Chapter 001: Insults
"Terry, this is your salary." Terry, who was daydreaming in the corner of the room, gasped in surprise when his name was called. His eyes blinked for a few moments, regaining the focus that had been lost. Quickly, he walked up to Jake, the manager at his workplace. Terry took the envelope from Jake's hand with a sense of pleasure. A faint smile was etched on his lips. He quickly put the envelope into his shabby pants pocket. "Thank you, Mr. Jake," "You're welcome," Jake smiled slightly. He tapped Terry's shoulder quite hard. It made Terry, who was going home, stop his steps. "What is it again, Mr. Jake?" asked Terry politely. "Do you need anything?" "No, I don't. I just wanted to remind you. Don't forget the extra work tonight." Jake paused his words for a moment and nudged Terry's arm like an old friend. "FYI, I think you're about to be promoted by our boss to a full-time position." Terry's face looked surprised to hear that. His pointed eyes were rounded. His eyebrows rose, and his mouth was half open. "Really?" "Yes, of course," Jake replied casually. "I had a discussion with our boss. And he said that you're the strongest candidate to become a permanent employee at this shop.” Terry heart was bursting with happiness. He felt his stomach tingle, as if a butterfly had flown in. His chest felt so light with excitement. The corners of his lips pulled upward, forming a wide smile. "Ah, thank you, Mr. Jake. I don't know what to say." "You're welcome. Just improve your performance as a clerk in this shop so that you can get a better salary. Can you do it?" "I can, sir!" "That's good. Now you can go home. Sorry for disturbing your rest time." Terry nodded his head and bowed slightly as a sign of respect. He quickly went to his locker, which was in the back room, close to the kitchen. Terry wanted to change his work clothes to a normal shirt. At least Terry had a steady job and would not worry about the lack of money. Because the salary of a training employee is certainly very different from that of a permanent employee, The difference alone could be more than half. After changing his clothes, Terry opened the envelope he had kept in his pocket. His fingers counted the bills that were there. "$200," he muttered under his breath. He took out a shabby wallet from his back pants pocket. And took out the other bills that were there. "That's exactly $1000; at least I can buy Meghan some high heels and a pretty dress." Terry could imagine his wife's big smile as he brought her some of the expensive gifts she wanted. In his mind, Meghan would squeal with delight in her cute voice, give him a big hug, serve him his favorite food, and end up having fun in bed, something he had been craving. "I can't wait to see Meghan's reaction. I have to hurry up and buy those things." After finishing changing his clothes, Terry left the shop where he worked to buy a gift for his wife. During the trip, his mouth kept humming a little with happiness. When he arrived at a famous store in his city, Terry stepped inside without further ado. He immediately approached one of the clerks there. "Excuse me," The blonde female employee turned her head and stopped what she was doing, chatting with her colleague. She looked Terry up and down, scanning him without exception. "Oh, sorry. Our store does not accept beggars, sir." Terry felt offended by the woman's words. Beggars? What did she mean? "Sorry, I'm not a beggar. I want to buy a dress and heels for my wife," Terry said firmly. The woman rounded her eyes, looking surprised. "Sir, are you sure you want to buy those two items in this shop?" The smile on Terry's face faded away, giving way to confusion. "Of course. Why are you asking that?" The blonde woman flashed a mocking smile with a cynical glance at Terry. "Of course I'm asking that. I mean, can you afford it?" "What do you mean?" "Sir, from your looks alone, I'm not sure you'll be able to afford it. Not to mention the price of one dress in this shop is over $500." The blonde woman's voice sounded sarcastic, which managed to make Terry's ego feel piqued. The woman's words had shattered his pride. Just because he looked shabby, she thought he couldn't afford it and belittled him. Oh, Terry felt his chest tightening now. