Daughter-in-law Strikes Harder

Collin’s mind remained incoherent for the rest of the day since he met Aria, and he was not able to focus on everything he had planned to do for that day. Nothing was more painful to hear than the fact that she was married to Dalton Miller, rather than her being married to someone else.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

He pondered so restlessly about how of all people that she could get married to, it had to be the man who would neither love her or treat her well in the marriage.

Though she brushed about the few hate incidents that involved the other member of the family, he knew it would be worse than all she had told him in a few words.

Watching how she acted, talked and rarely smiled, it was almost like her usual self. But, something seemed to be greatly wrong with her even with her charming look.

As she talked to him about divorcing her husband in any way she could, she rolled her eyes in anger so many times like he was actually standing there.

Then again, Collin continued to wonder if she was allowed to leave the house freely, and meet whoever she wanted to meet without having to face more problems if she returned back.

He also wanted to talk about the auctioning and Dalton’s persistence to buy her painting that day, by relating it to her bad relationship with him but he just withheld everything he had to say.

Though she had emphasized on her pain in the marriage she was tied to, and Collin could certainly believe everything the news had said about them, there seemed to be a missing puzzle about how things should still be.

The missing piece about how she had now taken everyone in the house by storm, and how Dalton was now treating her some way different from the past that she didn’t talk about.

Collin gritted his teeth so painfully that his tongue bled, when she also told him that Dalton was not willing to divorce her and she couldn’t understand why. It so much hurt his heart to see her in such a terrible situation of her life, and that the demon she called husband was refusing to let her go, after messing up with her life for years.

He knew that getting a divorce if the other party involved was not willing could be so tricky, but there was some positive light to the issue even if it would have to be a waste of time, money and expenses.

But trying to mess with Dalton Miller was even out of it. If someone of such status said he wasn’t going to divorce her, it was ten times harder than when it was a regular person involved.

About her broken arm that was stiff in the way she carefully moved it, he asked to know if it was an abuse from Dalton because it would have been a good ground for divorce. The answer she gave him was rather not the expected one he needed to hear.

When Collin further inquired from her carefully to know if Dalton had physically abused her in any way, and the answer to the question was surprisingly no, which made it seem even more difficult.

Dalton never touched her in the past, or ever had a normal conversation with her, or even looked her in the eyes for the longest of ten seconds, after the wedding. Although he knew how his family treated her so badly, he turned blind eye to everything that was happening. And that was his sin.

The fact that he indirectly treated her like a piece of shit and lowered her self esteem below the ground with his actions, made it all seem like he did the most to cause mental and physical trauma to her life.

And all those would be so difficult to prove in the court of law, because there was no signs that she was abused anywhere in her body over the weeks.

Aria never had the chance to go to the hospital whenever anything was wrong with her in the past, and even the doctor that always treated her was the family doctor.

He would have sworn secrecy and top service to their family, so there was no way he would keep a paperwork of her medicals over the months that turned to years.

The more they tried to make the divorce seem justifiable by the court, the more the scenario that damaged their relationship made it impossible to do. It caused Collin to cuss out so much as he circled around his living in a spot for many minutes, trying to think harder of things he could do to help her.

It had become a fight that involved the business world, and the desire to free the woman he cared so much about. Dalton was leading in the business world even despite all, but he could never allow him to take lead in both places.

~•••~ ~•••~ ~•••~

Ellen came back home so sad because Damon had canceled their date at the last minute, only to hear more irritating news that Emma was bringing her boyfriend home that very night.

It was a very annoying phenomenon to occur at the same pace and time for her, in which her mother could not just let go if everyone was not present.

It was a sure thing that Dalton would attend the dinner, because it was an issue concerning his younger sister, Emma. Even if he really hated meeting people in that manner, especially when it came to inviting outsiders to his home, he would still manage to show up.

He rarely showed what he was feeling or what he had in mind to his family, but they could still see the overt fact that he doted on Emma more than any other person in the family.

