Chapter Two: The Price Of Dignity
"Jaden, if I were you, I'd do what he asked. This is an opportunity for you. Just clean his shoe and receive $5,000. That might make you rich," one of the guests advised.
Jaden thought deeply. "$5,000 just for cleaning his shoe with my shirt? Isn't that a disgrace?" But then he reconsidered. "If I calculate the money, it's equivalent to my three years' salary—assuming I make no mistakes. Let me ignore the insult, collect the money, and go my way. At least, with that money, I can start a business and plan ahead to become a billionaire."
Many eyes were on him. Everyone wanted to know what Jaden would do.
He ignored their stares and focused on the money. Then he bent down to clean Marcus' shoe with his shirt, but a thought crossed his mind: "What if I clean it and he refuses to give me the money? What should I do then?"
"Come on, Jaden, do what you want to do and get your money!" a voice shouted from among the invited guests.
Jaden wiped one of Marcus' shoes with his shirt. "I'm done," he said, standing up, expecting his payment.
Marcus laughed. "What are you waiting for? You really thought I'd give you the money? You didn't even work for it!"
Jaden clenched his fists, then suddenly blew his nose with both hands—blood gushed from his nostrils and splattered on Marcus' shoes. Without waiting for their reaction, Jaden turned and ran as fast as he could.
He knew if he stayed, they might beat him up.
Marcus, feeling the sting of pain in his nose and seeing the blood on the floor, became furious. "You'll regret this," he growled in Jaden's absence. Then he barked orders at his bodyguards: "Go after him. Beat him and bring him back here for punishment!"
The guards obeyed immediately and took off after Jaden.
As Jaden ran, he noticed some of the guards chasing him. He glanced back to confirm—and indeed, they were closing in. He pushed himself to run even faster.
One of the guards, faster than the rest, caught up to him and grabbed his shirt. The fabric tore instantly.
Jaden only had two shirts. The torn one had been given to him by a friend from the orphanage. The other one he had bought with his salary. Seeing the tear filled him with rage.
He stopped running—ready to fight.
He kicked the guard who tore his shirt, then stood firm, waiting for the others to reach him.
As one of them got close, Jaden punched him in the mouth. Blood splattered from the man's lips.
The remaining three guards rushed him. Jaden dodged their attack, then punched one in the face and kicked the second. The third tried to kick him, but Jaden dodged again, grabbed the man's leg, spun him around, and threw him to the ground.
The first guard who had torn his shirt got back on his feet, but the one who had been thrown crashed into him, and they both tumbled down.
Jaden walked over to the guard who tore his shirt, pulled off the man's shirt, and wore it himself. He didn't care that the shirt was expensive.
After putting it on, he turned and walked away from them.
As he walked, he thought deeply about how his girlfriend had betrayed him. He felt terrible, blaming himself for going to her house in the first place.
He realized that all the money he had spent on her was in vain. He had thought they would get married, but she had done the worst thing imaginable to him.
He also thought about how he would beat Marcus for what he had done.
As he continued walking, he came across Sky Bar by the side of the road and decided to stop for a drink to forget the betrayal.
He entered the bar and found many rich men and women enjoying themselves with food and drinks.
He found a seat and sat down. Then, spotting a waiter passing by, he ordered three bottles of beer.
He wasn't much of a drinker, and it was his first time ordering that many beers at once.
The waiter brought the drinks and placed them on his table. Jaden began to drink.
He finished the first and second bottles and began to feel dizzy. He opened the third one and took a few sips, but soon he could no longer control himself. Eventually, he collapsed onto the floor and fell asleep.
A man in the bar had been watching him since he started drinking. When he saw Jaden pass out, he stepped forward, motioned to his bodyguards, and instructed them to carry Jaden gently and lay him on the bed where Vanessa was sleeping.
The guards obeyed. They carried Jaden to the room they were told and, upon entering, found Vanessa already fast asleep. They pulled off his trousers, revealing his brown boxers, then gently placed him beside her and left.
Moments later, Dora, Vanessa's sister, entered the room. She had come to tell her something important but was shocked to see a strange man lying beside her sister. She quickly took out her phone, snapped a picture of the two, and sent it to their parents.
Their mother was already in Room 15. When she saw the picture Dora had sent, she was stunned. She got out of bed and went straight to Vanessa's room.
Just then, Dora's phone rang. The ringtone woke both Vanessa and Jaden. Dora picked up the call—it was her dad.
"Hello, Dad."
"Hello, my daughter. I saw the picture you sent. Well done. Vanessa will explain everything to me when she gets home." He hung up.
Vanessa turned to see Jaden on the bed beside her and was shocked. She sat up, confused and angry.
"What kind of rubbish is this? How did you get here?"
"I wanted to…" Jaden began, but Dora cut him off.
"Don't pretend. He's your boyfriend. And I've already taken a picture of you two and sent it to Dad and Mum," she said with a smug smile.
"How could you do that? I don't even know him. I don't know how he ended up in bed with me," Vanessa replied calmly.
"You think I'm a fool?" Dora snapped, just as the door opened and Margaret stepped in.