Chapter 1

I thought that the whole "someone like a brother" thing sounded rather inappropriate and gave off a rather questionable impression. I was certainly not going to proceed with the engagement banquet if Yvonne Gardner couldn't provide me with a reasonable explanation.

I didn't expect Yvonne to question me coldly instead. "Who the hell are you? What right does an outsider like you have to speak about the relationship between Samuel and me?"

I was just about to tell her that I was her fiance, but Yvonne hung up on me. I was furious that Yvonne hadn't even saved my contact information.

Samuel Hill, who was standing at the side, was already laughing his head off. "You really are a good actor! Do you think obtaining Yvonne's number means you can associate yourself with her? You're utterly delusional!"

He shot me a disdainful look and continued, "You ought to know that even the janitors at Gardner Group wear things that are worth more than what you have on."

I had always favored comfort and simplicity in my attire, placing little importance on its monetary value. I never thought that someday people would use that as a reason to put me down.

"How ridiculous of you to still be judging people based on their looks in this day and age. Yvonne must have been blind to treat you like her so-called brother."

After Samuel's interference, I no longer felt like trying on clothes. I merely picked up the clothes and went straight to the counter to make payment.

It was then that the sales associate looked at me with hesitation and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but it is our policy to provide priority service to our members."

Samuel couldn't help but grin even more smugly. He took out a flashy gold membership card and placed it on the counter, saying, "You only get this after putting in a million dollars. What are you playing at, you broke loser?"

I wasn't usually the type to get into arguments, but Samuel had really managed to get under my skin. I pulled out a black card, handed it to the sales associate, and said as calmly as I could, "Go sign me up for a membership and pack up the suit for me."

Samuel turned to the sales and threatened, "You ought to know that Bellevue is under the Gardner family's control. If you proceed to sell that garment to him today, I'll ensure Yvonne acquires this establishment by tomorrow."

In that instant, the sales associate said timidly, "I'm just an employee here, so I really can't afford to get on Gardner Group's bad side, sir."

Those around me looked toward me and said quietly, "I've encountered Mr. Hill on several occasions, and Ms. Gardner is quite indulgent toward him. You should probably just let it go."

"I heard that someone previously offended him and ended up completely bankrupt. It was Yvonne's doing."

"I mean, even if you have some money, it's nothing compared to a titan like Gardner Group. You should apologize to Mr. Hill immediately and beg for mercy."

With the crowd fueling his ego, Samuel became incredibly smug. "You should get on your knees right now and yell, 'I'm a low-life fraud, and I'm sorry' three times. I might consider letting you go after that."