Rise of the banished heir

Chapter 5 Martha's Warning

Gerald parked his motorcycle in the basement of his workplace. As he removed his helmet, a holographic message from the system appeared in his mind.

"First Day at Work.

"Accept Mission: Yes or No."

Gerald smiled as he approved the mission. "I can definitely handle it! I consider it a part of the excitement of life."

Gerald had been briefed on his responsibilities and authority as an employee by his seniors. There, he was warmly welcomed by his superiors and colleagues. Now, he was busy helping his colleague prepare coffee. His activity was briefly interrupted when Lily arrived and inquired about his presence. Gerald turned to the source of the voice, trying to figure out why Sarah's secretary had approached him.

"Gerald, you can delegate your tasks to your senior. Mrs. Sarah would like to speak with you!"

"Alright." Though still puzzled, Gerald could only follow the woman's orders. He felt it would be impolite to ask why he was being summoned because Lily appeared to be behaving very professionally.

From a distance, the middle-aged woman who had summoned Gerald was standing, enjoying the city view. She looked happy as she saw Gerald walk after Lily.

"How do you find the working environment here? Is it comfortable?" she asked with a smile.

"Very comfortable, Nek. The seniors and superiors are very friendly. They don't hesitate to help me. I feel like I could work here for a long time," Gerald replied with a smile in return.

"Grandma is feeling a bit bored. That's why I called you. Would Gerald be willing to take Grandma around the office? Grandma would also like to hear about your life story."

"Yes, of course, I'd be willing."

As they walked around, they exchanged life stories. When Sarah asked about his college life, Gerald naturally only talked about the pleasant aspects. He realized that someone in a high position shouldn't hear worrisome stories about the bullying he had experienced in college, especially when the perpetrator was from the Johnson family.

As they were engrossed in conversation, Martha, Sarah's daughter-in-law, approached with a file in her hand.

"Mom, I've been looking for you. Why are you here?" Martha asked, looking annoyed.

"Mom was getting impatient waiting for your arrival," she replied with a smile. "Just give Lily that cooperation file. Let her check it."

As she handed the file to Lily, Martha suddenly realized that the young office boy near Sarah was Gerald. She looked irritated when Gerald greeted her with a smile.

"Mom, why is this young man working at Mom's office?" Martha asked, seeking an explanation from Sarah.

"He works here now."

"I thought he was taking advantage of the situation to get close to Mom. Is he now asking for more compensation because he saved Anna?" Martha taunted with her haughty attitude.

"Martha, please mind your manners," Sarah reprimanded her. "Even if he were asking for more, Gerald deserves it. Don't you think Anne's life is more valuable than the compensation you're thinking of?" she added with a smile.

Martha could only clench her teeth in frustration. Realizing that she couldn't scold Gerald in front of her mother-in-law, she left without further argument. "Mom, please review our company's cooperation file as soon as possible. I want my work to be finished quickly. Someone's presence is ruining my mood."

Sarah could only shake her head at her daughter-in-law's behaviour. This was the first time she had seen Martha openly dislike someone.

Gerald could only offer an awkward smile. He certainly didn't know why the woman who had been silent when they met at the hospital now seemed to despise him.

The day was growing late, and Gerald's work hours had come to an end. He stood in front of his locker, neatly arranging his new uniform to put it into his bag. He felt satisfied that he had successfully navigated his first day at work, despite a few unexpected incidents.

As he tried to put those events behind him, suddenly the person in question appeared. Gerald had never expected that the person who walked in after a senior opened the door would turn out to be Martha.

She stood directly in front of Gerald with an angry expression on her face. "What rotten plans are you thinking of, Gerald?! Are you trying to climb the social ladder under the Johnson family name? Listen carefully, stay away from my mother-in-law if you want to live peacefully!" Martha pointed her index finger at Gerald's face as a sign of her seriousness.

Gerald could only awkwardly smile in response to Martha's threat. He certainly hadn't expected her to despise him so much.

The remaining seniors in the room could only remain silent. They couldn't believe that the son-in-law of the company's owner would come to the lowly employee's room to berate a new employee.

"Are you enemies with Mrs. Martha?" asked one of the seniors.

"How could I be enemies with her? We've never even exchanged words."

