After walking aimlessly for what felt like hours, Tedmond finally stopped to rest on a park bench. He clutched his bag on his lap while scrolling through his phone.
Though he had boldly told them they’d regret their actions, he had no idea how that would happen.
The first thing he did was check his account balance, hoping he had enough money for some food. The remaining $1 glared back at him.
“Damn it,” he muttered, digging into his wallet, only to find it empty as well. “I’m really broke.”
The more he stared at his account, the more it mocked him. He was about to shut off his phone when a message notification chimed. Expecting it to be from Lisa, he frowned but checked it anyway.
As he opened the message, his jaw dropped. It was a bank alert, notifying him of a credit to his account.
"Your account has been credited with $10,000,000,000," the message read.
He rubbed his eyes and counted the digits one by one.
“Ten billion dollars!” he screamed, shocked. But noticing people on the street staring at him, he quickly composed himself. “Oh, ten billion dollars... in the game. Such a fun game,” he added hastily.
The people who had turned to him quickly looked away, unimpressed.
Tedmond checked his account balance again, and indeed, the numbers stared back at him: $10,000,000,001.
As he was trying to wrap his head around it, his phone rang, startling him. Seeing an unknown number, he answered it in a hurry.
“Hello,” Tedmond said.
“Hello, Mr. Tedmond Griffin. It’s a pleasure to speak with you. You’ve been selected as the heir to the fortune of the Washington family.”
Tedmond’s jaw nearly hit the ground.
“Since you’ve passed the test, you can come over now. Meet us at Finsall’s Hospital. You don’t have much time.”
“Wait!” Tedmond half-yelled. “What are you talking about? How am I the heir to the Washington family fortune? Who are they?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, young master,” the man on the phone replied. “Finsall’s Hospital, room 509. You have twenty minutes. We’ll be waiting.”
“I don’t—” Beep! Beep!
The call ended before Tedmond could say anything more. Confused and curious, he bolted toward the street, hailed a taxi, and got in as quickly as he could.
“Finsall’s Hospital!”
Soon after, he was dashing out of the taxi, glancing at his account balance, now reduced to $9,999,999,981 after paying the fare. They wouldn’t mind, right?
Entering the hospital, he rushed past the front desk, already knowing the room number. Several women nearby turned to look at him immediately.
“Hey!” one of the women called, eyeing his appearance. “Why are you here?” she asked. “This hospital doesn’t treat people like you. Only the wealthy can afford it.”
Tedmond paused and glanced back at her. The women scowled, making him glance at his worn-out shoes.
“I’m here to see someone,” he replied. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t be.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you know you have to check in before going upstairs?”
“Why? I already know the room number. Why bother with trivial formalities?”
“How dare you!” she yelled, her brows twitching in anger. “With your appearance, there’s no way anyone from your family is here! You’re lying! If you're telling the truth, what’s the room number?”
The other women nodded in agreement.
“That’s right,” one of them said. “You must be here to steal from the sick.”
“Room 509,” Tedmond replied without hesitation.
“Hah!” the first woman sneered, a smirk playing on her lips. “The hospital rooms stop at 508! I knew you were lying! You son of a bitch!”
Before Tedmond could respond, the second woman shouted, “Security! Security!”
Tedmond blinked in confusion. Had he heard the room number wrong? He was sure the man on the phone had said room 509.
Security guards arrived, and the first woman pointed at Tedmond.
“Get him out of here! He’s here to cause trouble. A poor brat like him thinks he can sneak in and steal from the patients. Throw him out!”
The guards grabbed Tedmond, ready to drag him away.
“I’m not a thief!” Tedmond protested. “I’m here to meet someone in ward 509.”
“What’s going on here?” a loud voice demanded, stopping everyone in their tracks.
The guards froze and turned around. Tedmond saw a thin man with a long nose and blond hair that looked like a wig approaching. The women’s faces lit up.
“Oh, Mr. Gregory!” one of the women said, fluttering her eyelashes. “This boy is trying to sneak into the hospital under false pretenses! He claims he’s visiting someone in a non-existent room!”
Mr. Gregory was the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, in charge of overseeing operations and managing departments.
“A non-existent room?” Mr. Gregory repeated. “What room?”
