I looked up, relief flooding through me as I saw my in-laws, Patrick Harris and Nancy Cobb, striding toward us.

I was about to speak when Marvin beat me to it, his voice soaked in tears.

"Mom, Dad, thank goodness you're here. If you'd been any later, your grandson might have been killed."

Patrick and Nancy hurried over to Marvin, checking on the wailing baby in his arms. Nancy, frantic with worry, rounded on me, her words sharp as knives.

"Daniel, how could you be so cruel? To drop Marvin's child? Don't you realize he's our family's only heir? Are you heartless?

"If you don't apologize to Marvin and your nephew today, I'm going to make sure Rebecca leaves you!"

Their words sent a chill through my heart.

"You know about Rebecca having a child with him, don't you?"

Nancy looked away, a flicker of guilt in her eyes, before she boldly continued, saying, "For years, Marvin's been the picture of loyalty for our late daughter, and he's been nothing but devoted to us, his elders. He's got more sense in his little finger than you do in your whole body.

"And now, he's getting on in years without a child of his own. What's so wrong with asking Rebecca to give him a legacy? Can't you see past your own nose?"

'Wasn't I just as devoted?' I wondered.

After marrying Rebecca, I spared no expense to ensure her parents were comfortable, buying them a spacious apartment and hiring a full-time caretaker.

Marvin? He had been all talk, showing up empty-handed every time he visited.

They thought he was the more devoted one?

That was a joke. I seethed inwardly.

My fists balled up as I spat out my words.

"So, he's the devoted one, and I'm not? What's it to me if he's childless? Why should my wife have to bear his child?"

Before I could take another breath, Patrick was on me, his slap knocking me to the floor.

"Daniel, you dare to sass me? You've got no class. I'm going to teach you a lesson for your folks today!"

He barked an order, and a security guard joined in, their blows raining down on me.

I could not hold back my cries of pain.

Nancy watched, arms crossed, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Daniel, you insolent fool! Not only did you sass us, but you also had the nerve to get physical with Marvin and your own nephew. You'd better apologize to Marvin, or brace yourself for a beating!"

Marvin, who had been taunting me with such smugness, then put on a show of concern. "Daniel, I get that you're hurting, but Rebecca's sister died young, and I can't forget her. I don't want to marry anyone else, so I had to ask her sister to give me a child... Just swallow your pride and apologize, man! If this fight keeps up, you're not going to last."

I glared at him, biting back the pain that threatened to overwhelm me, and kept my mouth shut.

It was not until someone cracked me over the head with an iron rod, sending my world spinning and blood trickling down my face, that I wobbled and collapsed.

Marvin's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Then, he feigned worry once more. "Daniel, stop being so stubborn. You nearly killed my son today, but if you just say you're sorry, I'll let it slide."

I was shaking with rage, but I spat back at him, saying, "You know damn well whether I pushed you or not. Why keep up this charade? And you think I'd apologize to you, the one who tore apart a family? In your dreams!"

He had done the unthinkable, breaking up a home, and yet they bristled at my accusation.

Nancy grabbed a flowerpot from the windowsill and hurled it at my head, cursing me out. "You're a complete failure! Can't even get my daughter pregnant, just mooching off her all day, and you have the gall to call Marvin a homewrecker? If it weren't for Marvin, we wouldn't even have a grandchild to hold."

The impact sent me sprawling to the ground, my head wound gushing more blood than before.

Just then, Rebecca's silhouette burst into my blurry vision.

"Dad! Mom! How could you do this to my husband? This is way out of line."

She dashed to my side, lifting me up, and snapped at the doctors who were idly standing by.

"What are you waiting for? Can't you see that he's hurt? Get moving and help him! If my husband's harmed, I swear I'll have you all thrown out on your ears."

She cradled me close, her eyes swimming with worry. "Honey, are you okay?"

Her anxious look took me back to the days before we tied the knot.

