Chapter 1

"Are you going to keep me waiting like this, Julian?" Fanny looked at him from behind. She watched Julian, who was busy choosing clothes for him to wear.

Wearing a mint-coloured dress, Fanny looked beautiful, her body beautifully shaped. She had been waiting all this time, and it irritated Julian. She wasn't used to waiting for someone like this.

"Hurry up, Julian!" This time Fanny raised her voice slightly.

After four months of marriage, this was the first time Fanny had asked him out, and it was out of the blue. They were going to attend Murphy's family party.

At that time, Julian had just finished cleaning the garden at home; Fanny came to him and said that Julian had to join the Murphy family party.

Julian was so happy to hear it. Perhaps Fanny had finally opened her heart and accepted him as her husband. If it wasn't for Bjorn Murphy - Fanny's grandfather, who married them because Julian saved Bjorn's life, maybe he wouldn't have married Fanny.  

"I'll be done soon, Fanny." Julian looked at Fanny with a smile on his face.

He hoped that Fanny could understand that. It was quite difficult for him to choose a good enough outfit that he could wear among his clothes. Julian knew today was the day of the Murphy family's birthday celebration, held in the main house now occupied by Fanny's uncle, who had become the head of the Murphy family. Being there with Fanny meant he had been recognized. After four months of constant effort, he had finally gotten that recognition.

"You're taking too long. I'll be late, and they'll make fun of me again, Julian." Fanny clucked in annoyance. She stomped her foot deliberately.

Marrying Julian was a tragedy for her. Suddenly her grandfather told her that Julian would marry her, and she endured it all for four months. She was married to Julian, who had nothing and was just an insult on her part. Two weeks ago, her grandfather had just died, and that made the chains that bound Fanny loose.

"Fanny, this is taking too long! We'd better leave now! An old woman with short, curled hair appeared in front of Julian's room. She came in a high voice because she was annoyed with waiting.

"Mom, Julian's not done yet. He took too long picking out his clothes."

"What do you expect? I'll wait for him!? Why should we wait for that trashy guy!? I told you not to invite him!"

Cindy snapped in a high voice. Her precious time would be wasted on Julian, her son-in-law, who had nothing to offer and was only a nuisance. She never approved of Fanny bringing Julian to the family party.

"Mom, in a minute."

Julian spoke quite carefully. He had often received insults from the 50-year-old woman, who would yell at him and say things to demean him.

"You should know yourself! If you're invited to a party, you should wear your clothes quickly. Are there any clothes you can wear!?"

Cindy raised one eyebrow, her eyes moving through the closet before them. Julian's room was only 2 x 1 meter. It was small and ugly. Of course, Fanny and Julian were not in the same room because Fanny never wanted that.

"Fanny! You're crazy for asking him too! I'm not waiting anymore!" Cindy threw a small box on the table at Julian's back.

Julian was silent; if he replied to Cindy's words, he would hear more and more of the old woman's ramblings.

"Mom, never mind. Let's just leave now. He will definitely come in his best clothes later." Fanny smiled at Julian, which made Julian feel a little relieved.

His wife defended him, and he would wear the best clothes he had to not embarrass Fanny.

"Fanny, Mom, goodbye; I'll catch up with my bike soon."  

Julian spoke as they turned to leave his room. Even though Cindy looked annoyed, he still walked along with her. Her makeup would be ruined if she continued to scream in the face of Julian, who was worthless to her.

In the car, Cindy squeezed her hand hard. The pain caused by Julian's actions irritated her.

"I told you that he's the reason why I have headaches. Is it only because of your grandfather that you won't divorce that useless man, Fanny?" Cindy looked at her daughter, her straight eyes full of hope and greed because she didn't want to be an insult to people.

Whenever her cousins or friends bragged about their sons-in-law, she couldn't brag about Julian. He didn't have anything and just bought them vegetables or became a free servant in their house. In stark contrast to other people's sons-in-law, they could buy luxurious and extraordinary things.

"Mom, it's a nice evening. You better calm down because I have a present for you."

