C1 Causing Trouble

"Hey, honey, I've got myself into a bit of a pickle on Antique Street. I accidentally shattered someone's vase, and now they're demanding eight million in damages!"

"What?!"

Zoie was already dealing with the Ramirez family's harassment at the company when she got the infuriating call from her freeloading husband. The news nearly sent her over the edge.

"Rollins, isn't mooching off my family enough for you? Now you've gone and caused a huge mess? Do you realize that even if we sold our house, we wouldn't have that kind of money?"

She barely finished her rant before adding bitterly, "I'm sorry, but I'm powerless to help with this. You'll have to figure it out on your own!"

With that, Zoie angrily ended the call.

Rollins, drenched in a cold sweat, thought helplessly, 'I didn't even get to explain. It was your dad, Hasten, who dropped the bottle, not me.'

To make matters worse, Zoie's dad had skedaddled, leaving Rollins to face the music. The antique shop's security was already on the hunt for Hasten.

Sure enough, within minutes, Hasten was dragged back by a group of imposing men, looking like a rooster who'd lost its last fight.

Rollins couldn't suppress a chuckle at the sight.

Meanwhile, the manager of Propitious Hall fixed Hasten with a steely gaze and said through clenched teeth, "You think you can smash our merchandise and just run off? I'm giving you until the end of the afternoon to come up with the money. If you can't pay up, I'll have you charged with intentional property damage. Eight million should ensure you're behind bars for life!"

Hasten was visibly shaking, turning to Rollins with a look of sheer desperation. "Rollins, my dear son-in-law! You can't abandon me now!"

Rollins responded with a sigh, "Dad, you know my situation. I'm jobless. My days are spent doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and walking the dogs. I don't even have a dime to spare. I'm truly at a loss here..."

Hasten blurted out in desperation, "Then you go to jail for me! The Ramirez family has taken care of you for three years; it's time you showed some gratitude!"

Rollins thought to himself with disbelief, 'How can this old man be so shameless? Does he not remember that I've worked for his family for three years without a dime in pay, all while respectfully not fathering a child with his daughter? And now he expects me to take his place in jail? Does he think I'm a pushover?'

Before Rollins could firmly decline, the store manager interjected, "We value integrity in our business, and you were the one who broke the bottle. This young man is not responsible. Even if he were willing to help you, I wouldn't allow it."

He then addressed Rollins, "Young man, you're free to go. But I suggest you call his family to figure something out for the damages. If not, by this afternoon, I'll have to take him to the police station."

Rollins gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Overwhelmed with fear, Hasten burst into tears and pleaded, "You can't just leave me here! What will I do if you go?"

Rollins exhaled and replied, "Dad, I'll call Zoie."

"Yes, call Zoie now!" Hasten urged, his voice tinged with hope.

Rollins pulled out his phone, dialed Zoie, and switched on the speakerphone.

"Zoie..." he began, only to be cut off.

"Rollins! I want to help, but I'm powerless here, and I certainly don't have the funds!"

"Zoie, if you'd just-"

"Rollins, you know I have no say over our family's finances. All the money is controlled by my mother, and I only have 200,000 in personal savings. If it can help you, it's yours."

"Zoie, I-"

"Rollins, I'm sorry, but I really don't have that kind of money!"

Hasten, who had been listening anxiously, suddenly burst out, "Zoie, it's me! I'm the one who broke the bottle. If we don't pay, they're going to lock me up. Please, think of something for your dad. I can't spend my life behind bars!"

Zoie never imagined that the one causing trouble wouldn't be Rollins, but her own father!

Her heart skipped a beat as she asked, "Dad, what happened?"

Hasten, amidst sobs and sniffles, confessed, "It's all my fault. I was so taken with that bottle's beauty, I couldn't let it go. I thought I'd sneak a photo to brag on Facebook, but as I reached for my phone, I lost my grip and the bottle shattered on the floor..."

Choking up, Hasten wailed, "Eight million! If we don't pay for it, I'll end up in prison!"

Zoie, frantic with worry, said, "Hold on, Dad. I'll call Mom. Where are you? We're coming right over!"

After all, it was her father who was in trouble, so Zoie, without a second thought, called her mother, and the two of them hurried to his side.

An eight-million-dollar vase was an astronomical sum for Zoie.

Despite the Ramirez family's notable wealth and status in Lincrin, Zoie's immediate family struggled.

Her father, Hasten, lacked the business acumen to secure his share of the family's resources and had long been ousted from the company. Now, his days were filled with bird-walking, chess-playing, and antique-collecting.

Zoie, marginalized within the Ramirez Group for marrying Rollins, whom they considered a good-for-nothing, lived modestly.

The sum total of Zoie's family assets was a house, a car, and just under two million in cash – meager by Ramirez standards.

Now, Hasten's mishap with the eight-million-dollar Song dynasty vase was a crushing blow to their already precarious finances.

As for Rollins, he was held in utter contempt by the Ramirez family, none of whom had any respect for him.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, this man, who seemed so subservient in Zoie's home, was actually the Young Master of the Lewis family, an esteemed lineage with a century-old heritage in Kinranos.

Four years ago, Rollins refused to go through with the marriage his family had arranged. Driven by his defiance, he left home and roamed the country alone.

During his travels, he encountered the venerable patriarch of the Ramirez family in Lincrin.

The Ramirez ancestors had once been servants to the Lewis family for generations. After the establishment of new China, the Lewis family had compensated them generously, enabling their return to their ancestral roots.

With the substantial settlement from the Lewis family, the Ramirez family invested wisely. Over the decades, they amassed significant influence in Lincrin.

This history fostered a deep respect within the Ramirez patriarch for the Lewis family, and by extension, for Rollins.

He welcomed Rollins into his home and, against popular opinion, arranged for his beloved granddaughter, Zoie, to marry him.

Honoring Rollins's request, the patriarch kept his true identity a secret from everyone.

Tragically, not long after the marriage, the patriarch passed away.

From that moment, Rollins faced the scorn of the Ramirez family members, who saw him as nothing more than a vagrant, unworthy even of servitude in their household, let alone marrying into it. They believed Zoie's marriage to such a man tarnished the family's reputation.

Moreover, Zoie was renowned for her beauty in Lincrin, coveted by the sons of wealthy families eager to make her their bride. Yet, she had chosen Rollins, which many saw as a squandering of a precious opportunity.

Little did the Ramirez family know, their own lineage traced back to servitude under the Lewis family.