CHAPTER ONE: DISOWNED BY FAMILY.

 The intense glare of the high noon sun was unrelenting on every single area of Bel Air University – an elite ground for tertiary education granted to only the wealthy kids of the city.

A six-foot-tall young man was heading towards the university’s exit on foot when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He picked it up to hear the distressed tone in a familiar feminine voice. 

“Oh my god! William, you finally picked up. I’ve been trying to get to you for half an hour now. Didn’t you get my texts?”

William’s brows furrowed. “Wait, Tracy, calm down. I left class less than an hour ago. What’s going on?”

“William, you need to come to the estate right now. I just got home to find my dad yelling at your mom. Then I saw his goons going inside the house to pack out her belongings. William, I think my dad is throwing your mom out of the house.”

William’s heart froze as his eyes stared into space. “What? Your dad wouldn’t do that. Why…” He was struggling to form coherent words when he suddenly heard a loud crash over the phone. This was immediately followed by a scream that was all too familiar to him. “Tracy, was that my mum screaming?” The only reply he got was the two distinct voices over the phone.

 “I want you out of my goddamn house, Sarah!”

“No! Woodruff, please, don’t do this to me. What did I do to deserve this?!”

“A shameless whore dare pretend to still have any dignity?! You’re an animal, Sarah, and wretched animals belong to the street!”

William’s heart was racing as he heard the insults that his stepfather was throwing out at his mother. He quickly ended the call and ran the rest of the way out of the university. He got to the bus stop only to find out that the next bus would be arriving in fifteen minutes. He couldn't wait that long, so he quickly got a taxi, ignoring the fact that the expenses would definitely ruin his strict budget; he had to get to his mother.

 Half an hour later, he got to the Camillo Estate, where his family lives. He ran for ten more minutes till he finally arrived at the main mansion, just in time, to witness two luggages being thrown out the mansion entrance. The items of luggage rolled down the tiled stairs, spewing out all various clothes by the time it finally touched the grassy ground, right before William’s feet.

“Throw that bitch out of my house!”

 “Woodruff, why are you doing this to me?”

Those voices had William looking up to find two bodyguards carrying a woman out of the mansion. William watched as those men got to the edge of the entrance stairs and pushed the woman down. She yelped as she twisted her ankles and her back would have hit the stairs had William not rushed over in time to help.

“Mom!”

The woman, with tears in her eyes, looked up at the owner of the strong arms that had saved her. “William?!” Her face went from sad to surprise. “Son, what are you doing here?”

“I came as fast as I could. Are you okay?” William helped his mother up before turning resentful eyes at the two men. “What the hell is wrong with you two? You could have killed her!”

“And so? Would the world suddenly come to an end if such a disgusting bitch lost her life right here and now?”

William and his mother turn their gaze back to the entrance to find a man in his sixties walking out with two young men and a gorgeous lady right behind him. Whether it was the clothes they had on or the air around them, one could easily tell that these people were filthy rich. These are the members of the Camillo family.

“Woodruff!” William yelled out with fury as he looked up at the rich middle-aged man. “How can you say that about your wife?!”

“Soon-to-be ex-wife.” Woodruff calmly corrected. His eyes were full of disdain at the sight of the poor woman. “You must be extremely stupid if you think I would keep that whore around me after she cheated on me.”

“That’s not fair, Woodruff.” Sarah was tearing up and shaking her head. “I never cheated on you and you know it. Where is the proof of my infidelity, huh?!”

“Shut up, whore!” One of the two young men standing behind Woodruff spoke up with an evil smirk. “My father is a just man. He would never accuse you of something you didn’t do.”

“Exactly.” The other young man, who had a muscular body, nodded his head. “If my dad called your mother a whore, it’s because she is a whore.”

“Donald, Wilson, I will not stand here and let you speak to my mother that way!” William pointed his finger at the two men his age.

“What are you gonna do about it?!” The two young men suddenly ran down the stairs to challenge him.

William saw they were coming and he folded his fists, ready for a fight. What he didn't expect were the two bodyguards who threw his mother earlier would suddenly hold him down by his arms, allowing Donald and Wilson to willfully beat him up for a while. Sarah was ruthlessly pushed away as she attempted to save her son. William’s face was heavily bruised and bloody by the time they were done.

The gorgeous lady behind Woodruff couldn’t bear the sight of this and she turned to Woodruff. “Dad, tell my brothers to leave William alone.” She was the one who called William over.

Woodruff saw the anger in his daughter’s eyes and he sighed. “You’re too much like your mother, Tracy.” He turned away from her. “Wilson, Donald, leave the whore’s son alone.”

"Yes, Dad." The two young men reluctantly backed away, leaving William with a swollen and bloody face, and they returned to their father’s side.

Woodruff looked at the miserable mother and son with cold eyes. “Now, get these two wretched dogs off my property. From now on, I do not have a wife or a stepson.”

More bodyguards quickly arrived to drag William and his mother out of the estate. It didn’t take long before the mother-son duo found themselves standing outside the estate as the large gate was shut in their faces.

“No!” Sarah covered her eyes and fell to her knees. “William, where do we go now? We have no one to turn to.”

William couldn’t bear to look at his mother in a sorry state. He was about to walk away when a text came in from Tracy.

I just bought a small studio apartment. You and your mom can go live there. I’m sorry for everything you guys went through today.