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, with his hands clenched tightly. He wanted to scream and curse at that woman. On the other hand, Terry didn't want to cause unnecessary commotion. Especially when the other person was a woman. So he let out a rough sigh as a solution. "I can afford it. That's why I came here." Terry said it in a tone of restrained emotion. "Just take out all the models that are trending this season," "Then follow me," The blonde woman immediately walked with wide strides towards the other room. Terry followed behind, ignoring the people who whispered at him with mocking looks. Terry realized that his appearance was different from theirs. But he didn't care. Once in the other room, Terry was amazed. This summer's sexy and trendy dresses really caught his eye. He could imagine that if Meghan wore one of these dresses, she would definitely look beautiful. "Please take your pick. If so, please pay to the cashier with cash or a debit card." "Okay." The woman left immediately. Terry took a look at the collection on display here. There was one dress that caught his eye. It was a light blue knee-length dress with flowers on the cuffs. Terry looked at the price tag written on it. "$800." The man grimaced when he saw the price. "If I buy this dress, I won't be able to buy high heels for Meghan." He muttered under his breath. He glanced elsewhere, hoping to find a dress that was cheaper but of the same quality. Only, no matter how far Terry looked, he couldn't find one. "I guess I'll have to use my savings to buy the high heels," he said quietly as he reached into his shabby shirt pocket for $300 and combined it with the money in his wallet. Terry picked up the light blue dress, complete with matching colored high heels, and quickly paid the cashier. "That's $1300," said the cashier in a gruff tone. Terry reached into his shabby wallet and quickly paid for everything. He grimaced when he saw that his wallet was completely empty. His money was completely used up to buy a gift for Meghan. "Thank you." Terry took the paper bag and walked towards the house. Even though his money was gone, he was able to get this expensive item. It was all for the woman he loved. Terry couldn't wait to meet Meghan now. Terry's house was not too far from the store. It only took 10 minutes to walk through a small alley. Incidentally, Terry and Meghan lived in a cheap apartment on the edge of town. "Honey, I'm home." Terry walked into the apartment and took off his shabby shoes to put them on the shelf by the door. However, he was stunned to see two other shoes there. "Whose shoes are these?"Chapter 002: Betrayal?Terry looked closely at the two shoes on the shelf. The first shoe felt familiar to Terry, and he recognized it. But for the second shoe, he felt unfamiliar.The other shoe looked so luxurious, despite its simple model. The shoes were made of very good material. Terry could guess that the owner of these shoes was a wealthy person.Looking at the shoes, negative thoughts immediately invaded Terry's head relentlessly. His mind whispered that something was wrong with this.Therefore, Terry decided to go inside to find out who was visiting his apartment. Because, as he remembered, Meghan didn't have any male friends.Terry walked silently like a thief. He didn't want to get caught. As he passed the living room, someone reprimanded him. Making his body freeze suddenly."Terry?"Terry turned his head, finding a man who was six years younger than him. It was Dylan Trainor, Meghan's younger brother."Oh, hello Dylan," Terry greeted while forcing a smile at his b
Chapter 003: Two Consecutive EventsTerry held his breath as Meghan fought him back. His breathing became heavy. The emotions he had been holding back were ready to break loose at any moment. His face turned red, and his fists grew stronger, until his nails cut into his palms."What?!""I don't want to live with a poor man like you! I want a divorce!"Terry's chest felt squeezed as the horrible words came out of Meghan's mouth. The joints in his body turned to jelly, too shocked by his wife's request. "What? Why are you asking for a divorce? Wasn't it in the wedding vows that you would say- ""I'm asking for a divorce!" said Meghan was quick. She walked over to the drawer at the side of the bed and took something from there. It was a divorce paper. "Sign this. That way, I can get away from you!" Meghan threw the divorce papers in Terry's face, as well as the pen.Terry picked up the paper in disappointment. His hands shook as he read the contents of the paper. And to add in
Chapter 004: Ben Clayton"Damn it!" Terry growled and swore in a low voice. His hands were clenched tightly again. His nails dug into his palm again, in the same place, making the wound deeper.The man turned his face the other way, trying to look strong in front of Jake. However, Jake saw through it all. He was also angry at the man in charge up there. But he couldn't help anything."Sorry, I couldn't prevent our boss from firing you," Jake said guiltily. He patted Terry on the back, hoping to comfort the man.Terry turned his head toward Jake. Then he gave a faint smile in response. "Thank you for comforting me and telling me this fact."The two fell silent again. Incidentally, there was no one else in the room but the two of them. The atmosphere was awkward and strange. Jake himself was at a loss for what to say to break the ice.Terry was thinking. Matthias had so much power that he had the power to sabotage his work. Honestly, there was a feeling of hatred embedded in Ter
