Chapter 3: From Rags to Riches

“Morgan has always been a very picky girl but I can see why she chose you,” said Richard Sherwood.

They were in the sunroom and he’d been grilling Jake for over two hours about his background and life experiences.

“I want my daughter to marry a street-smart guy, not those pansies with ivy league education but no grit. I like you, son, and you have my approval to marry my daughter.”

“Just like that? I don’t even have a dollar to my name!”

“I have all the dollars you could ever want, Jake. The question is, do you have what it takes to keep them coming or will you throw them all away?”

“But isn’t that Morgan’s responsibility?”

Richard scoffed. “Morgan is like a Sherwood mascot. She doesn’t know anything about my businesses but she thinks she would magically figure them out after I’m gone.”

“Where are you going?”

“Are you blind? Can’t you see I’m old? What’s left in this world for me?”

“Oh…”

“A stylist is coming to dress you for the engagement photoshoot later today. Morgan has already picked the ring she likes. You’ll meet her mother when we have lunch in the family dining room.”

“Ok.”

“Our PR team will coach you on how to speak when the pressmen show up. They will prepare a befitting rag-to-riches story about you to be published in the media.”

“Is there anything that I get to do at all?”

“Just stand beside Morgan and look handsome, that’s all.”

“So, I’m basically just a puppet.”

“Listen, son. You can leave if this deal is too good for you. I’m handing you a new life on a golden platter and you’re sitting there, whining like a toddler. Do you want this life or not?”

Jake swallowed hard. “I want it.”

“Then man up and do as I tell you. This isn’t a circus, Jake. This is a thriller!”

Lunch with the Sherwood family was a dramatic affair. Morgan’s mother, Linda Sherwood, disliked Jake as soon as she set eyes on him.

“Of all the men you could have chosen, Morgan, you went for this one. A pauper!”

“You mean, a smart pauper,” said Richard.

“If he’s so smart, why is he poor?” She asked.

“Well, he won’t be anymore after today.”

Everything happened fast from then on. Jake got new clothes and did a quick media training with the PR team. He did a photo shoot with Morgan and the news of their engagement was broadcasted everywhere.

“This is really happening?” He asked her in amazement.

“Best believe it, darling. You’re now my fiance,” she replied.

Her phone rang and when she saw the caller ID, she became worried.

“Who’s it?” Jake asked.

“It’s Martin. He must have seen the news about our engagement.”

“What’s your deal with him?”

“Last night when you saw us at the bar, he was asking me to marry him and I said no.”

“How did you meet him?”

“He’s been doing business with my dad for some time now. My dad wanted me to marry him because he appeared to be street-smart but I never liked him. I’m afraid of him.”

“Well, you have me now and you have nothing to fear anymore. I’ll protect you.”

She smiled with relief and said, “Thanks.”

“Now, end that call and block his number immediately. I don’t want him to have access to you anymore.”

They were married the following week and the news went viral. The world couldn’t believe that Morgan Sherwood is now married to a mysterious guy whom nobody had ever heard of before.

A few days later, Morgan decided to take Jake on a tour of her father’s businesses. As they drove past the Pearly Hills estate gate, he spotted the security guys who humiliated him last week.

“Stop the car,” he told the driver who obeyed immediately.

He got down and approached the security men. They stood at attention with their noses in the air when they saw him.

“I told you two that I was going to kick you out of this job, didn’t I?” He asked them smugly.

They looked at him in surprise. “Sir, what did we do?” They asked.

“Don’t act like you don’t recognize me. Weren’t you the ones calling me a beggar last week?”

They nearly fainted. They couldn’t believe their eyes.

“Sir, we are sorry,” one of them begged fearfully.

“You’ll be sorry after I get you fired,” Jake replied.

The other one sank to his knees. “Please, sir. Forgive me. I have little kids and this is my only source of income. Have mercy!”

“Please, sir. I have an elderly mother to care for,” the other one begged.

Jake sighed. “Fine. Consider this your warning. Never ever treat poor people badly because you don’t know if you’ll be at their mercy in future. Go back to your posts.”

He went back into the car to join Morgan.

“What was that about?” She asked.

“I was simply teaching them a lesson on humility. Let’s go.”

The driver started driving again. Jake’s phone rang. It was Freddie calling him.

“Hey, weirdo. What have you been up to?” Freddie asked.

“What do you want?”

“Just wanna confirm something. The guys and I saw some photos of someone who looks like you, getting married to Morgan Sherwood.”

“Yeah, that’s me. Do you have a problem with that?”

There was silence.

“Since you don’t have anything else to say, I’m going to end this call right now. Don’t call me again.”

