Chapter Three: Pay What You Owe
"Vanessa, why didn't you tell me you already had a boyfriend?" Margaret asked.
"Mum, I think this is a trap. I don't know him, I swear!"
"You said you didn't know him, yet he ended up in bed with you? Look at his trousers on the floor—he was wearing only boxers! You know the rules in this family. I won't accept that excuse. You're lying!"
"Mum, I'm not lying..."
"Shut your mouth! I don't want to hear anything from you again. From today on, he is going to become the son-in-law."
"What! Just like that?" Jaden was shocked. He had only been drinking, then found himself waking up in a stranger's bed—and now he was being told he would become the son-in-law?
"Shut your mouth! That's final. Nobody can change it!"
Jaden got down from the bed, picked up his trousers, and made a move to run out, but Dora blocked his way.
"Where do you think you're going?" Dora asked.
"Outside, of course."
"Hey! Come back here. You're not going anywhere."
"Mum, let him go."
"No, he is not going anywhere." As Margaret spoke, three of her bodyguards entered the room.
Margaret turned to them. "Yes, thank God you're here at the right time. Now beat him up!" She pointed at Jaden. "After sleeping with my daughter, he wants to run away? He deserves a beating!"
Margaret watched as her bodyguards beat Jaden.
A few minutes later, she ordered them to stop. "That's enough. Don't kill our new in-law."
"Now, put on your trousers and follow me. We're going home together," she said, then ordered her bodyguards to escort him to the car.
Jaden, Margaret, and her driver got into the car, and the driver sped away.
As they were on the way, Margaret had some questions to ask Jaden. She started, "Mister man, what is your name?"
"My name is Jaden."
"Jaden, what do you do for a living, and where do you live?"
Jaden was shocked by the question. He was a security guard, and if he told her that, she might wonder how her daughter could have slept with a poor man like him.
Meanwhile, they hadn't even had any sexual intercourse. And if he lied and they found out later, they would hate him. He was speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"Can't you talk, or are you deaf?" she spat out angrily.
"I'm working as..." he stammered.
"As what?" she cut him off, realizing he was stammering.
Let me say the truth. She might give me a better job if I'm honest, he thought.
Moments later, he said what was on his mind. "I'm working as a security guard."
She turned to him and spat out in surprise, "What! A security guard? How can my daughter sleep with an ordinary security guard like you? This is nonsense!"
"I didn't have anything with—"
She already knew what he wanted to say, so she cut him off instantly. "Shut up your mouth! You think I'm a fool? I saw your trousers on the floor, and you both slept on the bed together, and now you're telling me you didn't do anything with her?"
She paused for a moment, then continued, "Where are you living?"
"I live in a room my boss gave me at my workplace. I also stay with my friends sometimes."
"Okay. From now on, you will be living with us, but you will clean the house and cook before you go to work," she instructed.
Jaden was surprised by what he heard. He wasn't a woman—how could she expect him to clean and cook before going to work? It felt like he was going to be a servant in his wife's house.
Mum, that cannot work, he thought.
"Mom, I might get late to work if I do that," he said calmly.
"You have to do it. That is my instruction. You cannot live in my house and do nothing before going to work."
Jaden kept quiet. He began to think about how he would manage the house chores without being late to work.
A few minutes later, they got home. Jaden looked around the house; he really loved how well it was arranged.
When it was time for bed, he didn't know where he would sleep. So, he followed Vanessa to her room. Vanessa opened the door and saw Jaden trying to walk in. She spat out, "Where do you think you're going?"
"You know I don't have anywhere else to sleep. Let me sleep with you tonight."
Jaden slept off, had a nice dream, and woke up early in the morning. He cleaned the house as he was told and also cooked. The cleaning and cooking took much of his time.
After cooking, he served the food at the dining table and began to eat. As he was eating, he checked the time and realized that he was late. He left the remaining food and rushed outside.
He got a cab and stopped in front of his workplace. As he entered to perform his duties, one of the waiters working in the company saw him and approached.
"Jaden, our boss wants to see you."
"Okay," Jaden said and walked to his boss's office.
Jaden knew his boss would blame him for coming to work late. He had already been late twice this month and was pardoned. He had been warned not to come late again.
The first time he was late, it was because of his bike. He was riding to work when the bike suddenly stopped after about fifteen minutes on the road. It would have taken him another thirty minutes to get to work if the bike hadn't developed a fault. He tried his best to make the bike work, but it refused. He managed to push it to a nearby mechanic, where he was lucky to find someone available. He parked the bike there and took a cab to work.
Despite his efforts, he still arrived late and was warned.
The second time, he woke up late and tried his best not to be late again. He didn't even take a bath that day. He jumped on his bike and rode to work, but unfortunately, he was still late and received a second warning.
Now, this was the third time. He was hoping to be pardoned again as he opened his boss's office door and entered.
"Jaden, you're late again," Gift said calmly. She was the manager of the company.
Jaden realized his mistake and quickly cut in. "I'm sorry, ma."
"Sorry for yourself! Do you think you can handle my work anyhow? I won't take this from you again. In fact, you're fired."
"Manager, please don't do that to me. I promise I won't come late again. Please…" he cried out.
"Shut your mouth! Now leave my office, or I'll call my boys to deal with you!" she shouted.
"Okay, I will go. But you have to pay me before I leave. I've worked for over three months now, and you haven't paid me. Please, just pay me, and I'll leave."
"I'm not giving you a single penny. You don't deserve it."
"No, I won't accept this. Give me my money, or I won't leave here."
Gift stood up and called one of her boys. "Hello? I need five boys. Let them come to my office now. There's a thief in my office."
.