Reign of the Heir

Chapter 1

In a dressing room, Jack stood staring at the shadow of a woman as she sat in front of him, smiling before embracing her from behind.

"Jack, let me finish my makeup," she said.

"Just like this you are already very beautiful, no need to add more makeup. This is more than enough to amaze everyone." He replied.

“No, Jack, enough is not enough for me. I want to look perfect, not only stunning, but also to captivate everyone's heart.”

Jack moved in front of his girlfriend, Sophie, and knelt down. “Thank you so much for accepting me,” he said, his voice full of emotion.

“Sometimes I think that you are an angel. I can't believe a perfect woman like you is getting engaged to a pizza delivery man like me - especially since you even booked this hotel for our engagement. I promise I will work harder to make you happy.” He kissed her hand tenderly.

“Jack, I know you will,” Sophie said confidently. “Now, head out to greet the guests. I invited all my friends for this unforgettable night.”

Jack nodded in understanding, the thought of all the bad treatment he had received making him a little nervous. He stood up and, with a deep breath, began to walk towards the hotel hall. His heart was beating faster and faster with each step.

Jack nervously grabbed the door handle, the creaking sound of the old hinges echoing through the hall. He looked out to the guests, who all stood still and stared back at him. Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady his nerves and calmly loosened the ribbon on his blazer. "Sophie will be here any minute," he murmured.

"No, they came to the party, not to insult me," he added softly.

"Jack?!" Lady Glover's voice was a shrill shriek that echoed through the room, causing a momentary silence. She approached with her mouth agape, her eyes wide with shock.

"Wow, Jack Marshall, is this really you?" She looked him up and down, taking in his appearance.

Jack blushed, smiling bashfully as he remembered his earlier self-praise in front of the mirror. As a pizza delivery man, he had to admit he cut an impressive figure in his pristine white coat.

"You certainly don't look like a typical pizza delivery man," remarked one of the guests, her eyes widening as she took in Jack's smart attire.

Grace Hogan, Sophie's friend, then interjected, her sarcasm clear as she added, "But this man still is delivering pizza!" This comment caused some guests to stifle their laughter.

Another woman then sauntered up to Jack, her lips curved into a crooked smile. "If you and Sophie were to tie the knot," she asked, her voice laced with jest, "how do you plan to provide for her? Are you going to serve pizza for every meal?"

All the guests burst into laughter this time. As Sophie's friends, relatives, and colleagues whispered about Jack, Mary spoke up, her words dripping with rudeness.

"Mary, what you said was incredibly rude. We're in a five-star hotel, after all; this is an engagement ceremony, not a time for judging someone's financial standing. Who knows, Jack might be a billionaire underneath all his poverty!"

"Billionaire? Well, we all know Sophie is footing the bill for this engagement; Jack hasn't even paid his rent at the boarding house!"

"Is that really true? That's so unfortunate. Listen, Jack, after this is all over, why don't you come to my house and take care of my dog's waste, and I'll give you some compensation for your time."

The laughter of the invitees grew even louder. Jack clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He desperately wanted to shout out, but he had to keep his composure. After all, the person he was planning to marry wasn't any of the people in the room, but Sophie Parker, a beautiful and kind woman.

“Look, it looks like our pizza delivery man is getting upset. What if he gets too mad and refuses to deliver pizza to my house anymore?”

"Don't worry, Jack is a very patient person. He would never turn down a delivery to your house. He would even do anything to get some money, like buying sanitary pads for you, changing your grandmother's diapers, or even acting as a guard dog and barking in front of your house.”

This time, Jack's jaw clenched tightly. He had been living a difficult life, and as a result, he was forced to take on any side jobs in order to survive. These included grocery shopping, assisting with elderly care in a nursing home, and looking after pets while their owners were out of town.

"Why don't you go ahead and enjoy the meal while you're waiting for Sophie to arrive?" Jack suggested, attempting to be amicable despite the fact that he had been frequently insulted by his own girlfriend since the start of their relationship.

"Of course! We were hoping to get a glass of wine, but the waiters seemed to be busy with their tasks. So, Jack, would you be able to get us something to drink? I know you usually help out the customers of the pizza shop, right?”

Jack looked at his best friend with a stern expression, but then he smiled. "Absolutely, just give me a moment and I'll take care of it."

Jack swung around and headed to the bar to get some drinks. If it wasn't for the fact that he was aware of how much Sophie cherished her friends, she would have lectured them sternly to help them focus. Soon after, Jack returned with a serving tray that held three glasses of wine. Despite his strained expression, he handed the glasses to Lady Glover, Grace, and Mary.

Jack felt the need to take a breather and escape the situation before his patience ran out, as he knew that a commotion was inevitable if he stayed. He wanted to be sure that Sophie wasn't embarrassed by his reaction, so he decided to go and see her first.

When Jack looked back, he was shocked to see that Sophie's three friends had emptied their glasses of wine on him, and were laughing uproariously in unison.

"Oh no, Jack! I apologize for you being soaked like this. I suggest you change into your pizza delivery uniform; you look far more handsome in it than in this suit anyway!"

"Indeed, you wouldn't want to get engaged to Sophie while you're all wet, would you? She'd be embarrassed to be your girlfriend like this."

"Stop!"

All heads swiveled towards the source of the noise, which soon became apparent to be Sophie. She had appeared in the entrance, wearing a stunning white dress, and with her eyebrows furrowed in a frown. Her gaze was fierce, and her eyes a deep red. She hurriedly made her way over to Jack and the group of her companions.

Sophie sternly pointed her finger at each of her friends in turn. "You need to be more careful with what you say!"

Jack sadly smiled, placing his hand gently on his beloved's arm. "Now, Sophie, try to stay calm."

"No more! From this moment on, I don't want to hear anyone referring to me as your girlfriend, Jack."

“W-what?” he stammered.