Chapter 1

"Push me against the wall and tell me I drive you crazy." This was the kind of relationship Adam was hoping to have with his beautiful wife that made him sacrificed his kidney to cure her sickness.

But instead...

***

“I'm sick of your constant excuses about your mother! It's time to choose between me and her.” Rachael's words dripped with exasperation, her patience worn thin by her husband's repeated dodging of responsibility."

Adam had just arrived at the Odia mansion, still drenched in sweat from his day shift job, only to be met with his angry wife, Rachael.

“Don't say that Racheal, I need this money for my mother's treatment, you have to understand” Adam tried to explain walking closer to her.

“Please don't come closer, your sweat stinks so bad, you'll ruin my dress!” Rachael scorned.

Adam couldn't believe the same sweat that he had to endure to make sure she's happy is the same thing she called stink. If it wasn't for her he wouldn't be hustling this way.

With a sneer she spoke, “It's either you give me this $500 to get myself a handbag for my birthday. Or you use it for your silly old mother!”

“What did you say?” Adam asked, unable to believe what his wife just said.

“You heard me right Adam, if you're not ready to move on well I am. My family has done you enough favor for letting you stay in our mansion, and yet you can't make their daughter happy. I'm starting to regret marrying you!” Rachael said with disgust, then took her hand bag from the couch and walked straight to the door.

But then she stopped and returned back, “I'm still taking this” she snatched Adam's credit card from his hand. “I'll still be needing the money, I'm going out with the girls and I have to change this old bag”

“Rach… but my mother…”

“Just shut up! If she dies I really don't care, it's your responsibility to work hard to take care of me, and if you want to pay up her bills work harder.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, earning$500 per month, you mates are out there making millions. Be glad I even accepted this change.” She interrupted Adam from speaking.

Adam stood still like a statue and watched Rachael walk out of the room, it was past 10 and the other family members had gone to bed, otherwise he would have been greeted with more troubles. He sat down on the couch and covered his face in disappointment and bitterness.

The doctor had requested $750 for his mother's treatment and after working two jobs this month he was able to raise up $500 hoping to pay up the majority of the bill, but unfortunately Rachael destroyed his plans. Or maybe it was his fault for neglecting her wants, if he had walked harder he would have been able to buy her the bag and also pay up his mother's bill. July 21st is tomorrow and it's her birthday. She deserved it.

The Odia family is one of the most respected and wealthy family in Almond City, but no matter how many times he begged them to help him pay his mother's treatment his mother in-law never seized to mock him of his uselessness and so he had no other choice but to work out the money himself.

They had already done him a favor by allowing their daughter to be with him and stay in their beautiful mansion. Or perhaps he had done them a favor. Rachael had been diagnosed with kidney cancer, which led to a stroke.

"No man wanted to be with Rachael in her condition; even her own family refused to donate a kidney to save her life. But then, a glimmer of hope emerged. A generous offer of $10 million dollars was made to anyone willing to marry Rachael and provide her with a kidney transplant. Adam, driven by desperation to save his ailing mother and lift himself out of poverty, accepted the proposal. He hoped that the money would cover his mother's treatment and secure a better future for them. However, fate had other plans. Liberty Odia, the patriarch of the Odia family, agreed to the deal, but sadly passed away just a month later due to old age, leaving the arrangement in limbo."

After Liberty’s death, the family, especially Rachael's mother Monica, ignored the marriage contract and refused to help Adam. Despite this, Adam fulfilled his role as a husband and donated his kidney for a transplant, which ultimately saved Rachael's life. However, she never acknowledged him as her husband.

Two years had passed, and Adam remained an outcast in the family, clinging to the hope that one day Rachael would recognize how much he loved her.

***

“You stupid piece of trash, how dare you lie on the couch with your stinky, sweaty body? Didn't your mother teach you to take a bath after work?” Monica's angry voice erupted.

Adam immediately stood up from the couch. “Good evening, Mother,” he greeted.

“Keep that useless greeting to yourself. It won't add a cent to my account,” she retorted, waving her hand dismissively.

“I’m sorry, Mother…”

“Don't you dare call me 'Mother,'” she interrupted, slapping him hard across the face. “It’s 'Madam.' Don’t ever refer to me as 'Mother.' Do I look like that old wretched mother of yours?”

Adam held his cheek, knowing there was nothing he could do other than bow his head and apologize. "I'm sorry, Madam. I'll go take my shower now," he said, bowing his head and turning to leave.

"And since you're awake, I need you to make some hot traditional tea for me. I'm having a crampy stomach and can't sleep," she demanded authoritatively.

"Yes, ma'am, I'll do just that."

"And where's my daughter? Where's Rachael?" she asked.

"She left not too long ago. She went out for her friend's birthday party."

"Hmm, it's a good thing she left alone. Otherwise, you would have embarrassed her with your bad smell. Please get out of my sight, you good-for-nothing man. I can't wait for my daughter to divorce you and marry someone better," she spat.

Adam ignored the harsh words and left for his room.

Adam went into the shower and allowed the water to wash away his troubles, he made a deep sigh before coming out from the shower, he cleaned up his body and put on his night clothes.

Adam quickly proceeded to the kitchen and started preparing the tea. He added some herbs, milk and a little amount of sugar before serving it to his mother in-law. She was seated in the sitting room waiting for him. “Here it is ma'am” he offered the tea, the aroma from the herbs was pleasing and Monica couldn't help but sniff hard before replying.

“I hope you prepared it well, you know I don't like sugar”

“Yes ma'am, I added a very little amount of sugar,” he replied with a smile.

“I'll just take this in my room, I can't bear to stay here any longer I can almost taste your smell” she gave an awkward glare before leaving with the tea to her room.

Adam frowned, he wasn't smelling bad, but she always said that to make him feel bad and even when he tried to get used to it it still hurts.

“I don't feel sleepy either, I'll just stay on the couch and wait for Rachael to come back. Tomorrow is her birthday. I want to be the first to wish her a happy birthday” a warm smile shone on Adam's face as he sat on the couch.

As time went on he eventually fell asleep on the couch. Few hours later it was 12am. Adam opened his eyes to check if his wife had returned.

“Why's she taking so long? Maybe I should just call her, or send her a text” he brought out his phone. But then Adam saw the entrance door slightly opened, he looked and could see a woman trying to get in without anyone noticed.

Adam smiled, even without light he could tell it was his beautiful wife, he was just about to wish her a happy birthday through text and she just arrived, what a beautiful coexistence.

Adam then walked up to her, she couldn't see him coming as inside was dark. Adam hugged her from behind. “Happy birthday my love”

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?” Her voice cut through the darkness like a blade, her hand fumbling to turn on the light.

Adam's eyes widened, his heart stopped for a moment when he realized it was not his wife but her younger sister Rhea. Their resemblance had put him in trouble.

“Rhea?”

“You moron!” Rhea's hand connected with his cheek in a stinging slap. “What were you trying to do? Were you trying to rape me?” Her voice was a mix of fury and fear.

Her black gown was torn, makeup smeared, hair disheveled. It seems she had gotten into a fight from wherever she was coming from and she just vented her anger on Adam.

Adam's face drained of color. “I'm sorry I thought it was Rachael, I'm so sorry”

“You tried to rape me! Mother! Brother!” She shouted calling out to her family.