Chapter 3

Because he was walking while daydreaming, Alan collided with a woman who was also walking in a hurry. The woman cried out in surprise and fell down.

“Ouch!”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Alan exclaimed, rushing to help her up. “Are you okay?”

“Alan?” The woman was surprised. “Where are you going? I'm coming to see you.”

“Lily?” Alan was also surprised. It was his wife Lilyana. “I've been allowed to go home by the doctor.”

“So, you weren't seriously injured? I heard from the hotel security guard that you were hit by a box car carrying vegetables yesterday,” Lilyana asked for confirmation.

“I'm fine. Don't worry,” Alan said, smiling happily knowing that Lilyana cared about him.

“Oh, thank goodness for that.” Lilyana smiled happily too. “Anyway, what about your friend Carol from the orphanage? I was going to help her, but I only have two hundred thousand dollars saved up. That's less than half of what is needed....”

“Take it easy, Lily. Carol's situation has been taken care of. She'll have her surgery by noon at the latest,” Alan said.

“ Oh yeah? Who paid the bill?” asked Lilyana, both surprised and curious. “Surely it can't be you, right? Where did you get that much money?”

Alan laughed wryly at that remark. “There was an anonymous donor who helped her. I don't know who, but whoever it was the most important thing is that Carol is getting the surgery,” he replied.

“Oh, good for her, then. I'm relieved to hear that,” Lilyana said as well. “Then let's go home.”

On the way, Alan quietly watched Lilyana. His wife looked troubled, like she had something heavy on her mind.

“Are you okay?” Alan asked later.

Lilyana smiled, then took Alan's arm and said softly, “I'm sorry for not coming to see you sooner. I had a big argument with Dad yesterday after you left....”

“Oh, I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to upset Daddy, let alone get into a heated argument with you,” Alan said guiltily.

“It's okay. Don't worry,” Lilyana consoled. “In the end, we reached an agreement. Daddy will never again interfere in my personal affairs, including pressuring me to divorce you, but on one condition that I think is very heavy.”

“ A very heavy condition?” repeated Alan curiously. “What is it?”

Lilyana took a deep breath and then answered, “I must be able to bring the Wongso Group into a partnership with Sun Group to jointly dominate the market in Southeast Asia.”

At that, Alan smiled meaningfully.

“You know, not just any company can approach the Sun Group, even for a partnership at the national level,” Lilyana continued in a desperate tone. ”But Dad told me to approach the regional Sun Group, just because he thinks the Wongso Group is already in the same rank with the GSG in Southeast Asia.”

Alan touched Lilyana's shoulder and squeezed gently. With a reassuring smile, he looked at his wife's face.

“Take it easy, Lily. You are a talented woman. I believe you can accomplish your father's ambition,” Alan said encouragingly.

Lilyana smiled too, but only faintly. “ Yeah, I hope so.”

***

Upon arriving home, Alan and Lilyana found all of their furniture out on the patio and in the yard. From the sofa, television, table-chair set, mattress, to the gas stove and water dispenser, everything was just lying there.

 “What's going on?” asked Lilyana in confusion. “Why are our things scattered outside the house?”

Alan didn't respond, but walked straight to the door. From a distance he saw a piece of paper with something written on it taped to the door leaf.

As he got closer, Alan could clearly read the writing on the paper. Suddenly he grinned slightly, as he imagined the angry expression on Albert Wongso's face yesterday.

“Lily, look at this!” Alan said later.

Lilyana, who was checking her cosmetics collection on the dressing table, quickly approached Alan. Her brow furrowed deeply when she read the writing Alan was pointing at.

Lily, I forgot to tell you one more condition. You may stand up for your husband and oppose the opinions of the entire Wongso Family, but in the meantime you have no right to live on our property.

Lilyana's knuckles clenched tightly as she read the text. She knew full well the text on the paper was her father's handwriting.

“Dad, you're too much!” hissed Lilyana angrily.

With a rough movement, Lilyana unzipped her handbag and took out her cell phone. She had to ask her father directly about this.

