Chapter 2: Reginald Lyson, You're a Useless Man!

During the three years he'd lost his memory, Reginald Lyson might have drifted through life in a haze, but he hadn't been blind to the world. His wife, at least in name, worked in the Entertainment Circle. Through her, he'd picked up plenty. Monroe Quinny, for instance, was the nation's hottest star at the moment, the kind whose name was everywhere. Compared to her, Reginald's wife, Rylie Norrell, could only be called a nobody. And in the Entertainment Circle, Monroe's reputation was unusually clean. Whether it was professionalism or character, people praised her without hesitation. Her violin solos were even considered industry-grade, the kind professionals acknowledged. Monroe casually produced a portable ash tin, stubbed out her cigarette, then lifted off those thick glasses to reveal her real face. Skin like cream. Eyes bright and clear. She was, undeniably, a slender beauty with a graceful, captivating air. "Wow," Monroe said, putting on an exaggerated look of surprise. "You're so smart." Then her expression snapped cold. "You recognized me from the start, didn't you? And you still went on and on. What a show-off." Monroe shrugged as she pocketed the ash tin and fished out a pen. "Fine. Since you acted so convincingly, I'll give you an autograph. I faked being sick today so I could ditch my manager and sneak out to have some fun. I didn't expect the reporters to catch wind of it. When you leave, don't sell me out, okay?" As she spoke, she leaned in, closing the distance. She hadn't expected Reginald to retreat two quick steps, cleanly slipping out of her reach. Her hand met nothing but air. Even in an ill-fitting nurse outfit, she still carried herself with undeniable allure. That only made the miss sting more. Irritation flashed across her face, and she shot him a hard glare. "What are you dodging for?" "Sorry," Reginald said evenly. "I don't like unnecessary physical contact with strangers." "You…" Strangers? Did he have any idea who she was? She was Monroe Quinny, the most sought-after star in the Entertainment Circle. Wherever she went, men either stared like idiots or scrambled to get her attention. And this man had actually avoided her. "I'm leaving," Reginald said, flicking out the cigarette butt. He turned his back on her and headed down the stairs. "Thanks for the smoke. I won't meddle. Don't worry." Monroe stayed where she was, silent for a long moment. Then she laughed under her breath. Interesting. Every man she'd met before tried to cozy up to her, one way or another. This one was different. Around her, he carried himself with calm, effortless composure. Even after seeing her true face, his gaze stayed steady, nothing like the usual crowd. She hadn't expected to run into a man like that in little River City… … After leaving the hospital, Reginald walked back to Magnificent Garden. The security guards at the entrance stared when they saw him return in one piece, baffled. Wasn't that guy sent to the hospital? He got beat up and still walked out that fast? In the end, besides being annoyingly handsome, they discovered he had another "strength." He was tougher than he looked. Reginald had barely stepped inside and opened the door when a glass flew straight at his head. If he were still the amnesiac Reginald from before, it would have split his scalp open. But he wasn't that man anymore. He lifted a hand and caught the cup neatly in midair. A sharp, cutting female voice rang out at once. "Reginald Lyson!" A woman stormed over, hands planted on her hips, her chin tilted high as if she owned the air in the room. It was his mother-in-law, Evangeline Heyland. "Reginald, I told you to go buy groceries this morning. You went out and disappeared for the whole day. What are you, a turtle in your past life?" Back when Reginald and Rylie married, Evangeline had been the loudest opponent. She couldn't control her daughter, so she poured all her rage onto him instead. Over the past year, she'd humiliated him more times than he could count. Even though Reginald's mind was clear again, he had no intention of revealing who he truly was. "I'm sorry," he said. "I got jumped today. I went to the hospital…" "Cut the crap!" Evangeline snapped. "You useless freeloader. Who would even bother hitting you? I bet you took advantage of Rylie being out and went fooling around!" "Or maybe you wanted to starve us to death so you could swallow the Norrell family's property! You spineless loser. Keep dreaming!" A man in his fifties hurried over and tried to block Evangeline's full barrage. "Alright, alright," he said, forcing a placating smile. "He really was beaten up today. I heard it from the guards. It sounded like one of Rylie's pursuers had someone do it…" That was Reginald's father-in-law, Yosef Norrell, the least successful member of the Norrell family. "Oh?" Evangeline's voice rose even higher. "You're defending him? If it weren't for a coward like you, would my daughter have married this piece of trash? Just thinking about how your relatives look at us makes my blood boil!" The couple looked ready to start screaming at each other when hurried footsteps pounded down the stairs. Reginald's sister-in-law, Charlotte Norrell, rushed into the living room. "Mom, stop fighting!" Charlotte said, breathless. "Sis still isn't back, is she? Call her already. What if something happened?" "Y-yeah…" Evangeline glanced at the clock. The hands had already passed ten at night. She threw a last glare at the two "useless