Tedmond freed himself from the guards' grip. “Room 509,” he said, glancing at the clock and seeing he only had five minutes left.
At the mention of room 509, Mr. Gregory’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Room 509?” Gregory asked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that Mr. Washington’s room?” Gregory muttered, then glared at Tedmond. “How dare someone like you claim to be connected to the Washington family?!”
Everyone chuckled upon hearing "Washington."
Realizing he was running out of time, Tedmond quickly dialed the number that had called him earlier. The person picked up immediately.
“Yes, young master. Are you here?”
“I’m at the front desk, but a man named Gregory won’t let me in,” Tedmond said, staring directly at Gregory.
“How dare he?!” the man on the phone growled. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything.”
The call ended, and the people around Tedmond looked at him with disdain.
“Do you think your fake call will scare me?” Gregory sneered. “What makes you think you could get in here?”
Just then, Gregory’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, hesitating. It was his boss.
‘Why is the boss calling me?’ Gregory wondered, eyeing Tedmond warily. ‘Could he really be involved?’
Gregory answered in his most polite tone. “Hello...”
“How dare you?!” a harsh voice bellowed, loud enough for everyone to hear. “How dare you deny entrance to the guest of the Washington family?! Are you tired of living?!”
Shock rippled through the room as they heard the voice. A guest of the Washington family? Eyes turned to Tedmond, widening in disbelief.To be a guest of the Washington family meant that Tedmond was a big shot or potentially related to them. Even some of the Washingtons' relatives had tried to get in but were always denied entrance.How could someone like Tedmond be allowed?“Are you sure it’s the right person?” Gregory questioned. Despite shivering, he couldn’t help but ask.“How dare you ask me that?” the person on the other end bellowed. “If I lose my job, you're going to regret it! You’d better let that fellow into the ward, or else!”Gregory was taken aback by the mention of his boss losing his job. As the call ended, he hurriedly bowed to Tedmond, terrified that he might lose the position he had worked so hard for.“I’m sorry for not recognizing you, sir,” he apologized. “I’ll walk you to the room,” he added, raising his head to look at Tedmond. “Let’s get—”“No need,” Tedmond c
The shock of the entire event still gripped Tedmond as he was led into the grand mansion, which exudes luxury. He held the little girl in his arms, and she was crying softly, her tears soaking into his shirt.What was going on? He couldn’t tell. The butler had promised to explain everything once they returned to the mansion, and Tedmond couldn’t wait.“Have a seat, young master,” the butler said, his gaze sad. “I will get you a cup of tea.”It was then that Tedmond realized they had arrived in a large living room, with several couches available for him to sit on. Nodding slowly, he walked toward one of the couches.“Or would you like something to eat?” Thomas asked.Tedmond glanced at him. Though Thomas was trying to appear composed, the sadness was clearly written on his face. “No need. I’m okay with just the tea.”Moments later, two mugs of tea were placed on the table in front of them. The little girl had fallen asleep, her teddy bear dropping to the floor.“I figured it would be b
Getting out of the car, Tedmond frowned. Although he had told Thomas he was fine with his belongings, Thomas had intentionally tossed them into the trash for him to get new ones.“I’ll be waiting here for you,” the driver said. “Take as much time as you need.”Tedmond glanced back and nodded before walking into the store. He knew Thomas had sent him shopping to give him time to think and make up his mind.He understood he had to accept his inheritance. After all, he had promised the Griffin family he would make them pay, and the only way to do that was by accepting his fortune. Why would he refuse something like this after all he had been through?It wasn’t possible.Scanning the store, he looked for the men’s section. As his eyes roamed the place, they landed on a rabbit doll with emerald eyes and a gem dangling from it.‘Is that a diamond?’ he wondered.The emerald reminded him of Bianca’s eyes, and he thought she might like it. He decided to get it for her. Just as he was about to
