Daughter-in-law Strikes Harder

The entire family were all sitting in the dining room for the second time that day, and they were totally shocked that the dining room was looking so different, from the mess they had witnessed almost an hour ago. A new and bright shining chandelier was back to the spot, where the previous one had dropped from.

The dining table had been changed to even a better one, and the floor was spotless and shining without any tiny glass specks. There were now artworks they had never seen before on the wall.

It was in that same moment that Mark Miller’s assistant had come inside, holding in his hand big packs of pizza, and a bag that contained huge bottles of chilled fruit drinks to accompany the snack. It was always a new surprise every time. The last time he visited, he brought a delicacy they all had never eaten from another country.

“I am sure you all never have simple snacks like this at the dining, except standardly made meals without compromises,” he chuckled, obviously referring to their mother who was too keen about such things.

They had it kind of hard when growing up, because she was too strict about eating too much junk, chocolate and snacks as kids. She wanted them to be so different when it came to standing amongst their peers, and not to just act however they liked when it came to eating etiquettes.

Ellen grabbed the nylon and passed it to Emma, as they opened the first box to their delight. There was no way they would never love Mark Miller, because he knew how to do the perfect things at the right time.

Eva just looked as impassive as her mother without getting excited like the rest, and Dalton made his way inside at the moment after he had changed his clothes. He was inwardly proud of his assistant’s job, when he saw how perfect everything had looked again in the dining room.

His grandfather, who had been waiting to see him, was pleased to see him when he entered the room, but frowned when he didn’t see Aria follow behind him.

“Where is your wife, Dalton?” Mark Miller asked without wasting any time, and the temperature in the room dropped immediately. Every one of them were all waiting and listening so attentively with bated breath, to hear what Dalton would say in reply to the old man.

“She is stressed out, grandfather. Feeling weak and dizzy,” he said nonchalantly without even knowing the symptoms she was actually experiencing, which made everyone of them gasp more, on hearing what Dalton had said.

Though he was a very educated and knowledgeable man who knew what he was doing, yet he had no knowledge about the most basic things about women. Now, he would make Mark Miller talk about a very sensitive topic, that he would not even be able to give an answer to.

“Oh. Does it mean what I think it is?” Mark Miller said with a grin, as Dalton took his seat with a confused look scribbled evidently on his face. It was quite a beautiful scene for them to watch.

“What do you think?” He asked cluelessly again, as his eyes waltzed away from the table to see if Alex was anywhere near. He couldn’t understand why someone would be feeling weak, and his grandfather would look so delighted through his expression even more than his mother who did not like her.

“So slow-witted!” Mark Miller murmured in frustration, “Doesn’t that mean she is going to bear your child soon? Do you not know all these symptoms?” The old man almost gritted his teeth.

“Child?” Dalton’s mind immediately picked the final pieces to the puzzle, and he gave his grandfather a weird look.

‘Why would he suddenly be talking about a child?’

“Do you both have infertility issues? How is it that you are yet to give me a great-grandchild for almost three years now?” The old man said with a crease that crossed his eyebrow, finally voicing out the real reason why he was at their house.

He never liked visiting them anyhow he pleased even if he was around, because he was busy with his achievement of taking a vacation everywhere in the world and meeting new people.

The old man had spent his youth being so stern and so guarded about his work and money, that he didn’t have any time for himself and his family, especially his wife.

Georgia was so beautiful so beautiful and pure in heart, that he didn’t realize how much time he wasted not trying to connect with her. Before he realized that he had been too invested in remaining at the top in the economy sector, she was already down with a terminal disease and it was too late already. After he lost her, he fell into a great depression which finally changed his outlook about life.

The fact that Dalton was taking that same path as he did bothered him, that he decided to get him a wife personally, that would care for his dear grandson and influence him with her kindness.

He didn’t want someone who was going to be his wife for selfish gains, and would end up chasing her own big dreams, which would result in clash of egos and divorce. He wanted someone who wasn’t greedily selfish and ambitious, and found Aria during one of his trips as the humble daughter of Hamilton.

“Are you even planning on having children?!” Mark’s voice snapped Dalton out of his thoughts, which soon became overshadowed by how Aria would be feeling, and if the doctor had arrived to treat her properly, or if she was taking proper rest.

He was wrong.

The change in ambience was immediately noticeable, as someone made their way into the dining room. The sisters who thought that Dalton had succeeded in making his wife stay indoors were shocked, while Eleanor immediately became uncomfortable when she saw who appeared. Mark Miller was delighted, while Dalton was disappointed when he saw her.

‘Had he not told her to just remain in her room after the treatment and rest?’

“Here comes my grandson’s wife,” Mark Miller said with pride when he saw how gorgeous Aria was looking, and how vibrant she looked, which had really gotten better over the years. The speculation that it was probably because they were treating her well, which was a coincidence.

“Hi, granddaddy,” Aria greeted him with a bright smile, and took her seat beside Dalton which was different from where she normally sat. It was all for the show.

“You are right in time,” he started, “Dalton said you were really not feeling too well, and I have asked him if you are having his baby. Are you both on child abstinence?” He asked Aria who managed to still keep her bright smile, with the pressure that she had to face and Dalton’s stoic look that casted upon her.

‘She should have just remained upstairs. But no, it was to get what she wanted and Mark Miller was the perfect card.’

“We are trying our best,” Dalton suddenly said, and Aria almost choked on the water she was trying to sip from a glass cup. Everyone was under pressure too. They couldn’t understand what the couples were again.

“For you, Ellen. I have arranged a blind date for you with a nice guy. You should meet him,” Mark Miller brought out a nice card from his portable bag, and passed it over to Ellen who was looking so shocked. She would have never expected her grandfather to do such a thing.

“And for you, Emma. I heard you have a new interest in tech or something. This is an entire manuscript, book, research papers on how to combine technology and running a better business together,” he passed the huge parcel to her, and she almost cried immediately. She stood up instantly to go give her old man a hug again.

“You have no interest in anything except running the art gallery, Eva. I bought an expensive painting that can be hung in the gallery. You can display it for your next art exhibition,” he said slowly to her, and she thanked him solemnly.

“This book is for your Eleanor,” he stretched the huge binded paperwork to her, and she tried hard not to frown while wondering what he wanted her to do with a book. She almost shrieked in horror and boiling anger, when she read the title, ‘Becoming a good mother-in-law and great grandmother.’

“And finally for the couple,” he grinned and nodded in assurance of himself, “I am inviting both of you to a banquet party and it is mainly for young people. See how they enjoy life aside from working nonstop, and start making some babies!” He passed the last specially-made invitation card to Dalton.

‘If they would not do anything to improve, he would be the pushing factor.’