It was a quiet Monday afternoon, and Robert was buried deep in his work at the office, the soft hum of the air conditioner the only sound in the room. Suddenly, the sharp trill of his phone broke through the silence. Without hesitation, he picked it up on the first ring, pressing it to his ear. “Hello, Robert speaking,” he said briskly.A tremor in the voice from the other end instantly grabbed his attention. “It’s Lily,” came the shaky reply. Her voice was unsteady, filled with a raw emotion that sent a chill down Robert’s spine. He straightened up in his chair, his heart pounding. “Lily? What’s wrong?” Robert asked, his voice tight with concern as he bombarded her with questions. “Are you okay? What happened?”For a moment, all he could hear was her shaky breathing, and then Lily broke down in tears. “It’s my family, Robert… they’re threatening to disown me if I don’t marry Jonathan,” she sobbed, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear and pain.Robert’s heart sank. He sig
The family turned to Robert, their reactions ranging from disbelief to outright scorn. Lily’s father was the first to speak, his voice dripping with contempt. “You again? What the hell are you doing here, Robert?” His eyes narrowed with anger, clearly tired of seeing the man he considered to be beneath his family.Robert remained calm, standing his ground despite the hostility. “I’m here to help secure the contract with the Glidson Group of Companies,” he said, his voice steady.Lily’s father scoffed, glaring daggers at Robert. “You, this poverty-stricken guy? How in the world could you possibly make that happen? What makes you think you have anything to offer?”Before Robert could respond, Lily’s half-brother, Derek, erupted in laughter. His mockery filled the room, his voice laced with arrogance. “You? Help with a contract like that? Robert, you’re a joke! You’re out here playing knight in shining armor, but you’re nothing but a broke nobody. "He continued "Please, don’t embarrass
Lily’s anger and sadness were palpable. She knew Robert’s capabilities and believed in his potential, but her family’s blind arrogance and greed clouded their judgment, making them unable to see the truth about Robert.As all eyes were on him, Robert quickly pulled out his phone and sent a message. The rest of the room was too preoccupied with belittling him to notice. Lily’s mother approached him, her expression skeptical. “And why would you send a message?” she demanded.“Because I believe that marriage should be a matter of choice, not coercion,” Robert replied steadily. “I also believe that I have the connections to help secure this deal, and I’d rather not see Lily forced into a marriage against her will.”His words were met with more mockery and laughter. “You really think you’re making any difference here?” Derek scoffed. “Jonathan’s family is the only one with the real influence to get this deal done. Your so-called connections are nothing compared to theirs.”“Yeah,” Lily’s mo
Her father’s expression hardened. “So you’re saying you’ve actually made this deal? Even if you have, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re just an opportunist trying to insert yourself into our lives. You may have done something for the deal, but it doesn’t change who you are in our eyes.”Lily’s mother, now visibly agitated, added, “We’re not impressed by your grandstanding. If anything, you’ve only proven that you’re a sham who’s trying to buy his way into our family. We don’t need your false pretenses.”Her half-brother shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve made a fool of yourself, and by extension, you’ve made a fool of Lily. You’re no match for Jonathan, and you never will be.”Lily’s heart sank as she watched her family continue to belittle Robert. She could see the impact of their scorn on him, and it only fueled her resolve to stand by him. Despite their harsh judgments, she knew that Robert’s genuine efforts were worth more than the superficial judgments her family placed on
Robert nodded, his stance resolute. He glanced at Lily briefly before turning his gaze toward her parents and her half-brother. "I’ll leave," he began, his voice steady and cutting through the cacophony of laughter and mockery in the room. "But before I go, let me say one last thing."The room grew quiet, the mockery fading as everyone waited for his next words."I know you won’t believe me. I knew it the moment I stepped in here, but I didn’t come to convince you of my involvement in the deal. I came here because I love Lily, and I want to marry her."His voice wavered slightly, the sincerity clear. "I’m not here to prove anything to any of you, but it would be a shame if you don't let her follow her heart and marry who she truly wants."The father scoffed, folding his arms as a sneer twisted his lips. "Follow her heart?" he mocked, his voice dripping with condescension. "You talk as if love will feed her, clothe her, or secure her future. You think she’ll be happy with your empty p
His thoughts spun uncontrollably, replaying the scene—Lily’s father, her mother, even her half-brother—all mocking him, calling him a liar, pretending as though they knew everything. How dare they? His foot pressed harder on the accelerator, the car zipping through the streets faster than usual. He was distracted, his vision clouded by his anger, the lights of the city flashing by like mere flickers in his peripheral.When he finally arrived at his office, it was late, the sky outside a blanket of darkness. The security guard, sitting at his post, raised an eyebrow in surprise at seeing Robert at such an odd hour. He hadn’t expected anyone, much less Robert, and the tension on Robert’s face made him stand a little straighter, concern etching across his features."Sir, everything okay?" the guard asked hesitantly.Robert didn’t answer, his thoughts still swirling like a tornado. His only response was a curt nod as he stormed past the guard, his pace quick, his eyes straight ahead, foc
“We’re calling to inform you that Glidson Group of Companies is canceling the contractual agreement effective immediately.”The father's face drained of color, and his hands trembled. “What? Canceled? What are you talking about?” His voice was shaky, but he tried to maintain composure.“Yes, unfortunately, Glidson cannot proceed with any dealings with individuals whose behavior and moral standards are questionable. Your family’s actions reflect poorly on ethical business practices, and we cannot associate with people who behave like rogues and lack basic decorum.”Lily's father was stunned. “What? Rogues? What does that even mean? There must be some kind of misunderstanding—”But before he could continue, the phone line abruptly went dead.The silence that followed was deafening. His hand still holding the phone to his ear, the father stood frozen in shock. Slowly, he pulled the phone away, staring at it in disbelief. His mind raced to process what had just happened. “Canceled... rogu
Her father stepped forward, his voice rising with anger. “You seriously think that pauper has the power to cancel a multi-million-dollar deal? Stop this nonsense, Lily! It’s Jonathan. He’s probably playing some game, but he’ll come around. He has to.”Lily shook her head, trying to get them to understand. "No, it’s not Jonathan. It’s Robert. You don’t know him like I do—"Her mother cut her off, her voice shrill with fury. “Shut up! If you don’t fix this, Lily, we’ll deal with you ourselves. I won’t have you bringing shame to this family because of your foolish choices!"Her half-brother chimed in, his voice dripping with contempt. “You better get that deal back, or you’ll regret ever standing up for that pauper. You’re either with this family or against us.”Lily felt a cold wave of panic wash over her. The pressure, the anger, the threats—it was all too much. Unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer, she spun on her heel and stormed up the stairs, tears streaming down he