Chapter 1. Gift from the Flea Market

"25 dollars! That's the lowest price I can offer you. This is the best item here, even if you go around this flea market, you won't find anything as beautiful as this for 10 dollars. It's still very shiny," explained the secondhand merchant as he stood in front of his stall, facing the brown-haired, green-eyed male buyer.

The tall man named Benjamin remained silent. "Huh," he sighed deeply upon hearing the price of a square-shaped secondhand item now in his grasp.

An antique music box, it would be perfect as a gift for an antique enthusiast.

"Damn," thought Ben as he glanced at his pants pocket, realizing he didn't have much money, apart from the 10 dollars.

"Come on, Old Man, what's wrong with giving a discount? In return, I'll help you promote your secondhand items to a lot of people," he said, pulling out 8 dollars from his pocket and forcefully placing it in the palm of the old man's hand, James, the gray-haired, thick-mustached seller.

Now Benjamin shouted, making his voice heard throughout the market, attracting attention to him and James. "Anyone who wants top-quality secondhand goods, buy them here! James has plenty of great items you all want!"

James glanced at him cynically, letting out a lazy sigh. "I don't need promotional services; I just need 25 dollars," replied the seller as he returned the 8 dollars that Ben had given him earlier.

The negotiation seemed to go on for quite a while.

Benjamin sighed heavily. "Fine, because your name is James, just like my grandfather, I'll add 2 more dollars, making it a total of 10 dollars," he said with a smile, nodding and giving a slightly pleading look, trying to persuade the man in front of him.

The merchant let out a short sigh. "What does my name have to do with my merchandise? Don't try to deceive me," James replied with a flat expression.

"Of course it matters, it means we're family, and family should share with each other," Benjamin persuaded again, this time with an enthusiastic tone.

"Stop boasting, no matter how you persuade me, I can't give you my item at such a low price. I even bought it for 20 dollars. You can leave if you don't have the money, but before you go, put my merchandise back where it belongs," James said firmly.

Once again, Ben let out a deep sigh. "Alright, but at least let me have a look at your other items," he requested, this time receiving reluctant approval.

"When you're done looking, leave my shop," James said as he walked away.

A few moments later, when Ben turned his body towards a shelf located near the stall, his eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

Several people dressed in black, with faces he recognized, were seen walking in the market area, getting closer to where Ben was now standing. He wanted to hide, but it seemed there was no way for him to escape.

The market was bustling enough to make him think it would be safe if he hid briefly behind James' merchandise shelf. As he tried to duck behind the shelf, he was forced to straighten up upon hearing a reprimanding voice.

Apparently, he had been caught red-handed. "Sir, we can see you," said one of the individuals who seemed to be the leader of the group.

Only a grimace could be seen on Benjamin's face, realizing he had no chance to escape. "Well ... I guess I'm done looking at your merchandise, Old Man. I'll come back another time," he shouted at James, attempting to flee from the scene. However, his arm was held back by one of the black-suited men wearing an earpiece who now stood directly in front of him.

"Sir, we still need to talk!" exclaimed the muscular man named Steve as he held Ben's arm, ensuring his employer's son remained within his sight.

Benjamin glanced at the secondhand merchant who stood behind the stall. However, the old man seemed completely indifferent to Ben's predicament, as he was busy with a magnifying glass and a cloth, meticulously cleaning his wares from dust.

There was no way for Benjamin to escape now, considering that two of the man in the suit's henchmen were behind him, along with two others positioned in front, right behind the stern-faced, black-haired, thick-eyebrowed Steve.

"Steve is infuriating," Ben thought to himself as he searched for a way to escape. He fell silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Well, I'm busy, I have to go," Ben said, but there was no response from Steve, only a shake of the head. Instead of providing an opening, the other four guards closed in on Ben, leaving him with no way to retreat or run.

The distance between Benjamin and Steve narrowed to just an arm's length. "Hey ... what ..." Ben paused his words and let out a long sigh, appearing to surrender any attempt to evade the situation. "Alright, Steve, what do you want? But, before that ... release your hold on me," he requested, but received no nod of agreement.

