The clock on the wall at the Johnson family's luxurious residence read 9pm. At that time, everyone had been partying to celebrate the birthday of the eldest son in the house. Jordan. William, who was in the kitchen, was not allowed to enter the party. Yes, he was just the adopted son of the late Daniel Johnson. Since his arrival, he had never been accepted by Sheryl, the hostess, or her two sons Mickey and Jordan.
"Hey, Riffraff!" Jordan called out to him.
William just stared at him.
"What are you doing, staying in the kitchen! Look at that in front, the glasses are dirty. Go get them! You're useless." Jordan cursed.
"I have a stomach ache," William complained. The smell of alcohol wafting everywhere; the crumbs of messy food, and also the very noisy music made William's stomach acid seem to rise. Just now, he threw up. However, it seemed like his complaints would be ignored by Jordan. Ever since his late father had brought him home, Jordan, as well as the others, thought William was just a hobo who was staying at their house.
"Come on, don't be a slacker. At least know yourself a little!" Jordan gave her a dismissive look. "You've been living here since you were eight years old and my father has let you go to school and college just like the rest of us. So at least know yourself a little bit!"
William just sighed. Back then, he was still a child. Daniel brought him here because he felt sorry for him.
William had a terrible accident and he lost his memory, not knowing who his parents or family were. It's true that if it wasn't for the late Daniel who brought him here, William would have been stranded on the street or maybe he would have died.
"You remember to return the favor don't you?" Jordan cursed again. He then threw a rag at William. "So, hurry up and go to the front and clear the tables because my friends are still coming! I don't want the house to be a mess."
William could not protest anything. While enduring the pain, he went ahead to do as Jordan asked.
"You suck," Jordan grumbled as William was walking forward. The man was still standing in place, when his mother looked back to see her son there.
"Jordan? What are you doing here?" asked Sheril.
"Nothing, Mom." Jordan shrugged. "I just told William to clean the front desk. He's too slow. I don't want my friends to feel uncomfortable because our house looks dirty."
"How ignorant!" Sheryl insulted William. "He still thinks he's equal to you as the biological son of your dead father."
She added. "I'd better hurry up and get rid of him because he's of no use anymore." "Not yet, Mom! We need a free gardener and cleaner in this house."
"Free, you say?" Sheryl scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "He takes food from our house and has also needed money to study at the same place as you. I don't think it's free, he's costing us money."
Jordan held her mother's shoulders. "What can we do? He's already got a scholarship and we should at least keep his late father's good name as a benefactor who took him in."
Sheryl looked at her son. Although she didn't fully agree, what her son said was true.
Meanwhile, William went ahead to clear the table for Jordan's birthday party. There was Mickey who was playing a game. He stretched his legs on the sofa, ignoring William who was busy cleaning up.He just remembered that there was an empty soda can beside him.
"William!" called Mickey, and he handed the empty can to William. "Throw it in the trash," he said as if William was the maid.
Unfortunately, William couldn't get angry. He had to restrain himself and again had to obey his foster brother in the house who was very arrogant because he didn't want to make a fuss. He cleaned up everything, ignoring the people who were partying there.
At first William ignored them, just trying to focus on himself. However, suddenly the man saw Merida was there. She came to the party wearing a red dress with a long slit that made her look very sexy.
William was stunned, the man thought that Merida came just as a normal invitation.Suddenly something surprising happened when Merida approached Jordan and then the man kissed Merida's lips briefly after receiving the gift.
William was shocked on the spot, his mouth dropped open. How could Jordan be so free to get close to Merida? Merida knew that the man was William's foster brother.
William watched them. The two of them were talking intimately, joking around as if there was only the two of them in the world, without a thought of anyone else.
As the two became more intimate, William couldn't hold back any longer. He approached them and spoke quite sternly to his beloved, "Merida, what are you doing here?"
Merida just looked at William with a confused expression. Jordan pushed William. "What are you doing?" she asked.
William tried to keep his body from falling backwards, he said, "I'm asking my lover. You'd better shut up!"
"You bastard!" Jordan was getting angry.
Merida held Jordan. "You stay out of this." She asked William's foster brother to stand up.
