“Ma, no matter what you say, he’s still Kylie’s father and your son-in-law. Don’t ridicule him like that anymore!”

“Those matters from the past are far behind us now. You should stop talking about it too!”

Selena was just as kind and understanding as before.

“Bullsh*t! We’ve never recognized him as our son-in-law. This doesn’t count!” Fiona retorted.

“That’s right. If not for him, my leg wouldn’t be in this state!” Andrew was similarly holding his grudge.

“But what mistake did he commit? Back then, I slept with him out of spite. I didn’t expect myself to be pregnant from that!”

Selena felt helpless. It was indeed her own brazen action that caused this. However, she really could not bear aborting the child.

The situations they face up to that point were considered compensations for the mistake she made back then.

“But you didn’t have to carry the child. You...you’re really trying to give me a heart attack!”

Fiona stomped her foot in frustration.

“Nevermind. It is what it is. He’s back from the war. Let’s just see if he can find something to do in the future. Our lives will improve eventually!”

Andrew took out a cigarette and lit it. He was indeed angry when he saw Fane, but at that point, there was nothing he could do. After all, Kylie was his granddaughter, the flesh and blood of his own daughter.

“How much better can it get? Can it compare to back when we were staying in the townhouse?”

Fiona was still huffing angrily.

“Selena, where’s my mother? How come I haven’t seen her?”

Fane frowned. He had been back for quite a while, but he had yet to see his mother. Shauna told him earlier that his mother was staying with them.

“She’s still working. We can’t help that. Your mother is uncultured and old. She can only work as a cleaner outside. Her monthly salary is quite low, and she has split some over for us. As a family, we can only make do!” Selena finally said after a bitter smile.

“Come, bring me to her! You should know which street she’s in charge of, right?”

Hearing that his own mother was working as a cleaner and the entire family’s income was dependent on her and Selena’s trash collecting, Fane felt very uncomfortable.

“Brat, I’m telling you that you need to divorce our Selena. Moreover, I won’t let you off without at least ten million bucks of compensation for her lost youth!”

Just as they were leaving, Fiona’s furious outburst could be heard from behind.

…

At that moment, the scorching sun was high in the sky. The blazing summer day caused the temperature on the ground to rise continuously.

On the side of a street, a middle-aged woman was holding onto a hat as she cleaned the road.

Thud!

An empty mineral water bottle was thrown right in front of that middle-aged woman.

The middle-aged woman raised her head and saw two youngsters along with some girls in sexy short dresses. She shook her head in resignation. “Sigh, youngsters these days...they don’t even know how to throw it into the trash can right there.”

Unexpectedly, the cleaner’s lamentation was heard by the other party.

“F*ck, you’re just a cleaner. Why are you spouting so much nonsense?”

“I’m throwing it in front of you. What about it? If I don’t throw my trash here, you cleaners would be getting paid for nothing, isn’t it?” The youngster that threw the bottle immediately started running his mouth.

Having said that, he followed with spitting on the floor. “People from the lower rung of society can only get so far!”

“That’s right. If not for us creating trash, they’ll be unemployed!”

One of the young girls with curly hair was wearing a black skirt and pantyhose. She started chewing on sunflower seed and threw the shells all over the place. “Clean it up. If you don’t clean properly, you might get a pay cut!”

The two youngsters joined in and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, munching away. “That’s right. Auntie, clean it properly. Hahaha!”

“Y-y-you guys are still so young, yet so uncultured. The trash can is right there. Don’t you know that littering is a very uncultured thing to do?”

The cleaning lady was aggravated. Under the hot blazing summer sun, she was on the verge of passing out from the heat, yet the street that she spent so much effort cleaning up was…

“Haha, you’re teaching me about culture? You’re just a cleaner, yet you’re talking about culture. What a joke!”

The first youngster burst into laughter once more.

Witnessing the scene, Fane and Selena almost had an aneurysm. These youngsters were too uncivilized.

“What’s the point of you guys bullying an elderly here?”

