Chapter 1: The Loan

"What do you want?"

Smith lowered his head in shame as he walked into the well-furnished and air-conditioned office. The office looks expensive and classic. 

"Good morning, Mr. Adam," he greeted in a low tone as he walked closer to the bald man sitting on a swivel chair. 

"How may I help you?" Adam asked and stared at him in disgust. He couldn't hide how displeased and disgusted he was to see Smith. 

Smith was wearing an old-fashioned and worn-out suit which was patched on some sides. Everything about him was stanched of suffering and poverty. 

"How did this man enter my office? I'm going to fire the security guard for sure," he asked himself as he stared at Smith disdainfully. 

Smith, who understood the look on his face, lowered his head in shame. 

He was no longer surprised. He was used to the hateful and disdainful look from friends and even families. 

What did they expect? He was just a part-time cleaner who tried different shifts at many restaurants just to make a living. And he was a despised live-in son-in-law. 

"How may I help you?" Mr. Adam forced himself even though he wasn't interested in whatever the poor-looking man came for. 

After all, he was a rich man with high prestige, so he shouldn't have a poor person like Smith in his office. 

"Who told you to sit down? If you're not comfortable standing, then you'd better leave,"

Smith quickly moved away from the chair as Adam threw him an icy glare. 

He didn't have a choice. He couldn't possibly leave when he was in dire need of help. 

"Please, I'm in dire need of your help, Mr. Adam," he said in a low tone. 

"What is it?" Mr. Adam's voice came out hoarse and unpleasant. 

It was obvious that Smith's presence was irritating him, and he wanted him out of his office as soon as possible. 

"Please, can you lend me 1 million dollars?" Adam looked up, shocked by his request. 

"What!?"

"How do you intend to pay back such an amount of money, huh?"

"I'll pay you once I get my salary from the restaurants I'm working at as a part-time cleaner. Please help me. I really need your help," he pleaded, without feeling ashamed. 

Adam laughed mockingly at his statement. 

"A part-time cleaner!? Who could have believed that the husband of the trending model is a part-time cleaner? What a disgrace!?"

It was truly a disgrace to be poor even when his wife, Georgina, was one of the richest and most popular models in the city. 

Smith bit on his lower lips as he watched the man humiliate him. All he could do was watch because he was just a poor man without any power or authority. 

"Please help me…" Adam cut him off abruptly in a cold tone. 

"I wonder how you managed to enter my office looking this way. I'm sure you sneaked your way in,”

"Leave my office, now! I don't want to see you. You disgust me." he didn't hide how he was feeling about Smith. 

He only shook his head with a sigh. 

"Okay sir, can you help me with 500 thousand dollars? I'm going to pay within 3 months," he blurted out, even though he knew that it was impossible. 

Even if he worked for more than 10 restaurants as a part-time worker, he knew he wouldn't be able to make such an amount of money within a year. He doesn't earn close to 1 thousand dollars per month. 

"You must be joking? I'm going to call the guards to throw you out if you refuse to leave," Adam threatened. 

His threat did not bother him. He was concerned about something more important. 

"Please don't. I need this money urgently. My wife needs to have surgery." His voice was filled with sadness and concern. 

"Surgery!?" Adam asked, shocked. He didn't doubt him when he noticed the sincerity in Smith's voice. 

"Fine. I'll give you the money but you would have to pay me back my money after 1 month with 20 thousand dollars as interest," Mr. Adam said without thinking twice. 

Smith gasped out in shock. 

"But—"

"Are you interested or not?" He asked curtly. 

"Deal," he muttered after a deep breath. 

"[500 thousand dollars successful transfer]"

Smith's eyes bulged out in shock as he stared at the alert he received on his phone. 

He checked his phone and refreshed the money in his account twice to be sure if the transaction was real. His heart fluttered with happiness as he stared at the huge amount of money in his account. 

He hasn't received such an amount of money in his entire life. Though he wasn't going to use it for himself, he was glad that he was going to help his wife with the heart surgery. 

"Thank you very much, Mr. Adam," he chanted as he shoved his small old, and cracked mobile phone in his pocket. 

