Wheelchair-bound Arthur silently orchestrates a plan to expose his potential daughter-in-law's betrayal. He comes up with a plan to protect his son, Ethan, from a ruinous marriage, but can he do so before it's too late?
Arthur sat in the living room, watching everything from his corner. He was in a wheelchair and couldn't talk because of a stroke, but he was a sharp man and noticed a lot.
Carly, his son's love and potential daughter-in-law, was wearing a bright red dress and chatting and laughing, trying to show herself as a kind and caring girlfriend to Ethan.
Ethan was totally smitten and didn't know what was really going on. But Arthur knew Carly wasn't the right choice for his son.
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After Ethan left the room, Carly turned to Arthur with a fake smile. "You know, Arthur, some fresh air would do you wonders. But, oh, that's a bit tricky for you, isn't it?" she said mockingly.
Then, she leaned closer and whispered cruelly, "You're just sitting there, making things easy for me. Marrying Ethan and getting my hands on his money will be simple, especially with Mark helping me. You can't do anything."
Arthur felt a strong need to protect Ethan from Carly's plans. He knew he had to find a way because a woman as mean as Carly didn't deserve his son.
While Arthur sat motionless in his chair, Carly pretended to be nice and offered him a glass of water, but then she "accidentally" spilled it all over him. "Oh, how clumsy of me!" she exclaimed with a chuckle.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, cutting through the awkward silence. "Oh, that's Mark, the plumber," she chirped and went to open the door with a fake friendly smile.
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Ethan walked into the living room and saw his dad looking worn out, which made him feel sad. When Carly and Mark entered the living room, they pretended like they didn't know each other. Carly introduced Mark to Ethan.
"Dad, Carly was talking about fixing up the place. The plumber is here. What do you think?" Ethan asked but got no reply. Carly and Mark exchanged a glance while Ethan sighed.
"Actually, Ethan, why don't Mark and I take a quick look at the upstairs bathrooms? We've been thinking about renovating them, haven't we?" she said, pretending to be excited. Ethan didn't think anything was off, so Carly and Mark went upstairs to talk in private.
"Once I marry Ethan, all of this will be ours," Carly whispered to Mark once they were all alone.
Mark was curious. "What about Ethan?"
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Carly had everything planned out. She leaned in close to Mark and whispered, "Ethan loves me like crazy and treats me like a Goddess! Dealing with Arthur is no big deal. They won't realize what's happening until it's too late. Let's keep going."
They both wanted to fool Arthur and Ethan to get their money without their knowing it until it was too late. But Arthur knew what Carly and Mark were scheming. Even though he couldn't move much, he was watching everything and planning to protect his family.
Meanwhile, Ethan had to leave because of a work call. Seeing Ethan leave, Carly smiled at Mark. "Now it's just us. We can have some fun."
"Carly, we shouldn't. Ethan might come back, and Arthur is right there," he said.
Carly laughed. "Ethan trusts me completely. And Arthur? He can't do anything."
She then kissed Mark, showing off in front of Arthur.
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Arthur stayed calm, but he felt his heart sink in despair. He was desperate to protect his son from a woman like Carly. But he also knew he needed proof. He knew Ethan was madly in love with Carly and that he trusted her with all his heart.
Arthur's room was his quiet place to think. One day, he saw Carly and Mark together in the garden, proving his doubts. Until now, he only thought of her as a gold digger, but now, he was more than just sure that she was also unfaithful. Carly shamelessly laughed and kissed Mark, causing Arthur to look away in disgust.
He knew she was up to no good, and it hurt him to see his son Ethan so unaware of this woman's betrayal. One day, Arthur knocked over a photo to get Carly's attention. When she picked it up, he looked at her with a warning in his eyes. Carly seemed a bit shaken, but she didn't think much and walked away.
Arthur thought hard about how to warn Ethan. He couldn't talk, so he had to find another way. He remembered letters from Ethan's mom, full of real love and kindness.