Chapter 005: The Trap "Eh? How did you know?"Terry rounded his eyes, realizing his words. His heart was beating faster than usual. His face looked pale, more so than before. His body froze for a few seconds. In addition, sweat the size of corn kernels began to flow from her temples. Terry covered his mouth with the palm of his hand. His eyes moved restlessly with a panicked facial expression. Gosh, what did he say to that stranger?Terry turned his face the other way with reddened ears, feeling ashamed of himself for acting carelessly. "Sorry, I misspoke."Ben smiled slightly, then looked at Terry with a probing gaze. "Really?""Yes," Terry answered briefly, not wanting to argue any longer."Well, that's too bad." Ben sounded disappointed. His voice sounded much lower compared to before. "I was looking for the youngest son of the Walter family. I thought you were the one. But you're not?"Curiosity now filled Terry's heart. He turned his head until he met Ben's gaze, who
Chapter 006: Target A blond man strode with wide strides down an office hallway. He wore an all-black suit from head to toe. What was most striking about him was that he had amber-colored eyes and shoulder-length earrings with X-shaped tips. In his hand was a file containing several important documents.The man was not walking alone. He was accompanied by two people who looked just like him. The difference was that both men had pistols on their left legs. The faces of the two men who were recognized as bodyguards looked flat.Once in front of the door, the blond man immediately entered without knocking first. "Mr. Daniel, we have a target."The other platinum-haired man named Daniel turned his chair. It was facing the window towards the person in front of him. Daniel was wearing a navy-colored suit. His hands were folded in front of his chest with a haughty face. "How can you be so sure, X?""You can see it in the document I brought," X said, thrusting the document he was ho
Chapter 007: The Trainor Family (1) Ben came out of the bathroom after his business with Steve was over. He glanced at the fancy watch on his wrist. It was 8.15 p.m. That meant Steve had been on the phone for an hour!Ben immediately ran towards his desk, afraid that Terry would leave him. Moreover, he had not been able to get close enough to convince the man to take him home to Walter's family.If this happened, then the mission he was on would fail. And he would have to suffer dire consequences from Mr. Walter. Moreover, the family had its weaknesses.Once at his desk, Ben breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Terry still sitting there. With two glasses of juice and a coffee cup that looked empty."Ah, thank goodness you are still here."Terry glared at Ben. His hands were folded over his chest, and his jaw tightened. "What took you so long?""There are some things I need to take care of with my coworkers." Ben said it in a friendly tone. He sat back in his chair and drank t
Chapter 008: The Trainor Family (2)"Oh, Madam Yessa," Terry politely greeted Meghan's mother, who had just come out of her private room. The middle-aged woman was dressed in a luxurious outfit of fiery red."Good evening. Forgive me if my arrival disturbs you."Yessa shifted her gaze to Terry. Her lips pulled upward, forming a sardonic smile. That sharp, condescending gaze she cast on Terry, who was currently trying to maintain a smile,."If you know you're bothering me, why are you still here?" Yessa asked in a sarcastic tone.Her hands, full of gold bracelets, were folded in front of her chest. As if to show what assets she had. As Terry recalled, Yessa had no jewelry. Then, where did all that jewelry come from?Terry was silent for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse that would make his mother-in-law accept his visit. "I'm here to visit you.""Just visiting me?" Yessa asked again. "Are you sure that's your intention?""Actually, I...""Want to take Meghan back an
