tell jokes like that just to cheer me up. Do you think I don't know what Holden is like? He knows Kyla Showyer? Then I know Larry Looske. Hee-hee!" Jayla Letherdale flicked a cool glance at Holden and tapped the table. "Juliana, stop it. That kind of joke isn't funny. Eat." "You-!" Juliana stomped her foot, frantic that no one believed her. She glared at Holden. "Hey! Are you mute or something?" Holden gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Dad, Mom. Juliana's telling the truth. This afternoon-" "Enough, Holden!" Jayla cut him off, her voice sharp with impatience. "Mom already said she's not mad. Can you stop talking and just eat?" "You don't believe me?" Holden stared at Jayla, disappointment written all over his face. "How am I supposed to believe you?" Jayla's temper flared for real. Why wouldn't this man take a hint? "Who do you think Kyla Showyer is? She's Midcoast's number one female billionaire. Forget you, even I don't have the status to meet her once. How did you 'know' her? Where did you meet? What are you to her? Why would she help you?" "Exactly!" Aya sneered. "If you want to know someone like her, it'll have to be in your dreams. You must not even be awake yet." "Juliana was just trying to make me feel better, and you want to latch onto it and climb your way up? You think that'll make me look at you differently?" "You were useless before, and now you're lying and bragging? Holden Duffus, let me tell you, all you're doing is making me despise you even more!" The angrier she got, the more her voice rose, until Aya finally turned on Jayla. "I'm completely disappointed in this kind of man. Jayla, tomorrow you go and divorce him. The old man's been gone for more than two years. The will's invalid. There's no reason to keep this trash in our house, embarrassing us!" Jayla shot Holden a hard look. "That's enough, Mom. You've said your piece. Why are you dragging divorce into it?" "Enough?" Aya's eyes widened. "Look at him. Before, he was just useless. This time he's lying right to our faces. If he goes out there, who knows what he'll do? No. You have to divorce him!" "Mom!" Jayla slammed her bowl down on the table. "I'm not divorcing him." "What?" Aya stared at her, dumbfounded. "Jayla… do you even hear yourself?" "I do." "Mom, do you think if I divorce him, people will stop laughing at me? No. They won't." "Before, they only said I married a useless man. But if I divorce him and marry Edward Zorn, they'll look down on us even more. They'll say I have no shame, that I dumped Holden just to marry into money, and that tomorrow I'd kick Edward aside too if I could climb higher. Mom, I don't want people pointing at my back for the rest of my life." "But…" "There's no 'but,' Mom. Back then, I agreed to marry Holden for the inheritance, because Grandpa demanded it. I said yes, and I won't regret it. Don't bring this up again." Holden lifted his head sharply and studied Jayla with a seriousness he rarely showed. After a long moment, he suddenly smiled. "Mom, whether it's true or not, give me a chance. Let me prove it to you. It won't take long before the truth is clear. Right?" "You're really getting into it, aren't you?" Darren tugged at Aya's sleeve, but she ignored him. Aya let out a cold laugh. "Fine. Since you want to act tough, I'll give you a chance. But if you can't do it…" Holden met her gaze, calm and steady. "Then I'll do what you said. I'll divorce Jayla." Jayla's face went tight with fury. She glared at him. "You-" Before she could finish, Aya cut in, triumphant. "Those were your words! It's settled!" She turned and left, not giving Jayla any room to argue. After watching his mother-in-law go, Holden looked at Jayla. "Jayla, trust me." From Kyla Showyer's attitude that afternoon, Holden did not believe that saving two lives would amount to nothing more than an empty favor. He felt confident. Jayla, however, did not believe him at all. She had spoken up for him, and he had turned around and sold her out. She shot him an icy look, stood up without another word, and walked out of the dining room. Darren gave a helpless, bitter smile, sighed, and set down his chopsticks as well. In the end, only Juliana and Holden remained at the table. Juliana had meant well, but it seemed she had only made everything worse. Irritated and on edge, she glared at Holden. "This is all your fault!" Holden blinked. "I didn't even blame you. Why are you blaming me?" "Blame you?" Juliana snapped. "What right do you have to blame me?" She tossed her chopsticks down, cheeks puffed with anger. "Didn't you see how furious Dad and Mom were? If you could help, why didn't you speak up first?" Holden rolled his eyes, annoyed. "And you saw what happened, didn't you? Do you think they believed it?" "You!" Juliana shoved her chair back and glared at him. "I don't care. It's your fault, all of it! If you can't handle it, just wait and see what I do to you. Hmph!" Holden watched her storm out of the dining room. He stared at the empty table and let out a long breath. He took out his phone, glanced at it, hesitated for a long time, then finally clenched his jaw and dialed that number. The phone rang three times before it connected, and Kyla Showyer's voice came through. "Hello? Holden Duffus. Calling this late… something wrong?" Holden parted his lips, then hesitated. He had just saved her. If he turned around and asked for help, would it make him look like he was cashing in on a favor? As if she had read his mind, Kyla chuckled softly. "Holden, I told you. If you need anything, just ask. What, is my sister's life not worth a few small favors?" That loosened the knot in Holden's chest. After a moment's thought, he finally said, "Well… Sister Kyla, it's like this. I… have something I'd like to ask you to help with…" "You know, if you don't say it soon, I'm going to get mad." "Alright. It's not convenient over the phone. Come to Showyer Group tomorrow morning. Someone will take you straight to my office." Holden let out a long breath, relief flooding him. "Thank you, Sister Kyla." "No thanking me," Kyla said, her tone light but firm. "Or I'll really get mad. It's settled. I'll be in my office tomorrow." She hung up. Holden stared at the empty dining room and sighed to himself. He ate every last bit of the food alone, then got up and started cleaning the table. He scrubbed down the kitchen, then washed the clothes. By the time he finished, it was already ten at night. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Holden returned to the bedroom. The room was pitch-black. Jayla seemed to have fallen asleep. He moved quietly, took his pajamas to the bathroom to wash up, then slipped back in. He glanced at the bed and sighed, then pulled out his bedding and laid it on the floor. He stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. "Holden." "Ah?" The sudden voice startled him. He sat up and looked toward the bed. Jayla did not move at all, but her calm voice drifted through the darkness. "When are you going to grow up?" "I'm not asking you to be as outstanding as Edward Zorn or Larry Looske, but at the very least… you should fight for some dignity of your own." "And Mom wasn't entirely wrong. A man can't stay at home every day, wearing an apron, doing laundry, sweeping, cooking." "As for Showyer Group's order, if you can't get it, don't force it. In a few days, I'll talk to Mom properly. Starting tomorrow, go find a job." "Anything is fine. Don't complain the pay is low. Just work steadily. In this life… you have to give me something to hold onto…" In the darkness, Holden could not see her expression, but his heart tightened hard. So that was how it was. After more than two years together, she had slipped into his heart without him noticing. When she felt wronged, disappointed, and hurt, he felt the same ache. Holden closed his eyes briefly, then answered softly, his gaze fixed on the night. "I understand. Don't worry…"