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Arthur thought that those letters would make Ethan understand what love was about and that Carly wasn't capable of giving that love to him.
Arthur had a staff member place those letters where Ethan could read them, and Ethan did. He even talked to Arthur, saying they made him think hard about Carly and their future. But he didn't take any further action, and Arthur was confused if his plan even worked.
Yet, Arthur watched and waited, hoping Ethan would see the truth one day. He also started working with the house staff to keep an eye on Carly and Mark, hoping to catch them doing something wrong.
One day, when Carly and Mark thought they were alone, they didn't notice the staff watching them. Agnes, the housekeeper, found out Carly was not faithful. She took pictures and recorded her secret talks to expose Carly's true nature and protect Ethan.
Arthur waited for the right time to tell Ethan the truth. The house staff helped him, knowing it might hurt Ethan, but it was necessary.
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One day, Arthur surprised everyone by cooking dinner. Carly was shocked to see him moving around so energetically. Nobody had expected the man to stand on his two feet and cook dinner. But before Arthur revealed how it all happened, he asked Ethan and Carly to take a seat.
After he served them dinner, Arthur talked about trust and love, hinting at Carly's dishonesty. "Ethan, my son," Arthur said, "Trust is key in love. I hope you know that, yes?"
Ethan misunderstood what his father was trying to tell him, and in the spur of the moment, he proposed to Carly. "Carly, will you marry me?" he asked.
Carly's eyes widened in shock, then she exchanged a glance with Arthur and composed herself. "Ye-yes, Ethan. I will," she replied.
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Arthur then mentioned a plumber coming to fix a sink, watching Carly's reaction. It was part of his plan to reveal more about Carly's actions and make Ethan see her reality.
As the doorbell rang, Arthur went to answer, thinking a plumber was coming, but it was actually Mark, Carly's secret boyfriend.
Mark was surprised to see Arthur standing. He paused at the door before he collected himself. "Um, I got a call about a clogged sink?" he said, walking in as Arthur watched closely.
While checking the sink, Mark found his own watch that was causing the blockage. The watch alone should've confirmed Carly's betrayal, but now, with Mark there and the watch found, Arthur had the perfect chance to reveal Carly.
"Son, that watch belongs to Mark. I found it before, under your bed, probably accidentally kicked there during one of their secret meetings," Arthur said, pointing at Carly and Mark calmly.
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Ethan turned to Carly for an explanation, but she couldn't think of anything clever to say. Her excuses sounded weak, even to herself.
Arthur kept talking, "I've been aware of Carly's, ah, clandestine activities for some time. It pained me to see you so deceived, Ethan. This," he pointed at the watch in Mark's hand, "is undeniable proof of her cheating and her intentions towards our family."
Ethan felt like he got punched in the stomach when he found out Carly wasn't faithful. He hoped it wasn't true, but seeing the proof made his heart sink.
Carly tried to explain, but Ethan could see through her excuses. She was just scrambling to cover her tracks. Ethan couldn't move, hurt written all over his face. He couldn't believe Carly would betray him like this.
Arthur admitted he knew about Carly's betrayal but waited to gather evidence.
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Feeling betrayed and hurt, Ethan told Carly and Mark to leave. He couldn't bear to be around them. Once they were gone, Ethan thanked his dad for opening his eyes to the truth. Arthur explained that he pretended to be sicker than he was to expose Carly's lies and protect Ethan.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Dad?"
"I had to be sure, Ethan. Our housekeeper Agnes has more proof. I needed you to see the truth for yourself."
Ethan nodded, getting it now. He understood that his dad had done a lot, not just to expose Carly but to keep Ethan's trust. This made Ethan love and appreciate Arthur even more.
As they sat together, they felt closer than ever. "We've got a lot to fix, Dad, but I'm glad we can do it together," Ethan said.
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Arthur reached out, putting a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Together," he said firmly. "We'll fix things, and we'll make sure honesty, trust, and respect are our foundation. This tough time showed us how strong we are together, Ethan. And nothing can break that bond."
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