"You don't have to thank me. And hope you're aware that you'll have to pay my money next month," he reminded him.

He rushed out of the office with his heart filled with happiness. 

*

He brought out his outdated phone and dialed the doctor's number after transferring the entire money to the hospital account. 

His wife and baby's lives matter to him. 

He ignored the disdainful look the receptionist and some other people in the bank threw at him.

"Doctor, I've sent the money for surgery so you can carry on with the operation," he said excitedly as he walked out of the elevator. 

"I've seen it. But how do you manage to pay the money fast? I discussed with Madam Kate concerning your wife,"

He chose to ignore the doctor's sarcastic question. It was obvious that the doctor had underestimated him. 

Smith's face turned pale and white as he heard *Madam Kate*. His heart skipped at the mention of her name. 

"Make the payment anonymous. You shouldn't let anyone know about it until I say so," he warned, and the doctor obliged. 

"Okay, no problem," he hung up on the call and hailed for a cab. 

He couldn't wait to break the news to them himself. Their expression would be priceless. 

*

"Who do you want to see sir?" he suddenly stopped on his track and turned to look at the nurse in the reception. 

"I'm here to see my wife, Georgina," he said in a low tone. 

"Your wife? Miss Georgina? You must be joking, sir," she said as she scrutinized him. Her eyes were filled with disdain and resentment. 

He knew what she was thinking. How could someone like him be the husband of one of the richest models?

"I'm sure you saw me when I brought her in."

"Yes, I did, but I'm sorry I can't let you inside that ward without an authorized permission. You might probably be her bodyguard," it took the young nurse everything in her not to spit at his face.

He ignored her and walked away. 

Getting to the ward, he smiled lightly as he stood before the white metallic door. The smile slowly faded from his face as he heard some voices in the ward. 

He decided to stay back and eavesdrop, since the conversation had something to do with him. 

"Where is that so-called husband of yours?"

"I'm sure he ran away because he didn't want to pay for the hospital bill and surgery fund,"

He bit his lower lips as he heard Madam Kate's harsh and fierce voice from the ward.

"Grandma. I'm sure he's trying to work for the money for surgery." A slight smile formed on his face as he listened to his wife's reply. 

She supported him, even though her family was against her. 

"How do you expect that poor husband of yours to get such an amount of money, huh?'' I heard Micheal's voice, her elder brother. 

"Don't you think this is the high time you oblige to your grandma's word?"

"I can't marry him," she queried. 

His heart clenched in pain as he listened to their conversation. Each word from Madam Kate, Mrs Olivia, and Micheal pierced into his heart like a spear. 

Their words hurt like hell. 

With a shaking hand, he held the knob of the door, twisted it, and walked into the well-ventilated ward. 

Silent suddenly fell into the ward as he walked in. He stared at them with a sad look on his face. 

"It's a good thing that you're here. I'm sure you must have heard our conversation, Mr. Cleaner." Olivia, Georgina's mother, said icily. Her voice was filled with sarcasm. 

He gulped down into nothing. Instead of being shocked or showing remorse, they disappointed him, which was not what he expected.. 

"Yes, Grandma is right. You should marry him," he watched as Olivia stroked her daughter's hand. 

What!? She was even saying that to his face again. 

"Mum, are you trying to marry my wife to another person?" For the first time, he spoke up with his voice filled with sadness and pain. 

"What wife? The wife you can't cater for. Can you even cater for yourself?" Madam Kate blurted out. 

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. 

"I- I can…" he shuddered, feeling embarrassed.

"What have you done in contribution to the surgery of your wife?" Micheal asked with a smirk on his face. 

He had always hated Smith for marrying his rich sister, so he took pleasure in mocking and cursing him. 

He wanted to embarrass and mock Smith in the presence of the family. They all turned to him with keen interest. He could also feel the gaze of his wife on him. 

He couldn't afford to disappoint his wife in the presence of her family. 

He has had enough of their bullshit. He brought out his phone to show them the transaction he had made to the hospital because he knew they wouldn't believe him. 

"I've…"