Before Fane could take a step forward, Selena was already rushing up to them, shouting angrily, “What’s with that behavior? People are working so hard to clean the street. Can’t you guys just do your part to maintain a nice environment?”

“Aiyo, pretty lady, are you trying to stand up for her? You look pretty and have a shapely body. However, you’re a little too poor. Look at those patchy clothes!”

That youngster shot a look at Selena and was surprised by what he saw. This woman was wearing such old and simple clothes, yet they could not cover up her beauty.

“Don’t you know to mind your own business?”

The two girls, instead, gave Selena disgusted looks.

“Selena, why are you here?”

Fane’s mother, Joan Xavier quickly pulled Selena back. “Nevermind, it’s fine. They’ll go away after a while. I’ll just clean it up after that!”

“Mother, they’re too much. They’ve crossed the line!”

Selena felt uncomfortable. Her fists were tightly gripped, but she could not do anything.

“Hey pretty, you look quite cute when you’re angry!”

The youngster took a look, growing more excited. He could not resist teasing, “Come here. If you give me a kiss, we’ll stop littering. Deal?”

“You dare pick on my woman!?”

Fane could not hold back any longer. He stepped forward and stared them in the eye.

“You’re…”

Joan was caught off guard. She quickly recognized Fane and started tearing up. “Fane, y-y-you’re back?”

Fane turned around. His eyes were similarly tearing up, grabbing Joan’s hands tightly, “Ma, I’m sorry. Your son made you suffer. I was unable to be by your side for the past five years!”

“No, I’m fine. I’m doing just fine!”

“All that matters is that you’re home safe and sound. They all said that you’ve died on the battlefield. I knew you’d definitely come back alive!”

Joan’s passionate tears flowed as her voice trembled. Her pair of old callused hands holding onto Fane’s hands quietly, fearing that it would be all a dream if she let go of them.

“I’m back, I’m really back. We’ll never be separated again and live comfortably in the future!” Fane nodded repeatedly. “Your son has been unfilial for making you worried!”

“No, no, you’re a good boy. I know you married into the family just to get money for my treatment. You went to war for our country!”

Joan’s tears blurred her eyesight. “I’m very satisfied to have such a son!”

“F*ck, are you guys from the entertainment department? What’s with all these dramatic flairs? Sickening!”

That youngster was frustrated. However, his words caused Fane’s eyes to flicker with murderous intent.

“That’s right. These bums are talking about war and bringing glory to the country. What a joke!”

The other youngster snickered along.

Bang, bang!

However, the very next instant, both youngsters only saw a blur then was sent flying away and slammed into the wall behind them, causing it to crash.

“Pfft!”

Both of them spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Their legs stiffened, then stopped moving.

“Ah! Murder!”

Both the girls shrieked as though they had just seen a ghost, running away immediately.

“Oh no, Fane, you’ve killed someone. What if they’re some important people or belong to some organization? What’re we going to do?”

Seeing the two of them lying there motionless, Joan went pale. “Y-y-you’re just too hot-headed. This is not the battlefield. There are some people that we can’t afford to offend. Do you think you’re still on the battlefield where killing your opponent was fine?”

“Why can’t you hold your temper? They’ve only said a few words!”

Selena was extremely frustrated as well, unsure of what to do.

Seeing how the two women he cared for the most was worrying about him, Fane felt his heart all warmed up.

“Ma, Selena, don’t you worry. They’ve just passed out. I know how to hold back. They’ll be waking up in a while!” Fane made a bitter smile as he explained.

“Really?”

Selena quickly stepped forward and placed her fingers under their noses for confirmation. She then let out a sigh of relief. “They’re still breathing. It should be fine.”

“Come, let’s leave quickly!” Joan ushered while looking around.

“Ma, let’s go. You can forget about your job. It’s about time for you to enjoy your life!”

Fane looked at both women with a carefree smile on his face, stating, “Let’s go. It’s still early. I’ll bring you both to buy a few sets of suitable clothes!”

