They Think I'm Trash, I'm Their Worst Nightmare

I accompany my pregnant wife, Noelle Sutton, to meet her biological family. At the celebration banquet, Maeve Sutton, the adopted daughter of the Suttons, splashes half a glass of red wine in my face. Then, with tears in her eyes, she says to Noelle, "Noelle, I know you hate me for taking your place, but you can't just bring some broke nobody home just to disgust Mom and Dad!" My mother-in-law, Penny Miller, points at Noelle and snaps, "Get rid of that thing in your stomach, or don't expect us to acknowledge you as our daughter!" Kenneth Wright steps up and openly leers at my wife. "What future do you have with a loser like him? You should come with me instead." The entire hall watches me. I pull my trembling wife behind me, take out a napkin, and calmly wipe the wine from my face. "I was willing to let you treat me like an ordinary man," I say icily. "But you're the ones who pushed your luck." Chapter 1 I hid the killing intent that clung to me like a second skin. I wore a cheap shirt and accompanied Noelle Sutton, who was three months pregnant, as she returned to the Sutton family to reunite with her biological parents. Three years ago, I was injured in an attack near the border. Noelle found me and took me in, nursing me for three days and nights until I recovered. Now that she had finally found her birth family, all I wanted to do was to quietly stand beside her, see her through this reunion, and make sure she was safe. The Sutton estate had set up more than 20 tables for the occasion. The guests coming and going were all prominent figures in Hyton. Afraid Noelle might be nervous, I took her hand and led her to a quiet spot in the corner. Her palm was damp with sweat, and her fingers clutched tightly at my sleeve. "Zane, if my parents say anything hurtful later, don't take it to heart." I nodded and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Don't worry. I'll stay here." Two minutes later, a woman in an expensive designer gown approached us. She was Maeve Sutton, the girl that the Suttons had adopted and raised for over 20 years. She was also the star of today's banquet. Without even glancing at Noelle, she raised her hand and splashed half a glass of red wine in my face. The cold liquid ran down my forehead, soaking my shirt collar and leaving my skin sticky and damp. The surrounding guests immediately turned to look, laughing. Maeve swirled her empty glass, her expression filled with mockery. "Where did this broke nobody come from? Noelle, do you really think you can walk into the Sutton family with a bastard in your belly?" Noelle shot to her feet, her face turning pale with anger. "Maeve, don't push it!" Maeve raised an eyebrow and reached out as if to shove Noelle. I immediately placed a hand on Noelle's shoulder and shielded her behind me. Then, I picked up a napkin from the table and slowly wiped the wine from my face. I looked at Maeve, saying in an even tone, "It's not too late to apologize now." Maeve burst into laughter, doubling over. "Apologize? To you? Who do you think you are?" she mocked. "You're just some broke ex-soldier. Don't get ahead of yourself." She lifted her chin, deliberately raising her voice so everyone nearby could hear. "Listen closely. You're not welcome at this banquet. Get out now if you know what's good for you. Otherwise, it'll be embarrassing when security throws you out later." Tears welled up in Noelle's eyes. She gripped my hand so tightly it hurt. I gently patted the back of her hand. My gaze turned colder. The commotion quickly drew the attention of Noelle's parents, Fred Sutton and Penny Miller. Penny looked at the wine still dripping from my face, then glanced at the empty glass in Maeve's hand, but she didn't say a single word to Maeve. Instead, she frowned at Noelle and snapped, "Did you come here just to cause trouble? Why did you bring someone like that into our home? Are you trying to embarrass us?" Fred's expression darkened as well. He glanced at me in disgust as if I were something filthy. "I told you before. If you want to be part of the Sutton family, you need to cut ties with this loser. Why are you so stubborn? You just had to bring him here and make a spectacle of yourself." Chapter 2 Tears streamed down Noelle's face. "Mom, Dad, Zane Latham is my husband, and the baby I'm carrying is your grandchild. How could you say such things?" Penny sneered and reached out to jab Noelle's stomach, but I stepped between them and knocked her hand away. Unfortunately, I misjudged my strength, and she stumbled back several steps. She immediately exploded in anger. "You actually shoved me?" she shrieked. "Have you lost your mind?" Fred helped her up and glared at me with undisguised fury. "Let me make this clear! Today, you either divorce Noelle and have her get rid of that bastard, or the two of you can leave together. You'll never set foot in the Sutton family again." A portly middle-aged man sauntered over, leering openly at Noelle. He was Kenneth Wright, the heir to the Wright family. He was famous in the city as a notorious playboy. He reached out, trying to touch Noelle's face. "Noelle, what future could you possibly have with a broke nobody like him? If you come with me and be my mistress, I guarantee you'll live like royalty. You'd be a thousand times better off with me." Noelle, utterly terrified, ducked behind me, trembling from head to toe. I slapped Kenneth's hand away. The force of it left his knuckles bright red. I glared at him, my voice ice-cold. "Keep your filthy hands off her." Kenneth yelped and glared back at me, his face twisted with rage. "You fucking dare hit me? Do you have a death wish?" Penny immediately stepped forward and held Kenneth back, smiling apologetically. "Mr. Wright, don't get mad. This nobody doesn't know any better. We'll teach him a lesson for you." Then, she turned to Noelle, her tone hardening. "Listen up. Either you go to the hospital now, get rid of the baby, and leave with Mr. Wright, or you can forget about calling