The substitute husband who has been insulted

Episode 4

Richard clenched his jaw in frustration, drew a long breath and exhaled it roughly to dissipate the irritation in his chest. Yet, he was determined to persevere. He couldn't bear to leave that woman to shoulder the burden alone.

"If you don't believe me, so be it," Richard conceded, stopping the argument with his wife. It was clear she was under a lot of pressure. 'Poor you, Vel,' he thought with compassion.

They had lived under the same roof for a week, but Richard had not once seen his wife smile. He often caught her crying in the bathroom, even with the shower running. He wanted to comfort her with an embrace, but feared that Velyn would become angrier and despise him even more.

Richard's large hands continued to give gentle massages to his wife's shoulders, the graceful neck, and the back of her tense head. His thumbs worked in sync, moving rhythmically to relax her.

"You're too stressed, Vel," Richard remarked, though his wife did not respond. Velyn remained focused on matching up documents and reports received through her emails.

Richard stole glances her way. Though his hands were busy with the massage, his keen eyes shifted between the laptop and the documents Velyn held.

With a high IQ, Richard managed to concentrate fully on two different activities. His massage remained consistent, while his eyes and mind colluded to absorb every detail of the worksheets displayed on his wife's laptop screen.

Occasionally, Velyn would sigh heavily as she scrolled through the document before her. Her eyes were sore and intensely red. The relaxation from her husband's skilled hands soon overwhelmed her, and she couldn't stay awake any longer. She rested her head on her desk, and a few minutes later, soft snores were heard.

"Vel! Velyn!" Richard called out, purposefully checking if she was truly asleep, even tapping her smooth cheek. Velyn would be furious if Richard touched her face.

Without a response, and with the rhythm of her breathing, Richard knew that Velyn had drifted into her dreamland. He knelt, admiring the peaceful face of his wife. "You're even more beautiful like this, not always angry. Good thing you don't have high blood pressure!" he joked softly under his breath.

Richard rose, carefully moving his wife to the bed and draping the blanket over part of her body.

Glancing back at the work desk, he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and took a seat in the swivel chair, warmed from being occupied by his wife all night.

"So, Narendra Corporation is in crisis, and they've had to lay off several employees?" Richard muttered to himself as he commandeered his wife's laptop.

He also found several proposals for partnerships with major companies in the country. Occasionally, he saw the tired lines on his wife's face, "Sigh, and you're slaving away all alone?" He smiled ruefully.

After understanding the core problem, Richard shifted his focus to managing his own company first. Time was scarce because morning would soon break. After so long, he was finally returning to his true responsibilities.

Five years ago, Richard had been running his family business. It had grown rapidly under his management. However, there was one thing that Grandfather Alex despised.

Richard had no restraint with money, believing he could do anything with it in his grasp. Moreover, with his position, he failed to show appreciation for those around him. Even when betrothed, Richard had disrupted everything and tarnished the family's good name.

It all exhausted his grandfather, prompting Alex to banish Richard. The old man berated his grandson with curses: "Your intelligence and education are worthless if your attitude is ZERO! Leave this place. Without the Dirgantara name, you'll surely become a vagrant! Leave all that Grandfather has provided!"

Richard was jolted from his reverie as Grandfather's words seemed to echo again in his ears. His heart thumped violently. Closing his eyes, he drew a deep breath and slowly exhaled, opening his eyes, "This time, I won't let Grandfather down," he declared with conviction before focusing on his mounting work.

Richard had endured a harsh life, accustomed to insults, belittlement, and scorn. Being driven out by his grandfather had opened his eyes, and his thoughts and behaviors gradually changed.

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

"VELYN!" a shout resonated through the house, deafening.

Velyn, deep in sleep, jolted awake on the bed, her head throbbing intensely. She felt dizzy from rising abruptly.

"Take it easy when you get up," said Richard, immediately massaging Velyn's big toe to improve the blood flow to her head.

Slowly, Velyn opened her eyes, greeted by the sight of her handsome and refreshed husband post-shower. His distinctive male scent filled her nostrils, and she quickly averted her gaze.

"Velyn! Come down!" The booming voice called again.

"You should take a bath first, the water's ready," Richard suggested after seeing Velyn's improved condition.

"Yes." Velyn hurried to the bathroom to freshen up.

Velyn's desk had been tidied overnight by Richard. He had also prepared his wife's work clothes and had not slept a wink all night.

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

It didn't take long for Velyn to come downstairs with her husband. They joined the breakfast table.

"I heard Dad was ill? Is he better now?" Velyn initiated conversation after sipping her warm tea.

Velyn frowned at the fierce glare from her father. His chest heaved with intense rage.

"When did the company start having problems?" Rendra pressed, each word heavy with emphasis.

THUMP!

Velyn had anticipated this moment. No matter how well she tried to conceal it, her father would sooner or later discover the truth.

"It's been a month, Dad," Velyn replied, looking down and stirring her husband-presented meal.

"What? A month and you've yet to resolve this?!" Rendra slammed the table in fury, causing several utensils to fall, some even shattering.

Sabrina swiftly attempted to calm her husband, "Please, let's have some peace," she softly suggested.

"Peace! How can I be at peace knowing how hard I worked to build that company? And now the sudden news it's in trouble? If Velyn had managed it well, this would never have happened!" Rendra bellowed, venting his rage.

Velyn closed her eyes briefly, pained that her tireless efforts never seemed to appear in her father's eyes. "Sorry, Dad. I'll try to fix the financial situation as soon as possible," she said, her voice trembling.

"Sorry! Sorry! Can your apologies solve the company's crisis? What have you been doing for the past month? You know! If our colleagues hear about this, we're done for! They'll surely pull out all their investments from our company, Velyn!" Instead of support or a solution, Rendra only intensified his rage.

"Pa, Velyn has been doing her utmost. She's only been sleeping a few hours each night. If you're not helping, at least support her," Richard interjected, having held back so far. He was itching to punch his father-in-law but didn't want to be disrespectful.

"Silence, you! Who are you to advise me? You don't know the first thing about running a company! So stay out of it!" the middle-aged man snapped.

He seemed to forget that his own condition had improved thanks to his son-in-law; he was accustomed to belittling Richard.

"Crash!"

In frustration, Velyn left her breakfast untouched. With her head feeling like it might explode, she pushed away from the table and left without a word.