“Hi, Lily....”

“Dad!” snapped Lilyana in half. “What do you mean by the sign you put on my door?”

Albert could be heard laughing on the other end of the line. A laugh that made Lilyana even more annoyed.

“Lily, you must have read the writing, right?” Albert asked back.

“Yes, I've read it and I don't understand what you mean by it,” Lilyana said fiercely.

“If you've read it, I'm sure you know what it means. So, why ask again?” said Albert, then laughed again. “By the way, what you said earlier is not correct. That's not your house, Lily, but the Wongso family's property.”

“So, you're kicking me out?” asked Lilyana half-heartedly.

“I have no intention of throwing you out, Lily,” Albert replied calmly. “But look at how your sisters are living now that they are married. Gabriella and Jessica both live in houses provided by their husbands. You, on the other hand, have been married for over a year and are still living in our family home. Doesn't your husband ever feel ashamed, huh?”

Alan, who also heard these words, took a deep breath. Obviously, Albert was testing him and wanted to humiliate him.

Meanwhile, Lilyana's face grew redder as she held back her anger. Her temples twitched, a sign that her molars were clashing to vent her anger.

“Dad, didn't you say yesterday that you'd never question my marriage to Alan, but what's the truth? It's like you're disowning me for choosing to stay with Alan!”

“Lily, calm down,” Alan coaxed. He didn't want to see his wife throwing a temper tantrum. “Your father's right. Let's find our own place.”

Albert, who heard these words, laughed condescendingly.

“I wonder what kind of living space you could provide for my daughter,” he said mockingly. “A useless son-in-law like you can even afford a cheap apartment in the suburbs.”

Alan was naturally upset by the insulting remark. But he chose not to respond. After all, Albert had disconnected the call immediately after saying that.

“How's this?” muttered Lilyana, looking at her scattered furniture one after another.

“What else can we do? Let's find a new place to live,” Alan replied firmly.

“Don't joke around!” snapped a still rather angry Lilyana. “I only have two hundred thousand dollars saved up. The money I was going to give for Carol's surgery. That amount of money is not enough to even rent a house like this!”

Alan smiled. He knew that Lilyana and her siblings were used to living in spacious, grand homes. The kind of house that cost millions of dollars.

But Alan was not lacking in resourcefulness. If only to find a comfortable and spacious place to stay, $200,000 was more than enough. 

“For the time being, we'll just stay in a hotel,” Alan suggested later. “Once we've managed to secure a deal with Sun Group, then we'll look for a house.”

“Ah, I see now!” exclaimed Lilyana with a twinkle in her eye. “Dad wanted to disrupt my focus, so he did it on purpose. You're right, let's just play along.”

“Now that's true,” Alan agreed. “Then let's find a hotel to stay in for a while.”

Lilyana remembered a four-star hotel on the outskirts of town. It was a hotel that wasn't selling too well, so the rates weren't as expensive as other four-star hotels.

While Lilyana made room reservations, Alan waited in the lobby. He secretly texted Harold.

[Harold, I need a house to live in with my wife. Please find one soon.]

[Take it easy, Young Master. I have prepared a house for you in Summerville City. I will deliver the key later.]

Alan was stunned to read Harold's reply. Summerville City, he said? Isn't that a luxurious mansion complex where a single unit costs at least 250 million dollars?

As far as Alan knew, none of the Wongso family's properties were more than 250 million dollars. Even the house he and Lilyana have been living in since they got married costs less than 200 million dollars.

Lilyana would have loved to be invited to move into a more luxurious home, but Alan knew his wife would be suspicious of him if he took her there right away. And he didn't want his true identity exposed so soon. So, he had to find a way.

[Harold, I'll pick up the key myself at the Sun Group office tomorrow morning.]

At the same time as the reply was sent, Lilyana, who had finished booking the room, approached Alan. Alan hurriedly put his cell phone in his pocket.

“Did you get the room?” Alan asked.

“Yes, I did. Come on, let's go up to the room. You still need to rest a lot.”