“A few sets?”

Hearing that, Joan was shocked. “And where is your money? Furthermore, how can I stop working? There are so many people I need to feed. Our whole family is depending on Selena and me! Son, listen to me. Selena had suffered a lot of hardships for Kylie’s sake. You better treat her well and not let her down!”

“That can’t be it. Father-in-law’s leg might be stopping him from working, but mother-in-law and Clifford should be able to work right? Are they also being suppressed at work?”

Fane scowled. Clifford Taylor was still young in the past and was unable to be enlisted. However, five years have passed and he should be an adult by now. He should be helping out the family.

“Sigh!” Speaking of them, Joan could not help but sigh deeply. “They’re blaming everything on you for their ill fate. Moreover, they’re used to being pampered back when they were in the Taylor family. How do you expect them to be willing to work? They’re just unwilling to look for work!”

“My brother is too useless. He hardly comes home, and every time he does, it’s to ask for money!”

Speaking of the useless brother, even Selena was frustrated.

Having said that, Selena looked at Fane. “However, now that Fane’s back, the Taylor family didn’t set any restrictions on him. It’d be great if he can go get a job soon!”

“Them restricting me?”

Hearing that, Fane chuckled. “It’s already very kind of me to not suppress the Taylor family!”

“Look at you. Just because you’ve been a soldier, you’re behaving all different now. You’ve grown tougher. However, it has also made you boastful!”

Joan looked at her son, her face glowing blissfully. Everyone told her that Fane was surely dead, but she did not believe them. She was sure that Fane would make it back safely eventually, and that day arrived.

“Come on, let’s go get you some clothes!”

Fane pushed Joan forward.

“Where did your money come from?”

Selena thought for a moment, then a sudden realization hit her. “Oh right, I’ve heard that the soldiers returning from war are given rewards. Seems like you’ve gotten some rewards, didn’t you?”

“Is that so?”

Joan was delighted. “Then that should be tens of thousand bucks, right? You’ve been a soldier for five full years after all. However, you should be thrifty. Kylie is about to start kindergarten. Nowadays, better kindergartens are very expensive!”

“It should be more than tens of thousand bucks. I’ve heard from several people returning from the battlefield. One of them was awarded over two hundred thousand bucks, and that’s a common occurrence!”

Selena gave it some thought, then smiled delightfully. “That’s wonderful. If we have two hundred thousand bucks, then our lives would be more comfortable.”

“Ma, you don’t need to worry about it. If Kylie’s attending kindergarten, it must be the best kindergarten!”

Fane took Joan and Selena along, quickly arriving at a huge shopping mall.

He stopped in his tracks and held onto Selena’s hand, saying in full seriousness, “Selena, you don’t need to collect trash anymore. You can work to kill time if you want. If you don’t feel like working, I’ll take care of you!”

“What’re you talking about? There are so many people watching!”

Selena’s face turned scarlet immediately as she quickly retracted her hand.

To be honest, she had little feelings for Fane. Back then, she was forced into the marriage. It was out of spite that she got herself drunk, resulting in that incident.

However, she really could not bear to abort her own child. Moreover, Fane was a filial son and seemed to have a decent personality. It was because of her child that she held on for so long.

Now that Fane suddenly held her hand, she felt extremely shy.

“Let’s go in and have a look. However, Fane, don’t you buy anything for me. You should buy some for your in-laws. They’ve suffered a lot of hardships for the past five years because of you!”

Joan, on the other hand, just smiled at them. She obviously hoped that Fane could gain the recognition of his in-laws.

“For clothes, it’s better to bring them over to pick for themselves. If I buy it for them, it might not suit them!” Fane answered after some consideration. They were his in-laws after all. They have suffered hardships all these years because of him, yet he had never treated them properly for even a day. Their dissatisfaction with him was understandable.

Very quickly, Fane brought them to the second floor of the shopping mall.

