I was raised in another country since I was a kid. Mom is worried that I might find her a wife who's of foreign descent, so she quickly finds me a beautiful and talented fiancee based in Bellevue and tells me to return to the country just to proceed with the engagement.

So, I head over to a fancy boutique to pick out my suit for the engagement banquet. That's when I notice a black suit with dark patterns woven into the material, which I quite like.

But when I'm about to try on that suit, the man next to me glances at it before telling the sales assistant, "This suit is pretty stylish. I'd like to try it on."

The sales assistant rips the suit from my hands immediately.

I retort angrily, "Hey! Ever heard of 'first come, first served'? I have my eyes on this suit first! You're being unreasonable right now!"

But the man just looks at me in disdain. "This suit is worth 188 thousand dollars! You really think a broke guy like you can afford this?

"I'll have you know that I'm very close to Yvonne Gardner, the CEO of Gardner Group. She dotes on me as if I were her brother. The Gardners are the ones ruling over Bellevue, you know!"

What a coincidence! Isn't this Yvonne woman my fiancee?

I call her on the spot. "Hey, your so-called brother has stolen the suit I plan on wearing to our engagement banquet. How do you think we should resolve this situation, hmm?"

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."

In my 26-years of life, this was the first time I had ever seen someone be so arrogant in front of me. "Do you mind repeating that? What was it you wanted me to yell?"

"Are you deaf or something? 'I'm a low-life fraud, and I'm sorry!' Is that really so hard to understand?"

I smiled faintly and said, "I heard you loud and clear. You've already acknowledged that you're a low-life fraud, so you should just get lost and stop being an eyesore in front of me."

Samuel realized in an instant that he had been made a fool of, and he lunged toward me, waving his arms about.

I found it utterly ridiculous, as I held a black belt in Taekwondo and felt no intimidation from his unskilled attacks. I delivered a lateral kick, causing Samuel to fall to the ground and cry out immediately.

In that instant, those around me looked at me in horror.

"Oh, my God! How does he have the nerve to treat Mr. Hill this way!"

"If Ms. Gardner were to find out about this, she would definitely have him torn limb from limb!"

"In this instance, even divine intervention cannot shield him from the consequences."

I remained unfazed by their chatter, knowing that the Gardner family only reached their current position because of Mom's help. I wasn't intimidated by anyone in Bellevue. I placed my card on the counter again and said, "Go settle my bill!"

In the end, the sales associate processed my card and began packing up the clothes with trembling hands. She seemed startled.

I picked up the bags and turned to leave, but Samuel managed to get back on his feet and cut me off once more, yelling, "You're not going anywhere!"

I lifted my hand and flexed it before him. "What's the matter? Do you want to try your luck against my fist again?"

I let out a sneer and walked toward the exit after Samuel flinched instinctively.

It was then that a black Maybach pulled up in front of the store, and a woman in stilettos stepped out. I looked up from her foot, feeling a sudden surge of excitement. She looked to be five feet and nine inches, and she had a slender waist and long legs. She also possessed an exceptionally striking face, devoid of any imperfections.

Samuel hurried over at once, feigning anguish. "He took the suit I wanted and even beat me, Yvonne."

I finally realized that the woman before me was my fiancee. I had strong preferences when it came to aesthetics, and Yvonne's appearance aligned perfectly with my ideals. I felt like I could forgive her for her earlier lack of manners based on her appearance alone.

I revealed what I thought was a captivating smile and said, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Nathan Chadwick, your fiance."

It was no wonder Mom said I would be pleased with the fiancee she had chosen for me—she clearly possessed a profound understanding of my preferences.

In that instant, everyone in the crowd gasped in surprise.

"Huh? He's actually Ms. Gardner's fiance?"

"I mean, a fiance is obviously more important than a 'brother' figure! I guess that explains why he was acting so cocky earlier!"

"I wouldn't be so sure. I think it'll still come down to who Ms. Gardner likes better."

Yvonne looked at me and said sharply, "You'd better not get ahead of yourself. That marriage is something my father arranged without my consent—I never agreed to it."

Samuel stood beside her. His arm was locked around her waist in an intimate gesture, and his gaze was filled with provocation. "How could Yvonne ever marry someone as ugly as you?"

It was then that someone chimed in, saying, "That's right! If Ms. Gardner were to marry someone, it would only be to a wealthy heir of equal standing! How could she possibly marry a country bumpkin? He's so pathetic that Gardner Group wouldn't even hire him to scrub the toilets!"

I had never regarded myself as exceptionally handsome, though I was certainly not unattractive. I couldn't believe how badly they were describing me. I simply mused that it was human nature to side with the powerful and trample on the weak.

"You can go tell your father that I'm breaking off the engagement with you. You're the one who isn't worthy of me, Yvonne!"

