Working away in the kitchen, Benjamin White swiftly cleaned, cut, and stir-fried the vegetables with the ease of a seasoned hand. His smooth workflow made it clear that he had his cooking methods down pat.

Laughter echoed from the living room now and then. It was Benjamin’s in-laws in conversation with their future son-in-law.

Benjamin was also a son-in-law, just one who had tied the knot with the Wilkinson family. However, he was unoccupied and his family background wasn't exactly impressive. Consequently, his status in the family was low-key.

As far as his family obligations went, Benjamin was left with the housework; cooking, cleaning, you name it.

And yet, his in-laws weren’t exactly thrilled.

Bridger Wilkinson, Benjamin's father-in-law, quipped with a smile, "Rowan, you've won us over. Let's hash over the details when we meet your folks."

Gianna Wilkinson happened to be Benjamin's sister-in-law. Her beau, Rowan West, had only appeared on the scene less than three months back, but wedding plans were already underway.

Rowan replied, "Sounds good, Bridger. My folks are usually hands-free, so we’ll go with a day that works for you."

Just then, Benjamin finished whipping up the last dish, sweet and sour fish. He then arranged the plates on the dining table.

"Mom, Dad, supper's up! Let's dig in!"

Rowan, all curiosity piqued, asked, "Uh… Gianna, who's this?"

Gianna puckered her lips and sneered, "Oh, him? That's Benjamin, my sister's husband. He's a lazy bum, waiting for handouts from my sister. He's a freeloader, really."

Gianna's disrespect didn't sit well with Benjamin. He was Gianna's brother-in-law, after all, and her blatant disregard for him left him feeling quite miffed.

Benjamin, unfortunately, was hardly heard in this household. Gianna was the golden girl, making it challenging for him to voice his grievances. Consequently, he mostly kept silent during family discussions.

Moreover, he didn't want to rock the boat, especially not today when Gianna's boyfriend was around. Benjamin would rather swallow his pride than put his wife, Gracelynn Wilkinson, under any undue stress.

Suddenly, Gianna inquired, "What time is it? Why isn't my sister back yet? Didn't you let her in on our guest today, mom?"

That's when the door swung open, and in strutted Gracelynn, dressed in a stylish black pantsuit.

"Sorry, I got held up. I had an impromptu meeting with a client after the workday."

Rowan was quite taken with Gracelynn. He exclaimed, "Gianna, is this your sister? I didn't realize that good looks were a family thing!"

"Pleased to meet you. My name's Rowan West, and I’m dating Gianna."

"Oh, pleasure's all mine. It's clear that my sister has a thing for handsome men."

Gracelynn's beauty was unparalleled. Tall, curvaceous, and with legs for days, she was a sight to behold.

Bridger suggested, "Now that Gracelynn's here, and since the food's all set, let's eat and chat. Mind you, it's just your staple home-cooked meal. I hope you don't mind, Rowan."

As everyone settled into their places, Benjamin took a seat next to his wife. He picked a piece of fish and kindly offered it to her.

"Gracelynn, this is the sweet and sour fish I made. Have a bite and let me know what you think."

Gianna warily picked up a piece for herself, but before she could even chew on it, she spat it out in distaste.

"Gross! Benjamin, did you get a fish that was past its prime? It tastes awful."

Gracelynn sampled the fish but couldn’t detect anything fishy about it.

"What are you harping about, Gianna? There's nothing off about the fish."

Next, Gianna picked some celery, only to spit it out again.

"The celery is more like rubber! I can hardly chew it.”

With a smug grin, Gianna added, "Dad, have you heard of the Hotel de Paree? Rowan's family owns it. It's a top-notch establishment, and their head chef is a Michelin star winner!"

Rowan chimed in, "How about we head out for dinner? For a change, let's leave the cooking to our hotel chef."

Benjamin couldn't help but be a bit prickled at this act of blatant snobbery. It dawned on him that Gianna was using every opportunity to belittle him.