Chapter 009: Family Members After taking Terry back to his apartment, Ben drove his car towards his headquarters. He drove his car at a moderate speed. In less than 10 minutes, Ben arrived at a forest that was far from the residential area. He stored his favorite Porche car in one of the places he had marked, considering that the car would not enter the path he was about to take."Hah, sometimes I'm too lazy to come to the base because the access is so bad," Ben grumbled. He took his phone out of his pocket and turned on his flashlight for light, then started walking towards the path that stretched about 200 meters ahead.As soon as he reached an old building, Ben entered it without permission. He took off his shoes and put them on the shelf beside the door. The inside of the building was very different from the outside."You're late for our appointment," commented someone who was currently focused on the computer in front of him. His pointed, fox-like eyes were focused on th
Chapter 020: Explanation of Plan F3 (1)Looking at the message written on the paper held by Kai, Archer pulled the corner of his lips, forming a lopsided smile and an odd expression.Terry noticed that. He turned his head, looking at Archer intently, before finally choosing to ask."Are you alright?"Archer turned his head towards Terry. Still with the same smile plastered on his face, "What do you mean?""Your facial expression," Terry pointed at Archer's face with his hand. He felt bad having to say this. Moreover, the two had just gotten acquainted. However, it seemed like he had to speak up. "Your expression looks odd." He said it hesitantly."Odd?" Archer repeated Terry's last words. "My expression is normal, Terry. You're just exaggerating.""No." Terry exclaimed softly, trying to speak calmly. "Your expression looked different when you saw the paper Kai was holding.""Oh, so you noticed it?" Archer asked. His tone sounded stiff, like a robot. "What do you think my expre
Chapter 019: Doubt (1) . . . Currently, Daniel was reading a document about the planning of cooperation with Van Derrick Corp. He was so focused on reading word by word written there without caring about the circumstances around him. However, his activities had to stop when one of his men spoke to him without permission in a low voice. "Sir, are you sure about your decision?" The middle-aged man turned his attention to Miu, who was currently twisting the hem of her shirt in the doorway. His amber eyes looked straight at Miu. His expression looked flat, waiting for Miu to continue her words. "Hm?" He muttered loudly. "Is putting Terry with Kai and Archer the best choice?" Miu asked again. She lowered her face, reluctant to meet the boss, who was currently wearing a lopsided smile. Daniel put the document he was holding onto the table, precisely on top of the stack of folders on the left. After that, Daniel rested his hand on his chin. "Come in first, Miu
Chapter 018: New Member? Terry laid down on the bed. Earlier, after Daniel left, he was asked by Miu to wait in one of the rooms alone while waiting for Kai to come home. Terry closed his eyes using his arms, blocking the light from entering his retinas. His mind was now filled with many things. Starting from his wife, who left with Matthias, the state of his family, his brother's arrival, Daniel knowing his secret, and Kai not explaining anything to him. Everything was mixed together, making him feel dizzy. Terry almost fell asleep because he was too tired to think about everything. However, that didn't happen because he woke up to the sound of the door being opened from outside. The man opened his eyes again and turned to the door. "Sorry, did I disturb your rest?" "Not at all," Terry got up from his position, looking the man up and down carefully. The man was wearing a black shirt and white coat with a stethoscope hanging from his neck. In his hand, he carried a me
Chapter 017: Be careful "That person? Don't tell me if he's..." Frank put his index finger in front of Steve's lips, asking the man to stop talking. The tail of his eye glanced to the south, which led to a slightly open door. Steve followed the direction of the glance, then gave a small nod. He closed his mouth, swallowing back the words that were already on the tip of his tongue. Looking at Steve, who understood the code he gave, Frank lowered his index finger. A faint smile was etched on his lips. His hand stretched out to take a bottle of water that was available on the table. Now, Frank's attention was on the open door. He had to see who dared to interrupt his conversation. "Irene?" he called in a firm voice. "Is that you?" The woman gasped in surprise. She came out of her hiding place. Her body that had been hiding behind the door was now visible. "Yes, sir. It's me." "What are you doing behind the door?" Frank asked in a confused tone. "Do you have anyt