“Who was that?” Morgan asked after he ended the call.

“Somebody who needs a piece of the humble pie,” he replied with a cold smile. “I want to buy a house.”

“What do you need a house for? Isn’t the mansion big enough for you?”

“It is. I want to buy a building in Shaw Town and convert it into a shelter for the homeless.”

“Wow, that’s very noble of you. I’ll call the accountant right away.”

One hour later, Freddie called him back.

“Jake, what did you do? The landlord just showed up now to tell us that you bought this building and we all need to move out immediately.”

“Yes, Freddie. Get out of my house and for the last time, don’t call me again!”

He ended the call and blocked Freddie’s number along with the other guys too.

“Let’s make a stop near Shaw Town, shall we?” He said to Morgan.

“What’s your obsession with that place? You don’t live there anymore.”

“Yeah, but I have some loose ends to tighten up. I want to buy a factory.”

She grinned. “It seems you’re on a shopping spree today, aren’t you? Well, consider it done.”

They stopped at the factory where he used to work and as he approached the main building, the manager spotted him.

“Jake? That you?”

“Yes, it’s me, Fergusson.”

Fergusson laughed. “Are you playing dress-up? Who loaned you a suit? I know you can never make enough money in your life to afford something like this.”

“Is that so?”

“Hello, Mr Jake,” said the owner of the factory, Mr Bolton. He was carrying a box containing all of his stuff.

“Hi, Mr Bolton. Are you good to go?”

“Yes and thank you for the generous purchase. I’ve been looking forward to my retirement but I didn’t expect it to be this good.”

“What’s happening here?” Fergusson asked.

Jake snapped his fingers and his security who had been with him all day came forward and gave him some papers. He handed them to Fergusson.

“What’s this?”

“Those are the documents showing that this factory now belongs to me,” said Jake.

“That’s impossible!”

“You’re fired, Fergusson. Get the hell out of my factory now.”

Fergusson’s jaw dropped. The papers slipped from his hands and landed on the ground.

“You heard the boss,” said Mr Bolton. “I’m out.”

The look on Fergusson’s face was priceless and Jake felt a sense of satisfaction. Everyone who ever maltreated him in the past will get a taste of their own medicine from him too.

They finally went to the Sherwood offices where he met with the heads of departments and had long meetings with them. When they got back home, they were shocked to see an ambulance parked in front of the mansion.

Morgan practically flew out of the car to meet her mother who was standing outside, crying.

“Mom, what is it? What happened? Where’s Daddy?”

The questions made her mother cry harder. Their family doctor emerged from the house.

“Dr Philip, what is it? What happened?”

The elderly doctor sighed sadly. “I’m sorry, Morgan. Something terrible has happened.”

“What?” Jake snapped. He was tired of all the suspense.

“Your father is dead. He died about thirty minutes ago of a heart attack.”

Morgan screamed and nearly collapsed but Jake caught her in time before she hit the ground. He too was devastated. How could this happen?

The funeral took place a week after. It was his first opportunity to meet with many of Richard’s business partners since Morgan was too grief-stricken to talk to them.

He met with all of Richard’s lawyers too. The family lawyer, Mr Bates, said he’d be at the mansion the next day for the will reading.

The day came and they all sat in the huge family room to listen quietly as Mr Bates read Richard’s final will. It had been prepared the day after Jake and Morgan’s wedding, overriding all previous versions.

“This is going to be a quick read,” said Mr Bates. “So, I’ll just go right into it.”

“Please, do,” Linda said impatiently. “That’s why we’re all here.”

Mr Bates cleared his throat nervously and began to read the will. “To my darling and dearest wife, Linda Rochelle Sherwood, I give an annual salary of 10 million dollars, ownership of my favourite mansion in the Hamptons which she loved very much, our horses and the beach house in Panama.”

She smiled with satisfaction. “He always knew what I liked,” she said proudly.

“To my beloved daughter, Morgan Rose-Anne Sherwood, I give an annual salary of 20 million dollars, my favourite exotic cars, my mansions in Dubai and London, all of my mother’s precious jewels and full control of our beauty supply chains.”

This announcement did not go down well with the women.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Linda complained. “Why is he placing her on a salary? Everything else outside of what he has given me should be her inheritance.”

“Exactly!” Said Morgan.

“I haven’t finished reading,” Mr Bates informed them. “May I continue?”

They nodded while Jake watched the scene absently. He was just waiting to hear if he would get any salary at all.

“My businesses and everything else I own now belongs to my son-in-law, Jake Maurice Turner. He shall become the new President/CEO of Sherwood Holdings.”