us your parents! You won't get a single penny of the Sutton fortune. It all belongs to Maeve!" Fred nodded in agreement. "That's right. The Suttons don't need such a stain on their reputation." Noelle stared at her biological parents, tears falling harder down her cheeks. She bit her lip so hard it started to bleed. I pulled her tightly into my arms, gently patting her back. The anger burning inside me was already reaching its limits. Kenneth rubbed his reddened hand and glared at me with pure hatred. "How dare you lay your hands on me? I'm going to show you exactly what happens when you cross me!" With that, he raised his foot to kick Noelle's stomach. "I'll get rid of the little bastard first!" he crowed. "Let's see how tough you are then!" My expression turned frigid. At age 30, I had spent nearly half my life guarding the border. The one thing I could never tolerate was anyone threatening the people close to me. Noelle was my wife, and she was carrying my unborn child. I stepped forward and caught Kenneth's ankle in the air. With just a little force, a sharp crack rang out. Kenneth's shin was now bent at an unnatural angle. He howled and collapsed to the floor, clutching his broken leg as he writhed in pain. He started foaming at the mouth. The entire hall went silent. No one had imagined that I would fight back, much less attack the Wright family's heir at the Suttons' own family banquet. Maeve screamed and pointed at me, her finger trembling. "You actually attacked someone? Are you insane? Do you have any idea who Mr. Wright is? You're finished!" Fred was also shaking in rage. His face had turned purple as he pointed at me. "Outrageous! How dare you cause trouble at my family's banquet? You even attacked someone from the Wright family! I'm not letting you walk out of here today!" The guests around us started muttering amongst themselves, looking at me as if I were already a dead man. "That guy must seriously be insane. He actually attacked Mr. Wright? And on the Sutton family's territory, of all places?" Chapter 3 The guests whispered amongst themselves. "I heard he's just some washed-up ex-soldier with no money, no connections, and no one backing him. He must really have a death wish by acting this way." "Just wait until the Sutton family's security gets here. He'll be lucky if he even gets out alive." Noelle was so frightened she clung tightly to my chest. She buried her face against my back, saying in a trembling voice, "Zane, let's just leave. I don't want to be part of this family anymore. Let's just go home." I patted her hand, keeping my voice gentle. "Don't be scared. As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you." I looked down at Kenneth, who was still writhing on the floor. My expression remained completely calm. He dared to lay a hand on my family, so really, a broken leg was letting him off easy. Fred was so furious that his lips trembled. He pulled out his phone and made a call, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Get every security guard over here! Bring the batons! Beat him until he can't get back up! If anything happens, I'll take responsibility!" After hanging up, he glared at me viciously. "Mark my words. You're not walking out of this house in one piece!" Shortly after, over two dozen security guards stormed into the hall. Each of them carried a heavy rubber baton, their faces grim as they instantly locked onto Noelle and me. Penny stood nearby, looking smug. "Are you scared now? It's too late! Once they break your legs, I'll have you thrown to the dogs!" Maeve also smiled mockingly, folding her arms as she watched the show. The guests around us quickly stepped back, afraid of getting caught up. They looked at me with pity in their eyes. Noelle wrapped her arms tighter around me, her entire body trembling. I moved her behind me and reached into my pocket, closing my fingers around the Guardian's Seal. Originally, I didn't intend to reveal my identity. I didn't want to frighten Noelle or invite unnecessary trouble. Unfortunately, it seemed these people were determined to push their luck. Just as I was about to take out the Guardian's Seal and summon my men, the butler's voice suddenly rang out from the entrance. "Mr. Sutton Sr. has arrived!" The noisy hall immediately fell silent. Everyone straightened up and turned toward the entrance, their faces filled with respect. Robert Sutton was the unquestioned patriarch of the Sutton family, though he rarely appeared in public now that he was in his eighties. He had built the Sutton family's entire business empire with his own hands, and his word still carried weight throughout Hyton. Supported by two maids, Robert slowly made his way into the hall. His hair was completely white, and he leaned on a rosewood cane. His expression was dark as he swept his gaze across the room. Finally, he noticed Kenneth rolling on the ground and frowned. "What is the meaning of this? What is all this commotion?" Fred immediately hurried over, bowing and scraping as he complained, "Dad, thank goodness you're here! This nobody came into our house and caused trouble! He broke Mr. Wright's leg and even insulted our family! Please give the order and have him beaten to death so we can get justice for Mr. Wright!" Maeve rushed over as well, shedding crocodile tears. "Grandpa, he even hit me! Noelle keeps defending him, and she wants to steal my inheritance too." Robert's frown deepened. His eyes followed the direction Fred was pointing and landed on me. I remained where I was, meeting his gaze calmly as I continued to shield Noelle. The moment he saw my face, his entire body froze. The cane in his hand slipped and clattered onto the marble floor. Then, he shoved away the two maids and staggered toward me. Everyone in the hall was stunned. No one understood what had gotten into Robert. Fred hurried forward to try to help him, but Robert flung his hand away, far too quickly for a man in his eighties. Just as he was right in front of me, he suddenly dropped straight to his knees with a loud thud.