It was at the Fanta hospital in Orinda, California.

“Good. I’ll arrange the surgery for your mother next Wednesday,” said the doctor, kindly nodding to a handsome boy.

Edward’s heart leaped with joy. He had been waiting for this moment for ages.

“Finally,” shouted the young boy, feeling like a prisoner who had just been granted parole. The weight bearing down on him for so long fell off him eventually.

At the time, Edward’s emotions overwhelmed him.

He dashed out of the doctor’s office like a flying arrow. Crouching alone in the corner of the hallway, he wept like a baby.

As passers-by went past him, he did not even look up, not giving a damn to those odd looks on their faces.

Two months before, he had been in the same office.

“Your adoptive mother has been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, Edward Addison. She needs a liver transplant. You’ll have to pay 100, 000 bucks for surgery or she can only live for three months.”

The same doctor’s indifferent words had crushed him, sending him spiraling into a dark, unfathomable abyss. He had stood in silence, his body shaking, his heart aching as if it had been stabbed again and again by a thousand sharp needles.

The medical expenses seemed insurmountable, a mountain he couldn’t climb.

“Where’s your father, boy? You should tell him.” the doctor had suggested.

“I-I can’t find him.”

Edward’s reply had been a stammering mess, his face flaming red to his ears.

The burden of his mother’s illness had been all-consuming, but he couldn’t find his father.

Actually, he had no desire to bring up his adoptive father, a real piece of work.

From the moment he was taken in at five, his dad was a no-good scoundrel, who had always been cheating, gambling, drinking, or abusing his mother and him.

“Go to hell with me, you two, ha-ha!”

Those loony words of his dad’s kept popping into his head. And to make matters worse, every time the old man hit the bottle, those empty containers would come raining down on them with a vengeance, leaving them bruised and battered.

What a nightmare!

After years of drinking and gambling, he left them with nothing but countless debts and four dingy, pale walls in the house. And when he learned that his wife was knocking on death's door, he simply blew his top and bolted out of the house, not even bothering to bid farewell to his better half.

Edward was burning with fury, but he was helpless to bring the rogue to justice. He searched high and low for the vagabond, but all his efforts were in vain.

Yet, he loved his adoptive mother with every fiber of his being despite her weakness and neurotic tendencies. She had always showered him with an abundance of love and affection as a parent, so Edward made a solemn vow that he would never abandon her, no matter the cost.

And true to his word, he quit school and started working like a dog in restaurants, gas stations, and even corner stores. He burned the candle at both ends, working day and night to provide for his beloved mother.

Yet, his earnings could simply keep his head above water. Compared to the exorbitant medical expenses his mother had incurred, it was just like a drop in the bucket. He was barely able to stay afloat amidst the sea of bills and financial obligations that loomed ahead.

With mounting desperation, he knew he had to seek out his adoptive parents’ kin to scrape together more money. It was a tough pill to swallow, but he had no other choice.

However, he was met with nothing but contempt from those so-called relatives. To them, he was nothing more than a greedy rat scurrying around, begging for scraps.

The memory of his visit to his eldest uncle’s still lingered in his mind like a bad taste in his mouth. He could practically hear his uncle’s sharp words ringing in his ears.

“Money again? Don’t you remember I gave you a hundred bucks last week? Wasn’t it enough?”

It was like squeezing blood from a stone with those relatives. They acted as if they were dealing with a leper. Edward pleaded,

“My mother is seriously ill, Uncle Albert, she needs…”

But his pleas fell on deaf ears.

“I’m not a billionaire,” his uncle had spat, “And I’m not running a charity organization. Look, here’s another one-hundred-dollar note, take it and never come again. I’ve had enough. Get lost now or I’ll call the police.”

Edward had left furiously, feeling like a beggar with a tin cup in hand.

After that, Edward had given up begging for money from those bastards though his pockets were almost empty save for a crumpled ten-dollar banknote and a worthless mobile phone.

But he was not one to give up easily. He told himself he had to dig deep and bank on himself to save his mother. With a steely resolve, he was determined to earn more no matter what it took.

As luck would have it, just as he was scraping the bottom of the barrel, fate intervened in the form of his boss, the owner of the upscale restaurant where he worked as a waiter. The man introduced him to his neighbor—a mysterious widow with a curvaceous figure.

“Hello, nice to meet you, I always love young, handsome boys like you,” said the middle-aged woman with a sly smile, “If you’re willing to do me a favor, I promise you’ll land a job with great potential.”

Her smile sent shivers down Edward’s spine, but he could not resist the lure of her tantalizing offer. He nodded without thinking twice.

After that, it seemed as though the tides had turned in his favor. He secured a position as a salesman at a well-known local drill company, and he was determined to make the most of it.

But it was not all smooth sailing. The company was a shark tank, and Edward was just a small fish in a big pond.

If he wanted to succeed, he knew he would have to swim with the sharks and stay one step ahead of the competition.

Luckily for him, he had a stroke of good fortune as James, a friendly colleague, was glad to take him under his wing. Thanks to his guidance, Edward began to see success as a salesman. Edward couldn’t help but feel grateful to him.

And in the company, Edward also met an enchanting blonde that captured his heart with just a single glance.

Rebecca was a vision of loveliness, with long, slender limbs and a radiance that left him weak in the knees. And she was also a lady of substance, kind, tender, and compassionate. Needless to say, she was the type of girl that anyone would fall for, and Edward was no exception.

Edward was smitten with her from the moment they met, and he could not help but feel his heart race every time she walked by. And to his delight, it looked like Rebecca was equally captivated by him, drawn to his chiseled features and rugged good looks.

Soon, Edward got a chance to go out with Rebecca. It was their first date.

Edward knew it was going to be the start of something magical, something that would probably change his life forever.

“Am I beautiful, Edward?” said Rebecca, giving him an inviting smile.

“Y-yeah, of course,” replied Edward, his eyes drifting over her curves and then pausing suggestively on the hollow of her throat.

“I want to be your girlfriend,” said Rebecca boldly.

Her words were music to his ears. With his heart pounding in his chest, Edward could barely contain his excitement. The sheer rush of euphoria quickly engulfed Edward. It was so intense that he reached out for the nearest cup of wine and downed it in one gulp, barely tasting the sweet nectar that coursed down his throat.

“I-I guess I’m the happiest man in the world at the moment,” he stammered, his voice quivering with delight.

“You’re so cute!” said Rebecca, giggling behind her hand and a hint of mischief glinting in her eyes, “but you took the wrong cup, Edward. I drank it!”

“S-sorry,” said Edward awkwardly, his face suffusing with the color, mortified that he had made such a foolish mistake. But then, to his surprise, Rebecca leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear.

“It’s okay, Edward,” she murmured seductively, “You know, I take it as an indirect kiss.”

The mere thought of her lips touching the same cup he had drunk from quickly sent shivers of desire down Edward’s spine. He couldn’t help but steal a furtive glance at the spot where their lips had met, lost in a daze of passion and longing.

Rebecca leaned back and purred, eyes raking over Edward’s form,

“You’re quite the catch, Edward. But you know, a pretty thing like me can be a bit of a hazard.”

Edward’s eyebrow shot up in surprise.

“What does that mean?” Edward asked, perplexed.

“Relax, darling,” Rebecca cooed, a sly smile on her lips as she bit down the lower one. “Just remember my warning.”

Edward nodded though her words, like a catchy tune, echoed in his mind, refusing to be ignored.

He couldn’t deny the magnetic pull of Rebecca’s stunning beauty and the way her sensuous lips ignited a fire within him that burned hot and fierce. He was bewitched, bothered, and bewildered by her irresistible allure.