Ethan sat in the back seat of the automobile, a sour frown on his face. Samuel's appearance triggered memories he wanted to forget. In his adolescence, he was dubbed a bastard and an illegitimate kid, and he and his mother were banished from their home. All of their possessions were confiscated.
He had a high and persistent temperature at the time. His mother, carrying him in her arms, knelt at the Quinns' door and begged for aid, only to be met with a frigid response: "We don't care about the lives of those who aren't Quinns."
After that, his mother took him to Emerald Coast County, where she worked to make ends meet. Life was difficult, yet she successfully raised him to adulthood. Unfortunately, years of hard work and hardship had taken their toll, and she eventually became unwell and collapsed.
At the time, Ethan had just graduated from college, and his meager wage barely covered his mother's massive medical expenditures. Desperate, he sought assistance from the Quinns, only to be met with cold rejection and cruel criticism, exacerbating his despondency and animosity toward them.
Soon after, he and Anastasia were drugged, sparking a scandal that swiftly spread across the county. The Reeds insisted that he marry into their family. He accepted on the condition that they lend him $50,000 for his mother's treatment.
However, when he arrived at the hospital with the money, his mother had already died. Ethan was distraught and felt like an absolute failure. He'd failed to save his mother and felt undeserving of someone as extraordinary as Anastasia Reed.
To make matters worse, the Reeds repeatedly mocked him. Ethan left the Reeds and joined the military because he wanted to alter his fate. He promised to build a name for himself and stand proudly alongside Anastasia.
Now he had returned.
….
The automobile rushed along the road, and Ethan soon arrived at the Reed home. Standing outside the familiar courtyard gate, he was overcome with anxiety. Memories of his abrupt departure from years ago flood his head, and he wonders how Anastasia feels about him now.
Just as he was ready to knock on the door, raucous laughter erupted from within. "Mr. Clay, since you're sincere about Anastasia, let's just settle on a date," a woman said. Ethan stopped, his heart sinking. Claudia, his mother-in-law, was Anastasia's mother.
"Missus - Claudia, you are being overly courteous. Don't be overly formal because we'll be family in the future. "Just call me by my name," said a masculine voice.
Ethan's thoughts raced. Was Anastasia moving on? The understanding hit him like a punch in the belly, evoking feelings of regret, jealousy, and sadness. He'd returned to regain his place, but was it too late?
"Sure, you're so young and articulate. Anastasia is really blessed to have met you! "As her parents, we can finally relax," Claudia added cheerfully, her voice full of relief.
"However, I heard about her former..."
"Do you mean that useless? That's OK. The legislation allows a missing individual to be ruled deceased after four years. He's been missing for more than seven years, so he must have died in some hellhole! If you are still concerned, let us go to court and acquire a certificate," another voice said dismissively.
"In my opinion, Anastasia is brilliant in all aspects, except that her husband, my brother-in-law, is a good-for-nothing."
"That piece of filth is not your brother-in-law. Your brother-in-law will now be known as Mr. Clay.
Ethan's heart sunk, and his expression darkened with each syllable. The weight of their disdain and contempt overwhelmed him. He had endured years of misery in the goal of reconnecting with Anastasia, only to return and find her family planning her future without him. The hurt and rage surged inside him, and he knew he couldn't keep silent any longer.
Bang, Bang! He knocked on the door, his fist trembling from the intensity of his feelings. He had returned for Anastasia, and he refused to leave without addressing the reality.
"Who is it?" "I'm coming." Claudia called out, her mood lifted by arranging her eldest daughter's marriage to a wealthy man. She answered the door with a happy smile, but her countenance altered suddenly when she saw who stood there.
"You... you're not dead?" Shock and horror flooded over her face, stripping it of color. Her look rapidly changed to one of hate and disdain. This useless individual has returned!
Although Ethan's features had changed over the years, she recognized him right away, her daily curses assuring she'd never forget his face.
"I have returned, Claudia," Ethan stated in a steady and calm voice.
"How dare you show up here, you wastrel?! Do not act so familiar with me! It's Mrs. Reed. Didn't your deceased mother teach you any manners? Claudia yelled, her face furrowed in rage, her hands firmly planted on her hips. Spittle shot from her mouth, nearly hitting on Ethan's face.
Ethan's heart boiled with rage. His mother's death was an unhealed wound and the motivating factor behind his disobedience. He clinched his fists, trying to contain his wrath and telling himself not to lose control in front of Anastasia's mother.
"What? Would you like to hit me? You are such a jinx. Of all times, you had to return now. I guess you're determined to make life difficult for us!"
"Who's out there?" Anastasia's father demanded upon hearing the commotion. He stormed out of the living room, his eyes widening in surprise as they settled on Ethan. His visage went rageful, and he charged forward, ready to attack Ethan.
"Bastard, how dare you come back! Why didn't you die outside? Huh?"
Just as his fist was ready to strike Ethan's face, a hand as mighty as an iron clamp squeezed his hard.
"Old man, you must be tired of life! "How dare you try to hit Ethan?" Dylan had been Ethan's brother in the war for years, fighting side by side with all the known enemies of Vallorbe, and had always viewed him as his only closest relative in his lifetime. How could he stay there and watch as others humiliated him?
With an icy-cold stare in his eyes, he exuded a violent aura that terrified Anastasia's father to the point of becoming pale as a sheet!