Holiday Humiliation

Useless Daughter

"Unfreeze the cards. I need to pay the bills!"

"Likely story." Wendy snickered and hung up.

I was shaking with rage, but I had to make her unfreeze the cards. I called her again, but she blocked me.

Then, Zack texted me. It was a video. A video where he and Wendy were sharing a passionate kiss in the office. 'Stop calling her. We're in the middle of something. You're going to get punished if you try.'

The provocation and mockery were palpable. My eyes was bloodshot. I stared at the video in disbelief.

My once gentle wife was now intimate with another man. Still, this was not the time to deal with my sorrow. My in-laws needed the money. Without it, they would die.

Even if it wasn't for Wendy, I had to save them. I tried my connections and tried borrowing money from my friends and relatives. I even tried calling the business partners that weren't too close to me.

Every single answer they gave me pushed me deeper into despair.

"You know business is hard for me now, Felix. I just don't have the extra money."

"Felix, I'm strapped for cash. I'm afraid…"

Decline after decline. I had no idea how much longer I could take this. I wondered why no one wanted to help me, so I demanded answers from my close friends.

They told me Wendy posted a status on her page. She claimed that anyone who lent money to me was an enemy of hers. She said I could never return the money.

Unbelievable. She'd go this far? This was unbelievable. I lowered myself even further and explained my situation to my relatives. I promised I would pay them back. All I asked for was a little help.

They still refused. Some of them even blocked me. And that was it. I had no way out, so I slumped onto the hospital bench.

…

We'd skipped going back to Selcia for Christmas for two years. Her parents were starting to miss her. So, to surprise Wendy and make up for the last two years, I took her parents to Halton, where we were living. We wanted to have a Christmas together as a family.

And then the surprise turned into a nightmare.

The first thing my in-laws received after they went into the villa was not a hug. Instead, it was a basin of dirty water. Zack was standing at the porch, sizing us up with disgust.

"Ms. Sampson's villa isn't home for the homeless. They're your parents, aren't they, Felix? Figures. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Ugh, I can still smell the mud on them."

Rage flared within my heart, but I held it back and quickly wiped the water off my in-laws.

Diane had a short fuse. She would not stand for this insult, so she snapped, "And who are you supposed to be, you uneducated swine? How dare you call Felix a homeless man!"

Zack did not hold back. Instead, he pressed on the attack. He picked up a ceramic ornament and hurled it at Diane. I deflected it with my hand, and the ornament grazed me.

Diane was spared from the hit, but the ornament sliced my arm open, and blood flowed like a river.

Smug, Zack stepped ahead. Arrogantly, he announced, "I'm the future co-owner of this villa and Ms. Sampson's boyfriend. Your precious Felix is going to get kicked out of this place, you hag!"

My in-laws were shocked. Words failed them. They couldn't believe the daughter they were so proud of would do something so… filthy and immoral.

George was shaking in rage. He stepped ahead, trying to confront Zack, but he shoved George into the shoe cabinet.

"Ms. Sampson's villa doesn't let homeless people in. I can't believe you're her father-in-law. Look at you. Even a homeless guy wears better than you."

Zack scoffed. Mockery was oozing from his tone. George was groaning in pain, and color was draining from his face. I held him and called the maid to help us out. This was an emergency.