“Fane, I think it’s better for us to shop around on the first floor. The clothes on the second floor are mostly branded. There are even international brands. Those are expensive!” Selena whispered to him after looking around.

“Really? Are they that expensive?”

Upon hearing that, Joan urged, “Son, let’s go downstairs. Those on the first floor are cheaper. Just buy some for your wife. That’s sufficient. Don’t worry about me. I still have quite a lot of clothes!”

“I don’t need them. Just buy some for your mother instead!” Selena interjected. She was also thinking of saving some money.

“Let’s stop this. Listen to me. We’ll shop here!”

One on each hand, Fane pulled both of them and strode right into an exclusive store.

“No no no, this is too expensive…” Selena retorted, but it was too late. Fane was very persistently strong, dragging them into the store easily.

However, right as they entered the store, she immediately kept quiet. After all, she knew not to embarrass Fane in public.

However, unbeknownst to them, their apparels immediately attracted disgusted glares.

“Are these three people sane? They look so dirty. Look at that woman wearing a street cleaner’s uniform and a straw hat. Good heavens, isn’t this an exclusive store for that famous international brand?”

A rich woman sneered coldly as she looked over whilst picking her clothes. She was holding onto a branded bag.

“I’m sorry, madam. I’ll have them leave immediately!”

The beautiful saleswoman beside her immediately responded with a customary smile, then turned around to instruct the other saleswoman, “Go, send them out of here. Don’t let them lower our store’s class!”

The saleswoman quickly strutted over in her high heels and approached Fane’s group of three. “Hello. Are you here to buy clothes? We’re a branded store. Our products are from overseas and of high quality…”

That saleswoman was an experienced employee. She was sure that when put that way, those poor people would naturally realize that they came to the wrong place and quietly take their leave.

However, she had obviously made a mistake this time.

Fane looked around, then stated, “High class is good. I’m looking to buy some classy clothes for my mother and wife. I won’t accept anything of lower class!”

“What?!”

The saleswoman was stunned. “Sir, are you sure?”

Fane looked at Selena who stood beside him. “My wife is so pretty and graceful. Shouldn’t she wear something classy?”

“Hehe, of course. It’s just that I’m worried you would have issues with the payment later.”

The saleswoman chuckled. If not for maintaining the store’s image, she would have told him off directly. How could these poor blokes afford their goods?

“What issues?”

Fane could not be bothered. He immediately pointed at a dress and stated, “Selena, that dress looked decent. I think it’ll suit you!”

“It’s fine. I don’t really like that color. Fane, I think we should leave!”

Selena was feeling nervous. Before her marriage, she would frequent stores like this.

However, at that moment, she felt extremely restrained.

“You don’t like this color? That’s quite a good excuse!”

Unexpectedly, that rich lady had approached them. She sneered, “Just admit that you can’t afford it. Is there a point to keep up with the facade? What’s the point of keeping up appearances if you’re poor? Only the rich are worthy of keeping up with appearances!”

“Poor? Based on what are you judging our wealth?”

Fane was pissed. He did not mind others badmouthing him. However, that was aimed at Selena. It was unacceptable.

“Where else?”

Seeing that Fane dared to retort her, she immediately took up the confrontation. “Just about anywhere. How can a street cleaner and two poorly dressed people afford to buy clothes here? Have a look for yourself. This dress itself is priced at five figures. Can you see it?”

“What! F-f-five figures!”

Joan was shocked. She was really taken aback. She knew that it would be expensive, but she thought it would at most be one or two thousand bucks. She never expected it to hit five figures.

“Fane, why don’t we forget about it? We can go look elsewhere!”

Joan looked at Fane with a frown.

“Ma, don’t you worry about this matter. The clothes here are for the younger folks. I’ll pick some for Selena first. I’ll help you pick some later!”

Faced with his mother, Fane’s expression was a lot gentler.

“This one. Selena, go give it a try!”

Fane picked the one that he liked and passed it to Selena.

“You really want me to try it on?”

