Jason Blackwell's Rise To Power

Jason Blackwell pushed through the hospital doors with hurried steps, his breathing uneven.

The cold night air slammed into his face, yet it did nothing to cool the pressure crushing his chest.

“No. No. No,” he kept chanting under his breath. “This can't be happening.”

His mind was a complete mess.

The doctor’s words kept replaying inside his head like a cursed recording that refused to stop.

“Five hundred thousand dollars.”

“Emergency surgery.”

“Your mother will not survive much longer.”

Jason rubbed his forehead roughly as he walked toward the roadside. He quickly pulled out his phone and checked the time.

Every second felt like someone tightening a rope around his neck.

“Please hold on, Mom,” Jason whispered shakily. “Just hold on a little longer.”

His mother was still lying inside that hospital room with machines connected to her weak body.

“She's the only family I have, I can't let anything happen to her,” Jason released a quiet breath.

She had worked herself sick just to feed him and take care of him.

And now she was dying while he stood there unable to save her.

Jason clenched his jaw.

For the first time in years, he felt completely useless.

He stepped into the road quickly and stopped a taxi. Throughout the ride, he remained silent while staring outside the window.

His mind was already somewhere else.

“There is only one option left. The Hale family,” Jason muttered to himself.

His in-laws were among the wealthy families in the city.

Their company was worth hundreds of millions. Five hundred thousand dollars to them was nothing more than the amount they spent on wine during business dinners.

For three whole years, Jason had worked for the Hale Group without receiving a single salary.

Three years.

Everybody in the company knew it and they mocked him to his face.

But he endured everything quietly because of his wife, Davina Hale.

A wry smile appeared briefly on his face.

“Thank you,” Jason said quickly as the taxi finally stopped before a massive mansion surrounded by tall black gates.

The Hale residence stood proudly under the night lights like a palace.

Expensive cars filled the driveway and everything about the place screamed wealth.

Jason quickly paid the driver and stepped out.

He did not even pause to fix his wrinkled clothes before hurrying toward the entrance.

He entered the massive living room and finally saw Davina's parents, Christopher Hale and Angelina Hale seated comfortably on the large leather couches.

Mr. Hale was calmly drinking tea while reading financial reports on his tablet while Mrs. Hale sat beside him elegantly with a glass of red wine in her hand.

Jason stood there breathing heavily for a moment before speaking.

"I need your help."

Mr. Hale slowly lowered his tablet and glanced at him. "You barged in looking like this just to say that?"

Mrs. Hale smiled slightly. "What happened to you? You look like somebody that lost his last coin."

Jason ignored the mockery.

"My mother is in critical condition," he said directly. "The doctors said she needs emergency surgery tonight or she will not survive."

Mr. Hale's expression barely changed.

Jason continued quickly, "The surgery costs five hundred thousand dollars. I know it is a huge amount, but I will repay everything. I can continue working for the company without salary. I can sign any agreement you want."

Mrs. Hale exchanged a glance with her husband before letting out a loud chuckle.

That chuckle sounded extremely unpleasant in Jason’s ears.

Mr. Hale placed the tablet on the table and leaned back lazily. "Jason, do you think money falls from the sky?"

Jason remained standing quietly. "I know this is sudden, but this is about saving a life."

Mr. Hale shook his head slowly. "Business and emotions are two different things. The moment you mix both together, you become weak."

Jason’s fingers twitched slightly.

"This is not business," he explained calmly. "My mother is dying."

Mrs. Hale suddenly sneered. "And what exactly are we supposed to do about that?"

Jason slowly looked toward her.

Mrs. Hale swirled the wine inside her glass before continuing coldly.

“Do you think the Hale family is running a charity organization? Five hundred thousand dollars is not pocket change."

Jason took a slow breath. "I understand. But I am begging you to help me this once."

Mrs. Hale laughed softly. "Begging? Is this what you call begging? You are standing there like a statue giving speeches."

Mr. Hale suddenly laughed out loud.

"You know what annoys me the most about you?" he asked.

Jason stayed silent.

Mr. Hale smirked. "You always act calm and mature even when you have absolutely nothing. Poor people should at least learn how to beg properly."

Jason lowered his gaze briefly.

Mr. Hale continued, "For three years, you have been eating the Hale family's food, living in the Hale family's house, and using the Hale family's name. Yet you keep acting like some dignified man."

Jason explained quietly, "For three years, I also worked for the Hale Group without receiving a salary."

The atmosphere became slightly awkward.

But Mrs. Hale immediately scoffed. "And who forced you to do that? You stayed because you wanted to cling to Davina."

Mr. Hale nodded in agreement. "Many men outside would gladly work for free if it meant becoming my son-in-law."

Jason slowly clenched his fists.

The veins near his wrist became visible.

Still, he endured it.

"I am not asking as an outsider," he said carefully. "I am asking as family."

The moment those words left his mouth, Mrs. Hale burst into laughter.

It was not gentle laughter.

It was mocking laughter.

"Family?" she repeated while laughing. "Jason, do you seriously still think you are worthy of that word?"

Mr. Hale picked up his tea again with a faint sneer on his face.

"You should stand before a mirror one day and study yourself carefully," he said coldly. "A man without money, status, or background is no different from a stray dog trying to sit at a king’s table."

Mrs. Hale immediately added, "At least purebred dogs have value. Some can even be sold for a good price."

The couple laughed loudly.

Jason stood there quietly listening to everything.

The humiliation in the room became heavier.

Mr. Hale took another sip of tea before speaking again.

"Five hundred thousand dollars is not impossible for the Hale family to spend," he said. "The problem is simple. I do not see any value in saving your mother."

Jason’s eyes darkened slightly.

Mr. Hale looked directly at him. "Tell me honestly. Besides embarrassment, what exactly have you ever brought to this family?"

The room fell silent.

Jason slowly lowered his gaze for a second.

Three years.

Three years of loyalty.

Three years of enduring humiliation.

Three years of treating Davina sincerely while her parents treated him worse than outsiders.

Yet tonight, none of it mattered.

Jason suddenly gave a faint self-deprecating smile.

It was small, almost bitter.

He lifted his head again. "I understand your position," he said quietly. "But please help me save my mother."

Mr. Hale's face instantly turned cold.

He placed his cup down harder this time.

"If you truly want money," he said firmly, "then kneel properly and beg like people begging for survival usually do."

Mrs. Hale crossed her legs elegantly and smirked. "Perhaps if you kneel long enough, I might feel soft-hearted enough to throw you scraps. People throw bread to stray animals all the time."

Jason’s jaw tightened slightly.

The air inside the living room suddenly felt suffocating.

At that exact moment

Footsteps echoed from the staircase upstairs and the entire room instinctively turned toward the sound.