C1 The Soninlaw of the Morse Family

"Emmanuel, I must have been cursed in a past life to end up with a worthless husband like you. Kneel on that durian and don't move—you know, the one ripened under the pressure of your knees. That's my favorite kind..."

Inside an upscale villa within the luxurious confines of Forestvale Estate neighborhood in Bloidale.

Perched on a genuine leather sofa, a domineering woman unleashed a roar at Emmanuel, who was kneeling on a durian.

She sat with her arms crossed over her chest, clad in a crisp white business suit, a form-fitting skirt, sheer stockings, and a pair of elegant knee-high boots.

Her hair, styled in soft, permed curls, cascaded over her shoulders. While she might not have been a breathtaking, top-notch beauty that every man would fall for, she certainly possessed a remarkable presence.

She was Emmanuel's wife, Daisy.

Ever since Emmanuel was married into the Morse family three years ago, their marriage in name lacked the substance of a true conjugal bond.

They shared a room but not a bed, and the idea of sharing a pillow, let alone intimacy, was out of the question.

The true tragedy was that Emmanuel had never even touched Daisy's hand. To call him a son-in-law was an overstatement—he was less than a servant.

For three years, he had endured humiliation, sleeping on the floor while sharing a room with his wife Daisy. The Morse family had never shown him kindness, and Daisy's treatment of him had only grown more shrew-like, constantly berating him for his worthlessness.

She always complained that she had regretfully "taken in" such a useless husband as Emmanuel. Kneeling on durians had become a routine punishment for him.

According to Daisy's mother, Georgia—a sharp-tongued, corpulent woman reminiscent of a matron—the durian ripened under the weight of knees was especially savory and potent.

Thus, aside from his domestic duties like mopping, laundry, and cooking, Emmanuel's other significant role was to kneel on durians, effectively serving as a human ripening agent.

Hearing Daisy's ferocious outburst, Emmanuel didn't react with anger. Instead, he offered a serene smile and murmured, "Well, my dear wife, you're so young and beautiful. I'd be more than happy to do anything for you. There's no reason for you to throw these harsh words at me, is there?"

"You good-for-nothing, you've learned to talk back now!" Daisy fumed, her lips quivering with rage. She was tempted to slap Emmanuel across the face to remind him who truly held the power in their home.

Emmanuel immediately flashed a grin and said, "As long as my wife enjoys durian, I'd gladly kneel to ripen it for you. Durians are said to 'ward off evil spirits,' so maybe, just maybe, you won't be as 'fierce' with me in the future. It's worth a shot!"

Daisy was torn between laughter and tears. What in the world had happened three years ago? Had she been hit on the head by a door, or kicked by a donkey? How on earth did she end up with such a loser joining the Morse family?

Upon reflection, it clicked. It was that wandering Taoist her mother once met who claimed that Emmanuel had an impressive presence and was a 'promising husband' in the making.

If she could just accept Emmanuel into the Morse family, he was supposed to be Daisy's 'capable partner.'

Daisy wouldn't fall for such nonsense, but her mother, Georgia, was all too gullible for these charlatans' tall tales.

Hearing that Emmanuel might bring prosperity to the family, Georgia disregarded Emmanuel's critical health condition at that time and dragged the dying man to Daisy, insisting she marry him, and thus made him her son-in-law.

Despite being the CEO of Anlesque Pharmaceutical, Daisy's kind nature couldn't stand up to her mother's stubbornness. Reluctantly, she agreed, allowing Emmanuel to marry into the family and become her husband.

Three years into the marriage, not only had Emmanuel failed to bring prosperity to Daisy, but Anlesque Pharmaceutical was spiraling downward. Now, they were on the brink of an eight-million-dollar financial crisis, teetering on the edge of collapse.

That wandering Taoist had really fooled them. Traditionally, it was usually some women who could bring prosperity to their husbands. Georgia, however, was blinded by her own greed and insisted on believing in the 'promising husband' spiel.

As for Emmanuel, he was the epitome of uselessness. It was impossible that he could be of any help to Daisy at all.