Chapter 186: Dinner with the In-Laws!
Ernest scratched his head. "It's easy to say that, but you know how Ryder Clark treats us. Getting money out of him just doesn’t seem feasible."
Karen stood up and poked Ernest hard in the forehead twice. "Ever heard how Piggy's second aunt died? From sheer stupidity, just like you! If you can't coax the money out of him directly, that doesn’t mean you can't think of another way to get it!"
Ernest winced and withdrew, muttering, "I... I’ve got nothing."
Karen glared at him with disdain. "I knew you wouldn’t have a plan. Lucky for us, I've had a brilliant idea these past few days, and not only will we get the money from that loser Ryder Clark, we’ll also get him out of our lives for good. Out of sight, out of mind!"
Ernest's curiosity was piqued. "What's the plan?"
"We make them get a divorce!"
"But... Why could they possibly get a divorce? Ryder Clark won’t agree to it, and Sarah's been getting closer to him lately. We won't get past her, and remember how our last attempt to push them to divorce ended up...?"
Karen snorted dismissively. "Last time was an accident! This time, I'm going to set Ryder Clark up to have an affair and make sure Sarah catches him in the act. We won't even need to say a word—Sarah will divorce that good-for-nothing Ryder Clark all on her own! And when the adultery's proven, it'll be only natural for him to hand over all his assets and leave with nothing after the divorce."
Ernest Johnson looked worried, "Is this... is this really okay? Sarah's been betrayed before, and I don’t know if we should do this to her again..."
Before he could finish, Karen interrupted him loudly. "Oh, cut the saint act, will you? You think I want to do this? If I hadn't married a broke guy like you, would I even need to stoop so low?
“You disagree? Fine. How about you buy me a Platan Heights mansion right now and let me live there? Can you? Do you have the means? No? Then shut your trap!"
Ernest Johnson was left speechless, drenched in her spittle, not daring to utter a word.
After all, more than twenty years of marriage had made such incidents all too familiar to him.
In the end, his only option was to meekly go along with Karen's plan and softly ask, "What... what exactly do you want me to do?"
Karen hummed with satisfaction. "That's more like it! You're going to…"
…
It was 5:30 PM.
Ryder Clark had just finished reviewing some projects and stood up, stretching.
That was when his phone rang.
The caller ID showed that it was Ernest Johnson.
Why on earth was he calling?
As far as Ryder could recall, ever since he had joined the Johnson family through marriage, his relationship with Ernest had always been lukewarm.
Ernest had little clout at home, was introverted, and rarely interacted with Ryder.
Perplexed but courteous, Ryder answered the phone. "What's up? You need something?"
Ernest replied, "Hey, Ryder, I was wondering if you were free tonight. I thought we could grab dinner—just the two of us. I've got some old buddies who are eager to meet you."
Ryder paused briefly. "I don't know them. Wouldn't that be a bit awkward?"
"What's awkward about it? Just show up when I tell you to. I'll text you the address. And hey, just come alone, okay? Don't mention this to Sarah or your mom. It's a secret between us guys."
With that, Ernest ended the call.
Ryder Clark scratched the back of his head in bewilderment.
The idea that his father-in-law, a man who had never even splurged on an ice cream for himself, suddenly wanted to take him out to dinner was beyond comprehension.
But Ryder didn't give it much thought.
After all, it was just a dinner, what could possibly be the big deal?
He sent a quick text to Sarah Johnson, mentioning that he'd run into something unexpected and wouldn't be able to bike to the office to pick her up that evening. He suggested she take a taxi home instead.
A little while later, Ernest Johnson sent Ryder the dinner location for that evening.
The reservation was for six o'clock.
As Ryder noticed the time creeping closer, he shut down his computer and headed downstairs to his electric scooter, making his way to the designated dining spot.
After a fifteen-minute ride, Ryder arrived at the venue—the Moon Bay Hotel.
While not as renowned as The Pint House, the Moon Bay Hotel was certainly one of the more upscale establishments in Houston.
He hadn’t thought that his frugal father-in-law, Ernest Johnson, would invite him to a place like this for a meal.
This was a serious investment on his part!
With a sense of appreciation, Ryder entered the Moon Bay Hotel and proceeded to the private dining room Ernest had booked.
As he pushed open the door, Ryder saw Ernest sitting at a table, in conversation with two men of similar age.
As Ryder entered, Ernest stood up and greeted him enthusiastically. "Come on in, young man! Let me introduce you. These are two of my old friends. You can call them Mr. Reed and Mr. Carter."
Ryder nodded and courteously said, "Hello, Mr. Reed, hello, Mr. Carter!"
The two men stood up, a little stiffly, and said, "Ah... Good to meet you! Good to meet you! Ha ha!"
Ryder found himself a spot and sat down.
The four men sat there in an awkward silence, exchanging glances without a word.
Feeling the awkwardness, Ernest cleared his throat and handed the menus to his friends, urging them to browse the selection.
They nodded profusely and buried themselves in the menus.
Ryder watched, puzzled.
He had the impression these two men almost revered Ernest Johnson.
Were they Ernest’s former employees?
Ernest Johnson had been in the hot seat for nearly two decades long before Sarah Johnson took the reins at a branch of the Johnson family business.
At that moment, Ernest Johnson said to Ryder Clark, "You were curious about why I invited you to dinner today. It's quite simple, really. A few days ago, you loaned my son Kyle a substantial sum to start his own business, and as a father, I'm truly grateful.
“Besides, in the few years since you joined the Johnson family enterprise, you've definitely put in the elbow grease, if not outright heroics, so it's only right that I show my appreciation!"
"Thank you for the hospitality, then!" Ryder Clark replied with a nod and a smile.
His gaze fell on the two men sitting opposite Ernest Johnson. They were staring blankly at their menus without flipping a page, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
Ryder, puzzled, asked, "Mr. Reed, Mr. Carter, are you gentlemen feeling alright?"
"Ah? I-It’s nothing!" they stuttered.
"It...it might just be that this private room is a little warm. It’s really warm, actually!" They answered hesitantly, sneaking worried glances at Ernest.
Was it fear of speaking out of turn?
A flash of annoyance crossed Ernest Johnson's brow.
Just then, his phone lit up with a message.
His expression brightened!
He then said to Ryder, “Hey, another friend of mine just showed up. Would you mind heading downstairs to usher him in? I'll stay here and look after Mr. Reed and Mr. Carter."
"Sure thing!"
Ryder rose and left the private room.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Ernest turned to “Mr. Reed” and “Mr. Carter” Pand snapped, "Act natural, you two. If you mess this up, you won’t get a single dollar of what I promised to pay you!"
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