Chapter 1 A Human Life

Ethan Morales slapped a bank card down in front of his wife, Olivia White, anxiously questioning her, “Where did the hundred thousand Atharian currency in my card go?” “A hundred thousand? What do you mean?” Seated before the vanity table, Olivia looked up. “I mean the hundred thousand in this card! I just went to the hospital to pay for my mom's surgery, but there's no money left in the card!” Ethan exclaimed anxiously. “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Olivia said, applying lipstick in front of the mirror without turning around. “I gave all that money to my mom. You know, my younger brother, Henry, is about to get married.” Ethan looked at his wife in disbelief, his lips trembling as he asked again, “What did you say? You gave it all to your mom?” “Exactly,” Olivia said nonchalantly. “After Henry gets married, he'll have to move out. This money is just in time for him to buy a house.” “Just in time?” Ethan finally couldn't hold back. Suffering from an emotional breakdown, he roared at Olivia, “Didn't I tell you? This was my mom's emergency fund, so don't use it! Don't use it! Don't use it! The hospital is ready for the surgery now, and we're short of one hundred thousand. Do you know how desperate I was when I couldn't fork out the money?” Upon hearing those words, Olivia abruptly slammed her lipstick onto the table. Pointing at Ethan's nose, she shrieked, “Why are you shouting at me? My mom requested the money. As her daughter, how could I not give it? Besides, my younger brother is your family too! How could you have the audacity not to lend a hand for the preparation of his wedding?” Facing the woman who was pointing at his nose, Ethan felt a surge of anger welling up within him. However, he forcefully suppressed his emotions and said, “Fine, I won't argue with you. Now, I'm asking you, can we get the money back? After all, my mom is still waiting to undergo her surgery.” However, Olivia refused to let it end like this. She continued to shriek like a mad woman, “Your mom! Your mom! Your mom! Can't you consider our own family for once? Your mom is already on the verge of death. Do you know how much money we've spent on her these past few years? Now, you want to spend this hundred thousand on someone on her deathbed? I'm telling you! No way!” After she finished speaking, Olivia didn't wait for Ethan to respond. She picked up her bag and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Ethan stood alone, as still as a piece of wood. After a few seconds, he slammed his hand down on the table, then pulled out his phone and dialed the number of Olivia's mother, Teresa White. The call connected quickly, and Teresa's indifferent voice came from the receiver. “What do you need?” “Teresa,” Ethan said nervously. “Did Olivia transfer you a hundred thousand? That's the money for my mom's surgery. She's having surgery today, so could you please return it to me first—” “Rubbish!” Before Ethan could finish his sentence, he was rudely interrupted by Teresa. She shrieked, “Yes, I did receive the money, but it was a gift from Olivia. It has nothing to do with your mom. Besides, I've already spent the money to buy a new car for Henry. There's no way I can give it back to you!” “What?” Ethan couldn't help but exclaim. “Didn't I buy a car for Henry before? Teresa, could you please return the new car? I really need the money urgently!” On the other end of the line, Teresa scoffed. “Ethan, oh Ethan, I've always been against Olivia marrying you. I knew you were a scoundrel from the start. Who would have thought you'd have the nerve to say such things? Henry is, after all, your family too. He finally managed to buy a car he likes, and you have the audacity to ask him to return it?” “In your opinion, is my mom's life worth less than a car?” Ethan couldn't help but blurt out. Teresa had already lost her patience to listen to him any further, and she promptly hung up the call. Ethan listened to the machine tone on the receiver, covering his face in exhaustion. He remembered the day, three years ago, when he had proposed to Olivia. Back then, he felt he might have been the most fortunate person in the world. However, married life did not turn out as he had anticipated. Olivia might have been a suitable girlfriend, but she was certainly not a competent wife. She still held a deep attachment to her birth family, sending a substantial amount of money to her mother, Teresa, every month. That money, however, came entirely from Ethan's salary. Olivia's brother, Henry White, was a complete scoundrel. Not only did he frequently ask for money, but he also demanded that Ethan buy him a car. When Ethan refused, he requested Olivia to cause a ruckus at home, leaving Ethan with no choice but to buy Henry an Audi worth twenty thousand Atharian currency. Unexpectedly, Henry raced cars in college and ended up hitting a female student, landing her in the hospital. He had to pay a hefty sum as compensation. Needless to say, the money also came from Ethan. By now, Ethan's savings had been completely drained by Olivia's family. Even the hundred thousand he had set aside for his mother's surgery had been stolen. Thinking of his mother, who was suffering from liver cancer and waiting for surgery in the hospital, Ethan couldn't help but feel the urge to break down in tears. However, at that moment, his phone rang again. Ethan thought that Teresa had finally developed a conscience and decided to pay him back. However, upon picking up the phone, he realized the caller was his superior at the company, Billy. “Ethan, come to the office. There's something important I need to discuss with you.” Before Ethan could even ask, Billy had already hung up the phone. Billy's tone was rather cold, which made Ethan feel somewhat uneasy. Therefore, he had no choice but to pull himself together, wiping his face and hurriedly heading toward the company.