I had heard from Mom that Yvonne's father had gone to great lengths to secure this marital alliance with my family. If he were to learn that his daughter had personally ruined it, she would certainly face severe consequences.

I felt a bit better as I thought of that. I couldn't be bothered dealing with these idiots anymore, so I turned to leave.

Samuel refused to let it go, though. He once again reached out to block my path, relying on the backing he had. "You're not going anywhere, you bastard! You took the suit I wanted and hit me—I'm not done with you!"

I shot him a contemptuous glance. "How do you want to settle this, then?"

Thinking that I was scared of him, Samuel swung his hand to slap me. "I'll keep hitting you until I've had enough!"

I caught his wrist with one hand and used the other to deliver a swift, clean slap to his face.

Samuel looked at me in disbelief and bellowed, "How dare you hit me, you wretched—"

I backhanded him with another slap and asked coldly, "Is that enough for you?"

Those two slaps totally quelled Samuel's insolence. He sought refuge behind Yvonne with tear-filled eyes, pleading, "You have to do something about this, Yvonne!"

Yvonne protectively shielded Samuel, clearly pained by his distress. She then snapped, "You've got a lot of nerve laying a hand on someone who belongs to me! You must have a death wish!"

She then gestured for the bodyguards behind her to seize me.

I made the first move and knocked one of the men down, but I couldn't handle the second one. I collapsed to the ground in pain after taking several blows. They then hauled me up and dragged me over to stand before Yvonne and Samuel.

Yvonne offered her support to Samuel, stating, "You can do whatever you want to him today, Samuel. I've got your back no matter what!"

Upon hearing that, Samuel was instantly emboldened. He slapped me twice and then spat directly in my face. "You were acting so arrogant earlier, weren't you? Why don't you try being a tough guy now, you scumbag!"

After saying that, he kicked me right in the stomach.

I clutched my stomach in agony and looked up at him and Yvonne. "You've got a lot of nerve treating me this way! I'm going to make you pay for it!"

Samuel let out a derisive laugh. "You ought to know that the Gardner family is one of the three biggest powerhouses in Bellevue! Do you really think a mere pauper like you can go against me? I'll show you exactly what happens when you cross me!"

He produced a fruit knife from his bag and slashed it across my face. A searing pain hit my cheek at once as it swelled and began to bleed.

It was then that someone in the crowd lamented, saying, "He was told early on not to provoke the Gardner family, but he ignored the advice. He's now paying the price for it."

"It really is a shame to see such a good-looking face ruined like that."

"It's better for ordinary people like us to just keep our heads down and put up with things when we're out."

Samuel clutched the fruit knife, ready to cut my face again.

I was terrified of being permanently disfigured, so I hastily pleaded for mercy. "I'm sorry—it's all my fault! I'll give you the suit! I shouldn't have fought you for it!"

I simply thought that vengeance was a dish best served later; for the moment, the priority was getting out of there in one piece.

Samuel, however, ignored my plea and cut my face again. "It's a bit too late for an apology. I'm going to make sure I'm able to satisfy my grudge today. Don't think for a second that you're getting away from me!"

I screamed in pain and turned to Yvonne for help. "Do you not fear the implications of my true identity, Yvonne? You'll eventually regret letting him abuse me like this!"

Yvonne looked at me with contempt and asked, "What kind of identity could you possibly have? You only have this engagement because your manipulative mother bewitched my father into making that forced arrangement!"

Samuel's eyes flashed with malicious intent. "You're just as trashy as your mother! I'll strip you bare today and teach you a lesson in humility!"

"No!"

It was then that the phone in my bag started ringing. I struggled violently to reach it, but Samuel beat me to it. He swiped the screen to answer, and Mom's voice came through immediately. "How is the suit shopping going, Nathan?"

I shouted for help right away. "You have to come help me, Mom! I'm being attacked, and he's trying to strip me naked!"

Mom immediately panicked. "What? Who is responsible for it?"

Samuel cut in arrogantly. "I'm the one who did it! You're a whore who raised a son just like you! He's been acting like a total slut, so I'm just giving him what he deserves!"

Mom exclaimed anxiously, "I don't care who you are! You'd better let my son go this instant; otherwise, you'll be sorry when I get there!"

"I dare you to show up! I'll be waiting right here! I can't wait to tear you apart when you get here!" Samuel exclaimed. He then ended the call and threw the phone away, shattering it into pieces.

Samuel slapped me across the face again and snarled, "You're a fraud just like your mother! I'll strip her naked right alongside you once she gets here!"

I could feel the time slowly passing by, and even though only five minutes had passed, it felt like half a century to me. I eventually spotted a familiar Lincoln limousine heading our way.

Mom pushed the car door open and stepped out. "I want to see exactly who thinks they have the guts to lay a hand on me!"