"Are you not aware? We're now the center of attention," Ben said again, glancing around as he noticed people passing by in the market momentarily pausing to look at the commotion surrounding the well-dressed man.

"Aren't you afraid of misunderstandings? Especially if I were to shout, there might be police coming," Ben continued, attempting to make the man in front of him feel threatened.

Finally, Steve complied and released his grip, then began speaking in a more composed manner. "Mr. Ben, Mrs. Patricia and Mr. Jonathan are requesting your return," he said softly.

"No! And please don't repeat it. Just convey that I will never set foot in that house again, not ever, even until I die!" he quickly replied without needing to think.

"But they need you. You have to save and take control of your family," Steve's face looked serious.

It seemed that Benjamin remained firm in his stance as he shook his head. "No, and my answer will remain the same, no matter what."

"But why?" Steve's face appeared confused.

"Why?" Ben repeated, narrowing his mouth as he scratched his chin with his other hand. "Well, because I am already happy enough. In fact, I am happier now that I am free from the turmoil of that troublesome family. And another thing ... didn't they themselves kick me out? So why are they now forcing me to return?"

"Tell them! That I will never set foot in Pineville again, let alone return to that dreadful house. Tell them that I am content with my life here now!" he exclaimed.

"I already have a new family and a beautiful wife, even though I don't work and am considered a useless son-in-law, but at least my wife's family is very wealthy. I am satisfied with everything happening in my life at the moment, and it's much more enjoyable than living in Pineville," he asserted, firm in his decision not to return, no matter the reason.

"But your family needs you, please reconsider, sir!" Steve pleaded, trying to sway the second-born child of his wealthy employer.

A faint smile appeared on Ben's face. "Is that so? Then tell me why they need this useless second child? Nobody would even know that the Anderson family has a second child. We already have Andrew, so what's the point of me being there? Let the beloved grandson of the Andersons take care of everything!"

"You know it yourself, don't you? It was because of him that I was kicked out. He is also the beloved grandson of Grandpa, but what about me? You also know that I received immense hatred from Anderson and the entire family," Ben explained, his face filled with melancholy as he recalled the events of a few years ago.

"But, sir ... Mr. Jonathan is hoping for your return," Steve replied once again.

Benjamin remained silent for a moment, shaking his head slowly. "No!" he whispered, pausing for a moment. "Never force me! If you still want to see my face in the future, pretend that we never met today!" he commanded to the family's envoys.

It seemed that he still harbored resentment from the last incident, where he was kicked out of his own home due to a trivial issue between him and his older brother, Andrew Jonathan Anderson.

"Leave this house, you are no longer a member of our family," his father's words of expulsion echoed in his mind till this day.

Benjamin Jonathan Anderson was the second child of the wealthy and influential Anderson family in the city of Pineville. However, the strained relationship between Ben and Andrew brought chaos, and he was also despised by his grandfather, who always defended his beloved first grandson.

"He is the source of chaos, and he brings misfortune. Why do you insist on keeping this self-absorbed child here?" The words of their grandfather echoed in his mind, while the cunning smile of Andrew lingered in his memory.

Mr. Anderson always praised Andrew to his face, accompanied by derogatory remarks about Ben. Everything Benjamin did seemed to be wrong in the eyes of his grandfather, who never acknowledged his presence or contributions to the family.

In reality, it had been a long time, years had passed, to the point where hardly anyone knew that the second child of the Anderson family even existed. Benjamin's name seemed to have vanished from the family lineage.

People assumed that the Anderson family only had one son, Andrew.

Benjamin felt strange that lately his presence was being sought after, as if he was missed and invited to return.

He pondered for a moment, recalling briefly how his life had been when he was expelled from home, wandering to another city, and then meeting a generous man on the streets of Eldoria who humbly offered to take Ben back to his luxurious home. He even sat down and had conversations with this kind-hearted man he had just met. Moreover, the man named Davis Campbell was willing to make Ben his grandson by marrying Benjamin to a woman named Olivia Edward Davis, who was Mr. Davis' beloved granddaughter.