"Wiiliam, think about it! Is it appropriate for someone like me to get close to an adopted son like you whose family origins are not even clear?" Merida folded her arms, looking disgusted.
"Now you're talking like that when I've done so much for you."
"What you did was nothing compared to what Jordan gave you," Merida retorted sarcastically.
"What a useless hobo! You'd better get out of here Merida! This loser of a man certainly doesn't deserve such a beautiful woman." Jordan smiled dismissively and put his arm around Merida. The heat was so intense in William's chest that he punched the man, knocking him to the ground.
His action triggered a reaction from Mickey who had been busy with his game. He approached William and kicked him without warning. "You bastard! How dare you bother my brother!"
Jordan felt helped, he immediately got up and beat William to a pulp. Not only that, the people in the place just watched and did not move at all to help him. William's body was almost broken from the beating.
Their mother who was upstairs enjoying herself suddenly came downstairs. Then Sheryl scolded William. "Shameless! Interrupting my son's party! You useless human! We've been too good to you so far, that's why you dare to be insolent like this!"
Sheryl grabbed William by the collar and threw him out of the house. "Go away and never come back to this house!"
It was raining heavily in Cichago City. However, William was forced out with his body full of wounds.
"Ah, damn!" William muttered to himself. He had brought nothing with him and had no money. Currently, he was taking shelter in front of a shop while thinking about what to do tomorrow and how to survive in this city without a penny. Finding an extra job didn't seem like it would be easy.
While William's mind was in turmoil like that, there was an incoming message on his cell phone. He checked and was very surprised when he saw the row of numbers that suddenly entered so much into his account. Under the heavy rain, his mind was still drifting then a call came in not long after.
"Young master, I have transferred a small amount of money on Mr. Lucas' orders. Our hope is that this money can help you to survive for the next few days.""Who are you? Why are you giving me this 2 million dollars all of a sudden?"
Lucas Anderson is his GrandfatherThe stranger on the phone explained to William who he really was. As it turns out, his father, William, was the sole heir of the Anderson Global Group all along. Unfortunately, when William was 8 years old, an accident resulted in his parents' death and William's disappearance. Lucas Anderson had been trying to find his grandson and mobilized all the media to find William. Unfortunately, the search was really difficult. There were so many people who deceived Lucas, that in the end the search for William was fruitful. When William was 12 years old, he was with Daniel Johnson, a generous doctor in Engelwood City.At first, Lucas Anderson wanted to take William back to his home. However, on the advice of Julian Winter, his confidant, Lucas decided it was better to let William stay there. William had to get a natural education about how to value life, value money and also about real hard work. And all this time he was never really alone. Julian, his lawy
"Alright," William thought. Since Jordan didn't want to give him his old clothes anymore, William had to buy new ones. The same goes for his college books. He would go to a store to buy clothes.William deliberately chose a grocery store. He bought a few pieces and then immediately paid at the cashier. Who would have thought, when he was shopping, he met Mickey. Actually, in terms of age, the young man was younger than William, but he didn't show any politeness at all when he met him."What are you doing here? How dare a hobo like you show the bridge of your nose in front of my eyes," Mickey said.William just rolled his eyes. "Do you think I'm so out of work that I had to follow you here?" he asked rhetorically. "Of course I have my own business and I just wanted to buy some clothes, so it has nothing to do with you."Offended by this, Mickey said, "You're shameless! You already ruined my brother's birthday party and now you're ruining my day! It's really bad luck to be your foster b
Mickey, was surprised by William's recent talk of buying the expensive bag. 13,000 dollars was not a small amount. Even those who had just moved to Chicago, after years of living in the village, still had to think hundreds of times to be able to buy a bag with such an expensive price. How could someone who had just bought clothes at the grocery store have the audacity to pay that much?Mickey realized that he was being lied to by William. "Stop wasting time, William!"Rose who said she would help with the payment suddenly became silent. She also thought, how could she fall for this man's shabby clothes?"If you continue to live like this, it will only make my late father ashamed of having raised you as a son!""What's wrong with that?" William asked in surprise. "I wanted to buy this bag for your mother, why are you protesting now?""Of course I'm protesting! Because you lied to all of us here! Don't you think this is embarrassing?" Mickey bluffed."I'm not lying to you," William show