Selena frowned. Women liked to look beautiful. She naturally wanted to wear this type of clothes as well.

However, her current situation was unlike before. She was no longer the pretty director from before, nor the Taylor family’s Eldest Miss.

Even if Fane had over two hundred thousand bucks from his reward, that was earned from him risking his life.

She did not want to spend Fane’s hard-earned money this way.

“Go try it on. What are you afraid of?!”

Fane pushed Selena into the changing room.

“Wait a minute. Look at her covered in dirt. What if she dirtied our clothes? By then I’m afraid we can’t sell them anymore!” The beautiful saleswoman asked angrily as her expression darkened.

“If you continue spouting nonsense, I’ll give you a beating.”

Fane shot her a glare. That intimidating aura caused her to cower and took a few steps back.

“You’re not letting us try the clothes out before buying? What’s the point of the changing rooms?”

Fane retorted coldly, then ushered Selena into the changing room.

Selena looked at Fane. It all seemed like a dream to her. The Fane right then was really very different from before.

‘Is this the same delivery boy from five years ago who willingly marry into my family and enlist for war in Ivan’s place for one million bucks?’

At that moment, Fane seemed very manly and domineering.

She smiled, then quickly changed and walked out of the changing room.

“Selena, you’re really beautiful in this dress. Absolutely stunning!”

Joan took a look and her eyes brightened. “If it’s ten thousand, so be it. We’ll buy this. All these years, my Fane hasn't bought you anything before. This is something he should have gotten for you. If not because of our lack of money, it won’t matter even if you buy ten of them!”

“It’s really beautiful, but I think it’s a little too expensive!”

Selena frowned. Although she was unwilling to part with it, she still suggested, “Why don’t we look around for a little? There are many shops we haven’t checked out yet!”

“Just buy it if it looks good. Money is not a problem!”

Meanwhile, Fane passed her another two dresses. “These two look good too. Try it on!”

“Wait a minute. You can’t try this dress!” The beautiful saleswoman quickly took one of the dresses from them. “Sir, this is a limited edition dress. It’s the only dress in the entire country. This dress is really expensive, priced at over a hundred thousand bucks! It’s the most expensive one in our store, so…”

Smack!

However, before she could finish her sentence, Fane had given her a slap. “What did I say earlier? Have you forgotten already? I’ve told you that I’d smack you if you continue spouting nonsense!”

“Y-y-you…”

The beautiful saleswoman almost had a stroke. What kind of person was that. So uncivilized. He really dared to hit her.

The saleswoman looked pitiful. She was at the verge of crying.

“Brat, you’re really daring huh? A poor bloke like you still dare to be this brazen? Now you’ve even hit someone. Poor folks like you shouldn’t be in stores like this! You said you’re rich right? Sure, just you wait. If you can’t afford to pay later, I, Sister Karen, won’t let you leave this store!”

Sister Karen was ruthless and chatty. After delivering her speech, she took out her iPhone and made a call. “Old Roger, bring some men to the South Wing on the second floor. I’m being bullied. There’s a poor bloke that’s acting insolently in my face!”

“Fane, what are you doing?”

Witnessing that, Selena frowned and said worriedly, “I think we better get going. I’m not trying it on!”

“They’re just looking down on us and spewing nonsense. If I don’t teach them a lesson, they won’t learn!”

Having said that, Fane took both dresses. “It’s fine not to try it. Pack this up. I think the size is about right!”

“I better try it on then!”

Selena was feeling helpless. Such an expensive dress. It would be a huge loss if they purchased it just to find it being the wrong size.

Furthermore, looking at Fane’s behavior, the purchase was unavoidable.

Before she could finish trying the two dresses, there were several bodyguards in suits standing in front of the door. Meanwhile, Sister Karen was also standing by the door, sneering at Fane.

“Sister Karen, that’s the poor bloke? Hehe, don’t worry. I’m used to dealing with this type of poor and insolent fool. I’ll let him know what cruelty means later!”