The streets of Rosewind were always bustling with life, especially during the dinner hour. As a waiter in one of the most popular restaurants in the area, Stephen was always in the thick of the action. He moved gracefully between tables, serving customers with a smile and ensuring that each dish was presented perfectly.
"Stupid waiter! Are you blind?" said a brown-haired man.Stephen put on a glass at the customer's table, a man in a black suit abruptly pushed a glass on the table, causing the glass to crash onto the floor and shatter. That customer was Bryson Geoff, Stephen's brother-in-law who frequently bullied Stephen in various situations, including public places.Bryson smiled sinisterly, as if to hint that this incident was just the start of a more interesting show. It was clear that he had come to the restaurant with the sole purpose of making Stephen's life miserable, and he relished the opportunity to humiliate him in public.The blonde-haired man said, "Sorry, I'll replace your drink with a new one." He realized that as a waiter he had to be polite and serve the customers.When Stephen crouched down to clean up the shattered glass, a bald man spat out his food in front of him. The bald man was sitting at the same table as Bryson, and the two of them clearly shared equally evil plans.The bald man spoke casually as if he had done nothing, "Oops, I'm choking." He smiled mockingly.Setphen was angry in his chest, the bald man looked like he was deliberately vomiting to bother Stephen. But, patiently Stephen said, "No worries, I'll clean that shit up."As Stephen bent down to clean the mess, the bald man and Bryson burst into laughter."See?" The bald man mocked. "He's perfect for this lowly job! He's a disgrace to the Geoff family and unworthy of being their son-in-law!"Bryson smirked and quipped, "You should know, the guy hasn't even made love to his wife in the nine months they've been married." With that said, he crammed a chunk of meat into his mouth.Bryson's words got the bald man with the black beard all riled up. "He's a complete idiot!" he bellowed with laughter.The two men at the table continued to mock and insult Stephen, finding it hilarious.Although Stephen was filled with anger, he could only keep it inside since he was employed as a restaurant waiter responsible for ensuring the comfort of the establishment.Bryson leaned back in the chair for a moment and glanced at Stephen, then said, "You've seen it with your own eyes! What a goddamn moron he is! He couldn't even give my sister an heir to carry on the Geoff family name. It's a shame! But it's probably for the better, 'cause the Geoff family's bloodline won't be tainted by his unknown origin!"Bryson conveniently overlooked or feigned ignorance of the fact that Stephen's decision to abstain from intimate relations with his wife stemmed from her past trauma of nearly falling victim to rape as a teenager.Despite the assault being prevented and her physical survival, the emotional scars associated with sexual encounters still haunted Stephen's wife. Consequently, what should have been a night of fervent passion on their wedding night instead devolved into a flood of tears.Being a devoted husband, Stephen could only offer his unwavering affection devoid of any sexual implications, prioritizing his wife's psychological healing above all else.The main purpose of their humiliation of Stephen's marriage was of course to embarrass Stephen. As one of the Geoff family's successors, Bryson and his other brothers objected to Stephen being their brother-in-law because he was poor.After Stephen finished cleaning the floor and was about to dispose of the broken glass and the bald man's vomit, Bryson was still causing trouble. Suddenly, he tackled Stephen's leg, causing him to slip and spread the mess around.Stephen said with an irritated face, "Please consider others and avoid causing harm!" He tried to wipe off his dirty sleeves.Bryson sneered, "Consideration?" He also took a deep breath because he couldn't stop laughing out loud. "Why should I care about you?" He then intentionally dropped his food from the table."From now on, I'll be keeping a closer eye on you, so you can work harder and earn a bonus for being a diligent restaurant worker!" Bryson added.Ignoring Bryson's words, Stephen resumed cleaning up the mess around Bryson's table, much to the amusement of Bryson and the man with the black beard.Seemingly never bored, Bryson taunted Stephen again, "What kind of marriage are you in, huh? You never made love to your wife. Why?" Bryson brought it up again.Stephen didn't respond to Bryson's bullshit. It