Chapter 13
James further added, his anger flaring as he descended down the stairs. He was dressed in a red casual shirt and trousers.
"And for that fool named Joshua that thinks he's super-rich, isn't he aware that you're married? Doesn't he see any other ladies outside there to go out with on a dinner night? Why must it be you?" He shot, avoiding the piercing eyes of everyone.
Everyone was stunned at his audacity to speak. Olivia glared at him, her expression darkening. She carefully placed the laptop on the sofa, daggering at James with fierce eyes.
She didn't know what to say. How dare this nonsense man interfere in her affairs!
Grandma Aurora, on the other hand, clutched her fist, her chest tightening. She barked, getting up on her feet, "Married? To whom?" She scoffed, infuriated.
"What makes you think you're even worthy of being called someone's husband? Or is it because we let you stay here and you think you can misuse that privilege to interfere in family matters or affairs?"
"I'm also part of this family! And Olivia here is my wife!" James interjected before she could make any more sentences. "So, I have everything right to talk as long as we aren't divorced!"
This time, he was getting enough of it!
Grandma Aurora's eyes flashed with disbelief, staring speechless at James. He had started to talk back to them unlike him.
Overwhelmed with anger, Olivia got up and walked to where James was standing. She was about to slap him but then something unexpected happened.
James held her hand in the air, shaking his head. Everyone watched with astonished gazes.
"I won't let you continue to hit me! I have tolerated enough already. I've respected you enough like a loving and caring husband. But you're crossing the limit and I won't take it."
He pulled down Olivia's hand unharming, causing her to stagger back, feeling startled. Her eyes widened with shock.
No one could talk and James continued, voicing out his disapproval. He pointed his finger at Olivia, ""I'm still the head of this family, and I'm telling you—you're not going anywhere with that spoiled rich brat."" His voice carried finality.
At that moment, tension filled the whole place. Leonard, Olivia's father, was so quiet that he couldn't even cough.
Caleb and Amelia remained astonished, uttering no word. They hadn't seen him displaying such a level of anger before.
Grandma Aurora, too, was stiff at a spot, finding it very difficult to make any movement. She only swallowed hard, her body slightly shaking.
Meanwhile, Olivia kept her bewildered eyes on James, feeling the weight of both his actions and words hitting heavily on her.
This was another James, not the one she knew. She thought to herself.
James stood silent, his gaze shifting from one person to the next, uttering no word. A small smile tried to creep on his face, but he held it quickly, looking serious.
He could sense how frightened everyone was to see him display such action that they couldn't even predict.
As the tension in the room thickened, Evelyn then walked into the room, aware of what had just happened. She noticed how everyone was just standing motionless and speechless.
She looked at them, confusion and curiosity taking the better part of her. "Why is everyone standing like that? What's the matter?" She asked, the tone of her voice curious.
However, there was no answer from anyone. They just stared at her instead.
"Why's no one talking? Someone, please, talk to me? What happened?" She asked again but her curiosity then turned into anger since everyone acted like they didn't hear her speak.
She pointed at Caleb and Amelia, "Both of you, go to your room and read your books! You can't be watching TV all through the day. Go now!"
"And you," she turned her attention to James, sounding harsh on him for the first time, "Go to the kitchen and prepare lunch fast!"
James hesitantly nodded, "Alright," he responded politely and walked away to the kitchen. And Caleb and Amelia followed another route to their paired room.
Evelyn then let out a deep breath, the tension in the room when she first came in had now cooled down. She then looked at Olivia and her gaze landed on Olivia's laptop.
She asked after hesitating. "Weren't you working on something with your laptop? Please, get back to work."
Olivia tried to shake off the whole thing but it still engulfed her in a way that she couldn't explain. She struggled to make her way to the sofa, settling down.
Evelyn didn't stop there, she walked to where Grandma Aurora was, and tried to hold her hand supportively for her to have a seat, "Come have a seat here, Mo—"
Her words were left incomplete as Grandma Aurora jerked her hand away, pushed her back, and yelled, "Let go of me! I'm not your mother!"