SWNOVELS Chapter 20
In the end, Matthew took a taxi back. When he reached home, James and Helen were sitting in the living room, as though they were waiting for him. "You're finally back. What time is it now? Do you actually stil care about the family?!" Helen reprimanded.
Matthew was left speechless. You were the one who stopped me from getting into the car earlier on, but now you're complaining that I came back late! "It's hard to get a taxi around Times Hotel. I only managed to get one after walking on foot for two miles-" Matthew tried to explain himself but Helen cut him off directly, "I don't want to hear your explanation. Just admit that you're poor and incompetent. Do you still need to get a taxi if you could afford yourself a car?"
Sasha couldn't resist but defend Matthew, "Mom, it was you who snatched the car that Mr. Newman gave him as a gift..."
"Keep your mouth shut!" Helen snapped furiously. "Have I not made myself clear enough? That car belongs to us and it has nothing to do with him. Without the drug produced by our family, would Mr. Newman even know who he is?"
"Y-You're ridiculous!" Sasha, who was annoyed, said crossly.
"How am I being ridiculous? Does any part of what I said not make sense?" Sasha was so incensed by her mother's critiques that she stormed off back to her room. "It's all your fault that Sasha is throwing a tantrum. Could you just stop creating trouble for us?!" Helen criticized Matthew angrily.
This time, Matthew was really left speechless. Sasha is clearly being angry with you and I wonder why am I to blame for that again?
"Forget it. I shouldn't pin any hopes on a useless man like you!" Angrily, she demanded, "Now, go and remove that suit you are wearing because Liam is coming by later to take it."
"Eh?" Matthew was taken aback by what she said. Didn't she say she wanted to sell it off? Why is Liam coming to take it?
"Is there any problem with that? Liam is a businessman and it's reasonable for him to wear premium clothing. Are you going to dress in this way to clean the toilet? What's more, Liam always buys us presents every year. What about you? What have you done other than having your meals at home?"
"Mom, you're so biased!" Sasha couldn't help but stride out of the room and said, "This suit is a gift from Mr. Newman to Matthew..."
"I'm going to repeat this: all these things from Mr. Newman are supposed to belong to us and they have got nothing to do with Matthew. I have complete say in this and you have no right to interfere with my decision!"
"But..."
Just as Sasha wanted to say something, she was stopped by Matthew. "I'm fine. It's nothing more than just a suit." With composure, he walked back to his room and changed back to his own clothes before taking the suit out.
"Pack it up nicely!" With resentment written all over her face, Helen criticized, "Could you at least have some forethought? Are you going to hand it to your brother-in-law just like that? Don't you think you should be more respectful toward him?"
What she said angered Sasha, who refuted, "Both of them are your sons-in-law, so why does Matthew have to be respectful toward him?!"
"Hmph, can a live-in son-in-law be the same as a son-in-law?" With a contemptuous look, Helen added, "While one depends on our family for a living, the other takes care of us; what do you think?" Liam soon came looking delighted with two hampers in his hands. With all smiles, Helen immediately walked over and showered him with all her attention as though he was his own son. Looking proud of himself, Liam sat in the living room chatting with James and Helen. While he was at it, his vision lingered in the direction of Sasha's room-it was obvious he was trying to steal glances at her. Much to his disappointment, Sasha did not come out of her room even once.
"Mom, this suit looks rather nice. Let me try it on!" Liam made a dash excitedly to one of the bedrooms to put on the suit.
"Is it a size larger than your usual one?" Helen asked. After all, Liam was half a head's size shorter than Matthew.
"It's fine. I can take it back and get it altered." Liam adored the suit so much that he was reluctant to take it off. He recognized the suit to be from Armani which cost several hundred thousand. He was sure he would look chic by wearing this suit out in the future.
"Fine then." Helen nodded before she yelled, "Matthew, why are you still standing there doing nothing? Get a bag to put Liam's clothes in!"
"Mom, it's okay. I'm leaving my clothes behind as a gift for Matthew." With a hearty laugh, Liam continued, "Since Matthew doesn't own many decent clothes, I really should offer him some help as his brother- in-law."
"Oh, Liam, that's very kind of you," Helen said with a smile. "Matthew, come on here and thank Liam!"
Matthew did not say anything. Why do I have to thank him for his old clothes when he took away my new suit?
"Forget it. Let's not stand on ceremony since we're a family!" Liam then waved flourishly and said, "Dad, Mom, I've got to go and I'll buy the two of you dinner tomorrow night!"
"Great! Please be careful on your way back!" Helen and James walked Liam out to the main door; the smile on their faces had never fainted.
By the time Matthew returned to his room, he found Sasha sitting next to the table, sulking. "Matthew, c-could you please man up a little? Why did you offer your belongings to others?"
"I'm fine!" Matthew let out a chuckle and said, "I don't use the car and the watch that much. What's more, I gave them to Dad and Mom as they're not outsiders."
Sasha asked indignantly, "Don't you notice how they are treating you?"
"I do." Matthew looked at her affectionately as he continued, “But I don't care. They are your parents who brought you up and let you become my wife, which is my biggest honor. So, it's my obligation to treat them well!"
Sasha's face blushed slightly when she remarked, "You're such a sweet talker. Come clean with me now-since when did you become so skilled at flirting with girls?"
"I'm not flirting because I really meant every word I said!" Matthew grabbed her hands and placed them on his chest. "Can't you feel my love for you?"
"Tsk, I can't!" Sasha grunted annoyingly but she did not take back her hands. She could still remember vividly the moment Matthew proposed to her earlier that night. At that moment, she felt that all the humiliation she had suffered over the past three years had turned out to be worthwhile. "Fine, I can't make any comments about letting Mom and Dad have the car and the watch. But, what about giving the suit to Liam?" Sasha questioned angrily.
"Don't worry, it might not do Liam any good by taking away the suit."
"Why is that so?" Sasha asked curiously.
He flashed her a mysterious smile and said, "You'll find out tomorrow."
"You're keeping me in suspense, huh?" Sasha pursed her lips and suddenly, she made a stretch so alluring a posture that Matthew found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her.
"I'm so sleepy. Let's go to bed!" Sasha covered half of her body with the blanket exposing only her fair-skinned calves.
Despite his racing heartbeat, Matthew still behaved himself by obediently switching off the lights and lying down on his makeshift bed. Sasha couldn't help but be frustrated to see this. Some time later, she muttered in a soft voice, "Matthew, isn't that bed that you're sleeping on too small for you?"
"Nope, I think it suits me just right!"
"It suits you just right? Well, you should just sleep there for the rest of your life then!" Sasha clicked her tongue with irritation.
Matthew, who was stunned for a second, suddenly felt like slapping himself for his lousy answer. "Why don't you ask me again?" he asked tentatively.
"Get lost!" Sasha flipped to the other side and showed him her back.
Lying on the makeshift bed, Matthew was in a quandary for a long time but in the end, he still had no guts to move.
Next morning, Liam visited them wearing the Armani suit. "How do I look? Does it look better on me now after I got it altered?" Liam deliberately walked over to Matthew to show off.
"It's not bad. Liam, you're now looking more and more like a successful man!" With a gleeful face, Helen went on to make a sarcastic remark, "Unlike someone who still looks poor and incompetent even though with that suit on!"
Sasha shot Matthew with a skeptical glance. Didn't you tell me that it wasn't a good thing for Liam to have that set of clothes? Why is he still here trying to show off to everyone?
Suddenly, a man dressed in an immaculate suit walked over to the main door. "Good morning, I'm Mr. Walker, the manager of the Armani flagship store. I'm here to collect the suit. May I know whether it's ready to be returned?"