Chapter 1 A Hundred Housing Units

Tyrone Hendrick stood outside the manager's office of Jenkin Group's real estate company in Cleyton. He was one of the company's sales agents. After straightening his clothes, he entered the office.

"How many times have I told you to knock before coming in? Is that so hard to remember?"

"Honey, we're husband and wife. Why are there so many rules between us?" Tyrone forced a laugh; he'd known that he'd be told off.

Ysabella Vaughn, the operations manager of Jenkin Group, glared at him before shooting up from her seat. "Honey? If I'm your wife, why don't you make me proud? How many housing units have you sold since I brought you into the company? It's been three months! I bet you're too ashamed to say it, so I'll help you out. You've sold zero units! Zero! You don't even have a potential client! Have you become completely useless after staying at home for three years? Honestly, given the current state of the property market, even a fool could do better than you!"

Upon hearing his wife's berating, Tyrone quickly closed the door, trying to keep the family's dirty laundry private.

"What's the point of the door? It's useless. You're already the joke of the company. I was a fool to marry you!" Ysabella felt frustrated as she recalled the past.

The two had met at university, and Ysabella had been the campus belle with countless pursuers. In the end, she'd chosen to marry him in the name of love.

Back then, Tyrone had actually been a decent guy who'd started his own business after graduating. Unexpectedly, his business had taken a bad turn. Devastated, Tyrone had stayed home and been a househusband for three years.

Ysabella's parents were the ones who'd given them one last warning: if Tyrone didn't earn at least ten thousand dollars per month, he would have to divorce Ysabella and leave without taking a penny from her.

However, it had been challenging for Tyrone to get a job that could earn him ten thousand dollars per month in Cleyton, which was only a small city. Ultimately, Ysabella had resorted to pulling some strings to land him a job in her company as a real estate agent.

After a moment of silence, Tyrone looked up. He was distressed to see Ysabella's pitiful expression, but he was helpless. He couldn't be blamed for having sold zero units, as the manager seemed to be against him. Every time Tyrone brought in a customer, the manager would use any means possible to take them away from him.

Tyrone was fighting a war at the real estate company alone, with only enemies and no colleagues to help him.

Whenever he reported the situation to Ysabella, he'd only get scolded and told he wasn't capable enough.

"Honey, I'll definitely work hard this time. Please give me—"

"Work hard? Do you think I'll believe you? I would rather believe pigs can fly!" Ysabella glared at him before handing him a piece of paper with two phone numbers.

"I've spoken with these two clients, and it's a done deal with them both. All you need to do is contact them. No matter what, your priority is to keep this job."

Although Tyrone felt embarrassed, he was also touched by his wife's actions. Ysabella might be harsh with her words, but she always cared for him.

After taking the piece of paper, he left in a gloomy mood. Just as he walked out of the office, he heard a burst of laughter in the silent hall.

One real estate agent ran over with a small handkerchief. He gave it to Tyrone and said, "Ty, take this and wipe away your sweat. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold! Honestly, I don't get it. It wouldn't be difficult for Ms. Vaughn to take care of you considering her salary, so why do you insist on working and torturing yourself? Wouldn't it be better to be a stay-at-home boy toy? You can just enjoy whatever your wife gives you. If someone says you're useless, you can just ignore them."

"Shove off!" Tyrone pushed the guy away, unwilling to put up with the meaningless pestering. This guy, Harry Malcolm, was the manager's informant and always stole customers from Tyrone.

"Oh? Are you angry? Why don't you punch me? Come on! If you hit me, I'll make sure you're kicked out of this company immediately." Harry teased while moving his face closer to him.

Tyrone was already used to this kind of provocation. Disgusted, he left.

"Bah! Pathetic bastard, you're a disgrace to men!"

The mocking soon quieted down, and everyone went back to work. Only then did Tyrone look at the paper Ysabella had given him. Just as he was about to make the call, a middle-aged man with a beer belly walked over. He was none other than the manager of the sales department, Piers Barnes.

He smacked Tyrone's head, scolding, "Tyrone Hendrick, who allowed you to play on your phone during working hours?"

"I'm calling a client—"

"Who the fuck are you calling? What's the matter? Are you unhappy because I told you off? How dare you talk back to me! Look at everyone else. They can sell a housing unit every few days. What about you, huh? If it weren't for your wife, I would have fired you. Do you really think you get paid to do nothing?"

Then he glanced at the phone numbers and smiled. "Tyrone, we have assessments, so you can't blame me for firing you. But before doing that, I'm willing to give you a chance. You just have to sell 100 housing units by 9 am tomorrow. If you succeed, you can stay. You might even get promoted. If you fail, you can pack your things and get the hell out of here."