Chapter 016: Report "Where's Terry?""What do you mean?"Kai turned his head towards the back. His eyes watched the heterochrome-eyed man up and down, scanning him carefully. His forehead was deeply furrowed with a noticeable lip line dropping. "No need to pretend you don't know, Kai." "But I really don't know what you're talking about, Ben.""I know that you brought Terry," Ben said again with his hands clenched on either side of his body.Kai shook his head with a rough sigh. "Ben, you don't seem to have changed.""What do you mean?""You always accuse me without proof. I mean, which Terry are you talking about? Do you know that I just got back from Germany?" Kai asked frantically.Ben was silent for a few moments. His fists seemed to loosen, and his demeanor softened slightly."I mean, Terry's the youngest of the Walter family," Ben spoke again in a slightly higher voice. "I know you brought that guy, right? So where is he now?""Ben, I don't know who you're looking f
Chapter 015: The (Dangerous) OfferKai got out of the Bentley with a few files in his hand. His lips curled upwards with a friendly aura. When someone greeted him, he would answer in a friendly manner. Kai hoped that he would find what he needed in this place.His feet stepped towards the towering building in front of him, the Van Derrick Corp. He had business with its leader due to orders from Daniel.While at the crossroads, Kai felt his cell phone vibrate, indicating an incoming call. Out of curiosity, Kai reached into his pocket to see who was calling him.On his cell phone screen, the name [kitten Miu] was written. Kai was naturally confused. Why would that person call him while he was on duty?Out of sheer curiosity, Kai scrolled his finger on his phone screen to pick up the call. "Hello?""Kai!"Kai pulled the phone he was holding away from his ear when he heard Miu's shrill voice. He rubbed his ears as he grumbled softly."Gosh, what's wrong with you?" Kai asked in
Chapter 014: Daniel"Sir?"Terry looked back, followed by Miu, who seemed familiar with the voice. Terry saw an adult man walking towards him.The man was dressed in formal attire, with a white shirt covered by a dark blue suit, as well as wearing a matching colored tie, with a watch from a well-known brand coiled on his left hand. Don't forget the glasses perched on his nose. Terry could estimate that the man was over 60 years old.The man walked over and was now standing in front of both Terry and Miu."Miu, who authorized you to offer such a lowly job to my guest?" The man crossed his arms in front of his chest, with a sharp gaze fixed on the platinum-haired girl.Miu gulped. Her amber eyes rolled in the other direction, reluctant to meet his gaze. Her body trembled violently, as did her voice. "That..."The atmosphere that had been friendly and warm turned awkward and tense. The air felt cold and piercing, like being trapped in an ice cave.Terry, who was trapped between
Chapter 013: Information Currently, Ben was at the centre of Walter Group. He and Steve were going to give Frank a report on his progress in persuading Terry to come home. Ben walked alone because Steve went to the bathroom first and bought a drink. His steps were so wide as if he were chasing time. "Ben,"Ben stopped his steps. He turned his head towards the source of the voice. His hands wiped the sweat from his temples. He was breathing hard with a flushed face. "Yes, what is it, Mr. Ethan?" He asked politely with a faint smile, ignoring his fatigue."Where's Terry?" Ethan asked straight to the point. "Why is he not with you?"Ben's smile faded, giving way to a look of regret. "I failed to get him."Ethan was surprised to hear that. But he didn't react much. His face looked flat, as did the line of his lips. His sharp gaze intensified on the floor at Ben's words."Sir?" Ben called out hesitantly. His heart beat so hard that cold sweat broke out from the pores of his sk
Chapter 012: A Strange Place"Kai, are you sure the place its safe?" Terry asked. He cast his eyes around. The courtyard of the building looked messy, with trash and leaves scattered about. Tendrils were thriving on the walls, dangling on each side of the walls. The paint on the walls was dull and peeling, and the weeds were about knee-high.Kai stopped typing on his cell phone. He lifted his head, looking at Terry with an confused look. "What do you mean?"Kai furrowed his brow until his eyebrows came together. The smile on his lips, which looked wide, faded slowly.Terry scratched the nape of his neck, which was not itchy. He shifted his brown eyes in another direction, not staring at Kai, who was currently waiting for an answer from him."That..." The words on the tip of Terry's tongue seemed to be swallowed up. His brain felt empty. Inwardly, he cursed himself. Gosh, what did he just say?"Terry?" Kai called out in a low voice. "Why didn't you continue what you were sayi