Chapter 0003

The elegant old lady put down her empty wine glass, stood up from her seat, and looked at her butler with a severe and sharp gaze.

“Bring back my grandson immediately at any cost. Prepare all the escorts you need to bring him back to this house.” The woman’s order went unchallenged; just before she left, a young woman approached her and handed her a cell phone because a business colleague had called to discuss business matters.

“One more thing, bring back my grandson alive, not otherwise.” The older woman added the crucial details of her order to the butler, who obediently complied. For the woman, her grandson’s whereabouts, were successfully discovered at the moment, which was encouraging news. She wanted the effort in bringing her grandson back home to this house to go smoothly.

The butler looked at his great mistress with a thoughtful gaze. He wanted to convey in detail the situation he had gotten about the true heir of this extraordinary family. Still, the lady had ordered to bring the young master back to this house immediately.

**

Aaron had just arrived at his workplace at a bar in the city centre. It was one of the places where people with dozens of money and valuable assets gathered to simply pass the time by getting drunk or spending their money at gambling tables.

“You’re a few minutes late, not usually.” Steven’s coworker greeted Aaron as the man fastened his apron around his waist.

“There was a small problem, but it’s solved. “Aaron replied with a relaxed and smiling face. He then walked to the bartender’s table and joined another man mixing drinks for several customers.

“You’re not the only one with a problem, but it’s fortunate that your problem is solved.” Steven was cleaning a short glass with a clean cloth beside Aaron.

Someone came and ordered a drink; Aaron skillfully mixed it and served it to the customer who ordered it.

“Are you in trouble?” Aaron looked at Steven for a few seconds and refocused on a customer who had just come in and asked for an ice cube. However, Steven doesn’t have a chance to tell Aaron anything because the man has been invited to deliver drinks to a table.

It was early afternoon, and the bar was starting to get crowded. Steven delivered the drinks to a table close to the poker table. Still, when he was very close to the table, he was about to go to someone who passed him and bumped into him until the drinks he was carrying on the tray spilt on a man.

“I’m sorry, sir, I really didn’t mean to.” Steven tried to apologize.

“Damn it! Do you know how much these clothes cost? It won’t be redeemable with your salary!” The man was angry and glared at Steven.

“Sorry, sir, I was really careless.” Guiltily, Steven tried to apologize, but he was faced with another problem. Not only his clothes but the man’s expensive shoes had also been hit by the drink.

“If you want me to forgive you, clean my shoes too.” The man looked at Steven with a challenging and contemptuous gaze. Steven took a clean rag from his apron pocket and was about to bend over. Still, the man sitting in front of him now stopped him.

“You don’t need that rag to clean my shoes, you have your tongue.” The man smiled contemptuously, and the rest of his friends joined in the laughter and made a good joke out of it. Steven straightened up and exhaled; he gave the man an unhappy look.

“I am not paid for such things, sir. If you don’t want to be served the way I am, you can find another servant you want to treat as you please.” Steven said no and was about to leave, but the man quickly stood up and punched Steven in the face, nearly knocking him to the floor. The side of his face was sore, and the corner of his lip was split and bleeding.

“You bastard! You’re just a waiter here don’t have any pride, I can buy your pride if you want!” Then the man spat at Steven and was about to beat him up again, but Aaron came and caught the man’s hand.

“Stop this commotion,” Aaron said while staring at the man with a sharp gaze. The people around them were watching, but no one tried to help Steven or stop the arrogant man, Aaron’s ex-fiancé.

“Oh, look who’s here, a male shrew and a loser.” The man was one of the sons of the wealthy family in town, Eric Fillmore. Before Mr Goldmeyer married off his favourite granddaughter to Aaron, Marylin had engaged to Eric. However, due to her grandfather’s decision, her engagement to Eric could not proceed to marriage.

Eric pulled his hand roughly from Aaron’s relatively firm grip and chuckled as he gave Aaron a dismissive look.

“Don’t interfere, this is just between me and that damn servant.” Eric gave Aaron a sharp look, trying to defy Aaron.

