Alexander Brooke straightened his worn jacket and smoothed his hair, eager to impress. He knocked on the grand door of his girlfriend father's house, his confidence wavering. He fell for Vivian two years ago in college. Their love grew, and when he proposed, she told him that her father's approval was first needed for the marriage. That was what brought him there under the hot sun.After a while, the door opened to reveal Vivian standing behind it. Her angelic face beamed. "You're here, love!" Vivian's warm face calmed Alex's nerves. He could never stop loving her. They hugged, then she led him inside.The spacious living room astounded him, flanked by plush sofas and original works of art. Her father was undoubtedly wealthy. However, his enthusiasm soon disappeared when Argent McCall, Vivian's father, frowned at the sight of him. Alex felt tension in the air. At 190cm, handsome and 23, he stood tall, but clearly poor. Would Argent still accept him? What if he laughed in hi
Alex walked out of the house, head lowered and expression terrible. Was Argent planning to frustrate him? Where on Earth did he except an ordinary lot attendant to manufacture such an extravagant amount in such a short period?!“But if you don't come up with the money, my word stands...” Those were the last words of Argent before he left the house. His heart began to race, and his palms grew clammy. Get her married to someone else? He couldn't let that happen! The stakes were truly high, and failure was not an option.****As soon as he reached home, Alex headed straight to the bathroom for a shower. He scrubbed himself clean, trying to wash away all the stress and tension from the day. But nothing was going off. After drying himself off, he trudged to his small bedroom, where he found Matt, his best friend already fast asleep.He sighed, feeling the weight of the day's events bearing down on him. His eyes were still open, and he couldn't stop replaying everything Argent had said ab
Alex felt his heart sink as Argent's words sank in. He never knew he had something to do with his termination of job. What did he ever do wrong to that man? He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the anger rising within him. "You can't do this!”But Argent just laughed, his eyes glinting with malice. "We'll see about that!" The line went dead, and Alex was left staring at his phone in disbelief. Could his life get any frustrating than this? He clenched his fists, fighting back angry tears. How had he failed so miserably? His phone rang again and he picked it up in anger. “Aren't you satisfied already?!” Alex realised it wasn't Argent's call. He didn't even check the caller ID before barking like a bull dog. He saw that the call was from the hospital his mother was being treated for cancer. His heart missed two beats as he answered back."Hello?" Alex said, his voice trembling."Is this Mr. Alexander Brooke?" the voice on the other end asked."Yes, this is Alex. Is there any prob
The clock was ticking as Alex struggled on the final day of the challenge. He had lost his job and was barely making ends meet with menial work. After his friend Matt's promotion, Alex felt alone in the empty house they once shared.Matt had been more than a friend, he was like a brother to Alex. He didn't want to burden him any further. Memories of his late mother flooded his mind, and he wished she was still there to help. The thought of losing Vivian and her cold-hearted father made his heart ache.Suddenly, his encounter with his mother's best friend, Edmundo in the hospital kept replaying in his mind. He remembered his words of comfort: "I'll be there for you." With nowhere else to turn, Alex searched for Edmundo's business card and dialed the number written on it. He hesitated, but Edmundo's words of comfort gave him the courage to press "call."After two rings, Edmundo answered."Hey, Alex, it's been a while. Do you have any problems?" The man's calm voice asked over the phone
He glanced at Alex with a sneer, already knowing the answer. "No, I don't think so. You're just a pathetic loser who can't even provide for yourself, let alone a woman like Vivian!"Alex boiled in anger. How could this man speak to him with such superiority?“Look at you, Alex,” she sneered, her voice oozing contempt. “You think you're good enough for me? You can barely afford a decent suit, let alone take care of someone like me. You're a nobody, a waste of space!”Alex's heart sank, tears forming in his eyes as he gazed at the angelic face of Vivian. He couldn't believe she could be so cruel, so heartless.He had always believed Vivian loved him for who he was, but now he saw the truth - her love was conditional, based on what he could buy for her."I love you, Vivian, I respect you, and I'm loyal to you," he said, his voice trembling. His eyes watered. "Why are you doing this to me?"Vivian scoffed, a mocking laugh that pierced Alex's heart like a poisoned knife.While Daniel could
SIX MONTHS LATER Daniel, Vivian husband's company, Halogenics, suddenly began to experience a major set back. It was like all of a sudden, nothing seemed to work. Day by day, Vivian grew more worried, even more than the others. "Baby, what's wrong?" Vivian asked, noticing Daniel's sudden change of mood as he stared at a message in the laptop he was operating."It's a message from Ultimate bank. They're asking us for a repayment for the long-time 496, 300, 000 loan we're yet to pay, else they'll stop granting loans in the future." "What?" Vivian's brows raised. "Just that? We've not borrowed up to 500 million dollars yet! This is clearly cheating, I'm telling you," she huffed in displeasure. "Really? You call 496, 300, 000 "just"? Forget it, all you know is to spend money on bags, shoes, clothes and vacation. You're so vain but lazy," Daniel sighed, brushing his hair with his hand.Vivian ignored him, completely guilty. However, the matter at hand could not be ignored. The hardw
Since accepting Edmundo's offer, Alexander's life had never been the same. Despite Edmundo's help and connections, it was his love for him that helped him overcome the pain of losing his mother. The betrayal he felt in the last six months was nothing compared to the pain of losing his mother. It made him feel like he was dying.Vivian had dumped him suddenly because of his status. But now, he was one of the richest billionaires in the city, with the city in his palms and big connections no one could ever imagine. He didn't know whether he would become a trillionaire or something bigger in the future, but his wealth was growing rapidly. As he looked at her, his hunger for revenge grew. "I'm just a staff here, Mrs. Robert. I'm sorry, but your invitation was canceled," he said.Vivian, who had been overwhelmed with shock, finally sighed. "Ha! Can't believe it's you again, Alex," she clicked her tongue, gazing at him up and down. "Mother nature says it all. I knew there was no way you co
Vivian returned home, feeling annoyed at seeing Alex after all this while. She never knew he would defend himself like that. However, she couldn't deny that she noticed a few changes in Alex, especially in his outer look. He looked sophisticated, smart and exude with confidence - things he never possessed before. What could be the reason?What was even more disturbing was his last words. She wondered why that lingered in her mind, giving her a headache.However, she shrugged it off and decided to think about the good things. Now that FarthestStone Enterprises was going to cooperate with her husband's company, their sales will rise again. This made her smile, sipping her juice on the dining table. "Fuck!!!" Suddenly, a piercing scream from Daniel echoed in the living room, causing her to spit out the juice in her mouth in surprise. She turned back to see how furious Daniel was, pacing around with his phone clutched to his ear. "This isn't possible!" He roared, smashing the phone on