“Hey, you useless bastard!” Judy Smith’s voice cracked through the living room like a whip.“Get to the store and buy the groceries, now! I’m sick of you freeloading and eating for free under this roof!” She crumpled the shopping list and flung it straight at her husband’s chest.Harvey Morgan caught the paper out of pure reflex. His eyes stayed fixed on the floor. He didn’t look at her. He had stopped trying a long time ago.Leona, his mother-in-law, stood with her arms folded across her chest. Her mouth was twisted in open contempt. She didn’t bother hiding it anymore.“Did you hear me or not?” Judy snapped.“Buy everything on that list. Don’t you dare come back short on a single thing. You’re already a jobless bum who can’t even take care of his own wife. That mouth of yours is only good for cleaning out our fridge!”Mason Smith slammed his hand down on the coffee table hard enough to make the cups rattle. “Why are you still standing there like a damn statue? Get out of here! Just

Judy threw her head back and laughed until she was holding her stomach. Tears of pure amusement leaked from the corners of her eyes.“Hahahaha! Oh my God, did you hear that, Dad? Mom? He’s saying SM Group got this big because of him? Harvey, Harvey, which part of your head did you hit to start hallucinating this hard?”Mason roared with laughter too, wiping the corner of his eye with the back of his hand and shaking his head in pure mockery.“I knew this loser’s brain finally broke from sitting around unemployed too long! Claiming he played a major role in SM Group? What kind of joke is that?”“Exactly, Judy!” Leona cut in, her voice dripping with hatred.“This man has no shame at all! The one who saved SM Group and poured in the massive cash injection to keep it from going under was Kane Roman! Kane is the one who worked day and night supporting our company, not you, Harvey! You’re just a useless parasite who wanders around doing housework like trash!”Judy’s eyes narrowed sharply. “

Harvey took a long breath. His fingers kept moving across the phone screen, completely ignoring the three people now standing right beside him.“Judy, looks like besides being a beggar, he’s gone deaf too.” Kane’s voice cut through the late-afternoon air, thick with deliberate mockery and loud enough for nearby park-goers to hear.Kane stood tall and arrogant, one arm wrapped around Judy’s waist as she smirked beside him. Lily stood between them. The little girl wore a brand-new designer dress Kane had bought her, her small hand tightly holding his instead of even glancing at her real father.Harvey looked up slowly. His eyes swept over the scene in front of him without a single flicker of offense.What he felt wasn’t anger, it was pure irritation. Their presence was interrupting the global server encryption test he was monitoring.“Wrong place if you’re looking for an audience for your cheap little drama. I’m busy. Leave.” His voice was calm, weightless. He dropped his gaze back to t

Judy’s face flushed a deep, furious red, standing out sharply against the carefully maintained pale skin she kept polished at those expensive Beverly Hills clinics. The anger she’d been holding in finally snapped the moment she heard the cutting remark from the man she’d just discarded.“Watch your mouth, Harvey!” She shouted, loud enough to cut through the midday traffic on the busy sidewalk. The veins in her neck stood out.“You’re nothing but trash who’s pissed because your life’s a wreck! How dare you insult our wedding? After today, I swear we’re going to make you regret the day you were ever born!”Kane stepped forward, flicking his hand through the air like he was brushing away a filthy fly. His eyes narrowed with open threat. “You hear that, Harvey? You think standing around looking mysterious on the side of the road is going to scare us? You’re nothing but a worm in the mud.“Enjoy what’s left of your miserable days. Pretty soon we’re going to crush whatever dignity you’ve st

The chauffeur stood tall in front of Harvey, lowering his head slightly with an attitude of absolute respect. "Good afternoon, Sir."Judy's eyes widened. Kane furrowed his brow, staring first at the chauffeur and then back at Harvey, as if trying to make sure the man hadn't made a terrible mistake. "Hold on a second!"The chauffeur didn't even turn his head.Kane stepped closer. "Are you looking for someone?"The man kept his focus entirely on Harvey, completely ignoring Kane. "I am awaiting your instructions, Sir."Kane blinked, feeling as though he had just been brushed off by a mere servant. Especially when he was only trying to keep the man from making a fool of himself."I'm talking to you! Did you mistake him for someone else?" Kane snapped, jabbing his chin toward Harvey.Only then did the chauffeur glance over. His gaze was completely flat, devoid of a single ounce of intimidation. "Pardon me, is there something I can assist you with?""Of course there is! You've clearly got t