was useless to answer, because actually Bryson didn't want an answer, but all he wanted was a joke.In fact, Stephen and his wife's relationship had never been bad; they simply went through a slightly different type of marriage than most people.Bryson snickered sarcastically, "Your shaft must be limp! What kind of man are you, huh?" then laughed.The bald dude in front of Bryson joined in the laughter so his shoulder shaking, "You're so useless!""Stop speaking nonsense!" Stephen got up from the ground. He was losing his patience.Just because they never slept together didn't mean Stephen's manhood should be questioned. Only he knew how hard he had to endure the longing just to make his wife feel comfortable.Despite the lack of sexual intimacy between him and his wife, he never once doubted his masculinity. Stephen often found himself struggling with the desire to be close to his wife but he knew that it was essential to help her healing process.He knew that love was about more than just physical intimacy and was determined to make their marriage work, no matter the circumstances.Bryson sneered at Stephen. "Stop? You think you can control me? Who do you think you are? You're just a waiter here!""No, he's not just a waiter!" said the bald guy."Then what is he?" Bryson asked, raising his eyebrows."He's an impotent, lowly waiter!" They both erupted into laughter.Stephen's blood was boiling like a bomb that could go off any second. With an intimidating gaze, Stephen replied, "Your bulshit is unfounded and stupid! I won't stand for your bullshit accusations and insults! Keep your opinions to yourself or get ready for some consequences!" his fists clenched tight and ready to punch.The bald man rolled his eyes when crossed his arms in front of his chest. He said in a disdainful tone, "You must realize by now that you're not good enough to be a son-in-law of the Geoff family. Your wife is so hot; there's no way you wouldn't want her unless you're an impotent man. Am I right?"Bryan exclaimed,"Exactly!" He looked at Stephen with hatred. "I'd rather have him as my brother-in-law than you!" Bryson chimed in.With a proud intonation the bald man said, "If you don't believe that I'm better than you, you can watch me playing with your wife. You'll see her begging and moaning under my control—." Before the bald man could finish his sentence, Stephen punched him square in the face. The people screamed in shock.The bald man bellowed in anger, "Argh! Damn!"The bald man walked up to Stephen and punched him back, causing Stephen's body to spin backwards almost colliding with a woman who had just arrived."Oh my God!" A black-haired woman screamed hysterically as Stephen's body almost hit her breasts.The woman slapped Stephen. "You're shit!" She was Megan, Bryson's wife, and had no empathy like Bryson.Bryson shouted angrily, "Damn! Now he's being a pervert to my wife!" his voice attracting the attention of all the customers.A customer next to Bryson's table said, "Jeez! There's a perverted waiter here! How embarrassing!"Another customer said furiously, "Disgusting! He should be fired from here immediately! Or this restaurant's reputation will be ruined!"A group of security guards arrived at the scene and pulled Stephen outside the restaurant, then beat him. Stephen tried to explain that he didn't pervert that woman, but the security didn't listen to him. For them, any restaurant employee who made a mess must be punished.At that time, a bald man with a black beard took a cell phone and captured a video of Stephen being beaten to a pulp. Of course, he wanted to spread the video to embarrassed Stephen.Bryson said in a cold tone as Stephen sprawled on the floor, "Stephen, quickly apologize to me and prostrate at my feet!"Stephen tried to testify that he hadn't done the dirty deed that Bryson and Megan accused him of. But, before he could get a word out, the restaurant manager gripped Stephen's shoulder, signaling him to shut up. Of course, he didn't want to give the impression of not defending the customers.Bryson barked again, "How are you gonna be in the wrong and not make it right? Get down on your knees and kiss my feet!"Although Stephen was innocent, the law that applied in Rosewind was that the customer was always right, and no king worth his crown would want to argue with a lowly waiter."No!" Stephen said.Enraged, Bryson attacked Stephen, and a fight between Stephen and Bryson ensued.The manager tried to win over the customers and end the commotion by saying, "Enough! Stephen, you are fired from this restaurant!"The manager's words hit Stephen like a ton of bricks, his heart