THE SON-IN-LAW THEY LEFT TO DIE

CHAPTER 9

When the gathered crowd heard that, they burst into laughter as they examined Johnson’s appearance from head to toe.

"This loser couldn’t even afford to wear decent clothes and he wants to pay one hundred million dollars?” One customer asked surprised.

"Maybe he heard one hundred dollars," another added drawing more giggles.

Johnson ignored the mocking voices and looked calmly at the manager, "I only want to help someone I know."

The manager stared at him before bursting into laughter.

"You?" he sneered. "Help her?"

He pointed at Johnson's disdainfully, "If you can pay the money, I will personally give you $50 million or resign from position as the manager of the store."

Surprisingly, Johnson nodded, “deal!”

The crowd even laughed harder thinking Johnson was just bluffing.

Jacintha rushed toward Johnson, despite her situation she still managed to give him a contemptuous glare.

"Johnson, please stop this," she whispered anxiously.

She grabbed his arm, "Do not make things worse for me. Instead of claiming you can pay, come knee with me and beg the manager."

Johnson looked at her hand on his arm before lifting his gaze to her face.

"I will not beg anybody."

Jacintha stared at him in disbelief.

"What?"

Without another word, Johnson turned around and walked toward the credit card machine near the entrance.

Everyone watched curiously.

"Is he serious?"

"He actually thinks he can pay?"

Johnson pulled out one of the black cards he had received earlier this morning and inserted it into the machine.

The manager folded his arms mockingly.

"Watch carefully everyone."

BEEP!

DECLINED.

For a second, silence hung in the air. Then the laughter returned even louder than before.

"I knew it!"

"What a joke!"

"He almost fooled me."

Even the police officers shook their heads.

Johnson frowned slightly. But then remembered they were two of those cards.

Without reacting to the insults flooding his ears, he withdrew the card and pulled out the second one.

The manager laughed, "Trying again? Do you think another fake card will magically solve your problems?"

Johnson ignored him and inserted the second card.

This time the machine processed the transaction a little longer.

Everyone waited patiently hoping to hear another decline sound.

But something completely different happened. The next second, large bold letters appeared on the screen.

PAYMENT SUCCESSFUL.

The entire mall fell silent.

Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Even the manager stood rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on the credit card machine as though he could not believe what he was seeing.

"W-What?" one customer whispered.

The police officers hurried toward the machine to verify the transaction while several salesgirls covered their mouths in disbelief.

Jacintha herself looked like she had just watched an ant transform into a camel.

Meanwhile, Johnson calmly removed the card from the machine and slipped it back into his pocket as though nothing extraordinary had just happened. Without saying a word, he turned around and casually walked back toward the section where he had been shopping.

It was only after three long minutes did the manager suddenly snapped out of his daze.

"T-This..."

He immediately hurried after Johnson.

"Sir! Sir, please wait!"

Johnson continued walking until the manager rushed in front of him.

"I am so sorry," the manager apologized repeatedly. "Please forgive me. I did not know you are such a big shot"

Johnson turned towards him calmly, "If I can remember clearly, you promised to give me $50 million if I could pay. Where is the money?"

The manager's expression immediately stiffened.

Before he could respond, members of the crowd began speaking up.

"That's right. We all heard it."

"You promised to give him the money or resign."

The manager forced out an awkward laugh.

"Sir, surely you understood I was joking."

"But I was not joking," Johnson replied evenly. "You clearly stated that if I could afford the payment, you would give me fifty million dollars."

The manager's forehead instantly became covered in sweat.

"I...I..."

"You should honor your words and pay him!" One customer said. "A promise is a promise."

"You mocked him enough already."

"You cannot suddenly change your mind now."

The manager looked like he wanted the ground to open and swallow him.

"I... I do not have that kind of money," he admitted dejectedly. "What I have is my live savings and is ten million dollars."

The crowd erupted once again.

"Then you should give him all of it. All of it, not a penny less."

The manager's face twisted miserably, but with everyone watching him and even the police officers refusing to intervene, he had no choice.

Reluctantly, he transferred the money into Johnson’s account.

A few moments later, Johnson's phone vibrated with a notification confirming that ten million dollars had been deposited into his account.

After giving his life savings away, the manager couldn’t handle it and took the rest of the day off.

As he walked out, a satisfactory smirk appeared on Johnson’s lips. It was not like Johnson needed the money, but he wanted to teach the manager a valuable lesson— never to judge a person by the way they appear.

Jacintha stared at Johnson as though she was looking at an entirely different person. Was this the same Johnson —the useless son in-law of the McArthur family that she knew?

For Johnson to casually pay one hundred million like it was nothing, only meant one thing— he was a billionaire!

After hesitating for a long while, she slowly walked toward him.

"Johnson... Mr. Johnson... I am sorry," she said softly. "I apologize for everything. I should not have insulted you earlier. I should not have treated you that way."

Johnson said nothing as he continued selecting his clothes.

"You saved me today," she continued sincerely. "If it wasn't for you, I would have been taken away by the police. I will never forget this," she sounded genuinely grateful.

Johnson stopped to face her for a brief moment.

“I hope you learnt a lesson today. Apart from looking down on people because you think they are poor, you should also learn the consequences of hooking up with married men, they will always run back to their family when you get in trouble”

Jacintha lowered her head and nodded calmly.

A few minutes later, Johnson was done with his shopping, he picked up the few clothes he had purchased and left the store.

Once he stepped out of the store, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Johnson pulled it out and glanced at the screen. His brows furrowed immediately when he saw what the notification was.

It was a text message from Bethany.

‘Come home quickly. There is an issue on ground.’

Johnson stared at the message for a long time.

He and Bethany were already divorced. And as a matter of facts, she was already married to another man. Why then was his ex-wife asking him to come home?

He considered ignoring it completely. But after a few moments of hesitation, something told him to go and see what this mysterious issue was all about.

Without wasting any more time, he hailed another taxi.

Half an hour later, the vehicle stopped outside the Clifford Mansion. Johnson paid the driver before walking through the gates.

The moment he stepped into the living room, he stopped in his tracks.

The entire Clifford household was gathered there.

Mrs. Clifford sat proudly on the main couch while Bethany occupied the seat beside George Anderson. Several close family friends of similar social standing were also present.

Every pair of eyes turned toward Johnson.

Before he could even ask what was happening, Mrs. Clifford stood up from the couch. In her hands was a long sheet of paper.

Johnson frowned.

"What is going on?"

Mrs. Clifford waved the paper in the air, "This is what is going on."

Johnson looked at the lengthy document in confusion.

"What exactly is that?"

Mrs. Clifford adjusted her glasses before replying.

"This list contains every single thing our family has spent on you ever since we picked you up from the streets."

Johnson blinked.

"What?"

Bethany folded her arms across her chest, "Now that we are officially divorced, you need to repay everything we have ever given to you."