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@ ODILI ONUOHA
2025-04-11 11:29:32CHAPTER FOUR
“What do you think you’re doing, James?” she snapped.
James exhaled slowly, already exhausted. “Not in the mood for another argument, Helen.”
“Well, too bad!” she spat. “Because I will make myself clear. If you ever and I mean ever confront my in-law again, I will throw you out of this house with my own two hands!”
James set his glass down and slowly looked up at her. “You really think you have that power over me?”
Helen scoffed. “This isn’t your home, James! You were lucky my father-in-law took pity on you! You were lucky we let you into this family. And now, instead of being grateful, you act like you belong here!”
James’s jaw tightened. “I do belong here, Helen. Rita is my wife. This is my home just as much as it is yours.”
Helen leaned forward, her voice dripping with venom. “You were her husband, James. But not for long. Mark is ten times the man you’ll ever be. And when Rita finally comes to her senses, you’ll be nothing but a bad memory.”
James laughed bitterly. “You mean when you force her to come to her senses?”
Helen’s expression darkened. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure my daughter doesn’t waste her life on a man like you.”
James stood up, his eyes locked onto hers. “A man like me?” He let out a humorless chuckle. “You mean the man who has worked day and night to prove himself to this family? The man your father-in-law trusted over his own son?”
Helen’s face twisted in rage. “Don’t you dare talk about my father-in-law!”
“Why not?” James countered. “Afraid to admit that he saw something in me that he never saw in Christopher? That he trusted me to lead this family when the rest of you were too blind with greed?”
Helen’s hand trembled in anger. “You are nothing, James. And when I’m done with you, you’ll have nowhere to go.”
James smirked. “Go ahead. Try.”
Helen’s eyes flashed. “Get out. Get your things and get out of my house.”
James crossed his arms. “Make me.”
Helen glared at him, breathing heavily, then turned on her heel and stormed out.
That evening, Rita sat alone in her bedroom, her heart heavy. She had overheard everything.
Tears welled in her eyes as she thought about how ruthless her mother had become. She knew Helen never truly accepted James, but this? This was beyond cruel.
Just as she wiped her tears, the door creaked open. James stepped inside, his expression unreadable.
“She’s kicking me out,” he said simply.
Rita swallowed hard. “James…”
“I don’t care about the house,” he continued. “I don’t care about Helen, Christopher, or Stephen. But I need to know one thing, Rita…”
He stepped closer, his voice softer. “Are you leaving me too?”
Rita’s heart clenched.
She loved him.
But her family… her family was suffocating her.
James searched her face. “Tell me now, Rita. If you’re staying with me, we leave together. If you’re choosing them…” He swallowed. “Then I’ll walk away.”
Rita wiped her tears and stood up.
She reached for his hand, gripping it tightly.
“I choose you.” The weekend had arrived, but James felt no relief. The tension that had been building inside him for months now reached its breaking point. As he sat on the edge of his bed, his phone in hand, he stared at Robert’s number.
For years, he had considered Robert the only decent person in the Ray family. But tonight, that didn’t matter. The family as a whole had done everything in their power to humiliate him, and James had finally reached his limit.
Taking a deep breath, he pressed the call button.
It rang twice before Robert picked up.
“James,” Robert greeted cautiously. “I was going to call you”
“Save it,” James interrupted coldly. “I called to make one thing clear.”
There was silence on the other end.
James tightened his grip on the phone. “I will never assist the Ray family again. Not now. Not in the future. Not ever.”
Robert inhaled sharply. “James”
“I don’t care how bad things get. I don’t care if the company falls apart. I don’t care if Helen herself gets down on her knees and begs me. I’m done.”
Robert sighed heavily. “I knew Helen’s treatment of you was wrong, but… I didn’t think it would come to this.”
James scoffed. “Of course you didn’t. You wanted to believe that I would always be there to clean up the mess. That I’d tolerate the abuse, the humiliation, just because I married into this family. But I won’t, Robert. Not anymore.”
Robert hesitated before speaking. “I won’t lie to you, James. Things are getting worse. If you walk away now, Ray Enterprises might not survive.”
James leaned back, his jaw tightening. “That’s not my problem.”
Another silence.
Robert exhaled. “I understand.”
James was surprised by his calm tone.
“I don’t blame you,” Robert admitted. “You’ve done more for this family than any of us deserved. And we repaid you with nothing but cruelty.”
James frowned. He had expected begging. Pleading. But Robert… he sounded almost resigned.
“I won’t ask you for help again,” Robert continued. “But I need to ask… what about Rita?”
James’s heart clenched.
He had fought so hard for her. But how much longer could she endure her family’s pressure?
“She’s my wife,” James said firmly. “And I will protect her. But I won’t stay in this family’s shadow forever.”
Robert sighed. “I just hope she’s strong enough to stand by you when it matters.”
James swallowed hard. He hoped so too.
But deep down, he feared that the fight wasn’t over yet.