Those words sent shockwaves through everyone who had heard them. They couldn’t believe it, but the person who was most in disbelief was the first saleswoman. She snatched the phone from her colleague and dialed the number.“Are you sure it was $500,000 received?” she yelled, her voice sharp with frustration.Her tone was so rude that the person on the other end snapped back. “Why are you asking me an obvious question?!” he demanded. “$500,000 has been received! Is there some hotshot there or something?”The saleswoman's words stuck in her throat as the confirmation hit her. The others who had belittled Tedmond earlier now remained silent, lips tightly sealed.“Did you do something?” the voice on the phone asked, but the saleswoman quickly hung up, lowering her head.She turned to Tedmond, bowing slightly. “I am extremely sorry for doubting you,” she stammered. “Can I get you a cup of tea as an apology while your things are packed?”Tedmond glared down at her in silence. As she raised
The next day, Tedmond got ready for school with a newfound confidence. For the first time, he felt a sense of self-assurance heading to university, knowing it was better than the oppressive environment of home.“When will you be back, brother?” Bianca asked, tugging at his trousers and clutching the rabbit doll he had bought for her.He glanced down at her. “I’ll be back before 7,” he replied, squatting to smooth her hair. “I can’t pick you up from kindergarten today.”She nodded slowly. “The nanny will pick me up,” she said.“Okay.”He stood up, grabbed his bag, and looked back at Thomas, who was watching him with concern. “Do you need a driver to take you?” Thomas asked. “You can choose any car from the garage if you’d like.”Tedmond considered it for a moment before shaking his head. “No need. I can get there on my own like I used to.”“By taking the bus?” Thomas asked, clearly worried.“Yes.”“No way!” Thomas exclaimed. “Not only did you take a taxi home yesterday, but now you’re
Before lunch, news of Tedmond accepting Kyle’s challenge had spread throughout the school. Everyone was talking about it, and it even reached the ears of his ex-girlfriend. She and his former siblings were eagerly anticipating the event.They were seated in the cafeteria since it was lunchtime but not yet 2 PM.“That bastard is going to show us how useless he is again,” Max sneered, gesturing with his hand and smirking. “He doesn’t even have great stamina, let alone the ability to win.”Maxine chuckled. “He’s always been stupid. I’ll make another video of his embarrassment for my vlog.”Lisa had the brightest smile on her face. “I’m so glad I chose you, Max,” she purred. “He was such a pain in the ass.”Just then, Tedmond walked past them, catching the attention of many, including Lisa. The moment she saw him, a disgusted look appeared on her face.‘Why is he so neatly dressed?’ she thought, scanning him from head to toe and noticing his new clothes and shoes. ‘Where did he get the mo
Kyle stood grinning on the court, his teammates gathered behind him. A crowd had gathered to watch the game, eager to see how it would play out. Kyle could hardly wait for the moment he would crush Tedmond.“Isn’t he coming?” Kyle asked impatiently. Tedmond was two minutes late. “Don’t tell me he backed out at the last minute. Maybe he couldn’t find a team.”His teammates snickered.“He must’ve run home,” one of them said, shaking his head. “Oh wait, he doesn’t even have a home to run to.”The others burst out laughing.“He better not have backed out,” Kyle stated. “We should find him.”Just as one of Kyle’s teammates offered to search for Tedmond, he appeared with his four friends. They were dressed in matching uniforms, their hair slicked back, looking like college heartbreakers. Tedmond wore an expressionless look as he stood a few feet away from Kyle.“Here I am,” Tedmond said. “What made you think I fled?”Kyle’s lips curled. “Eager to be a slave, aren’t you?”“Not really. I coul
The crowd went silent when they heard Tedmond’s words. Who would have thought the arrogant Kyle would lose to the so-called loser of college and have to become his slave?“We made a deal,” Tedmond muttered. “You can’t go back on it. From now on, you’ll listen to me and do whatever I want.”Kyle’s teeth gritted. He had never been this humiliated in his entire life.“Do it!” the crowd yelled."A deal’s a deal—it must be upheld!""Don’t back out now!"Kyle’s eyes darted to Max, who shook his head, before turning back to Tedmond.“Master,” Kyle said, forcing the words out in a barely audible whisper.“I can’t hear you,” Tedmond taunted.“Master!” Kyle yelled, his body trembling slightly as embarrassment overwhelmed him.Tedmond’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “Now that you’ve called me master and have become my slave, go get me a milkshake,” he ordered.Kyle’s teammates looked on in surprise, but Kyle turned to one of them.“Go get the milkshake like he asked,” he ordered.The teamm