The substitute husband who has been insulted

Episode 7

Witnessing the fear in Velyn's eyes, even as tears fell, made Richard sigh deeply. The pleading look pierced his heart.

Angered, Richard exhaled a harsh breath and straightened up. Velyn's fingers clung tighter, shaking her head while looking at him. Richard forcibly released her hand, then turned to face his in-laws. Velyn shifted to grasp Richard's tensing arm, clenched tight.

"Everybody be quiet!" Richard's voice thundered in the room.

His body tensed, his eyes glaring sharply. He looked at each person standing before him.

"How dare you yell at us like this?" barked Rendra, pointing at his son-in-law.

A sneer spread clearly across Richard's lips, followed by a loud, mocking laugh that left the others exchanging perplexed glances.

"Honorable Mr. Narendra! Look closely at your daughter! The one you've been pressuring into being a money maker!" Richard's face was cold.

Rendra tried to interject, but Richard quickly raised his hand, gripped by Velyn. "Hey, open your eyes! She's a woman! Look how thin she is, whose fault is that? Yours! Her own father!" Richard shouted, now holding his wife's weakening fingers.

Velyn hung her head low, her tears flowing more freely. Being the eldest child, she had been raised strictly. A heavy burden was placed on her shoulders despite her gender, forced to be strong and work hard.

"Look at her now, weak and pale as a ghost. Whose fault is that? Yours, Mr. Narendra! All you know is to keep pressing and blaming Velyn, unaware that she's been struggling alone, hustling for your company!" Richard vented his fury.

He was used to being shouted at and not appreciated, but he never took it to heart. To him, it was all irrelevant and only dirtied his spirit.

But Richard couldn't stand it happening to Velyn, especially when her hard work was neglected. He had seen firsthand how desperately Velyn struggled.

Silent, no one dared to speak. All eyes were on Velyn, weeping softly, releasing all the pain and fatigue that had ensnared her for so long. Her hand still clung to Richard's arm.

"What does family mean to you all, huh? In times of trouble, you just give up. Leaving this poor girl to struggle on her own out there and then blaming her!" Richard scoffed, mockery clear on his face, the corner of his eye sharply twitching.

"Velyn didn't say anything, how were we to know?" Sabrina tried to approach, but Richard blocked her.

He stood firm, glowering at her. Showcasing another side to himself that had been hidden. "She didn't speak up? After being pressured, harassed, cornered, and blamed? No one would want to share! And you, Father-in-law." Richard turned to point at Rendra.

"What kind of father are you? Knowing your child has problems, instead of embracing her and discussing solutions, you push her to the brink of destruction! That's why Velyn is under such stress! Her acid reflux shot up, making her faint. And if this continues, Velyn could suffer from GERD. Do you realize that could lead to death!" Richard declared, sharing his diagnosis from massaging Velyn earlier.

Rendra pursed his lips, rolled his eyes in disdain with fists clenched. His arrogance shattered by Richard's words, and he had nothing to reply.

"Forget the company issues for now. Let's focus on your health, Sis. Let's go to the hospital," Debora chimed in quietly, having been silent and utterly shocked by Richard's behavior.

Velyn shook her head, still plagued by dizziness. "No, I don't want to. Please, Richard. I just want to stay at home." Once again, the woman pleaded.

Richard saw the fear in those sorrowful eyes. He stroked Velyn's head gently while nodding.

"I will take care of Velyn myself. Everyone out!" he ordered, without looking back.

"How can we trust you? What if her condition worsens?" Rendra interrupted.

"Don't you remember when you were ill? If it weren't for me, you'd still be in bed!" Richard's voice was cold. He proceeded to lay Velyn back down and straightened the blanket. "Leave, Velyn needs peace. I'm her husband, I couldn't possibly harm her. Velyn is my responsibility!" Richard continued firmly without turning around.

Velyn's gaze fixed on Richard, who was nearby and diligently caring for her. She never expected to be defended so fiercely by her husband. A man she had never esteemed, whom she had scorned and belittled. Yet now, he seemed like a wingless angel.

Sabrina pulled her husband and younger daughter out of Velyn's room. Giving space and time for their daughter to calm down. Honestly, she was shocked and anxious about Velyn's condition. The daughter who always appeared strong was actually bearing it all alone.

The door closed firmly, Richard glanced at it then back to Velyn. "Why don't you want to go to the hospital?" he asked, making small talk.

Velyn sighed heavily, her eyes distant as she remembered her dark times in the hospital. "I was hospitalized once in middle school. The nurses had trouble finding my vein, failed multiple times. And you know, when I was in pain like that, nobody stayed with me. They were busy, dad at work, mom socializing with her pals. I was alone, needing anything and couldn't."

Richard wiped away the tears trickling down Velyn's cheeks, listening intently to his wife pouring her heart out.

"Since then, I've been scared to go to hospitals. The shots hurt so much, and if medication is given through an IV, it feels like death!" she complained.

Now he understood, Velyn had always been neglected. It was saddening, and Richard felt more fortunate than Velyn, having had a grandfather who scolded him when he erred.

Even willing to administer punishments consistent with Richard's upbringing. Indeed, all that was an expression of his grandfather's affection, in place of his parents. Regrettably, he had not realized it back then, mistaking his grandfather's strictness for cruelty. ‘Forgive me, Gran,' Richard thought to himself.

"How cruel, smiling at my suffering. Are you satisfied?" murmured Velyn, grabbing a tissue to wipe her nose.

"Ugh! As if I'm smiling just at you! Wait here, I'll make you some porridge. Don't eat anything careless," Richard replied, standing up before rushing out.

==========000==========

One hour later, Richard returned with a bowl of porridge, steam visibly rising from it.

"Wait for it to cool down. It's still hot," Richard said, placing it on the nightstand.

Velyn frowned, confused when she saw Richard now packing some of her clothes into a suitcase. "What's going on? Why are you putting my clothes into a suitcase?" Velyn asked, not moving. Her head pounded with pain.

"After you eat and get some energy, I'm taking you on a vacation. Forget the company issues, forget the troubles at home. You need to be happy, with peaceful thoughts – it's part of the therapy for a quick recovery," explained Richard, not stopping his task.

"Us? Just the two of us?" Velyn asked.

"Yes! Bringing your family will only cause more trouble!" the man retorted, sarcasm but honesty tinted his words.

After packing all of Velyn's necessities, Richard ordered a taxi from his phone. He wanted to avoid disruptions by using a car belonging to the Narendra Family.

"Where to?"

"A secret. You'll see soon enough!" Richard said, busy with his phone, then sat back down by the bed. "Eat up, before the taxi arrives." Richard helped her sit up and fed her bit by bit.

==========0000==========

"I'm taking Velyn on a vacation to speed up her recovery. Whether you consent or not, I am going to do it. I don't want anything worse to happen to her. I will bring her back once her condition is stable. Excuse me," Richard bade farewell to his wife's family, now sitting in the living room.

After saying his piece, Richard turned without waiting for a reaction. He opened the door and asked the taxi driver for help with the suitcase he had brought down earlier. Then he hurried back to the room to fetch his wife.

"Take it slow," he said, supporting Velyn's weak body and impatiently carrying her. Surprised at first, Velyn soon wrapped her arms around her husband's strong shoulders. Her eyes transfixed on Richard from such a close distance.

==========OooO==========

The journey was lengthy, and a weakened Velyn fell asleep with her head on Richard's lap. He resigned himself to wherever he was being taken.

In secret, Richard called Delon to help the Narendra Company, flabbergasted as his boss asked him to inject a substantial amount of funds. He then asked Delon to recommend international colleagues to collaborate with the Narendra Company.