The Wrath of a Son-in-Law: Stand Up, Fool!

Confrontation with the Family

“May I know where you are going to take me? I’m innocent, I was there because I was looking through the dumpster at the back. Or is it also not allowed? But I swear, I am not there as part of whoever tried to harm her there. I was just there to help, believe me!”

Harvey looked at these men with pleading eyes, hoping that they would get what he was trying to relay to them through those stares. He didn’t want to go with them, there was uncertainty about them and who knows? He might not return later because the next thing he knew, they were already trying to skin him alive. No matter how difficult life was because of poverty, he still wanted to live. He had never taken the step forward toward his goal of being rich, and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he was dead! He would scream like a banshee until everyone in the van was passing by would know that someone was being kidnapped inside.

However, the man in the passenger seat looked at him with a frown. “We know, Mr. Clarke. There are CCTVs around the area, so we saw everything from the start. We are just here to fetch you as ordered by Vice President Klein.”

“But… why?” he asked again, calming a bit as he was finally assured that he was not going to be killed. But, he was still not completely simmering down. He didn’t want to jinx it. Who knew? These men were probably just waiting for the Vice President’s command before they slaughtered him.

“Whatever that is, you’ll know soon,” the man answered and turned his back, indicating that he was done entertaining his questions and he should shut his mouth.

Harvey did exactly that. He just looked at his hand, he couldn’t look outside because the curtains were closed, he couldn’t talk to anyone because they looked like lions who were not in the mood, so he had nothing else to do but fiddle with his hand and count how long he would have to undergo before he could be completely suffocated by the thick silence.

After an hour, Harvey felt the car finally slow down. He saw in front that they were finally back in the Elite Subdivision where the incident happened, except that, as of that moment, the security became tighter as guards were spread even outside the place. He mentally grimaced, it would be hard for him and the other garbage men to go back there because it seemed that no one was allowed anymore and every car and person was being checked before they let them in.

They were checked, and right after, they were on their way to the Vice President’s house. The houses inside were exceptionally expensive and luxurious just by looking outside. They were all enormous and extensive, modern-designed houses with spacious gardens. There was also an empty park probably for rich kids, but currently, it is empty. Harvey’s eyes were getting wider every time he saw huge houses as they passed by them. He guessed one house there was equivalent to the whole neighborhood of squatters.

The driver pulled up at an enormous black, wrought iron gate opened by two more guards where they were going straight to a pathway toward the huge mansion in front of them. Harvey felt like he was on his way to a royal castle because of how aesthetically pleasing the house was. The car parked right in front of the mansion’s main entrance, the men started going out, and he was also led to go out.

He was not nervous earlier, he was not even anxious despite knowing that he would talk to the Vice President of the country, the second most powerful in the country and probably one of the richest as well, but right now that he got to see with his own eyes, got to witness how many people worked for him by the number of men walking around the place, he was shivering in fear.

“Walk,” the man commanded. Two men held his arm as if he was a criminal being ushered to his death sentence and they were afraid that he might run. “Behave properly. Hide your inner squatter attitude and don’t speak a thing unless you’re allowed to. If you say something offensive, a gun will be pointed straight at your head without any warning.”

Harvey frowned and shut his mouth, the fear was creeping inside him because of the thought of a gun pointed at his head. He may or may not have been thinking of shouting at the Vice President for making this a big deal and even involving him further in whatever he was trying to achieve when he could have just ended the connection just like that. After all, he was not expecting much from rich people. If anything, he was just disappointed, and that was all. But they would never do something at will that was good for others unless they would also benefit from it. Politicians were the best example of that.

Now that he thought of it, was he there to be used as bait and as an accessory that they would use to smoothen and clean the name of the Vice President? They could do that, especially by making him appear like a grateful man who didn’t see social status because he would thank a garbage man who saved his daughter? That was definitely an evil plot to deceive the public. Maybe this was really what they were doing whenever there was an election.

The door was opened when they arrived, and there were people right by the door wearing police uniforms and black shirts that also seemed to be part of the police. They were just standing there quietly and looking at one side as if they were watching an interesting scenario that should never ever be missed. He wondered if something was happening again. He came to the thought that this family was exceptionally weird. He didn’t know what was going on with them, but it was just giving him off a vibe that he didn’t want to indulge himself with.

