Chương 3: Anger

"It's good to know," Olivia said with a sneer. "You can be useless, but at least don't embarrass yourself."

Her tone grew harsher as she continued, "Don't be ungrateful. Your brother-in-law worked hard to get you that job, and you're complaining? I can't even get hired as a security guard anymore, and you, a loser, act like the world owes you something. Are you just waiting to die?"

Lily, trying to calm the tension, asked cautiously, "Mom, what about the medical expenses?"

"We'll deal with it once he starts working again," Olivia snapped, clearly growing more frustrated as she glared at Ryan. She snorted disdainfully, then added, "You look so unlucky. Go wash up or something."

"Let's go," Lily whispered, tugging on Ryan's arm and quickly leading him upstairs.

The second floor was small, with three bedrooms and a cramped living room. The couple's bedroom was the tiniest—originally a child's room—and barely had space for a bed, a wardrobe, and Ryan's computer. Smoke from outside lingered faintly through the small window.

Lily's younger sister Vera, a high school freshman, only came home on weekends. Her older sister Sophia, though married, still occupied the master bedroom when she visited. On weekdays, however, the second floor served as a quiet retreat for Ryan and Lily to avoid Olivia's wrath.

As soon as Ryan sat down, Lily rummaged through their wardrobe for clothes and said softly, "Honey, you can wash up first."

Ryan, thinking of the novice tasks issued by the system and staring at his wife, now transformed into a stunning beauty, felt a rush of warmth. He reached out and grabbed her hand, his voice hoarse. "My head's still sore—I can't let water touch it. Help me wash it."

Lily's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Mom is still at home!" she protested, her voice timid as usual.

Ryan felt a flicker of irritation at her submissiveness, but when her shy expression graced her now-beautiful face, it stirred something primal within him.

"She's probably playing cards by now," Ryan said, lighting a cigarette and looking at Lily with a teasing smile. "Why don't you go check? If she's busy or leaves the house, it'll just be the two of us here. She won't bother us."

Lily hesitated but couldn't hide her excitement. With a shy, coquettish smile, she said, "Alright, I'll go check," and hurried downstairs.

Watching her go, Ryan leaned back, trying to process everything. Despite knowing that Lily was still the same person inside, the sudden transformation had left him unbalanced. It was like happiness had struck him too suddenly, and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

"System," Ryan asked cautiously in his mind, "How is the completion of a specific task judged?"

"The novice mission is to give your beloved wife an orgasm. The mission duration is one week. Your wife, Lily, has never experienced an orgasm since marriage. Please complete this mission to fulfill her needs. Once completed, this task will move to a side mission."

"Just one orgasm?" Ryan asked, surprised.

"Yes, just once," the system replied firmly. "It is to comfort your wife, who has never had such an experience. This is the price for receiving the novice gift package."

Ryan lit another cigarette and fell into deep thought, contemplating both the task and his desires.

He reflected on his past with Lily. They had been high school classmates, but their lives took very different paths. Back then, Ryan had been infatuated with the school belle, Luna. In a bold attempt to win her heart, he arranged candles in the shape of a heart outside her dormitory to confess his feelings.

But his grand gesture ended in humiliation. Luna appeared with the school's most notorious delinquent, arm-in-arm. They mocked him openly as the candles were kicked over, leaving Ryan humiliated in front of everyone.

Unable to cope with the shame and knowing he couldn't afford to attend university, Ryan dropped out of school to find work.

Lily, a quiet and unassuming classmate, stepped in during his darkest moments. At the time, she was far from the kind of girl Ryan would have noticed under normal circumstances. However, in his emotional vulnerability, he found comfort in her attention.

In the heat of the moment, their shared inexperience led to a fumbling but passionate first night together—one that left Lily frightened and confused.

From that point on, Lily devoted herself to Ryan, following him lovingly despite their hardships. She graduated college with mediocre grades and brought Ryan home to introduce him to her family.

Her father, Arthur, disapproved of Ryan, but his objections were mild. Her mother, Olivia, however, had ulterior motives.

At the time, Olivia was desperate to secure the family home. Her eldest daughter, Sophia, was already married, and her youngest, Vera, was beautiful and engaged to a wealthy man. But Lily, considered unattractive, had few prospects.

Fearing that Arthur might hand the house over to his mistress, Olivia saw Ryan as a means to secure their family's claim. She quickly pushed for Lily to marry him. Ryan, oblivious to the family's politics, went along with it, marrying Lily and hoping for a better future.

While Lily was overjoyed to marry the man she loved, their married life was far from idyllic. Living under Olivia's roof and dealing with her constant disdain made their lives difficult. Ryan's recent job as a security guard offered housing, and he was eager to escape the toxic environment.

"Husband!"

Lily's cheerful voice broke Ryan's train of thought. She entered the room with a smile and said, "Mom said your elder sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit. They'll be having dinner with us tonight."

Ryan's expression darkened. "Them? Since when are they so kind?"

His reaction was instinctive.

Sophia, the eldest sister, had always been arrogant and proud. She married the son of a government official at a young age.

Although her husband had spent two years in prison for fighting, he had just been released. Coming from a well-off family, he always looked down on his second sister and her husband.

If there was any care or affection in this family, Ryan would have reserved it for his sexy mother-in-law and the sister-in-law with a baby face and a voluptuous figure.

Before Ryan could react to his thoughts, Lily softly said, "I'm going to buy some groceries. My sister and brother-in-law will be here soon, so you should rest for a while."

Lily went downstairs, busy with preparations. As soon as she reached the bottom, Ryan overheard his mother-in-law's voice.

"Don't be stingy when buying vegetables. Your brother-in-law loves seafood. Get some good blue crabs and prawns, okay?"

"Also, get some roast duck from the intersection. Your elder sister likes it, and I want to try it too."

Lily agreed reluctantly, and Ryan seethed with anger from upstairs.

When it was just his mother-in-law at home, she would scold him for "wasting gas" when he cooked. Whenever Lily tried to be filial, her mother would criticize Ryan for having no taste and picking cheap seafood, accusing him of following the habits of a poor man.

It was always Lily who cooked, with Ryan assisting. But when they were all together, his mother-in-law would always be picky about the food.

The most infuriating part was the roast duck restaurant at the intersection.

While his mother-in-law claimed to like the duck his eldest son-in-law bought, she would constantly criticize Lily for not knowing how to choose. She was the epitome of double standards.

The disparity in how they were treated was glaring. While Lily endured so much to maintain the family's harmony, she lived a far worse life than Ryan, and it angered him.

[Please give power stones or leave a comment. It will help increase my fanbase, and with more fans, the book will be recommended by the algorithm.]

[If any readers find flaws or problematic points in the story, please feel free to comment, and I'll actively make revisions—provided I also agree that they're issues. After all, after reading and writing novels for a long time, my mind sometimes gets a bit dull, and I might overlook things before publishing.]

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