"An expert, that's who I am. A mystic physician who has several other skills..."
"Cut that crap, fool. Aren't you tired of being a shameless braggart?" Ava interrupted. “There's no way I'm going to fall for you. You mark my words!” “Come on. Who knows? You might find me charming and suitable. Don’t jump to a conclusion.” Dave couldn't help but tease Ava, which made Ava even more furious. “A street rat is even better than you, so quit dreaming!” While Ava was still speaking, a white Rolls Royce vehicle pulled up in front of them, and a young, pretty lady clad in an expensive designer dress stepped out of the vehicle. “Ava!” She said, waving her hands at Ava. She was Ava's best friend, Hannah. Hannah walked up to Ava and gave her a warm hug. "Sweetheart, thanks a lot for picking me up," Ava said, and then, she gestured towards Dave. “And this is the one I told you about.” When Ava realized she couldn't avoid obeying her grandfather by marrying Dave, she decided to seek advice from Hannah, her best friend, who promised to help her handle Dave. In fact, all this time, Hannah hadn't spared Dave a glance but treated him as if he were invisible. From Dave’s cheap attire, Hannah had concluded that Dave and her best friend, Ava, weren’t a match at all. Although Dave was good-looking, however, everyone knew, "good-looking" was nothing when compared with wealth! She wondered if Dave had realized that he didn’t deserve Ava. Well, it didn’t matter, if Dave hadn’t realized the fact, she would MAKE SURE he did realize by the end of the day! "Don't thank me. I couldn't watch a queen like you rub shoulders, sitting together with a pig like this in public transport," Hannah sneered as she shot side glances at Dave. "Or... Can a pig ride with queens?" Hannah squeezed her nose in sarcasm. "Everywhere is sure going to stink," she added. Ava felt a bit uneasy. Although she didn’t like Dave, she hadn’t expected her best friend to call Dave a pig. If she had a pig for a husband, wouldn’t that mean she was a pig's wife? Struggling hard to chase that image out of her mind, she changed the topic, and introduced, “Dave, this is Hannah, my best friend.” Dave extended his hand towards Hannah out of politeness. However, Hannah stepped back and covered her nose as if she was facing a heap of poo. “Nah, keep your stinky trotter to yourself.” Unfazed, Dave replied with an expressionless look, "What if an emperor invites mere subordinates to ride with him? Will you come along?" “Of course, I will, which girl won’t? But unfortunately, you aren’t that emperor.” Hannah shot him a disdainful look and exchanged glances with Ava in disbelief. They couldn’t believe Dave had the guts to compare himself with an emperor. What a useless braggart and how shameless of him! How could he talk so highly of himself when he obviously had nothing? "You shameless jerk, don't you have any shame? What ride do you have anyway, maybe some creaky bike, and you even dare to invite us to ride? How dare you even think of marrying someone like Ava who owns a vehicle like this!" Hannah said, pointing at the Rolls Royce. "Have you ever seen such a car like this since you were born? Isn't it clear enough that you don't belong to the same class as Ava?" Hannah scoffed, and then she faced Ava. "Let's not waste any more time with this riff-raff. Hop into the car so that we get to the Cent Sports Club on time," Hannah said. “We can’t let Jerry and the others wait for too long, or they will hang me,” she joked. Without hesitation, Ava walked up to the passenger's seat. Hannah faced Ava with her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You know what? I changed my mind. Don't you think we should invite the “Emperor” Dave? I doubt if he knows what a club looks like." "Of course, he's invited. Let's do the braggart some favour," Ava replied. She hoped Hannah’s tricks would work. If Dave followed them to the club, he would no doubt feel intimidated and unworthy of her, which would likely make him walk out of her life effortlessly. Dave smirked and got into the car. He wasn’t at all affected by their words. To Dave, these two were merely a pair of arrogant and innocent girls who still believed in fairy tales. Hannah and Ava also took their seats at the driver's and passenger's seats as Hannah zoomed off to the club.As soon as Hannah, Ava, and Dave arrived at the Cents' Sports Club and made their way through the entrance, heads turned, conversations paused, and all eyes focused on Hannah and Ava. Their beauty was undeniable and captivating!Ava's dark, wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders, perfectly complementing her emerald green dress that hugged her figure in all the right places. Meanwhile, Hannah's fair complexion and delicate features were also accentuated by a flowing lavender gown that made her look like she had stepped out of a fairy tale.Dave was dressed in simple attire—a plain shirt and trousers that marked him as a commoner in the eyes of the club’s elite, so no one seemed to notice him. However, Dave wasn't perturbed. Some of the young men, dressed in their finest attire, were captivated by Hannah and Ava's ethereal beauty.One of the men, Clark, who had been pursuing Ava for some time, approached her. "Ava, you look absolutely stunning. You're simply irresistible," he remark
Jerry's blood continued to boil in indignation at the sight of Dave.How could someone like Ava, his dream goddess, be married to a commoner? It was a humiliation he could hardly bear!In Jerry's mind, Dave was not just unworthy of Ava; he was unworthy of being his rival. The mere thought of competing with someone like Dave filled Jerry with disdain. He decided he needed to put Dave in his place and teach him a lesson about where he truly belonged!With confidence, Jerry faced Dave with his voice dripping with condescension. "Hey, Dave. Why don't you join me in the noble sports competition today? Let's see how much of a man you are."Dave looked at Jerry expressionless, "I'm not interested, Jerry," he replied casually.Jerry's eyes narrowed. He was not accustomed to being dismissed so easily. "What’s the matter, Dave? Afraid you can’t keep up? Afraid you'll embarrass yourself?" He leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a mocking whisper. "Or maybe you just know that you're not