Previously, Gianna had even admitted that he cooked better than his mother-in-law but now, it wasn't hard to see that she was demeaning him to make a show of her boyfriend's lucrative hotel business.

Gracelynn instantly turned the situation around, "Benjamin’s gone to great lengths to prepare this spread. It’s not right to let it go to waste. Maybe some other evening. For now, let’s dig in."Hazel Watts, Benjamin's mother-in-law, huffed and turned all shades of red in front of Rowan. She lit into him, "Benjamin, what's your deal? Not only can't you hold down a job, but you also can't even brew up a decent meal. Do you even serve a purpose?"

Rowan nudged around his food and said with a cocky smirk, "Yeah, this grub's no good. But, we'll be in-laws soon. I can hook you up with a gig in the hotel kitchen. You can learn some tricks of the trade and pull your weight around here."

Hazel fired a look at Benjamin and told him, "Look, Rowan's trying to help you out. How about showing some gratitude?"

Benjamin balled his fists in anger. It was plain as day that Rowan's words were far from kind or helpful. Rowan was just trying to lord over him.

Gianna discreetly tapped Benjamin's fist under the table, a silent signal for him to cool it. Only then did he unclench his fists.

"No, thanks," he said. "I'm not cut out to be a cook."

Then Gianna just had to stir the pot even more: "What's the matter? You think you're too good to be an apprentice? Look at you, all penniless and still clinging to your pride. You never foot the bill when you're out with my sister, do you? Ever bought her a dress or some bling?"

Gianna whipped off her necklace to make a point, the gems flashing under the light.

"Take a good look. This is a $40,000 necklace that Rowan bought me. You'll never be able to afford something like this! When you got married, you didn't even get her a diamond ring. You just mooch off her for everything. Pathetic!"

"Enough, Gianna!"

Gracelynn was boiling mad, her face ghost white. Benjamin might not be the most useful guy, but he was her husband.

Rowan and Gianna aren't even hitched yet. He was still technically an outsider.

This public mockery wasn't just humiliating for Benjamin, it was also a slap in the face for Gracelynn.

"Benjamin's always had our backs. What's got you riled up today, Gianna? Forgot the time he brought you home in the rain, or carried you to the ER when you were ill?"

Gianna sneered, "Yeah, he did all that stuff because he's flat broke! If he had the cash for a car, he'd have driven me."

"From now on, I don't need him to play the hero, not in the rain, or when I'm sick, because Rowan will be there to drive me. Right, babe?"

Rowan answered with a cheesy grin, "Absolutely, and I'll even buy you your own set of wheels after we tie the knot."

"Thank you, darling!"

Without a shred of shame, Gianna planted a kiss on Rowan in front of everyone.

"Seeing that the food's busted, let's ditch it and eat out instead. Now that you've met my folks, how about we grab a bite outside?"

Gianna tugged Rowan off his chair and they strutted out of the room.

"Guys, don't wait up for us. We might come home late," she called out over her shoulder.

Bridger sighed and said, "Alright then, let's dig in!"

Hazel tossed her spoon down in anger and exclaimed, "Oh, forget it! I've totally lost my appetite!"

That was it for the dinner from hell.

Gracelynn tried to console Benjamin, ''Don't let her get under your skin. Gianna's not usually like this, I don't know what bug's crawled up her butt today and got her spewing nonsense."

Benjamin smiled and shrugged it off, "I won't hold it against her."

"Good to hear," she said, "Anyway, I have to dash back to the office, I've got a client meeting coming up. Let's catch a movie tonight."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Benjamin walked her to the door and started tidying up.

His phone buzzed suddenly, alerting him to a new text message.

"Mr. White, your probationary period is over and all family restrictions have been lifted."

"Your UBO Bank account and your unlimited credit card have been activated. Please feel free to reach out to the family if you require assistance."