When Mark returned home that night, there was a pep in his step which wasn't there before and Mr. Richard couldn't help but smile when he saw the walk. He didn't know if Mark had won a contract for one of his paintings but he was sure he was going to find out.
Mark whistled as he set the table, not noticing Mr. Richard in the dimly lit visitor's receiving room.
" You must have won a great deal at the store today." Mr. Richard couldn't help but ask and chuckled when Mark got startled.
" I didn't know you were there." Mark responded.
" Oh, really? I thought you saw me."
Mark chuckled but deep down he didn't know what to say to his father in-law, he was not a wicked man like his wife but as a married man he had come to realize that sometimes spouses would never allow anyone talk smack about their partners no matter how glaring it was that they were terrible.
Take him for example, no matter what Lacey did to him, he would still kill for her, because he loved her to death.
" I didn't, sir. You're downstairs early today." He said and Mr Richard cocked his head, humming a bit.
" Why are you cooking? Isn't my wife supposed to do it?" He asked and Mark sighed.
It was either his father in-law was trying to pretend that he didn't know what was going on or something else because it was so obvious that his daughter relegated him to the kitchen. The walls were thin so he was sure that he must have overheard the conversation. Hence no need for pretense.
" I want to cook, that's the least I can do."
Mr. Richard sighed, he wasn't in support of the bullying Mark faced and he always hoped that he would stand for himself and not allow all these people bully him into things which were basically unheard of. This was the twenty-first century for crying out loud and this guy decided to subject himself to constant ridicule and it was very annoying that he refused to see that enabling them was going to make it continue without remorse.
"Can we have a conversation?" He asked him.
" Yes, sir."
" Good, please come over to the garden."
Mark wiped his sweaty palms on the apron and took a deep breath, he couldn't fathom why his father in-law decided to call him.
He made sure all the meals were properly covered. He wouldn't want the red witch to have anything on him.
He opened the sliding door slowly and walked out to the garden, " So, you sent for me." He began.
" Yes, I did. I don't know what is expected from me but I am sure that shying away from the truth is not a part of them." He said and Mark looked up, he wasn't expecting that opening statement.
" I don't understand your words, sir."
" I would be a wicked soul to say that I do not see all the pains that you go through in this house. My question is; why do you allow it?" He challenged Mark. The guy wasn't a weakling at least from the stories he heard, he found out that he had a flair for martial arts, thus he was finding it hard to reconcile such prowess with a meek man.
"I don't know what to do. Alas, I'm not productive to them."
" You see, my wife is a very..." He waved his fingers as he trailed off as he tried to look for the perfect adjective for her.
" She's an aristocrat, doesn't take no for an answer and expects everyone to dance to her tune which is very bad and sometimes needs someone to tell her off." He gave Mark a knowing look.
Mark nodded, " So, what do you suggest I do?" This could be a trap and he didn't want to fall into any problem with the in-laws.
" You find out. I don't mean to disrespect my wife." Mr. Richard warned, " But there are ways that you can go about these things. Like the way you put your foot down on the issue of the divorce and my daughter had no choice but to dance to your tune." He shrugged.
" I think she's the link to getting free from my wife's shackles. She would never disrespect her daughter's choice. She might fight it, of course but I assure you that she will dance to his tune later." Mr Richard said reassuringly, causing Mark to have a rethink.
" Thank you for the advice sir."
" I would be glad if you implemented it instead of just listening. You feel me?"
" You won't be disappointed." He said and they didn't say anything to each other for some minutes before hearing the call of the Red Witch.
Mark smiled at the nickname he gave her, he just hoped that he didn't call her that name one of these days.
Mr. Richard rose at the sound of his wife's voice, "I'll love to hear good reports from you." He said, patted Mark gently at the back before rushing off to meet his beloved wife.
Mark scoffed; he would have run mad if he were the one who had the misfortune of getting married to someone like her. The mental torture would have been on another level than he could imagine.
" Okay, sir."
He placed his leg on the other side of the chair so that he could meditate better. There was no need for him to go in because he knew that there was kk need for him there.
" Aren't you going to join us for dinner?' A soft voice called from the doorway and he turned to see her staring at him with her brows almost at her forehead.
" Me?" He pointed at his chest.
" I don't see anyone else outside." She replied to him smartly.
" I don't think I would be accepted there." He said.
"Who told you that? Let's say this is for your efforts this afternoon." Lacey said.