Upon hearing Jerry's remarks, the crowd burst into laughter. Jerry's smug smile widened as he soaked in the attention, feeling victorious, even before the competition had begun. He had every reason to believe that Dave would crumble under the pressure."Come on, Dave! Prove you’re not just a waste of space!" someone shouted from the crowd."Yeah, Dave, show us what you’ve got, if you’ve got anything at all!" another person added.Dave, however, was not someone that could be easily pushed around or manipulated. He gave Jerry a cold look."Hey, man, if you’re so eager to make a fool of yourself, then I’ll grant your wish. I’ll compete with you. And when I win, everyone will see who the real fool is."The crowd fell silent for a moment, shocked by Dave's retort. Then the laughter resumed, louder and more boisterous than before. Jerry's eyes narrowed with his smile fading into a tight-lipped grimace."How could a loser like you even talk of winning? I'm sure you've never played sport
Despite the lack of evidence, the murmurs of cheating and deceit continued to circulate among the members of the club. For many of them, it was easier to doubt Dave's character than to accept that someone from a humble background like his, could defeat Jerry so effortlessly!Jerry, who had been seething with anger and embarrassment, now found a twisted sense of relief in the crowd’s continued mockery of Dave. The accusations of cheating provided him with a convenient escape from the humiliation of his loss. As long as they continued to mock Dave, his pride remained somewhat intact!"Did you see how he played?" another club member whispered to another. "No way someone like that jerk could beat Jerry without some kind of trickery.""I know, right? It just doesn't add up," the other replied. "Jerry is one of the best. That guy must have done something sneaky."Jerry, overhearing these comments, felt a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth. Though he had no proof that Dave had cheat
Dave, however, remained unperturbed. Instead, he met Jerry's and the others' gazes with a look of indifference, which only served to unsettle Jerry further.Jerry, feeling the pressure of the crowd's scrutiny, knew he had to act quickly to shift the attention away from the competition. He forced a smile and turned to Ava with his voice smooth and composed. "Ava, there's something important I wanted to discuss with you today."Ava, who had been glaring at Dave with obvious disdain, turned her attention to Jerry. "What is it, Jerry?"Jerry's smile widened, sensing an opportunity to regain control of the situation. "I heard from my Uncle that Carl Mullen, the head of the Kevton Chamber of Commerce is hosting a banquet tonight. I know you've been working hard to help your family's business, Smithly Associates, join the chamber. This could be your chance."Ava's eyes lit up with interest. "Really? Carl Mullen is in town?""Yes," Jerry confirmed. "I thought you might want to attend t
Jerry's face froze with a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. "What are you talking about, loser? I got the information directly from my uncle.""Well, your uncle must have missed the latest update," Dave replied calmly. Jerry burst into laughter as he turned to Dave with a sneer. "You know what, fool, it's pretty bold of you to claim the banquet is cancelled. Do you even know who Carl Mullen is?" He laughed once again with a condescending tone lacing his words. "Someone like you probably doesn't even know what a banquet is, let alone anything about its status."Dave remained composed, unfazed by Jerry's mockery. He took another sip of his drink and met Jerry's gaze steadily.Jerry, feeling confident in his superior status, continued, "You shouldn't envy my connections and background, jerk. It's not something someone like you could ever understand." Jerry's tone took on a sarcastic edge, masked with a veneer of politeness. "But, if you really want to attend the banquet,
Most of the club members remained surprised at Dave's prediction. Most of them speculated involuntarily that Dave might be a big shot who was disguising as a commoner. Otherwise, it made no sense how he could assert so confidently that there was no banquet that evening.Ava, who had initially dismissed Dave's claims, now found herself in a swirl of conflicting emotions. How was Dave informed that the banquet had been cancelled?She rationalized that he must have overheard the news from somewhere.Despite her belief, the regret of missing out on the banquet gnawed at her.It was a missed opportunity for her to enter the renowned chamber of commerce which was a crucial step for her family's business, Smithly Associates.Jerry, who had been so confident in his assertions, was now filled with uncertainty as he tried to process the unexpected turn of events. His confidence was shaken, and for the first time, he felt a pang of doubt about his judgment.Just then, Hannah broke the sile
However, Dave was unperturbed. Instead, he stood quietly amidst the onslaught with his expression unreadable. Ava's prejudice and misunderstanding of Dave also deepened. She couldn't believe she had entertained even a flicker of belief about his words. To her, his behaviour now seemed nothing short of desperate! She felt a mix of embarrassment and frustration at being associated with him. "You know," Jerry said, cutting through the laughter, "we should all have dinner together this evening after we leave the club. It'll be a nice way to unwind." The suggestion was met with enthusiastic agreement. However, just as the group began to settle into the idea, Dave's phone rang. It was Carl Mullen calling, so he answered the call. The club members watched him with a mixture of amusement and disdain, convinced that this was just another ploy for attention. "Master," Carl's voice was urgent, "my daughter's condition has suddenly worsened. I've made all the arrangements, and she