Bong... bong... one after the other; the deep, resonant sounds echoed through the night, marking the tenth hour. The silvery glow of the moon softly lit the old, dilapidated part of the city. The shadow of a lone person on the street this late at night seemed especially forlorn. The person dragged his body, which seemed bruised, and stopped in front of a small house, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Thump... he fell into the lobby too tired to get up and planned on just sleeping there. The only son of Ronan Rizae—until he found out he was just a stepson; discardable, unlovable, and overly compliant.
His stepfather, a nouveau riche businessman, had fled with his wife and two daughters when fortune turned against him. Nolan''s mother, who had never wanted this reminder of her abusive ex-husband, seized the opportunity to abandon the child who bore his father''s features: blond hair, deep blue eyes, and sharp jawline. In the following weeks, Nolan''s routine became a blur of part-time jobs and debt collector encounters. Freshly graduated, relentlessly pursued by the loan sharks, Nolan had no time to search for a good job, and the only option left was to take on various part-time jobs. He had been subjected to violence by the debt collectors twice, each encounter leaving him with wounds and pain.
He abruptly woke up from his slumber, wincing in pain due to sudden movement. Nolan slowly sat up, pushing aside his blond hair that covered his sweaty forehead. Shaking hands and distorted expressions when he picked himself up using the wall as support and walked inside. Slowly limping to the kitchen, he grabbed the hard, dry bread, took a few large bites, and downed it with water, followed by a painkiller and more water. Not an ounce of expression on his face, as if it had become his usual routine. Nolan took off his green shirt, dirtied by the footprints on it, and flung it in the basket; he inspected his torso, haphazardly applied some ointment, and went back to bed. Surviving each passing day was his life. If fairy godmother was real, it was her cue to appear now... were his last thoughts before entering deep sleep. The bell chimed; it was midnight. Perhaps there was magic in the air, for it was the best sleep he had since his so-called family’s betrayal. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The sun rays settled on his face; his eyes fluttered a little before opening. He looked at the clock—10 o’clock—hurried off from bed, and flinched in pain at the sudden movement. He left the house after splashing water on his face and changing clothes. He had missed the first part-time job and was almost late for the second one. The whole day was even more messed up than the previous one; wishing for a respite was what the universe probably deemed as transgression. He came home, all sluggish, and had just sat down when the persistent ringing annoyed him further. Frowning, Nolan picked it up; an informal notice of his dismissal was coldly conveyed to him. Before he could object to it, the line cut off. His stomach grumbled as he hadn’t had anything to eat since morning, and it was late in the afternoon. A deep exhale as he silently placed his phone on the table and looked up, biting his lower lip, trying to keep tears at bay. His jaw clenched as he made his way to the kitchen, silently grabbing food and nibbling it down.
Finally, it seemed that the heavens had taken pity on him and delivered him a good opportunity. A week later, the chance to serve at a high-end party. Fortunately, the signs of his violent encounters with the loan sharks were no longer visible. But it was his looks that made him conspicuous, even in the workers'' uniform. A few intense gazes followed him as he walked, causing him to keep his head low on purpose. He looked around in sheer astonishment at the lavish setting on entering the hall; a tiny part of him internally mocked his situation. His task was to serve drinks to the guests; after the initial serving to people, he positioned himself near the round table that was set with a champagne tower.