Unfortunately, luck was still not on his side. Not long after, Mr. Davis Campbell passed away, and Ben's wife, Olivia, never seemed to develop any affection for him, despite his deep feelings for her.

Benjamin was well aware that the Campbell extended family considered him nothing more than a random, unknown man whom Mr. Davis had picked up from the streets without any clear background. His life story remained known only to Mr. Davis Campbell himself, who generously offered him a decent living.

"For as long as I live, I will always despise you. Don't ever dream that I could like you! I am confused as to why Grandfather could have married me off to a useless man like you, a man with an unclear origin, found randomly on the streets and who has become a subject of ridicule by others," Olivia asserted firmly. These words lingered in Benjamin's mind, occasionally causing him heartache, but at least it wasn't as painful as being expelled by his own biological family.

It would be better for him to stay where he was, fulfilling the wishes of the man who helped him, rather than returning to a place where his name had long been erased from the family lineage. He didn't know how long his wife would continue to harbor such hatred towards him.

***

Benjamin understood that everything was in the past, and with a small gift in hand, he decided to return and join in celebrating his wife's grandmother's birthday today. The event was taking place in a special room (the hall) located in one corner of the Campbell family's house, which had been specifically designed for hosting large family gatherings.

As he arrived at the door, Benjamin found Olivia looking restless. It seemed that she had been waiting for him. Observing her husband's face, she let out a sigh of relief, her tension easing slightly.

"Where have you been?" she asked without giving Ben a chance to answer.

"Uh ... I ..." he hesitated as Olivia interrupted, peering into the paper bag he was carrying.

"What did you bring? A gift? Is this it?" Her face seemed slightly displeased upon discovering the contents of the gift.

"I bought this gift at a flea market. Isn't it nice? I even went through great lengths to get it at the lowest price," Ben explained enthusiastically.

But Olivia immediately rebuked him, her face sour. "Stop embarrassing me. What's the point of your contribution if it only serves to humiliate me?"

"Hey, what's wrong? This gift is actually quite nice, it's still decent enough to be given as a present," Ben said, his eyes glancing at the small frame in his hand, which he didn't bother to wrap and simply placed inside the paper bag with a ribbon.

Olivia's face showed frustration, and she seemed disgusted by it all. For her, this was incredibly frustrating, having her poor husband give her a birthday gift that she found difficult to explain just how worthless it was, especially to Mrs. Elizabeth, who had never liked Ben from the start.

Olivia was certain that this would only invite mockery. For some reason, whatever Benjamin did never impressed her, even though this particular gift from Ben wasn't as bad as usual.

Suddenly, both of them fell silent as they heard soft but loud applause from behind Olivia's back. Someone was entering the room from the opposite direction.

Olivia sighed deeply, as if she could predict that something even more annoying was about to approach her.

"Today, he's definitely going to mock me again," Olivia thought, anticipating the worst.

And true enough, when Matthew Edward Davis opened his mouth, nothing but infuriating words came out.

"Well, well, well, it seems that the poor man is here," Matthew muttered quietly as he saw Ben's presence before him.

"Oh, look who's here, the useless husband of my unfortunate sister-in-law has arrived!" Matthew continued, now speaking a bit louder so that people passing by could hear his words.

Olivia remained silent, neither defending nor objecting.

"Why was there a commotion here earlier? Were you two havi ng a little argument? Of course, you're too poor not to make a fuss over trivial matters," Matthew taunted with an annoying smirk, pointing in Benjamin's direction, while Ben remained silent.

"What's that?" He pointed and laughed mockingly when he saw the small package in Ben's hand, which he believed must be worthless. "Another cheap item?" he asked, condescendingly.

"Did you really just bring something you randomly found at a flea market? How pathetic. It seems fitting for both of you," he sneered.