sinking as he realized he was out of options. He knew he had to accept his fate, but the thought of leaving the restaurant in disgrace was unbearable.He stumbled out the door, battered and bruised, and was met with a chorus of insults from the customers, their mocking laughter echoing in his ears. He felt a surge of anger and humiliation, but there was nothing he could do now except walk away.With unsteady steps, Stephen walked down the deserted sidewalk, not even receiving severance pay after being fired. So, he saved the remaining $5 in his wallet and chose to walk home instead of using it to pay for a bus.While walking with pain all over his body, suddenly a Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped beside him. A dashing brunette man with sunglasses got out of the car."Good night, Young Master! Sorry to have surprised you," the man said.Stephen froze in front of the man whom he had just met. "Young Master?" Stephen smiled wryly. He looked left and right to make sure he wasn't under surveillance by cameras that made him the target of a prank for a video channel."Young Master Stephen, have you forgotten me?" A man in a black suit with neatly combed white hair greeted Stephen as he stepped out of the black Rolls-Royce.Stephen's eyes widened in disbelief as he blinked repeatedly to confirm what he was seeing. It was William Morse, someone he had known in the past and regarded as a father figure.Stephen asked, hoping he wasn't mistaken,"William! Is it really you?" William replied, standing beside a man in black glasses. "Yes, Young Master. It's me."Relieved, Stephen let out a deep sigh and collapsed on the ground. His body ached from the intense fight. He looked up at the dark sky, hoping for a moment of respite.The two men who referred to Stephen as "Young Master" sat down beside him and offered their assistance.William looked concerned at Stephen, he said,"You seem to be badly hurt, Young Master. Let's get you in the car, and let me treat your injuries."Stephen reluctantly agreed to enter the Rolls-Royce, realizing he had no alternative. Despite enduring excruciating pain, he chose to remain silent. This infuriated William, who was tending to Stephen's injuries.With his eyebrows barely knit t
As Stephen approached the gallery door, it opened automatically, welcoming him inside. A brunette salesgirl greeted him with a smile."Welcome to Rosegold—" she began, but her words trailed off as she took in Stephen's disheveled appearance. In all her time working there, she had never seen a customer looked so dirty.she muttered under her breath, "Oh my..." But, Stephen was unfazed. He spoke kindly to her, as if his appearance was of no consequence."I'd like to purchase the finest shirt you have."The salesgirl asked, cupping her hand to her ear as if she hadn't heard correctly. "What was that?" "I said I want to buy the best shirt you have," Stephen repeated, enunciating each word.The salesgirl laughed, taking in Stephen's scruffy appearance. "Oh my God! Do you think I'm deaf?" Stephen seemed completely out of place in such an upscale store. a senior salesgirl chided the brunette. "Hey, why are you laughing so hard?"The brunette giggled again, but the blonde senior salesgirl me
The gallery guard's face turned pale; he certainly didn't want to be topless on such a cold night, let alone until morning.Stephen snapped, "Why are you silent?"Stephen grinned at the gallery girls, who had all taken his side and were now giving the guard disapproving looks. "I see, you really are a loser!"With a disdainful glance, the blonde-haired senior salesgirl said, "Yes, you're a loser!" and the others chimed in.A brown-haired salesgir sneered, "Should we take off your shirt so you'll keep your promise?" and the others laughed.The gallery guard's face flushed with embarrassment. Reluctantly, he took off his shirt in the bone-chilling cold.The security guard said sarcastically, "You're satisfied to see me, girls?" Then he left the gallery room cursing.After the security guard left, the gallery room fell silent once more. The salesgirls' attention was on Stephen.The handsome blonde haired man said as the gallery salesgirl stripped the shirt from the mannequin, "Put all the
