Tonight was the grand birthday banquet for Mrs. Rose Williams, the seventy-year-old matriarch of the influential Williams family.
The hall was filled with laughter, as family members proudly presented their extravagant gifts to Mrs. Williams.
"Grandma, I know you love tea. I got you this century-old Pu'er tea brick, worth 500,000 dollars as your birthday gift."
"Grandma, this jade Buddha is carved from the finest jade and costs 700,000 dollars. I knew you would appreciate it."
Mrs. Rose Williams smiled warmly at each offering, delighting in the attention of her family, while the mood in the room grew more cheerful.
Then, her eldest grandson-in-law, Jack, suddenly stood up and spoke, "Grandma, could you lend me a million dollars? Mrs. Harper, the woman who raised me, is in the hospital with uremia and needs immediate treatment."
The room fell into a stunned silence. All eyes turned toward Jack, the son-in-law everyone whispered about.
Three years ago, Jack had married Rose's eldest granddaughter, Lily, at her late husband's insistence. Jack had been penniless, an orphan raised by Mrs. Harper at a small orphanage, and the family had never truly accepted him. In their eyes, Jack was nothing more than a burden, a charity case who didn't belong in their wealthy world.
Tonight, on Mrs. Williams' birthday of all days, Jack hadn't even brought a gift—worse, he was asking for money! The audacity!
Lily quickly stepped forward, trying to smooth things over. "Grandma, Jack didn't mean to offend you. Please, don't take it to heart."
Before she could say more, Lily's cousin, Amber, sneered, "Really, Lily? Look at the man you married. He's a disgrace to the family! No gift and now he's begging for money? It's pathetic."
Her fiancé, Ryan, laughed. "Exactly, Jack. We're both sons-in-law of the Williams family, but look at you—a complete failure. You should learn from those who actually contribute to this family."
The room erupted in murmurs, the mockery growing louder. Jack clenched his fists but said nothing. He had long been accustomed to the scorn of the Williams family, but tonight, he had no choice but to endure it. Mrs. Harper, the woman who had given him everything, was critically ill, and he was desperate to help her.
But Mrs. Rose Williams' face darkened, and she slammed her teacup down, shattering the tense silence. "How dare you ask me for money on my birthday? Do you think I'm running a charity?"
Her voice cut through the air like a knife. "If you were even half the man Lily deserved, you wouldn't be begging me for help. You are an embarrassment to this family!"
Amber, sensing her moment to strike, added with a smirk, "Lily, you could do so much better. Divorce him and marry someone like Wendell, a man worthy of our family's name."
Wendell Thompson, a wealthy businessman, had been interested in Lily for years. The Williams family had long hoped she would leave Jack and marry Wendell to secure the family's standing.
Ryan, eager to outshine Jack, chimed in, "You know, Wendell just sent Grandma a jade amulet worth three million dollars as a birthday gift. Now *that's* the kind of son-in-law this family deserves!"
The butler entered the room, carefully placing the amulet in front of Mrs. Williams. The glowing green stone caught everyone's attention, and a wave of admiration swept through the room.
Mrs. Williams held up the jade amulet, her voice softening. "Now, *this* is a real gift. Wendell truly understands the meaning of family."
She turned to Lily, her tone laced with expectation. "What do you say, Lily? Divorce Jack, and I'll give you the million dollars for Mrs. Harper's treatment."
The room went quiet again, all eyes now on Lily.
But Lily shook her head firmly. "I'm not divorcing Jack. He's my husband, and I won't turn my back on him."
The tension in Mrs. Williams' face returned, and her voice turned icy. "If you want to stand by this worthless man, then both of you are no longer welcome in my house. Get out!"
Lily's face turned pale. Jack stood up quickly, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Lily, stay. This is my problem. I'll leave."
Jack turned and walked out of the mansion, the cruel laughter of Amber and Ryan following him as he left.
---
Jack headed straight to the hospital, his mind racing. When he arrived, he rushed to the nurse's station, ready to beg for more time to pay Mrs. Harper's medical bills.
To his surprise, the nurse smiled. "Oh, someone's already taken care of the bill. Mrs. Harper's been transferred to the best hospital in the city for her treatment."
Jack froze. "What? Who paid for it?"
"I don't know the details," the nurse replied. "But someone's already paid a million dollars toward her treatment. The remaining two million is due in a week."
Jack was dumbfounded. Who could have done this?
As he turned to leave, he noticed an older man in a black suit standing nearby, watching him intently.
The man approached and bowed slightly. "Young Master, it's been a long time."
Jack frowned. "Do I know you?"
The man smiled softly. "You may not remember me, but I am Mr. Evans, the steward of the Thompson family."
Jack's face hardened. "The Thompson family? I want nothing to do with them."
Mr. Evans sighed. "Your grandfather has been searching for you for many years, Jack. He wants you to come home."
Jack clenched his fists. "He's the reason my parents fled, and they died because of him. I don't want his money or his forgiveness."
Mr. Evans nodded, his expression somber. "Your grandfather understands. But he wishes to make amends. He asked me to give you this."
Mr. Evans handed Jack a sleek Citibank card. "There's a small amount of money on this card. The password is your birthday."
Jack shook his head. "I don't want anything from him."
Mr. Evans bowed again. "There are ten billion dollars on this card. Your grandfather only hopes it will help you in your time of need."