The seniors were perplexed by Martha's behaviour this time. Usually, she would only give disdainful glances to people she disliked. Gerald, who had only met her twice, couldn't make sense of it either.

Elsewhere, Martha walked quickly to the lobby, her face filled with anger. She even ignored the people who showed her respect. After entering her parked car, she picked up her phone and called Zack. "Hello, Zack. Mom wanted to let you know, it was Gerald who was being arrogant with you. He's now working at Grandma's office!"

Zack, who was sitting in the campus cafeteria with his friends, immediately slammed his glass upon hearing the news. His anger towards Gerald, which had not been unleashed, now piled up even more. "Mom isn't trying to provoke me, right?!"

"Mom saw it with her own eyes. That teenager was accompanying your grandmother during her free time."

"If I meet him, I swear I'll give him a lesson!" Zack clenched his fists, his jaw tensed, indicating that his anger this time wasn't just empty talk.

The others and his friends couldn't say anything. They didn't dare to suppress Zack’s anger, which seemed like it could be directed at anyone.

After being bombarded with questions from his seniors, Gerald headed to the basement where his motorcycle was parked. As he was about to start his motorbike, Gerald's mind once again displayed a hologram message from the system.

"First Day of Work Mission."

"Statistics:

Loyalty: 2 (+1)

Charisma: 2 (+1)

Strength: 1 (+1)

Luck: 2 (+1)

Bonus reward $200" (No detected injuries)."

Gerald smiled, although his happiness this time was diminished due to Martha's sudden appearance and her hostile attitude. "I've succeeded in this mission again. But something is really bothering me... I remember my father's warning. It turns out that being close to wealthy people brings a lot of trouble... But... even following my father's advice, I'm hated by Zack. Why do Mrs. Martha and Zack seem to have the same aura of hatred? Why is it always me that they despise?"

Gerald then left the basement.

Night had fallen, and the clock showed it was already nine in the evening. Gerald's phone on his bed began to ring, displaying Olivia's name as the caller. Although he was puzzled why Olivia was calling, Gerald answered without hesitation.

"Hello. What's up, Olive?"

"Gerald, do you know that your schedule is free for classes tomorrow? How about having lunch together?"

Hearing that his schedule was free for classes tomorrow, Gerald thought for a moment about accepting or declining Olive’s invitation. He didn't want to decline, but on the other hand, he thought about his father's situation. Although his family asked him to focus on his studies, he could come and go quickly this time. His class schedule wouldn't be disrupted.

"I want you to consider my reason for declining your invitation. I really appreciate your offer, but it seems I'll use the opportunity tomorrow to visit my hometown. I miss my family."

Olivia smiled upon hearing his answer. She was a bit disappointed, but she was also proud of Gerald's consideration for his family.

"Yes, I understand your reason," Olivia responded with a smile. "Gerald, can we have lunch together another time?" The girl who was now lying on her bed had a flushed face. The question she asked was not just a gesture of goodwill toward someone who had saved her academic life.

"Yes, of course. As long as I have the time, you're free to invite me to lunch."

"Promise?" Olivia asked in a playful tone. She smiled, imagining that Gerald didn't realize her hidden intentions.

"Yes, of course. Why would I lie about such a simple promise?" Gerald replied firmly.

"Okay then. I'll wait for you to have some free time. Good night." Olivia hugged her phone, smiling. Even though Gerald's goodnight wishes had to be prompted, they were enough to make Olivia feel comfortable. His straightforward response indicated that Olivia's suspicion about Gerald's sincerity was correct. She really liked Gerald's endearing behaviour.

On the other hand, Gerald lay down, ending his study session for the night. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a hologram message from the system once again occupied his thoughts.

"Mission: Seeking the Truth.

Accept Mission: Yes or No."

Gerald accepted the mission, even though his head was filled with question marks. This was the first time he had received a mission that seemed to hold so much ambiguity.

"What kind of truth is this? Is it the truth behind Mrs. Martha and Zack’s hatred towards me? Is it the truth behind Grandma Sarah's kindness towards me?

"Why does this mission make me think that my life is full of falsehoods? If the truth being sought is about me, does my small family have secrets?

"Why am I even thinking about such things?! If my father has debts, then this mission should be easy to handle. Yes, it must be about debts."