From Nothing To The Name They Fear

~ Riveton City ~

"Boss, I've finished my tasks for the day."

The evening air was rough. A worn-out voice reached the ears of a short, chubby middle-aged man in a brown suit that clung tightly against his round body, as if the fabric itself was tired of holding his size in.

Mr. Bright didn’t respond. His small, beady eyes stayed glued to the workers unloading empty crates from the large van. He obviously pretended not to hear the young man standing behind him.

"Sir," the young man called again, louder this time, wiping the sweat from his brow

Mr. Bright finally turned toward him, his round face etched with annoyance.

"What is it?" he snapped coldly. "Do I look deaf? If you're done, then scram away from here. Why announce your departure like you’re some big shot?!"

"He he, Boss, take it easy on him," one of the busy workers nearby smirked. "Don’t forget he’s from the almighty Thorne family. Doesn’t that make him a big shot?"

The sound of laughter followed. A few of them chuckled under their breath, whispering among themselves while shooting mocking glances at him.

Drakon didn’t react. His face remained calm, not showing even a flicker of displeasure as he endured their scorn, he was already used to such remarks.

He already knew what kind of man his boss was, so why react at all? Besides, he was ‘Drakon Thorne’ not just an ordinary name, but part of the great 'THORNE' family, one of the top ten wealthiest in Riveton City. The name alone carried immense influence.

But not anymore.

Cast out three years ago, all of Riveton had known of his fall from grace as a young master reduced to trash.

And now, here he stood, slogging his guts away, a shadow of the man he once was.

"Sorry for the disturbance."

And continued, "I only wanted to remind you that yesterday was supposed to be my payday and I still haven’t been paid."

His boss scoffed, a look of irritation in his deep-set eyes.

"Your pay? Are you the one to tell me when to pay? It’s not like you can do anything even if I don’t. But fine..."

With a grunt, he shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled wad of cash.

Without even checking the amount, he threw it carelessly at Drakon.

"There. Take that and get lost, you useless brat."

"......" Drakon opened his mouth to protest, seeing how he was being treated and talked down to but instead let out a deep, tired sigh.

He silently crouched down and picked up the scattered cash. As he unfolded and counted them, a frown appeared on his face.

"Sir, this isn't—"

Before he could finish, Mr. Bright’s head turned toward him.

"What now?! Why are you still yapping?!" he barked, veins bulging from his thick neck as he shout with force.

Drakon looked at the money again, then back at his boss.

"This is fifty dollars. My pay is one hundred. Remember, I worked double shifts throughout last week."

"You dare complain?!" Mr. Bright’s roar echoed across the worksite.

"So what if you worked double?! You miserable nobody! Get lost before I really lose it! Be grateful I even gave you that much!"

Drakon's expression immediately changed. The usual calm in his eyes was gone, doing a 360⁰ turn into an angry face. "This wasn't our agreement," he said coldly. "Why are you changing it now? I've already done my part. Now hold up yours."

Turning to face him again, the short fatty laughed dryly and stepped closer, his round belly jiggling with the motion. "You better learn your place here. Who do you think you are, talking back to me in such a manner?"

Abruptly, he raised his hand in anger.

The nearby workers paused their activities, watching with interest as the scene unfolded. Not a single one stepped in.

Only for a terrifying look of shock to appear on everyone’s face—

Clear shock.

This was unexpected!

Before the slap could land, Drakon’s hand shot up, gripping Mr. Bright’s wrist mid-air. His speed caught everyone off guard, including Mr. Bright.

"What are you trying to do?" Drakon asked, his voice filled with fury.

Shock flashed across Mr. Bright’s face, it was quickly replaced by rage. "What?! How dare you touch me?!"

He tried to yank his arm free but couldn't.

"Oh, I get it now," Drakon muttered through clenched teeth. "You think you can humiliate me however you like, and I’m supposed to just accept it? Don’t try this again. Ever."