Fanny winked at Cindy, who immediately fell silent at her daughter's words. Her brain moved quickly, and she felt strange about Fanny's attitude today.

"Could it be that you...?"

Cindy saw Fanny nodding her head. That made Cindy so happy. Her mood was very different than before. The car they were driving quickly reached the Murphy family's main house.

After choosing clothes from his closet with difficulty, Julian was now ready. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. He already looked presentable in jeans and a black shirt; he thought this was his best look yet.

"With these clothes, I won't be embarrassed, Fanny." Julian straightened his clothes once more.

Julian quickly walked out of the room and picked up his old motorcycle at the back of the house; after trying to start it several times, it started. Julian immediately headed to the Murphy family's main house, the only two times Julian had ever been there when Bjorn was still alive.

The moment he entered, a woman with blonde hair appeared. Her makeup was always glamorous and used a very eye-catching red colour. She was always like that,

"Oh my, it's Julian! How did you get here?" Anne smiled slightly at him. She really hated the man in front of her.

"Of course, because I was invited." Julian wanted to get past Anne. He didn't want to make a scene that would trouble Fanny.

Anne deliberately moved her foot forward to block Julian from passing.

"Hey, who let you in?" Anne gave her a sharp look. "You should be ashamed that a hobo like you wants to try all the food here. Get lost!"

Anne smiled, and the three people behind her giggled at her words.

"Didn't you bring plastic to bring the fancy food here to home!?" Anne immediately accused Julian, making her voice even bigger, and the people there looked suspiciously at Julian.

"Gosh, he's so poor for wanting to wrap food at someone else's party." A woman spoke to her male partner; she opened the fan in her hand and looked down at Julian.

"Poor people have no ethics. Very different from us who have ethics, they consider this an opportunity to taste expensive food." The man replied that he didn't like Julian's shabbily dressed entry into the party either.

Isn't this party a Murphy family party where only great people are invited? This poorly dressed man can't be a great and wealthy person.

"I'm not here to pack food or beg. I was invited to come to this party." Julian replied to Anne's words; he glanced at the people who were talking about him earlier deliberately.

Instead of feeling guilty, they returned Julian's glare. Rich people like them have nothing to fear from a nobody like Julian.

"You are a disgrace to the Murphy family. Even though you were invited here, you should know better. A poor, despicable, and stupid person like you doesn't belong here; the air has become dirty."

Anne waved her hand a few times as if shaking off the dirt before her. When she found out that Julian was married to Fanny, she felt that the Murphy family's good name was tarnished because one of the family members was useless and came from the lower class.

Her grandfather-Bjorn should have thought that to strengthen the Murphy family, Fanny should be married off to someone great, but not greater than her husband.

"Because I knew I was coming to the party. Refusing to come to the party is rude."

This was too long for Julian; he had to meet Fanny. He wanted to be with his wife to forget the annoyance he felt now. He passed Anne with his wide footsteps.

Behind her, she could hear Anne's voice swearing at her. But he didn't care until he finally entered the party venue.

The party had begun, and the important people had finished bidding. Julian noticed the people around him; they were dressed luxuriously, the fragrance of perfume was mixed, and the hall of this house was as luxurious as he remembered. A chandelier made of real diamonds hung above them, and then there were ice sculptures that looked very detailed and were admired by the guests.

Julian's eyes flashed; he was looking for Fanny. In the crowd, he saw Fanny walking while holding a man in a neat suit. They both looked very happy, especially Fanny's smile looked sincere, and she had never seen it before.

"Fanny, what are you doing with him?"

Julian grew impatient; he walked faster and passed through the crowds. At the top of the stairs, Fanny, holding the man intimately, looked at the crowd excitedly.

"Fanny!"

Julian shouted. He had to tell Fanny that he had arrived here. The one beside Fanny right now was him, not the man.

"I, Fanny Murphy, will announce some very happy news tonight!" She shouted, announcing she had been waiting for a long time.

"I'm getting married to Frederick Brown!"

Fanny looked at Julian deliberately. She had a smile that really looked so cruel. At that moment, she had made Julian unable to move from his place because of an announcement that shattered his world.