Chapter 1

Jared had just finished cleaning the kitchen when he heard Mrs Harrington shouting his name.

"Jared!, you useless fool. Where are you?" Mrs Harrington ranted.

"I am here ma'am" Jared responded as he ran to the sitting to answer her. He knew she had called him to humiliate him again or accuse him of something he did not do again. Only this time, he doesn't know what it would be.

"I am sure you did not forget what day tomorrow is. Ensure you make sure you get home on time today to start the preparation as I would not tolerate any slight mistake this time. Do you understand me?" Mrs Harrington said glaring angrily.

"Yes, ma'am," Jared responded.

"Hey, you pauper! do not forget to clean my shoes before leaving for your peanut-based salary job" Donald roared from his room.

Jared could not control himself as he rolled his hands into a fist as Donald ordered him around. He knew there was nothing he could do about it. He had married the only daughter of the Harrington family Elena and he had high hopes that he would be treated well as he had little or no money to get a good apartment for himself.

Growing up with his godmother Rosaline at the orphanage was all Jared has ever known until he met Elena at the Open Heaven store where he worked as a salesman for Mr Andrews.

The Harrington were against his marriage with their daughter but Elena had stood her ground on getting married to Jared as she saw potential in him.

"Jared, you don't have to clean his shoes!. You have to get to work, you are already late" Elena said.

"Don't worry, I will be fine Elena. It won't take me a minute to get it done" Jared said, wearing a fake smile on his face.

"He is useless and the least he can do is clean my shoes otherwise we will have him thrown out of this house!" Donald responded.

"Donald!He is my husband!" Elena said.

"Your live-in husband who brings nothing to the table and has nothing to offer except to eat our food. See your mate, Elena, see their husbands…how wealthy they are. Are you not ashamed of this thing you call a husband? Just take a look at him, he smells and wrecks poverty!" Mrs Harrington said unapologetically.

"Mother, he is your son-in-law, you should treat him right!" Elena responded.

"I will never have a pauper as my son-in-law!" Mrs Harrington said.

"Elena, it's fine. I will just clean the shoes and get to work immediately" Jared responded trying to control his emotions.

"But I thought you said you have a meeting today, aren't you late already?" Jared asked Elena.

"You are right, I will be on my way soon" Elena responded.

"I wish you the best of luck, do let me know if there is any way I can be of help" Jared inquired.

"You have helped me enough with the documents Jared, and please say hi to your godmother for me. I will branch at the hospital on my way back to check up on her" Elena said as she gave Jared a warm smile before leaving.

"Elena?" Jared called.

"Thank you for all you do and for… my godmother, thank you," Jared said.

"You don't have to thank me, Jared, don't forget we are one. I will always be there for you" Elena responded as she kissed Jared and hugged him tightly.

"What was the kiss for?" Jared asked, blushing. He cannot remember the last time Elena had kissed him or touched him. He had always stayed on his own sleeping on the couch and respecting her privacy.

"To brighten up your day" Elena responded.

"And it will definitely brighten up my day," Jared said smiling.

Elena and his godmother were the only two people he loved and they were the only people that had kept him going regardless of the insult and humiliation he gets from the Harrington's.

Preparing to leave for work, Jared knew he was going to meet his share of humiliation at work too. His boss Mr Andrews had always treated him worse. There are days he would not pay him for the slightest mistake or even punish him. 

Both his work and the Harrington's had made his life difficult but the little he gets from work is what he uses to take care of his godmother and now she is ill. He knows he has to keep working to be able to care for his godmother and pay her hospital bills.

"Hey pauper, you are late and you are still dog walking!" Shane yelled at Jared as he stepped into the store.

Shane was Mr Andrew's assistant and would mock Jared at any chance he got.

"You will be working overtime today just so you know and Mr Andrews is waiting for you in his office" Shane added.

"Good morning sir," Jared said as he stepped into Mr Andrews's office.

"And what's good about the morning? You filthy bastard!" Mr Andrews said as he poured his cup of coffee on Jared.

"I'm… I'm sorry for coming in late. I had some emergencies to deal with at home that's why" Jared explained as he tried to keep his cool because he knew Mr Andrews was looking for every opportunity not to pay him his salary today.

"I don't care about your emergency, you work for me so you should come in on time. For coming late, I will be deducting twenty percent from your salary!" Mr Andrews said.

"Sir please, you know I need the money to pay for my godmother's hospital bill and it's not even enough yet. Please don't do this" Jared pleaded.

"I don't care about your problem! Twenty percent is off your salary" 

"Please, I will do whatever you want, just give me my complete salary" Jared pleaded.

"Okay, then. You will have to kneel to me and then lick my shoes if you want your complete salary" Mr Andrew said laughing wickedly.

Jared felt every part of him in pain as he heard Andrews say those words. He had always received insult and humiliation from Andrew but never had he thought he would tell him to lick his shoes. Jared knew that was the only way he would get the complete money to pay his godmother's hospital bill.

"Will you do it or not?!" Andrew asked.

"I… I … I will do it" Jared responded sadly.

"Then get on with it!" 

As Jared felt his tongue on Andrews's shoes, he knew he would always remember this day. He would make Andrew pay for causing him so much pain and humiliation. 

With Jared unable to control the tears, he felt the tears roll down Andrews's shoes. He tried to control the tears so as not to show his weakness to Andrew and as he wiped his tears with his hands, he knew he would always remember this day.

"Good for you. I will pay you your complete salary only after you have delivered all those goods to their location and you will be bringing this package to my house after you have delivered every other one. I need this package at my place by 3 pm sharp. Do you understand?" Andrew said.

"Yes sir, you will get it by 3 pm" Jared answered as he stood up to start his daily delivery.

While doing the delivery, Jared knew he had to find another job as soon as possible. But first, he needs to get his godmother out of the hospital. It was past three and Jared was yet to finish with the other delivery.

He knew Mr Andrews might see it as another excuse not to pay him his money as he hurriedly tried to finish his delivery. It was almost four o'clock and he knew he had to get to the hospital before heading to the market and get some stuff for the Harrington tenth business anniversary.

As he got to the address Mr Andrews gave him, he met the guards who told him to take it inside and knock on the door. As Jared moved closer to the door, he could hear Mr Andrews moaning. He was not surprised, this was not Mr Andrews's first time sleeping with different girls.

As he moved closer to the door, he could hear giggling, laughter moaning coming from the room. Jared knocked on the door, hoping Mr Andrews would just answer him and give him his salary so he would leave immediately without any drama. 

He was already late and he was sure the Harrington had prepared insults and embarrassment they would shower on him tonight. The thought of Elena struck his mind, he had not called her to know how her meeting went.

"I will call her immediately after I get my pay from Mr. Andrews, I am sure she is home already," Jared thought to himself.

With no response, Jared knocked again. 

"Yes, who is there?" Mr Andrews answered.

"Honey, are you expecting someone?" The female voice asked who was inside with Mr Andrews.

"No, I am not," Mr Andrews responded.

"Let me go answer the door," Mr Andrews said as he walked to the door.

He opened the door in his towel and he met Jared standing at the door with the package in his hands. Mr Andrews was shocked to see Jared.

"What are you doing here?" Mr Andrews asked with his eyes filled with anger.

"Who is there honey?" The female figure asked as she stood up from the door in a towel to meet Mr Andrews at the door.

Jared was shocked and he couldn't believe his eyes. The woman talking was none other than Elena, his wife.

Elena was shocked to see Jared, she knew she couldn't hide anymore. He already saw her with Mr Andrews.

"El… Elena, who… what are you doing here?. Please tell me this is not true" Jared said as the package fell off his hands.