CHAPTER 1

5:59 - 57 seconds,

58 seconds….59,

6:00 pm

Shit!

Sweat trickled down Alan Grayson’s face as he took a glance at the wall clock. 

Mr. Billing was clear - return with the crates of wine for the party before 6 pm or you would regret the day you were born.

After making a mess of Mr. Billing's travel plans a day before, he knew that trouble was looming around his neck.

“Two more crates please, I am in a hurry. I can only imagine that losing my job is the least that could happen to me and even that would render me finished,” Alan politely encouraged the wine retailer to fasten up the large-scale delivery.

In a strange turn of events, wine had finished at Mr. Billing’s 60th birthday anniversary and quite a few elite families had attended the event. 

Mr. Billing had always known how to attract the elites to his events but this time he couldn't afford to organise a wine-less party. 

His counterparts would definitely mock him inwardly - some could even leave angrily.

Only a few bottles were left and the party was still a long way from closing.

“I swear, I would squeeze this good-for-nothing man to death with my bare palm,” Mr. Billing’s face was red and flushed.

“Dad, I am sure he will be back soon. There is surely a good reason he is not back yet,” Pa. Billing’s daughter, Rose Billing, who happened to be married to Alan made a case for him.

“Will you keep your mouth shut?! I wonder why you are always making a case for that poverty-stricken sissy of a man,” Mr. Billing fumed, darting dark glares toward Rose. 

Just as Mr. Billing was flaring up, Alan arrived carrying the heavy crates from the truck past the back alley that led to the main hall. Drops of thick sweat were falling on the crates as he wobbled.

Alan could overhear muffled voices from the balcony which increased as he angled his ear to get a grasp of the conversation. 

He knew he was in trouble but he needed to know just how much trouble he had gotten himself into. 

Mr. Billing must have lined up one hell of a punishment for him. Could he survive it? Time will tell. He just hoped that he hadn't ruined Mr Billing's birthday event because then it would have been better if he had not returned.

The voices were becoming clearer and clearer as Alan nudged his ear.

“You are putting the prestige of this family to the dustbin with every day you spend married to Alan. Do you still think you can have a future with him when he can't even perform simple tasks like these?”

“Sis, free yourself from that man. Dad is right - Alan doesn't even deserve to have a woman. Haven't you heard how the other families make fun of us because of your marriage?”

“Dad, you have always hated him for no reason. Alan is a hardworking man. I am sure he will make it big sometime soon.”

Alan swallowed a bit. He could recognize the voices - it was Mr. Billing, his wife Rose, and Margaret, his sister-in-law. 

He was impressed that his wife Rose Billing was making a case for him in front of her father. He could tell that it wasn't easy for her but he gazed at the alley’s top because Rose’s argument was not getting the others convinced. They had made up their minds about him.

“No, he won't. He is a liar and a pretender, Rose. How is it that he dressed so classy when you first introduced him to me? He even had gorgeous curly hair that could only have been maintained with the most expensive creams. He deceived me and I thought he must be from a wealthy family.”

Alan’s memory flashed back. Is that why Mr. Billing hated him? Because he wasn’t from a rich family? 

Alan only wanted to give a good first impression to his in-laws when Rose introduced him to them 4 years ago. He worked so hard just so that he could have money to rent a good fitting but they had taken it too far. 

Truly the rich only mingle with the rich, he thought.

He shrugged off the thought temporarily to allow more voices to make their way into his ears.

“You know what? I have had enough of that pauper. I have decided to sign my will in 2 weeks. If you haven't divorced that loser by then, you can trust that you will have no inheritance in this family. You will comb the streets with your claws to feed just like him.”

Goddamnit! He knew it. His marriage to Rose would be annulled. If only there was no traffic on the way to get the crates perhaps he would have returned earlier and Mr. Billing wouldn't have threatened Rose. 

If only he had money, he would have convinced his wife to elope somewhere else with him. He wondered how much longer Rose would be willing to defend him.

It dawned on Alan that his phone must have rang severally so he pulled it out of his back pocket and…..

28 missed calls? He checked his call history and realized that Mr. Billing had called him over 15 times, the remaining were calls from his wife. His phone was on silent mode so there was no way he could have known or picked up.

His phone received a very silent vibration again - it was Mr. Billing.

He didn't hear the voices from the balcony for a few minutes so he was curious and terrified. Did they know that he had just come in?

Mr. Billing’s husky voice made its way through the phone as Alan picked up. “Don't think I didn't see you come in. You passed the back alley because you didn't want to be found, didn't you? Guess what, you might just not make it out of this event alive.”

Alan was overwhelmed with several thoughts of the unknown.

It might just be the end for him.