My God that was bad. A pack of idiots, almost as stupid as whatever editor let this pass and become published.
The weird, inconclusive ending made me think that this was the author's take on Ursula LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." Whatever it was for, old Aleksi sure "walked away!"
He hocks his estate to give his cheating ex-wife 50 million dollars for her to waste with someone else’s husband, then let’s her live at his family home when she’s spent it all and is destitute. While all this straaanngge charity is going on he takes his daughter, who seems to be about four or five, and dumps her at an orphanage, and lets her be bounced around a bunch of foster homes. He sneaks into her high school graduation and then disappears again. He leaves a letter to be delivered to her after his death, so she will inherit his vast wealth and property.
My only verdict could be that he is mentally incompetent to the point of being deranged and is also morally bankrupt. If they made this story into a movie, the only way an actor could play him convincingly would be if the theatre management passed out a hit of LSD to everyone in the audience.
After having read the other two stories in the series, I read the third one and the MIL has turned into a human being after being almost as toxic as her middle son. The FL's father, however, has taken their places as the self important butthead of the universe. Not to mention that he's a total bootlicker for all the people in his SIL's family.
I read again the second son story (never knew the trash of a story is actually in league with these two new updated manga). And since I didn't read the novel, I think we hate the second son because of the poor adaptation by the mangaka. Or the second son is really toxic.
The MIL is unredeemable tho
On three separate occasions we read Ryan's words, "Well, you have good taste. He's one in a million." No Ryan, you're totally mistaken: filthy, nasty sleaze bags like that are a dime a dozen.
This way, he can cook, clean, and much out the stables. She can run the ranch, hang with the kids, and raise horses. That could turn the Harlequin patriarchy upside down in a really satisfying way. "Oh, by the way. This is my trophy husband. Set him over here, give him a drink, and we'll get down to business."
That was supposed to be "MUCK out the stables." That's what I wrote, but the automatic editor is far smarter than I am and changed it.
Police: Alright, what happened here?
ML: My fiancee tried to go back to England, so I broke both her legs.
FL: But, but... I'm not his fiancee.
Police: Shut up woman. This is HarlequinWorld. Know your place!
Did you just accidentally described Killing Stalking? X'D
A gynecologist who rapes women and beats up pregnant women. Wow, I wonder how many repeat customers he gets. He certainly doesn't like women, or think of them as real human beings. Kind of like a veterinarian I once met who didn't like cats. And the ML, the great CEO, has all the self-control of a crack head. Almost made for each other.