CHAPTER 1

Sweat dripped down from his face as Austin put the finishing touches on the floor that he was mopping.

The loud noises of the steam engines flooded into his hearings.

Rising gently from the floor, his bone made a cracking sound that signified how tired he was and the rate of his beating heart was real fast.

Even though he had been working for such a long time in the company and he had to cover the whole company daily, the manager had deliberately refused to increase his pay.

The last time that he brought up the topic, he almost got fired and that was something that he didn't want at the moment.

But all of that didn't matter to him as a smile was hovering on his face as he tossed the mop into the storage room and made his way toward his boss's office.

He could feel his heart beating hard against his chest as though it was going to burst through.

It was payday today and it was also his marriage anniversary.

He wanted to surprise his dear Ariel with the pearl that she had always wanted but during that period, he didn't have the money to get it.

Even though the necklace was going to cost him the whole of his payment for the moment and all his savings.

That didn't matter to him, as long as he would be able to put a smile on that face that had always stood by him all these years right from the time that he started leading this undercover life of his.

Sigh.

But that didn't matter much to Austin Soon, he was going to be at liberty to reveal to her who he was and by that time, they were going to be happy together, and forever.

Splitting the door of the manager, Mr. Ken opened, he walked slowly towards it making his face pull towards the door with a frown.

"Caveman, didn't anyone teach you to knock before banging into someone's office?" Mr. Ken thundered with his face still twitched into a frown.

"I'm very sorry sir but I have been trying to knock but you weren't responding." Austin replied swiftly but that wasn't enough to avert the angry look away from his face.

"So much for employing a caveman in the first place. What was I expecting." He murmured under his breath but it was loud enough for Austin to hear him.

"What do you want? To turn my company into a jungle?" He sneered but Austin  Ignored his harsh words, already knowing the kind of person that he was.

"These types of people are the reasons I was sent to experience the life of a normal person in the first place. There is no need to get angry." Austin said under his breath, trying to control himself.

"It's payday manager Austin. And I am here for my pay like everyone else since I am done for the job for the day." He responded.

Immediately he spat out the words from his mouth, along with his escape.

Next came the sound of cracking drawers, with their neatly clean scent rising to his nostrils."

"Here." He tossed a few dollar bills towards his direction and Austin quickly snapped it away from him.

But after counting every single note of it, his face was flooded with so much confusion trying to figure out what was going on.

"Did I do anything wrong?" He tried to recollect a lot of random memories in his head.

"Is there anything wrong? Why are you still standing there or do you want to suffocate me to my death?" He fired with his hands clutched with so much anger until his knuckles made a cracking sound.

"Yes. There is a problem. The contract that I signed says I am supposed to be paid five hundred dollars monthly but I have just two hundred and fifty here." He replied with his face still flooded with confusion trying to figure out what was going on.

"You should know. The company is facing trouble and I can't afford to pay low-class workers like you such generous amounts anymore. I am sure that you must have saved a fortune from my previous generosity." He replied.

For a while, Austin could not think properly. Thoughts about the necklace that he wanted to get flashed in his memories.

 "But sir. I have always worked hard. You can't just cut off my salary like that?"

"Well, I already did, and if you are not satisfied. You can always return it and sue me in court. That's even if you can afford a lawyer." He laughed out loud.

Austin's face was already flaming hot red with so much anger but he knew that there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it.

He walked away from the office with just his half payment, staring right into the streets without much confusion.

"What do I do now?" He thought in his head with a sigh.

"I guess I will have to get her something else." He said to himself

Getting into the nearby jewelry store, he got another necklace of four hundred dollars for her instead with a heavy heart.

"I'm sure Ariel is going to understand once I tell her everything that went through." He said under his breath with a slight sigh as he made his way to the mansion.

His hands clenched tightly around the package in his hands but as he drew closer towards the Mansion, he could hear the loud sound of celebration coming from their end. Getting him even more confused than he was already.

"What are they celebrating?" Confusion clouded his mind as to what they could be doing instead.

His hands crawled through the door handle but immediately he parted the door open and walked into the vast living room, the sound of their wild celebrations blew to an abrupt stop.

Their faces twisted into  frowns but he was not even the slightest bit worried because he was already used to their behaviors, they had never wanted him in the family in the first place.

"Let's get this over with already." He heard a familiar voice coming towards him with her ever-careful and graceful steps.

Even in a vast crowd, he could always pick out that voice that never really got tired of yelling at him and finding faults in every single thing that he did.

"Why is everyone so stiff? We should be happy at least we are getting what we have always wanted." She said to everyone, taking in a sip of wine and returning her hateful gaze to him.

"What's going on?" He could no longer hold back the suspense and finally had to inquire.

"Ariel wanted us to share some really important news with you, she is getting married." Lady Kate added walking over to the table at the edge of the room and drawing something out from the drawer.

"What are you trying to say? I don't understand." Austin replied swiftly, trying as hard as he could to pick out the sense of what he was trying to say.

"I know you are poor but never knew that you were pretty dumb. What part of the fact that Ariel is getting someone that deserves her beauty and status don't you understand?" She inquired, staring right into his eyes.

The words went back and forth in his head but he didn't think that the Ariel that he had been with all these while would want to toss him away so heartlessly.

"Ariel can't do that to me. It's just one of your little tricks because you want us separated."

"Believe me. I won't go through the stress if I want you gone." Lady Kate returned.

"And besides we are legally married and she can't get married to someone else." Maxwell shot a stare at her.

"And that's the part we came here to do away with already." She replied pushing a piece of A4 paper over to him almost immediately.

His eyes skimmed through it only for him to discover that it was some divorce arrangement.

"Do you hate the fact that I and your daughter are together so much?" His eyes farrowed.

"I know this is what you have always wanted but do you really have to force us apart when it is obvious that we want to be together?" He muttered.

"I am not going to sign it if Ariel wants a divorce. Then she will have to tell me herself." He returned.

Lady Kate's anger rose to the point that he could not control it. 

She raised her hands to slap him on the face but Maxwell held her hands halfway through in the air.

Just then, the door made a cracking sound and a familiar aura made its way into the hall

It was his Ariel

Dripping her hands, his eyes skimmed toward the door but he was struck by the hard truth. His Ariel was in the hands of another man, holding her by her waist and kissing her on her forehead.

"Ariel?" The words shot out of his mouth as he fell backward slowly, the walls around his world crumbling into dust.