Rebecca was just a small-time nurse with big dreams back then.

When we became an item, she shared her ambition to be a CEO. To make it happen, I tapped into my family's wealth and connections, investing in her future.

I even drank myself to a bleeding ulcer to clinch a deal for her.

She would look at me with those same eyes, tears in her gaze as she squeezed my hand, promising a lifetime of love forever.

However, who could have known her promise of forever would last only five years?

The irony stung.

I could not hold back my question.

"Rebecca, when did you get pregnant? When did you and Marvin...do it behind my back?"

Rebecca's brow creased.

"Honey, can't we just put the past behind us? Let's start fresh and live well, as we used to."

I burst into bitter laughter, but the laughter quickly turned to tears.

"Go back to how it was? You had Marvin's baby. And me? I'm left with nothing. You're hurt now. You can't have kids anymore... How are we supposed to have a good life together?"

No sooner had I stopped talking than Marvin, standing beside me, burst out with a fiery passion.

"Daniel, how could you say that about Rebecca? She's the one who's truly hurting, knowing she can't have kids anymore.

"You ought to be more understanding and help her through this, not just obsess over having her give you a baby. She's not some baby-making machine."

Patrick and Nancy nodded in agreement. "Exactly, our Rebecca's a top-notch CEO. Why should she have kids for a guy like you who can't even stand on his own two feet?

"And we're perfectly happy with our grandson. We don't need Rebecca to risk her life having more. We can't stand the thought of her going through that pain again."

Rebecca's expression turned to ice at their words.

"Is that all I am to you: a baby factory? Daniel, I've taken good care of you all these years. Has it made you too greedy? Stop using the idea of kids to hold me back.

"And even if I can't have kids, there's a line of men who'd do anything for me. If you're sick of being my husband, feel free to leave."

In her eyes, I was just another guy mooching off a woman.

However, for me, wanting a child was not about trapping her; it was about keeping our love alive.

However, the moment she had Marvin's child, it all seemed pointless.

I got up, unsteady on my feet, and faced her. "Alright, if that's how it is, we'll get a divorce!

"However, you're the ones who should leave, not me. After all, this hospital is my dad's investment. I want you all out of here. Now."

Rebecca shook with rage at my words, then looked at me, her eyes brimming with disappointment and loathing.

"Daniel, I get it, you don't want to split up, but you don't have to spin such a pathetic lie!

"What's your dad to me? This place? It's bankrolled by the top dog himself, and he's betting on my smarts, not on any connection to you or your old man."

I let out a derisive laugh.

"Rebecca, you really think you're all that, huh? If you were half as smart as you think, you wouldn't have a community college grad running the show..."

Before I could finish, Rebecca's hand cracked across my face, sending me reeling.

"Have I been too soft on you all these years, letting you get away with dragging my family through the mud? He's the brother-in-law I look up to the most, and if you're going to disrespect him, you're going to pay for your selfish tantrums! Men! Haul this nutjob off to the loony bin, and don't let him out unless I say so."

I fought back with everything I had, but the beating I had taken had left me with a gash on my head, and the pain was blinding. In no time, they had me pinned to the ground, my cheek pressed against the icy floor.

Rebecca stood over me, her face a mask of ice. "If you don't fancy a trip to the asylum, then slap yourself a hundred times right now. And after that, grovel to Marvin and my folks.

"And hand over every last contact and deal you've got to Marvin. Don't worry about yourself. I'll make sure you're kept fed and clothed."

With a frown, she snapped, "What are you waiting for? Apologize now!"

The guards and medics closed in, making sure I could not bolt.

Rebecca's relentless pressure had been a bitter pill, and my pride was at stake. However, I knew that once someone was in a mental hospital, they might as well kiss the outside world goodbye. So, swallowing the disgrace, I bent over.

As I was gearing up to say I was sorry, I felt a pair of strong hands steady me.

A voice boomed, asking, "Who dares to ask for his apology?"