C1 Under the Roof of Others

"Honey, could I borrow another $10,000? The hospital is pressing me for payment..."

Fischer said this, his face awash with shame as he looked at his wife, Rosailla.

Rosailla paused, a weary sigh escaping her lips before she pulled a stack of bills from her purse and handed them over.

With his head bowed, Fischer accepted the money, murmuring a soft "thank you."

Rosailla, tall and graceful with her oval face and delicate features, truly embodied the phrase "peerless beauty."

While Fischer was handsome in his own right, he paled in comparison to her.

Three years prior, Fischer, fresh from diploma school and full of ambition like any young person, faced a harsh reality when his mother, who had single-handedly raised him, was diagnosed with uremia.

Amidst his financial worries for her treatment, Rosailla, his high school crush of three years, sought him out with a proposition: marry her as a matrilocal son-in-law, and she would provide a generous dowry.

Fischer was aware that Rosailla had never loved him, and that her offer was motivated by another man. Yet, desperate to afford his mother's care, he agreed.

For three years, Fischer toiled tirelessly for the Murray family.

Despite his efforts, Rosailla's parents never accepted him, often subjecting him to ridicule and scorn.

Rosailla herself, while not openly mocking him, had not once been intimate with him during their marriage.

It was at this moment that Rosailla's mother entered the room.

Upon seeing Rosailla handing money to Fischer, she reacted as if stung, exclaiming, "Rosailla, why are you giving money to this loser again?"

"Fischer, just how much have you taken from our family over the years?"

"Have you ever contributed even a penny to this household?"

The sharp barbs from his mother-in-law made Fischer hang his head even lower.

"Mom, I'll pay Rosailla back eventually. Right now, my mother is still waiting for dialysis..."

Her voice icy, his mother-in-law retorted, "What does your mother's illness have to do with us? Are we your personal bank? Are you aware that Rosailla's company is facing its toughest challenge right now?"

After speaking, she turned to Rosailla and firmly stated, "You can't give him the money!"

While saying this, she lunged forward, attempting to wrestle the cash from Fischer's grasp.

"Mom, let it go."

Rosailla's weary voice intervened, "The company's problems can't be fixed with just ten thousand. Let it go."

Seeing Rosailla's exhausted demeanor, Fischer was acutely aware of her profound disappointment in him.

Her cosmetics company was in the midst of a severe crisis, and he was powerless to assist or be the support she needed.

His mother-in-law's discontent with Fischer had escalated to a boiling point. In a fit of rage, she exclaimed, "I don't see the point in having you around! Other men are making money for their families, while you just keep asking for it. You're the epitome of uselessness!"

Just after twelve, a knock at the door interrupted the tension.

Fischer's brow furrowed, a mix of embarrassment and anger bubbling up inside him.

Rosailla's face, however, betrayed a hint of resignation and sorrow as she rose to answer the door.

"Miss Murray, here are today's flowers. Please sign for them."

The delivery man stood outside, an ostentatiously large bouquet of fiery red roses in hand.

The sight of the roses made Fischer's hands ball into fists; he knew they were from Cornell, Rosailla's persistent admirer.

Three years prior, Cornell had left for overseas despite Rosailla's pleas, prompting her to angrily take Fischer in as her matrilocal son-in-law.

But upon Cornell's return from his studies abroad a year ago, he immediately resumed his dogged pursuit of Rosailla.

In stark contrast to Fischer's humble background, Cornell was not only a finance management prodigy but also hailed from a family that had recently risen to local prominence.

Since Rosailla had spurned Cornell's initial rose offering a year ago, he had not missed a single day in his relentless campaign of sending her flowers.

Such persistence would have swayed many, but Rosailla seemed to have severed her past affections for Cornell, steadfastly rejecting his advances, much to Fischer's relief.

Nevertheless, Fischer's mother-in-law was eager for Rosailla to divorce Fischer and rekindle her relationship with Cornell.

With this move, the challenges facing Rosailla's company could be resolved.

Cornell's family had considerable clout, and lending her a hand would be a breeze for them.

But Rosailla wasn't having any of it.

She told the delivery man, "I'm sorry, but I can't accept this. Please take it back."

Her mother-in-law quickly rose to her feet, exclaiming, "Cornell is such a romantic. Rosailla, why can't you just accept the gesture?"

"Here, I'll sign for it!"

She beamed a coquettish smile as she accepted the bouquet of fiery red roses.

Rosailla held back any rebuke toward her mother's behavior, but her face grew visibly more fatigued.

"Mom, I need to talk to the bank about a loan. I have to go now."

With that, Rosailla grabbed her bag and left the house.

The moment Rosailla departed, the tension in the living room thickened.

Fischer's mother-in-law, clutching the roses, gushed, "These roses are stunning. Cornell is such a wonderful young man. Not only does he come from a wealthy family, but he's also so talented and romantic..."

Fischer's face flushed with discomfort. He stood up and announced, "Mom, I'm off to the hospital."

Ignoring the scorn on his mother-in-law's face, he quickly left.

Outside, Fischer's heart ached with a heavy sense of indignity.

The taste of one's pride being trampled was bitter indeed.

He had contemplated changing his circumstances, but with the modest earnings from his sales job barely covering his mother's medical bills, what power did he have to alter his fate?

The harsh reality felt like an oppressive chain, suffocating Fischer's every breath.

...

At the nurse's station in the city hospital.

"Hello, I'm here to pay for Sienna's medical bills."

The nurse glanced up at Fischer, checked the computer, and offhandedly remarked, "The medical fees for Sienna have already been covered by someone, who paid a full million, including the costs for a kidney transplant and post-operative recovery."

Fischer was taken aback. Having grown up without his father, he and his mother had relied solely on each other in this city, with scarcely any friends or family to call on.

He couldn't fathom that someone had taken care of his medical bills.

"Miss, could you find out who paid my medical expenses for me?"

Fischer's curiosity got the better of him. But it wasn't just curiosity; he always held onto his mother's teaching that a person might be without money, but should never lack ambition.

Sadly, over the past three years, it wasn't just ambition that had eroded, but seemingly his dignity as well.

"It was a tall, slender man. I didn't catch his name."

"Oh, and he left this for you."

The nurse, as if suddenly remembering something crucial, quickly retrieved a document envelope from her drawer and handed it to Fischer.

Fischer made his way to the hospital's garden, his curiosity piqued as he opened the envelope.

Inside, there was nothing but an iPad and a bank card.

"What's the meaning of this?"

With a measure of caution, Fischer powered on the iPad, and a video call popped up immediately. A gaunt elderly man spoke with deference:

"Good day, Young Master Fischer. My name is Eliasz. I must inform you that, per the late Mr. Myers' will, you are the sole heir to his trillion-dollar estate."

Fischer's mind went blank. "My father?"

"Correct," Eliasz confirmed with a nod. "Your father was the esteemed chairman of the Myers Group, a global business titan."

He added, "I've emailed you a document—a 560-page asset list detailing all of Mr. Myers' estate. You can assume the role of chairman of the Myers Group whenever you wish!"

Upon hearing this, Fischer immediately shook his head. "No, I won't do it!"

"Why not?" Eliasz asked, taken aback.

Fischer's expression was grave as he replied, "He abandoned my mother and me. I cannot forgive him."