“No way. There’s no way that it’s that garbage man, dad.” He heard the same woman’s voice who told him to back off and not touch her ever again after he saved her from being kidnapped. Just hearing her voice already irked Harvey. It was reminding him of what he had been through and why he was there right now instead of just lying on his bed and thinking of who he might sell the things that he picked up from the dumpster.

They emerged from the door. Harvey didn’t know if it was because they came late and they missed the whole drama or it was because he was the one being talked about as the ‘garbage man’ that they all turned their heads to look at him. He was not used to the attention, so he didn’t know what to do. He had no idea even why they were looking at him, so he just stood there awkwardly and avoided everyone’s eyes.

With this huge mansion and the huge people he was with inside the room, it was a slap on the head how poor Harvey actually was. He was practically the smallest and the person who was at the bottom of everyone in the house if there would be someone who would arrange their position. He felt very little next to these people, and most of all, being looked at by those four pairs of eyes who were basically the four more powerful and the owners of the house were making him uncomfortable.

“What in tarnation are you trying to do, Dad!?” the woman, Alyanna, exclaimed with a loud voice that made Harvey flinch. She was looking at him the same way that she was looking at him earlier. Disgusted. “There was no way I would marry that filth! No! Please, I would rather die!”

Harvey tried his best not to say anything. He knew he was just a garbage man, but he always took a bath every day! He also took care of his body like everyone else except that he used cheaper bathing products. He washed his clothes regularly and did not wear it twice, though it was also obvious that most of his clothes were worn out and only donated by other people passionate enough to help. He was not that filthy. At least not like the other beggars or garbage men she had seen or had known to be.

“Alyanna, don’t say that!” another woman beside her said. She seemed to be the mother and Mr. Klein’s wife. She glared at Harvey, to his surprise. Why did he feel like everyone was so angry at him when he had just arrived and the fact that he saved their daughter? He didn't even do anything that could anger them, so why were they already throwing glares at him right now?

“Dad, please, no. I don’t want to marry that man! No, daddy. Just give me someone else. I would even marry one of your bodyguards, just not him. He’s a beggar, a garbage man! Who knows if he is also a thief? Dad, consider your choices, you are better than this” Alyanna pressed, frowning desperately at her father. She looked like if she could plead and beg while kneeling, she would have done so. But of course, she was not a proud woman if she did that.

But Harvey was definitely confused and perplexed. What was this that he was hearing about marriage? Who was marrying who? Why was he looked at with disgust like he was carrying a plague and they didn’t want to get it? Why was he regarded as not only a beggar and a garbage man, but also a thief? The longer he stayed there in their manor, the list of the names they called him kept getting longer. The next thing that he would hear was that he was already a murderer.

“I know my choices, Alyanna. Now, go to your room, my decision is final, and I will make it happen. Treat this as your punishment. I will talk with Mr. Clarke now,” the Vice President said, his voice was authoritative, and he was definitely displaying the control a father and a Vice President had over his family. “And by the way, say your gratitude to the man who saved you from being dead.”

“No,” Alyanna said with finality and stubbornness. “Clearly, he didn’t save me willingly. He wants something in return, can’t you see that? He is just using us.”

“Excuse-” Harvey was about to say something, he opened his mouth and was planning on telling her about how wrong she was in assuming that he wanted something from them. It was even the complete opposite. He wanted to cut ties with them and forget that it had happened, but they were the ones who came to him and started planning all of these without even consulting him. However, before he could even utter a word, he was immediately stopped and held by the two guards, forbidding him from saying a word in the middle of a family fight.

They didn’t seem to hear his attempt to defend himself, as the Vice President looked at his daughter deeply as if threatening him that he was already losing his patience. It seemed like anytime soon if his daughter would still continue acting like this, he would be exploding with something that they all didn’t want to see. The Vice President looked scary, Harvey could affirm. “I’m only repeating myself once, Alyanna. Apologize to him for slapping his face, and thank him for coming to your aid.”

Alyanna looked at her father, he met her eyes with seriousness. Harvey saw the fear in the woman’s eyes, even in Mrs. Klein. And with a bitter face, she turned her eyes on him, she rolled her eyes at him first before she muttered with oozing insincerity. “I’m sorry for slapping you and thank you for saving my ass.”

Harvey didn’t know but he still felt unsatisfied, or he could feel that this girl would do everything to get back at him for making her do that. But he guessed that was another problem for another day.