William smiled with satisfaction. This was the first time he had won a money deal and imagined Mickey having to kneel in front of him. However, he also had to hold back his laughter when he saw the man kneeling in front of him with a pale face."Never mind, get up," William said after a while of enjoying the moment. Before Mickey got up, William had already apologized to the store manager for making a scene. The store manager was almost threatened with dismissal if William didn't forgive his dismissive attitude.Now his life has changed after all he knows his true identity. No one can insult him anymore. William is no longer a beggar that they can belittle like before.Speaking of the bag, William actually wanted to leave it to Mickey but he changed his mind because it was certain that the man would not accept the fact that this was a gift from William.He came to the house himself and gave it to Josy, Sheryl's housekeeper.William came to Sheryl's house, where she was relaxing while l
Vera felt her heart racing as she pressed the call button. Her cell phone felt heavy in her hand because she was thinking about someone. Who else but William. The news about him had spread among their college friends, and it wasn't good. It was about him being kicked out of his host family's house.Vera couldn't make it to Jordan's event. Hence, not knowing anything about Willliam's news. Now she couldn't avoid the worry that was growing inside her."Hello, Vera?" William's familiar voice finally came from the other side of the line. He seemed to be doing well, much to Vera's relief."Will, I heard you're no longer living at your foster parents' house?" asked Vera matter-of-factly. She had known for a long time that William was only an adopted son and had never made a big deal out of it. Being adopted doesn't make William look bad.There was a moment of silence before William answered her question. "Yes, that's right," he said in a calm voice."Where are you now?" Vera asked again. He
When dawn broke the next day, William was already in the doorway of his apartment, ready to start the day with renewed vigor. With his casual clothes and favorite hat, he left the modest apartment and started pedaling his old bicycle towards the city center. Her main destination was a shopping center and she wanted to buy something. Whether it was jewelry or maybe a watch.The fresh morning air lifted her spirits. The quiet streets of the city made William's ride even more enjoyable. Enthusiasm bubbling up in him, he was eager to choose the best gift for his best friend.Upon arriving at the accessories store, William was greeted by the sight of a display case filled with various types of luxurious and charming accessories. Diamond earrings, pearl bracelets, and gold necklaces adorned the store. He felt a little confused about what to choose, but he knew that Vera would love something unique and meaningful. As she was busy picking out items, she suddenly spotted two familiar figures a
"I was invited by Vera," William replied calmly. Although Jordan looked angry, he tried to keep his demeanor casual and unprovoked.However, Jordan did not take the explanation well. He stood in front of the door, blocking William's way in. "You're just making the air in here stink, better leave!" he said in an annoyed tone.Meanwhile, Vera, who saw the commotion, felt the need to intervene. She walked over to them and welcomed William in a friendly manner. "Willi, are you here?" she said with a big smile. Although the situation was a little tense because of Jordan's presence, she tried to keep the atmosphere warm and friendly.William turned to Vera and nodded slowly. "Ah, yes," he replied with a faint smile. He was relieved that Vera's presence made the situation a little calmer.Jordan moved to the corner of the room, he stood there and his eyes watched William and Vera who were talking. Her facial expression was serious, her lips tightly sealed against any words that might make th
The commotion that ensued made the atmosphere even more heated. The accusers continued to talk, accuse and spread slander about William. Vera was upset with the situation. She could no longer stand hearing her friends talk badly about William. She raised her right hand, showing the watch that William had just given her as a birthday present. The watch looked luxurious and elegant on her wrist, although there were some people who called it a fake."Fake or not, I accept William's gift!" she exclaimed in a loud voice.They were surprised by Vera's reaction, which was so assertive and brave in defense of William.William was not happy with the situation. He felt guilty that his gift had earned Vera the ridicule and scorn of the other guests. The commotion at the party gets worse as people start talking louder and louder and the atmosphere becomes more and more heated.Merida asked one of her friends there. "Richard, your father collects fancy watches, doesn't he?" she asked. "You must kn