They all insinuated that maybe it was because she was more like their father, in which Dalton had been the closest to his father ever since he was young. But no one talked about him anymore though. They couldn’t.

In just a few hours of arrangements by the maids, and perfect cuisine setting by the best and certified chefs that worked in the mansion kitchen, everything was flawless.

The compound of the mansion was shining brightly in the fullness of its superfluous opulence, and every perfect detailing that was rarely used before was included in the additional decorations.

Eva arrived earlier than everyone and she had that same apathetic look on her beautiful face, while Ellen was taking so much time in picking the perfect dress to wear. Dalton arrived a lot later from his personal suite in casual wear, while Aria strutted past and climbed the stairs without saying any word to anyone.

They hated her so much more than ever since they could no longer do anything to her, but she didn’t even care at all so far she found peace all by herself.

Eleanor went upstairs to her room a few minutes later, to get the perfect dress for the occasion as the proud mother that she was.

The guests arrived minutes earlier because of Emma’s intense anticipation, which increased by the minute when she heard that Dalton would be present too. She took her boyfriend to the best fashion fitters, to get him another set of perfect shoes at the last minute, after she had pleaded so much to him.

It really got him kind of frustrated even if he tried not to show it, of the kind of family that she was born into, to make her so meticulous about every detail. If only he had known to pester her to divulge earlier, then he would have been able to avert the clash and disaster that was coming.

Eva was dressed in a simple black dress and had definitely no makeup on, which made her mother scrunch up her face so much in disapproval even if that wouldn’t change her mind.

Eleanor had waltzed down the stairs in an emerald green designer dress that was announced at the fashion week the previous day. Greatly emphasizing their family’s enormous wealth was a must.

Judging from the appearance of everything Damon had seen so far as he made his way together with Emma, made him really intimidated and blew his mind at the same time to see how luxurious and great everything about his girlfriend’s family home looked like.

He was too engrossed in the flashy aura of it, to notice the detailing of the mansion that could have given out clues and ideas to him.

They were both ushered in and welcomed by the servants who were always by the door, as they made their way into the main mansion itself. He now realized that talking about her family’s wealth was not enough with words, until he had to come and see it himself. And he was glad that he did.

His dashing and dexterous appearance that matched the high price tagged cloth he was wearing, perfectly complemented Emma’s wine dress that was shimmering across every corner in the house, as they made their way towards the dining.

Damon went through everything that Emma had told him in his mind again and again, on how to act and talk if her family asked any question, which would definitely be a total pass mark for him.

Immediately Eleanor saw the man that walked in with her daughter, she was already impressed by him even without any other questions to ask. Though, she did not show it like the classy woman that she was, and finally allowed them to make their way inside.

After a formal greeting the exact way they had practiced, they both took their seat

one another around the perfectly set table. Dalton was the one to make his way into the room next after a few minutes, dressed in simple outfits that still gave out a ‘redundant’ and daunting look.

The moment Damon saw who had made a majestic entry into the room, he began to speculate one million questions and answers in his head.

‘What on earth was happening? Was this not Dalton Miller that he normally saw on the news, that was sitting before him?’

Tension had begun to overwhelm his initially comported self, as he managed the eye balance that was neither at the straight eye level or below.

And lastly to enter the room was her mother’s daughter, who definitely was going to make an ostentatious arrival into the room space. She was dressed in an extremely gorgeous gown that clung tightly to her hot body, and had a makeover done like she was attending an anniversary. Still, she was so beautiful.

Ellen tried as much as possible not to sneer obviously, knowing that she had to take the seat beside her dear mother which was also by Eva’s left too. She groaned inwardly and modestly smiled to conceal, as she took her seat beside Eleanor without minding who was around.

As Damon realized and saw who had just taken the seat directly before him to his utmost dismay, he heard the voice from the matriarch of the family proceed immediately, “Now, to the introductions.”