Chapter 6 “Three Wishes”

Lea walked anxiously around her fancy apartment, glancing at the clock. It was late, and her husband still hadn’t come home.

“Could he really be thinking about divorcing me?” she wondered. “No way! I only brought it up to freak him out. He used to be so in love with me. How did everything shift so quickly? What gives him the idea that he can just move on without me?”

That’s when Lea recalled what her husband had said to her boyfriend.

[“You mentioned I haven’t seen millions or billions. I hate to break it to you, but you’re mistaken. I’ve got money that’s three times, no, maybe even TEN TIMES what you have.”]

Was that the reason? Was Arthur keeping money or a hidden identity from her?

“Ha! No way! That guy is the biggest loser I know! He’s such a joke!” Lea exclaimed.

Feeling restless, she picked up her phone and called her brother.

“Andrew! You checked my husband’s bank account, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I did. And let me tell you, it’s a shocker. He’s got a ton of cash in there,” her brother replied.

“How much are we talking about?”

“$500,000.00.”

Lea let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that.

“I mean, with his job, it’s wild that he managed to save that much. Pfft…!” Andrew chuckled, even after swiping money from his brother-in-law.

Lea laughed to herself, “I knew it. That jerk was just full of it.”

“Anyway, my mom and Grandma have been on my case non-stop. They’re furious that I took down Arthur when he totally had it coming. So, can you just go get him? Tell him to zip it if he doesn’t want another trip to the hospital.”

Lea fell silent, the thought of her parents and Grandma made her anxious about breaking the news that her husband wants a divorce.

“Such a dumbass,” she muttered before ending the call. She glanced at the clock, counting down the minutes.

Meanwhile, Arthur was back in the hospital again.

He had taken a beating while trying to save Sharmaine from a nasty fall.

Sharmaine, who had received the care she needed, sat on the bed, still shaken by the near-death experience.

“My dear!” The hospital room door swung open.

Her Grandfather, the Chairman of Cher Corporation, hurried to her side, tears in his eyes.

“Oh my goodness! Who did this to my granddaughter!? Are you hurt, buttercup?” the Chairman sobbed.

Sharmaine managed a small smile. “I’m just a bit scratched up, Grandpa. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’ll make sure whoever did this pays for it!”

“What about the kidnappers?”

“Unfortunately, they didn’t make it after the van accident. So, the police can't interrogate anyone.”

“Grandpa, I have a feeling I know who’s behind this. My brother’s girlfriend once said she’d take me out. I think it was her!”

“Your brother’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I’m not really keen on sharing this with you since her girlfriend is married. I thought I could handle it without making a fuss.”

“What?! Harry is seeing a married woman?! Is he out of his mind?!”

“Regardless, we need to treat her as a suspect. Luckily, someone came to my aid.”

“Oh, I heard about that from the cops. Who’s this brave soul that saved my beloved?”

Sharmaine paused for a second. The guy said his name was General Arthur Troce, but she was doubtful because he looked just like a regular pizza delivery guy.

“Um,” she hesitated. “He mentioned he’s a General.”

“Seriously? A guy from the government came to your rescue! I need to meet him ASAP!”

“Let’s go meet him now, ugh…” Sharmaine grimaced in discomfort.

“Not yet, sweetheart. You need to take it easy. I’ll take care of it.”

** **

Arthur stirred awake, glancing around the hospital room with a heavy sigh.

"Here I am in the hospital again," he thought to himself, feeling a bit frustrated.

Back when he was a General, hospital visits were just part of the job. You couldn't escape death and injuries in wartime.

But he was used to being the strong one, the one who supported his soldiers and aides.

"This body feels so weak. I need to start training from scratch," he mused.

Just then, the door opened, and he turned to see an elderly man walking in.

Who’s this guy?

‘I saved a woman, not an old man,’ he wondered.

The old man approached him with eyes glistening in tears.

"So, it was you, General. You saved my granddaughter," he said softly.

Arthur felt a lump in his throat. How did this man know he was a General trapped in an ordinary guy's body?

“Thank you, General. I owe you a lot,” he continued, holding his hand. “So, where did you come from? How did you manage to save my granddaughter? And what's with the pizza delivery outfit? Were you on some undercover mission?”

Things got a bit tangled. Arthur recalled revealing his true identity to the woman before everything went dark.

Summoning the last of his energy, he withdrew his hand and pushed himself up to sit on the bed.

When he looked back at the old man, he said, “I’m not a General. I’m just a regular pizza delivery guy who happened to see your granddaughter get taken. General is just a nickname. My real name’s Arthur.”

“Oh, I see,” the old man replied, sounding a bit let down as he coughed.

“What happened to your granddaughter, by the way?” Arthur inquired.

“She’s safe, thanks to you. You know, young man, like I mentioned earlier, I owe you for saving Sharmaine. If you ever need anything, this old man is here to help. You could stop delivering pizzas and live comfortably for the rest of your life!”

Hearing that made Arthur think this old man was more than just a typical grandpa.

“Do you really have the means to make any wishes come true?” Arthur asked.

“Of course! After all, I am the Chairman of Cher Corporation!”

Cher. That name rang a bell for Arthur.

[“Arthur! Watch what you say! This guy runs Cher Investment Company. He’s not someone you want to mess with! A broke loser like you has no right to talk down to him!”]

That’s right! His wife’s other man was connected to Cher Corporation! If that’s the case, then the old guy in front of him was definitely someone important.

Arthur realized he had just found the perfect ally for his battle.

“Mr. Chairman, I need three favors from you.”

“Go ahead.”

“First, I need you to keep my identity a secret. I don’t want anyone to know I saved your daughter. It seems like you have a lot of enemies, and that’s why she was taken. I need to stay safe.”

“I understand. What’s next?”

"First off, I need a spot to live for two months. It should be somewhere I can really train my body and sharpen my skills."

“Wait, you want a training spot?”

“Yeah. This body of mine is pretty weak. It needs some intense training, just like I put my soldiers through.”

The old man seemed a bit puzzled by the second request but nodded. “Alright. But why only two months? I can set you up for life.”

Arthur met his gaze and replied, “Nope. Just two months is all I need. And during that time, I need you to track something down for me. That’s my third wish.”

Arthur would be back to peak physical condition and uncover his hidden wealth in no time.