The Myers clothing brand was one of most popular brands in the world. The members of the Myers family were also well-respected because of their philanthropic works. Even the minister and the governor would give appointments to Gregory, their family head. They weren’t the type to have the best seats in the theater but would reserve the whole theater itself if they decided to watch a movie outside, even though they had a home theater. Such was the stature the Myers enjoyed.

With Myers brand worth over 20 billion dollars, it was only natural for the family members to have millions sitting in each of their bank accounts. Well, all except one. They treated every other family member well, except for one, their one-and-only son-in-law, Carlos Wallace.

The reason for treating him so poorly was because during a nation-wide fashion event, his whole family was invited to grace the stage. As he and his family of in-laws were on their way, he unintentionally ended up stepping on top of his mother-in-law’s long prom dress and made her pathetically fall forward and break her nose in front of thousands.

Though everyone acted like they forgave him in the beginning, they began to reveal their true intentions as time passed.

Carlos received three employee of the year awards at Myers Headquarters before he caught Gregory’s attention and decided to get his daughter married to him, especially because Carlos didn’t have any family, so he could always live with Gregory’s daughter and take care of her and her children obediently.

Carlos had no idea before the marriage that the marriage contract was more like a slave contract. Not only had the Myers stopped giving him salary for his work, his wife didn’t even let him touch her, giving the excuse that she was forced to marry him when in fact she had completely agreed to marry him when he had asked her before the marriage.

In just sixteen months, Carlos had been turned from an alpha male to a depressed beta by everyone in the family, except maybe one. He had been labeled as useless and worthless time and again as his in-laws assumed authority over him in almost everything. If he wanted to spend a dollar, he needed to get permission from his mother-in-law. If he wanted to enter his wife’s room, he needed to get permission from his mother-in-law. If he wanted to roam the mansion freely, he needed to get permission from his mother-in-law. Heck if he wanted to scream, he needed to get permission from this mother-in-law, which she would never allow, of course.

With his married life already being so pathetic as it was, he still had the hope that his wife would one day recognize his efforts and take him closer, but she not only betrayed his hopes but shat on them by bringing some random hulking dude named Andres over to the home and even took him into her room. Though she said Andres was only a friend, Carlos wasn’t blind or stupid. He demanded she send Andres away, but then the Myers family had their butlers gang up on Carlos and beat him until his knees were broken by Andres. He was then banished to the old abandoned cottage that was in the southern side of the mansion.

He wasn’t given any money or food but only a bag of seeds and was told to cultivate food for himself if he wanted to survive. However, how could he work with broken knees when he wouldn't even be able to stand?

With both his heart and body broken, Carlos decided to give up on everything. He just let himself rot in the cottage, without drinking water or eating anything. His only food was air for the first couple of weeks. And then, someone began to throw food in through the window. They were fresh vegetables, but without knowing who gave the food, he didn’t want to eat it. Even pizza boxes were thrown inside, and pizzas from Rye’s Pizzas were his favorite just like they were his wife's. The hunger was too strong, and the temptation was even stronger, but he didn’t touch the food or the water bottles. He watched the vegetables shrivel and shrink, and ants lining up to the pizza boxes and taking dried food away right before his eyes. He didn’t care for the food because he didn’t care for his life anymore. He had given up on everything. He just wanted to die.

On the 41st day after he was thrown in the cottage, he had the feeling that it was gonna be his last day. He wasn’t sad because he had no one to call a family. His only regret, however, was that he wasn’t able to pay the Myers back for everything they had done to him.

“I don’t wish this kind of death to fall even upon my enemies. What have I done to deserve this?” he cried out with the last bits of energy left in his dried-up throat before closing his eyes for the last time. A tear carrying all of his shame and regrets escaped from the corner of one of his eyes.

His heartbeat slowed down bit by bit. His pulse also weakened to the point it couldn’t be felt.

He was a step away from giving up his ghost. His dullening ears still caught the sound of the cottage’s door opening, and then something bit his neck.