Chapter 2

"Okay, deal," I said, eager to get back my dad's final memento.

Then I'd sever all ties with these toxic people.

"Can you afford that?" Mark guffawed dramatically, doubling over as if I'd told the world's best joke.

Then he jabbed a finger at the insulated box still in my grip, the one holding the lavish feast.

"You'd deliver lifetimes for that sum. Take a gander at this upscale spread. Ever sampled anything like it? Are you worthy of it?"

Abruptly, he snatched the box and hurled it down before I could react.

The wooden case slammed against the marble, splintering on impact. The lid flew off, unleashing a cascade of meticulously arranged delicacies: fresh sashimi, glistening caviar, premium beef...

He surveyed the wreckage with satisfaction, planting his shoe on a slab of rare bluefin tuna and twisting his heel into it.

"See? I chuck it like yesterday's trash. You are stuck in your dead-end life, never bold enough to indulge like this," he scoffed. "You'll never rake in the cash for luxuries like these. You're destined to just catch a whiff. That's our gap, get it?"

The crowd erupted in caustic guffaws and barbs.

"Spot on. A delivery boy challenging Mark?"

"Poor sod, born low. 500 grand? Sure, if he snags a wealthy widow."

"Easy on the eye, though. Prime bait for cougars."

With the sycophantic cheers, Mark's arrogance swelled.

He fiddled with the ring absentmindedly, then eyed my disheveled form with utter revulsion.

"Jess said it's antique, but you're flat broke. How valuable could it be? Probably just cheap junk. Only a sap like you would cherish this garbage," he added, gripping the ring tightly.

Before anyone could react, he yanked it off, flung open the sliding glass door, and threw it out.

The ring sailed through the pouring rain and plunged straight into an artificial river flanking the mansion.

"No!" I shouted, my vision blurring with fury.

That was my dad's irreplaceable legacy.

I instinctively dashed to the balcony, ready to vault the railing into icy waters.

"Noah!" Jessica shouted, leaping from her wheelchair.

Her agility was startling, belying any notion of a two-year paralysis.

In a blur, she closed the distance, wrapping her arms around my waist and hauling me back.

"Let go of me!" I thrashed, watching in despair as the murky currents erased the ring's gleam.

The icy rain mingled with scalding tears, veiling my sight.

"Snap out of it!" she yelled. "Risking your life for some worthless ring?"

Her voice mixed panic, fear, but mostly irritation at my recklessness.

But the worthless ring from her mouth was my tangible link to my dad. Mark had discarded it like refuse.

Rage, sorrow, and degradation coalesced into a numbing void. I stilled, her embrace feeling like chains around my rigid frame.

"Let's break up," I said calmly.

Jessica stiffened, then dismissed it as a joke. "Don't be silly. I know you're upset about the ring. I'll get Mark to say sorry. We can..."