Chapter 2

Stacie's words broke me.

To build that app and push Frostward Corporation toward an IPO, I had spent three straight months barely sleeping more than three hours a night.

After pulling all-nighters daily like a night watchman, I had landed myself in the hospital more than ten times. But to her, all of that meant less than a man who talked pretty and took credit for other people's work.

Just as I opened my mouth to argue, my phone suddenly rang. When I picked up, Mom's desperate pleas came from the other end of the line.

"Reuben, your dad's asthma has flared up again, and he's back in the hospital. The doctors say that if he doesn't switch to that best medicine soon, he may not make it much longer.

"You know how it is at home. I don't have a job, and our savings are completely tapped out from all these years of medical bills for your dad.

"You mentioned that you'd get a huge bonus once the development project has succeeded. Could you… get an advance just to save his life? Please… I'm begging you."

I went cold.

I thought of the 4,600-dollar medicine and glanced at the 0.99-dollar balance in my bank account after topping up my phone credit. My fingers clenched around the phone as I swallowed every argument and explanation at the tip of my tongue.

After forcing a smile, I lowered my voice and begged, "You heard the call, Stacie. My dad's asthma has relapsed. He's back in the hospital and urgently needs the medicine to survive.

"Could you lend me five thousand dollars? I'll pay you back the moment my paycheck comes next month."

Stacie flicked her curls back and didn't bother to hide the contempt in her eyes. "Can't you even come up with a new excuse when lying for money?

"Last week, you told me that your dad was stable, but now you're urgently asking for five thousand dollars for the medicine. Your little schemes can't be any more obvious, Reuben."

My knuckles paled from gripping the phone too hard, and my face burned. My throat felt stuffed with cotton, and I couldn't even muster the strength to argue.

I should have figured. To her, I would always be the useless loser who only reached out for money.

She had totally forgotten that I had handed over all my savings and my monthly paycheck to her after we got married. Even when I needed to top up my phone credit, I had to file an application request with her.

There was no way I could possibly own five thousand dollars.

"Stacie."

Tory suddenly spoke up and reached out to gently pat Stacie's back. "Reuben probably won't joke about his dad's illness.

"Besides, five thousand dollars isn't exactly a huge amount, so let's just help him out with the emergency. If the old man actually dies, the funeral would have to cost way more than that."

Sure enough, Stacie softened at his words. She affectionately pinched his cheek and said, "You're too kind, Tory. Anyone else would have stopped indulging his clumsy act."

She unlocked her phone, but her finger hovered over the transfer button and abruptly stopped. Her eyes, which once looked at me with smiles, now held only cold calculation.

"If you want money, you should at least show the right attitude when you're asking for a favor, shouldn't you?"

My heart clenched as I had a feeling of what was coming, but at the thought of the money, I could only grit my teeth and wait for her to continue.

"You were acting pretty arrogant a minute ago, weren't you?"

She raised her chin and pointed to the glass in front of Tory. "Apologize to Tory, give him a proper toast, and finish this entire bottle of tequila. Do that, and I'll give you the five thousand dollars."

With that, she casually grabbed an unopened bottle of high-proof tequila from the table and slammed it onto the table in front of me.

"If you're too chicken to drink, that's fine, too. Get on your knees and beg him. Every time you apologize to him, I'll give you 500 dollars. Ten apologies for five thousand dollars sounds like a good deal, right?"