men" in the house and pulled out her phone to call. With his wife gone, Yosef looked as if he'd been granted a pardon. He kept his head down and retreated to his room. In the living room, only Charlotte and Reginald remained. Charlotte walked up to him, her gaze icy. Like her sister, she was naturally beautiful, with a graceful figure that could have carried her into stardom without effort. But unlike Rylie, Charlotte had chosen to inherit the family business. She was the general manager of Natural Garments Company, the company her father Yosef had founded. Reginald offered her a small smile. Courtesy was necessary, even toward a sister-in-law in name. Charlotte's expression only darkened with disappointment. "Reginald! My sister worked herself to the bone all day for this family, and you vanished without a trace. You can't help with anything!" Her voice sharpened. "Reginald Lyson, you're a useless man!" Me? Useless? Reginald only lifted a shoulder. That indifference lit Charlotte's temper even more. Her face flushed with anger. How could a man be this shameless, this unmotivated? No. Once this mess was over, she would convince her sister to divorce him. Her sister was still young. She couldn't waste her life on a man like this. Just then, the villa's front door opened. A woman stepped in, travel-worn and exhausted, yet her beauty still overwhelmed the fatigue on her face. She was the kind of woman who had everything, poise and looks woven together into something flawless. Rylie Norrell. Reginald's wife in name. "Sis, you're back?" Charlotte's eyes brightened. Then she turned and shouted, "Mom! Sis is home!" She swung back to Reginald and barked, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get my sister some footbath water so she can relax!" "I got it," Reginald said. He didn't argue. He headed straight for the bathroom. By the time he returned with a basin of warm water, Rylie was already seated on the sofa, talking about work with her mother and sister. "Rylie," Reginald said, setting the basin down. "Your footbath." He started to step away, but Evangeline cut in at once. "Wait. Why aren't you washing her feet?" "Mom," Rylie said, as she always did, shielding him. "Reginald is a man. That's not appropriate." Even though Reginald was a live-in son-in-law and disliked by almost everyone in the house, Rylie had always treated him with basic respect. After Reginald regained his memory, that was one of the reasons he hadn't simply walked away. But Evangeline refused to let it go. "Daughter, you still call him a man? He eats the Norrell family's food, drinks the Norrell family's money. Has he ever done a single thing for the Norrell family? A freeloader like that counts as a man?" "Exactly!" Charlotte piled on. "Sis, Mom's right. Reginald, what are you waiting for? You don't want to? If you don't want to, then get out of the Norrell family!" "I understand," Reginald said. He bent down and actually began washing Rylie's feet. Some men might have considered it humiliating. Reginald didn't. He had lived ten thousand years, seen warmth and cruelty in every form. This was nothing. Besides, Rylie's feet were delicate, refined, like pale jade. Washing them could hardly be called suffering. As his hands worked, the gentle friction brought a soft, pleasant numbness through her soles. Rylie looked down at Reginald kneeling in front of her, and disgust flickered in her eyes despite herself. Back then, she had asked him to enter into a fake marriage to help her avoid trouble, to marry into the Norrell family as a live-in husband. But what woman wouldn't want her husband, even one only in name, to be someone upright and dependable? She had never seen that in Reginald. Not once. Over the past year, she had tried openly and subtly to push him to change. Nothing ever did. He never improved, not even a little. A man didn't have to be talented. He just couldn't be aimless. The thought made her want to kick him away. Then her phone rang. Rylie answered. "Hello?" "Miss Norrell, it's me." Rylie recognized the voice at once. "Manager Looske?" Manager Looske from River City Bank's credit department. "Miss Norrell, I'm sorry," Manager Looske said. "About the loan, there may be a complication." "What?" Rylie's voice tightened. "Don't get worked up. It's not hopeless." Manager Looske lowered his voice as if sharing a favor. "Young Master Wokey said that if you can spare a day tomorrow to keep him company, he can guarantee the loan in the name of the Wokey family. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Miss Norrell. Are you sure you don't want to think about it?" Rylie's brows drew together so tightly they almost knotted. "I understand," she said, forcing the words out. "Let me think." She ended the call and tossed the phone aside, sinking back into the sofa as if all her strength had drained away. Then she lowered her gaze and saw Reginald still massaging her soles. The memory of the call twisted into a fresh wave of revulsion, and it spilled over onto him as well. She shoved him away with a hard kick. "Get away from me! Men are disgusting!" Evangeline, who should have been pleased to see Reginald scolded, froze in confusion instead. "Daughter, what's wrong with you? That call just now was…" Rylie's throat tightened. She swallowed, then forced herself to speak. "I'm sorry, Mom… I'm sorry, Charlotte…" Her voice came out strained. "That call was from River City Bank. Natural Garments Company's loan got held up. They can't approve it for the time being."