The Ultimate Son-in-Law

Outside the gates of Imperial College, a Mercedes E-Class sedan came to a steady stop. A beautiful girl in a light purple dress walked towards the car.

The girl had been smiling, but the moment she saw the man getting out of the car, her smile froze.

"Leo Bloomer, why is it you? Where's my sister?" Her tone was clearly displeased.

Leo Bloomer just shook his head because he couldn't speak.

The girl glanced around, then quickly stepped forward to open the car door. She didn't want anyone to know her brother-in-law was a mute!

Whenever someone mentioned her mute brother-in-law, she felt deeply embarrassed.

Just as she was about to get into the car, a female voice called out from behind her, "Isn't this our Imperial College's cutest girl, Tina?"

Tina Henley's body stiffened; she recognized the voice immediately.

Turning around, Tina forced a smile onto her face. "Diana, it's you. Are you going out?"

"Yes, we just saw you and came over to say hi," Diana replied casually, though her eyes kept darting towards Leo.

"Tina, who is this guy? Oh, I know! He must be your family's driver, right?" another girl asked, feigning curiosity.

Tina's face showed an awkward smile. "He... he's my sister's..."

"I got it!" the third girl exclaimed with delight. "He's your mute brother-in-law, isn't he?"

At these words, Tina's eyes turned cold. She said nothing more and got into the car.

"Leo, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Tina shouted through the rolled-down window. Her good mood had been thoroughly ruined.

Under the disdainful gazes of the three girls, Leo silently got into the car. He started the engine without a word and drove away from Imperial College.

Tina took out her phone and dialed Sophia's number.

"Sis, weren't you supposed to pick me up? Why did you send Leo?"

"What? You're too busy? Hmph, you're always busy. Don't send him next time; I'll take a cab myself!"

Sitting in the back seat, Tina angrily hung up the phone and glared at Leo. The more she looked at him, the more annoyed she felt.

"Hey, Leo, don't think you're suffering greatly by being a son-in-law in our family. If it weren't for our Henley family feeding and housing you, you'd have starved to death on the streets long ago."

"I suggest you divorce my sister. Our Henley family will give you some money, and you can live however you want as long as you don't show up in front of me again!"

"Did you hear me? Say something!"

After venting her anger, Tina suddenly laughed bitterly. "Oh, I forgot you're a mute."

Leo gripped the steering wheel tightly. He had endured this life for four years.

When Leo was six years old, his parents disappeared. He was raised by his grandmother on her meager pension and money saved from collecting trash. Leo managed to finish college.

Leo vividly remembered that on the day he graduated from college, his always-strong grandmother collapsed.

The hospital test results came out quickly—malignant gastric cancer, in its advanced stage.

He made a solemn promise deep within his heart to do whatever it took to grant his grandmother more time, even if it meant just an extra year or even a mere month.

Leo began borrowing money from acquaintances, crowdfunding online, and begging for help in the busiest parts of the city.

Eventually, Leo managed to gather the money.

The donors were a couple who not only paid for his grandmother's treatment but also married their eldest daughter to him.

On that day, Leo felt a glimmer of hope in his dark life.

Shortly after the wedding, Leo realized how naive he had been. The Henley family helped him and married their daughter to him purely out of superstition. They believed that he could bring good luck to their daughter, so she could recover from her illness.

In other words, Leo was merely a tool. Once he had served his purpose of bringing good luck, he found that he lived under the roof of the Henley family like a dog.

A year later, his grandmother passed away.

After handling his grandmother's funeral, Leo felt life had lost all meaning.

He remembered a stormy night when he was kicked out of the Henley family over a trivial matter.

Homeless and wandering like a ghost in the rain, Leo found himself at Lovers' Bridge—a famous spot in Langstel where couples gathered on Valentine's Day.

Love? Romance? These were luxuries beyond Leo's reach.

Staring at the rushing waters of Dragon River below, Leo thought about jumping.

If he jumped, everything would end.

Once that thought entered his mind, it became unstoppable. One foot stepped over the railing.

"Youth, jumping into the river in this heavy rain is not a wise choice."

A deep, hoarse voice reached Leo's ears.

Turning around, Leo saw an old man with graying hair standing beside him. The old man held a black umbrella and wore an enigmatic smile.

"I can offer you a chance to change your fate. Do you want it?" The old man's voice was filled with temptation.

Leo wasn't sure if he was hallucinating but nodded instinctively.

The old man took out a syringe filled with light blue liquid from his pocket.

"Give me your hand."

Leo hesitated, his face showing tension.

"Are you afraid?" The old man's expression turned playful. "You're not afraid of death; what else could scare you?"

Leo extended his right hand. The old man injected the liquid into his vein.

"Remember, for the next three years you'll be mute. After three years, you'll have a different life—if you survive..."

The old man slowly disappeared from Leo's sight under the umbrella.

Leo tried to call out to him, but all that came out of his mouth was a hoarse sound.

From that moment on, living as a mute in the Henley family was worse than being a dog.

Every year on the anniversary of that injection, Leo experienced excruciating pain as if thousands of ants were biting him all over. His head felt like it would explode...

After each bout of pain, Leo sensed changes in his body but couldn't pinpoint what they were.

Year after year passed. Tonight at nine o'clock marked exactly three years—the beginning of a new life as promised by the old man.