"Or else what?" Mr. Bright’s mocking voice interrupted. "Don't forget that you are now an ordinary dog who can only bark and not bite. Your name holds no power anymore."

"Now let me go, or I’ll have you beaten half to death!"

As if to back up his words, some boys stepped forward with menacing looks on their faces, waiting for his signal to strike.

Drakon's eyes studied them briefly before he roughly shoved Mr. Bright’s hand away.

The chubby man staggered back and fell on his butt, sweat instantly forming on his forehead.

Drakon was filled with anger. He was beginning to lose his cool but still tried to hold himself back before he did something terrible.

"Get out of here immediately!" Mr. Bright spat thunderously as he stood up.

"Boys! If this fool doesn’t leave in the next minute, break every damn bone in his body!"

Drakon's anger only increased, his fists clenched at his sides. "Old cunning fool, you dare act this way, repaying my hard work with such deceit?"

"Good, good. I'll sure remember this," he said openly with venom in his voice.

With that last word, he began to walk away, not giving the short fatty a chance to face him. He knew that no matter what he did, the other half of his payment wouldn't be given to him.

Secondly, this wasn't the first time he was experiencing such a thing and when he retaliated back, the bastards always seized the opportunity to hold back his pay. He wouldn't take such rubbish from anyone because of his condition.

"A pathetic loser still running his mouth!" Mr. Bright shouted behind him. "You think the Thorne family will take you back? Keep dreaming! And don’t you EVER come back here! You’re fired for life!"

Drakon didn’t even turn around. "Not like I want the job anymore," he muttered under his breath as he continued walking. Even a fool wouldn’t return to such a place after suffering what he just went through.

Getting out of the worksite, Drakon stood still in the middle of the street. "Ahh," he sighed dejectedly, tilting his head back to look at the darkening sky.

He desperately needed that money, but now he only got half of it.

"How am I going to get her the present I planned to get?" he whispered to himself, staring down at the crumpled cash in his hand.

The thought of her brought a faint smile to his face, overcoming the anger in his heart immediately. It was none other than his lovely wife, Morgana.

"No matter what, I'm still getting her a present," he finally said.

He pulled out his phone and opened his account, and there lying within was $567.

"Hmm.. I wanted to keep $400 to invest in something useful for myself," he thought, then shook his head. "No. I must get her something good.”

“After all.. she has been by my side through thick and thin, even when I am poor!”

He raised his hand to wave down a taxi but stopped halfway and dropped his hand back to his side.

"I will walk there instead. There's still time before it gets dark," he said thoughtfully, looking at the sky again before walking away.

---

A taxi pulled up outside a beautiful mansion, every corner covered in sparkling lights.

Drakon stepped out of the back seat with two shopping bags in his hand. He dipped his free hand into his pocket and brought out a note, passing it to the driver.

"And you know what, you can keep the change," he told the driver happily before hurrying away.

Drakon’s heart brimmed with joy. He was clearly in a rush to get inside.

The image of his beautiful wife flashed in his mind.

He couldn’t stop imagining the surprised look on her face when she saw the gifts he got her, especially the stunning dress and jewelry. He could already picture that breathtaking smile when she tried them on.

Lost in thought and excitement, he didn’t even realize when he reached the door. He paused, then pulled a red rose from one of the bags.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside.

The loud sound from a big TV filled the living room. A woman sat there, deeply engrossed in the screen.

"Good evening, Mom," Drakon greeted politely.

The woman slowly turned to him, her eyes filled with coldness.

She looked him up and down with clear disgust, her lips curling as if she had just tasted something bitter. "The good-for-nothing son-in-law is back," she hissed and turned back to the TV.

Drakon didn't dwell on it. He was already used to his mother-in-law and the Astoria family’s attitude toward him.

He continued upstairs, walking quickly toward their room.

Suddenly, a deep frown appeared on his face.

On the floor was a torn wrapper. It was an open condom packet.

From the room nearby, the sound of a lady moaning in pleasure could be heard.