The substitute husband who has been insulted

Episode 2

"I swear if it wasn't for my brother-in-law, I'd throw him into the street!" grumbled Debora, rubbing her forehead where it had hit the front seat's headrest.

The girl straightened up, her eyes widening in alarm when she spotted a row of burly men blocking their vehicle.

"Who are they? Could they be loan sharks? Do you have debts? What a burden it is to know you!" Debora barraged without respite.

Rihard's grip on the steering wheel tightened, and though silent, his jaw clenched with a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Don't get out! Stay here! Let me handle my business. Remember! Do not get out, or you will be their collateral!" Richard intimidated his sister-in-law with a stern warning.

"Ugh! Don't drag me or my family into your mess, damn it!" Deborah cursed with biting sarcasm.

"Hmph!" Richard responded before stepping out of the car to approach the men.

Debora chose to distract herself, fiddling with her phone to check social media, utterly indifferent to what was about to unfold with her brother-in-law. From the start, she disapproved of her sister marrying that bar waiter.

...===000===...

Richard stood firm, eyeing the burly men before him, all of them bowing respectfully.

"What more do you want?" Richard growled with forceful emphasis, recognizing the henchmen sent by his grandfather.

"Young Master, we finally found you. We've come to escort you back!" one of them politely replied.

"Pah! After tossing me aside five years ago, now you summon me back as you please? Tell your master I'll never return!" Richard declared, clenching his fists, the turmoil in his chest recalling clearly how his grandfather had thrown him out penniless.

"I apologize, Young Master. But the old man is critically ill. No one's there to manage the company, and he wants to seek your forgiveness before his time comes," the guard explained further.

THUD!

Richard felt his knees weaken, as if the bones had detached from his body. No matter how much he resented his grandfather, he didn't want to lose him—the old man who had raised him after his own parents died when Richard was two.

Richard was motionless, torn between the urgency of returning to country K to see his grandfather and the inability to leave so abruptly.

"Have Delon contact me! I'll consider it!" Richard ordered, asking to be contacted by his grandfather's right-hand man.

"Very well, Young Master. We'll convey the message," they promised.

"One more thing. Do not appear like this again, or you'll suffer the consequences!" Richard threatened sternly.

After their confirmatory response, Richard returned to his in-laws' car, slamming the door so hard that Debora jumped.

"Can you be gentle? Can you afford to pay if it breaks?" Debora yelled after him.

Richard remained silent, his mood soured by the unexpected news that disturbed his thoughts. The car resumed its journey at a moderate pace; he had no desire to endure more ear-splitting screams.

...===000===...

That evening, Richard was occupied with a pile of domestic chores: washing the car, watering plants, and tidying the bedroom he shared with his wife, Velyn. He knew exactly how she disliked a messy, dirty room.

After his work, Richard cleaned himself and then headed to his father-in-law's room. The man knocked gently, then entered when the door was opened.

"What is it?" Sabrina asked curtly, facing her son-in-law.

"I want to check on dad's condition, Ma. Excuse me," he said, entering even without being invited.

Sabrina glared, "Hey! You're rude, you know!" she shouted, turning to block Richard, who was continuing his therapeutic massage.

"Ma, if dad only relies on medical drugs and skips therapy, his recovery will take longer. Please trust me. This is for dad's healing," Richard pleaded, sitting at the foot of Rendra's bed, pressing on nerve points on the soles of his feet.

"Ouch! Careful, dummy!" Rendra winced, feeling his waist squeezed by an intense pressure.

"Sorry, Pa. But with regular therapy, within a week you should feel the difference," Richard insisted, not stopping his massaging hands.

For nearly half an hour, Richard applied his skill. Despite his father-in-law's continuous complaints, Richard was undeterred. His only goal was to help heal those around him using the abilities he'd acquired over the past five years.

After being kicked out by his grandfather, Richard chose to start anew abroad. In country A, he was immediately robbed and severely beaten.

Richard was helped by an old man and, after six months of traditional massage, he recovered without hospital treatment. Since then, Richard had mastered these traditional massage techniques taught by his savior. At night, he worked as a bar waiter.

"Richard!" Velyn's shout echoed as she returned from work.

He quickly finished up and went to greet his wife, who had just come home from her job.

"Hi, just got home?" Richard asked, carrying his wife's work bag.

"Where are your eyes? Do you think I am a ghost? Even knowing I'm standing here, you still ask!" Velyn replied snappishly, flipping her long hair.

Richard sighed deeply, "Lucky you're pretty," he muttered softly, following his wife to their room.

"Want to take a bath now?" Richard offered after setting down his wife's bag.

"Hmm... I want a soak. Prepare the hot bath with aromatherapy as usual," she said, kicking off her shoes.

Without further questions, Richard hurried to the bathroom to prepare the hot water as his wife wished in the bathtub.

"The water is ready," Richard announced as he left the bathroom and approached his wife now in her bathrobe.

"Hmm!" was all Velyn uttered in response. Since their wedding day, she's had a profound distaste for the man she married. More accurately, her substitute husband.

Richard remained patient in the face of his wife's animosity. It was not entirely his fault that they ended up married.

The night of the incident, Velyn was holding a bridal shower at a bar. She was set to marry Gerald, her fiance, in a week.

However, the next morning, she found herself in bed with Richard, naked. Due to the scandal that followed, Gerald called off the wedding. Richard stepped in as a replacement groom, taking responsibility for compromising her honor.

...===000===...

"Lay down as usual, I'll massage you to relieve the tiredness," Richard offered after his wife emerged refreshed from the bathroom. She was flexing her neck from exhaustion.

Velyn narrowed her eyes, yet she lay facedown on the bed without protest. It was undeniable that her husband had a talent for massage. She'd often drift off to sleep and her fatigue would vanish instantly.

"I need to investigate what happened that night," Richard thought to himself.

The sound of the doorbell echoed, drawing his attention. He hastily made his way downstairs and opened the front door. His eyes bulged when he saw a man of his own age standing tall, bowing briefly in respect.