WORK IN PROGRESS: Challen and Addy

Chapter 4 (Challen): The Hatred

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

I could see what was coming in slow motion but couldn't do a damn thing to prevent it. The clash was imminent, and I was hoping and praying the floor would open up and swallow me or I would suddenly gain the ability to turn invisible or even just crumble into dust on the spot.

Jennifer spotted me in the waiting area and sped up, walking around my in-laws before reaching me and throwing her arms around me.

"Oh, my God, Chall, are you OK? I left work as soon as I heard the news to come straight here and see how you were doing."

To see how I was doing?

I didn't return her hug and took her by the arms to move her away from me, but the damage was already done. My in-laws were right in front of me.

To be precise, they were right in front of me, glaring death rays at Jennifer and me.

"Who's this, Chall?" my mother-in-law asked and her tone was glacial. Shannon had always been warm and welcoming to me, so seeing the temperature plummet was disconcerting as hell. I had no choice but to answer.

"This is my work colleague, Jennifer --"

I didn't think it was possible for my in-laws' feathers to get any more ruffled, but when they heard her name, they went ramrod straight.

"Jennifer!" they chorused together. More like spat out her name because they clearly knew the name and not in a good way.

"Well, we'll just leave you to your Jennifer while we go check on our daughter," Shannon said so scathingly I felt like I needed to check to make sure all of my skin hadn't been flayed off. "You know, the woman who's technically your wife."

Shit.

They turned their backs on me and took a few steps to go find Addy's room, but Jennifer opened her fucking mouth while they were still within earshot.

"Well, that was rude. What's their problem?"

They both spun around, and I realized I was totally fucked.

They stormed back over to us, Nate and Shannon glaring at both of us.

"Rude?" my mother-in-law demanded. "Rude? Rude is your son-in-law's girlfriend lacking in class -- so much so that she has the nerve to show up at the hospital where her married boyfriend's wife has been in a coma for three days because her cheating husband didn't care enough about her to check on her after they fought about him cheating on her."

"I'm not --" I tried protesting all of the accusations they'd just thrown at me, but my father-in-law wasn't having any of it.

"Shut the hell up, boy," Nate snapped at me. "Your presence is no longer required because we're here for Addy now. Why don't you and Jennifer go for a bike ride or something? Preferably off a mountain."

"Challen, get her out of here, and you may as well go with her," Shannon said, her voice trembling. "We've heard all about your biking buddy, so you should stop pretending you give the first damn about Addy."

"And, just to say, Chall," Nate added, "I hope you live a lifetime of regret knowing you tossed aside someone of Addy's high caliber for some cheap garbage that is rancid."

"Hey!" Jennifer protested my father-in-law's judgment. "Fu--"

"Proving our point, dear," Shannon said. "If the trash can fits...well, I think that says it all."

Then, having communicated their displeasure to both of us, they turned around and disappeared into Addy's room, and I felt another hot surge of anger at myself that I'd gotten myself banned from my wife's room.