“Not a single worker in this place deserves to be demeaned by anyone. If you are unsatisfied with the service here, please leave and find another place that suits you.” Aaron blatantly and without hesitation kicked Eric out before the man caused a worse mess. Aaron knew what type of man Eric was, but he didn’t like that type of man looking down on others.

Eric laughed contemptuously, hearing Aaron throw him out.

“Who do you think you are, huh? You’re just a lowly human who doesn’t deserve to live on this earth. Marylin doesn’t deserve you!” Eric, without hesitation, insulted and degraded Aaron in front of many people. However, Aaron endured the insults despite the anger inside him.

“If you think this place is filled with people who don’t measure up to you, why did you come here? Doesn’t that mean you want to be considered like the people here by coming here, right?!” This time, Aaron had to use effective means to stop Eric from misbehaving in this place.

Eric exhaled in annoyance and laughed in frustration as Aaron made him feel stupid in front of many people. Eric smacked Aaron’s face with light punches; his jaw visibly tightened from holding back his anger. If only he and Aaron were alone in this place, he would make the man unable to walk for three days.

“Okay, fine, I’ll get out of here, I hope we don’t meet again on another occasion, loser.” Eric left, followed by several men who came with him to this place.

Aaron walked away, exhaling loudly, while Steven followed him to the locker room. Aaron gave an ice bag to Steven so that the man could relieve the pain of the wound at the corner of his lip.

“You seem to know that guy.” Steven looked curious; he saw Aaron’s behaviour when interacting with the customer who had trouble with him earlier. However, it didn’t seem like the first time they had met.

“No one, I’ve only met him a few times at an event in my wife’s family,” Aaron replied no with a specific answer. The two were silent for a moment, and then someone came and distracted them.

“I have to do this to compensate for a customer complaining to you, Steven; your salary will be deducted for two months as compensation.” The man, their boss at the bar, gave Steven a severe look and left.

Steven looked devastated, and Aaron felt sorry for the tragic thing that happened to his friend.

“You know, I have to pay the hospital fees this month. My brother is in critical condition in the hospital, and he needs to be operated on immediately. Still, the surgery will be postponed if I don’t pay the bill.” Steven finally spit out the burden that was plaguing his mind. Steven was profoundly downcast and now felt desperate about the fate of his younger brother, who was on the verge of death.

Aaron was silent as he thought of a solution for Steven, but he also didn’t have enough money to help his friend. Borrowing money at their current workplace would only add to the burden; the high interest rate would make Steven unable to cover the debt.

Aaron closed his locker and sat beside Steven on a metal bench without a backrest.

“I’ll try to help you get money for your brother.” Aaron patted Steven’s shoulder lightly a few times before leaving and going back to work.

Throughout the working hours, Aaron considered asking Marylin for money to lend to Steven. He also didn’t dare to take out a loan elsewhere because he knew his financial capabilities could have been better. However, he had no choice but to go down that path.

**

Aaron arrived at his house at almost midnight. Just as he opened the door, he saw Marylin in the living room, watching television and drinking wine. Aaron exhaled loudly, went inside, and immediately approached his wife.

“I thought you’d be home early.” Marilyn said that without looking at Aaron.

“I’m home early.” Aaron gave an excuse, and she turned off the television and got up from her seat to go into the room.

“Marilyn, I want to talk to you about something.” Aaron stopped her from leaving. Marylin looked at Aaron, waiting for him to say something.

“I want to borrow money from you to help a friend, I promise to return the money as soon as possible.” Aaron looked at his wife with a hopeful gaze so that his wish could be granted.

However, Marylin smiled scornfully and gave Aaron a condescending look. She approached the man and slapped him. Aaron was shocked into silence.

“I’ve had enough of living with poor, useless men like you.” Marylin said, then left, went into the room, and came out a few moments later with a piece of paper. She then threw the paper at Aaron.

“Let’s get a divorce. Sign the divorce papers, and I’ll be free from this marital nightmare of being married to a lowlife like you.” Marylin’s words were like a knife to Aaron’s heart, so the man could only stare at the paper lying on the floor.