Stephen stepped out of the Rosegold Fashion Gallery building and spotted a shirtless guard outside. The guard had his arms folded across his chest, trying to keep warm. Stephen noticed a look of pity on his face. Stephen asked the guard, "Hey, man. Are you sure about this bet?" The guard replied arrogantly, "Of course, I'm not a baby who needs his mother's arms to sleep." Stephen confirmed the guard's statement by saying, "Okay, I believe you." If only the guard was willing to apologize, maybe Stephen would consider canceling the bet. "Good luck!" Stephen gave the guard the middle finger and left the Rosegold Fashion Gallery area to catch a taxi back to Geoff's house. While waiting for a taxi to pass, Stephen remembered his viral video. He was going to be featured in the Rosegold Fashion Gallery catalog soon. He couldn't let the video continue to circulate. Stephen took out his cellphone and contacted William to remove his videos from social media. It wasn't long before the cal
That morning, Stephen woke up later than usual because his body ached. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw that Fiona had already finished dressing and was ready to leave for college.Stephen asked, "Why didn't you wake me up?" He got up from the bed and then stretched for a moment. His body still ached from the fight he had the night before.Fiona replied by checking the contents of her bag, "I have woken you up, but you seemed too tired, so I let you sleep." She looked at Stephen with pity, knowing how badly the restaurant security guard and Bryson had beaten him.Stephen looked at his wife, then offered, "I can take you to campus. Just give me a minute to stretch my muscles and go to the bathroom."The brown haired woman said, "No need, Stephen. Today I'm leaving with Billy."Concerned that he might have missed something, Stephen rushed to meet Fiona after he finished in the bathroom.Stephen asked, astonished, "When did he come here?"Fiona explained, "Early this morning. He sa
Megan inquired, "Why?" Her eyes bulged like they almost jumped out of their sockets. "Aren't you interested in doing this?" Megan was an opportunist woman, and she didn't like it when her wishes were denied, especially by someone she perceived as lower class.Megan scoffed before striding away, "Don't worry, I'll toss you a fiver. I know you're down on your luck after being fired." She leaving Stephen in front of the whirring washing machine. It was routine for Stephen to take odd jobs from Geoff's family to make some extra cash. For now, he couldn't risk revealing his true identity, so he reluctantly accepted the task from Megan. However, Stephen had a plan in the works for his brother-in-law's wife.Megan was a peculiar woman, as cunning as a venomous serpent. Stephen knew he had to be just as unconventional in his approach to bring her down.Stephen's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the dress, stained with blood. "Damn it!" To make matters worse, there were also numerous spe
Stephen furrowed his forehead as he tried to think of which other man Fiona had met behind his back. So far, many wealthy men had tried to approach Fiona after his father died. But, she had ignored them all. Stephen couldn't help but be curious about this particular man.He asked Oliver, his informant, "And then what happened?" He hoped for more detailed information."Your wife's brother left her alone with that stranger," Oliver replied.Upon hearing this, Stephen's chest grew hot. He knew his wife was under immense pressure from her brothers to divorce him. As Stephen and Fiona's relationship continued to deteriorate because of the interference of his brothers-in-law he could not remain silent. He still wanted to know what she was up to.Stephen inquired, "Do you know what they were talking about?"Oliver informed Stephen, watching the man speak with a smile as if trying to impress Fiona. "I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying. However, that tall blonde man kept looking at yo
Janis paused, contemplating the company's leadership's decision. She had only just met Stephen, but she believed that the young master of the Hudson family had his own motives.Janis nodded and responded, "Very well, Master Stephen."After concluding their conversation, Janis bid farewell and exited the room.In the corridor, Billy Geoff greeted Janis, saying, "Hello, Miss Janis!" He offered a kind smile, but Janis responded with a cold expression."What do you want, Mr. Billy?"Billy tried to engage in conversation, disregarding Janis' unfriendly demeanor. "I'd like to discuss further cooperation between our companies."Janis spoke flatly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Billy. The Magnificent Emerald Group can no longer continue its partnership with your company."Billy stared at Janis in disbelief. He couldn't fathom what he was hearing. Their relationship had been amicable thus far. He also racked his brain, trying to recall if he had done anything to offend the company's owner, but he couldn't th