“I’ll die today? I don’t think so!”

Fane was unfazed. He took a look outside and saw that Shauna had already brought Kylie to play under the banyan tree.

“Hmph, I’ll see how you plan to act tough later!”

Young Master Clark could not be bothered to talk with Fane. He believed that Fane would be regretting soon enough.

Very quickly, a few cars pulled over just outside. Dan Jameson, the Clark family’s number one fighter, walked in along with a few muscular guys.

Just as he entered the courtyard, Dan shouted, “Who’s the person that dared to bully our young master? Do you wish to die?”

At that moment, Dan was furious as he had just ran into someone he could not afford to offend, causing him to lose a finger.

He had just only finished treating his wound at the hospital when his master gave him another phone call, telling him that Young Master Clark was beaten up, sending him over to settle the issue.

“It’s that trash named Fane Woods. He’s just a stinking, retired soldier, yet he dares to behave arrogantly before me!”

Young Master Clark immediately started smugly mouthing off once he saw Dan approach with his men.

“Motherf*cker, this is really—” Dan bellowed, rushing as he was about to take action to vent his frustrations.

However, seeing the person standing in front of Ken, he was almost petrified by fear.

“How unexpected. We meet again!”

Fane smiled calmly, then looked at the bandaged hand of the other party. “It seems you have a great personality. You’re a real man that keeps your word!”

At first, Ken could not understand what Fane was talking about. He frowned and looked at Dan, asking, “You’ve met?”

Dan smiled bitterly, then nodded. “Young Master Clark, uhm… It’s about time for lunch. Why don’t we head back?”

While he spoke, Dan had even winked a few times at Ken.

“Lunch? What lunch? Go beat him up. Damn it! If I don’t vent my frustrations today, I’m not a man!” Ken huffed, failing to understand Dan’s implications.

Smack!

Fane took a step forward and gave Young Master Clark a slap to his face.

“You…”

“Dan, get him!”

Smack!

“Dan…”

Smack!

After a few consecutive slaps, Young Master Clark almost passed out.

“Dan, why aren’t you and your men taking action?”

Young Master Clark was on the verge of tears. He felt so wronged. He had never been treated this way before.

Dan did not dare to take action. The men around him had also witnessed first hand how Black Dragon was killed. They lowered their heads in fear, not daring to take a single step forward.

“Sorry for disturbing!”

The unexpected had just happened. Dan walked up to Fane and bowed respectfully, then with a wave of his hand, he ordered his underlings, “Take Young Master Clark home!”

In an instant, the thugs carried Ken and went out the door.

“Put me down. Dan, what’s wrong with you? I’m asking you to cripple that brat. Dan, why are you such a wuss today?”

Young Master Clark was cursing all the way out, but it had no effect. He was carried away just like that.

“This…”

Fiona and Andrew were both flabbergasted. At first, they thought that Fane was done for. Who would have thought such a dramatic scene would ensue?

“Could it be that Dan is afraid of you? You know each other?” Selena asked with a frown on her face.

“That’s a long story!”

Fane smiled bitterly, then looked at the bag of trash on the floor, asking, “Selena, why are you collecting trash? What happened in the past five years?”

All was good until that topic was brought up. Fiona immediately boiled with rage again.

Enraged, she walked forward and was just about to push Fane out of the door. “It’s all because of you, trash! If not for you forcing yourself on my daughter and impregnating her with Kylie, would she be kicked out of the family? Do you think we’d be collecting trash for a living?”

“Ma, stop that. He’s not to be blamed for that matter. It was my own decision. He did not force himself on me!”

Selena retorted strongly, “The incident that night was nothing to be regretful about. I’ll never regret my decision. I’ll be responsible for my own actions. Didn’t Grandpa have me marry him? He’s the man I’ll be with!”

“Impossible. It must be this scoundrel forcing himself on you. You must’ve been drunk, and he took advantage of that. That must be it!”

“You’re the Taylor family’s Eldest Miss and he’s only a delivery boy. How can he be a worthy partner for you?”

Fiona refused to believe Selena’s statement. She glared at Fane through gritted teeth. “Brat, I don’t care. You must compensate my daughter for her loss of youth and divorce her. Let her marry Young Master Clark.”

“Mother, I’ve already told you. Unless Selena says so, I won’t be divorcing her!”

Fane was determined. He looked at Selena, finally showing a gentle expression as he asked, “Selena, can you tell me what happened? Even if you’re kicked out of the Taylor family, you shouldn’t have to resort to collecting trash, right? With your networking and capabilities, how could you not find a good job?”

Selena made a bitter smile. That smile was filled with untold suffering. “Do you think I wished for this? After getting pregnant, I was told to abort it. I disagreed and was kicked out. What kind of job could I take while being pregnant? Moreover, my Grandpa gave out an order to ban all affiliated companies from hiring me!”

By that point, Selena took a seat by the table. Her gaze had a pitiful look. “Some companies were willing to hire me, for example, those from the Clark family. Although they were willing, the condition was to abort the child. Moreover, Young Master Clark had always been eyeing me! What else could I do? The Taylor family was even worse. They would only leave me alone when I collected trash. Otherwise, they’d be sending people to destroy my business even if I just set up a simple stall!”

“Damn it!”

By that point, Fane could not bear listening on. The wife of the Supreme Warrior was actually forced to collect trash and left without help?

“You see, it’s all because of you. If not for trash like you, would our family be in such a rut?”

Fiona was still as disgusted as before. “Furthermore, Selena’s dad’s leg was broken when he worked as a porter. Look at him now! Sob, sob, sob, why is my life so difficult!”

“Father, mother, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to turn out this way!”

Seeing Fiona in tears and how the whole family could not even have a decent meal, Fane’s heart was wracked with guilt. “Don’t you worry. Now that I’m back, nobody will dare to bully you in the future!”

“You’re just talking nonsense!”

Fiona’s voice trembled, clearly agitated as she pointed at Fane. “You’re just a soldier. What can you do? At most, you can only run your mouth. The way I see it, it’s 10 to 100 times better for our Selena to marry Young Master Clark or that Young Master Wilson when compared to trash like you!”

“Ma, no matter what you say, he’s still Kylie’s father and your son-in-law. Don’t ridicule him like that anymore!”

“Those matters from the past are far behind us now. You should stop talking about it too!”

Selena was just as kind and understanding as before.

“Bullsh*t! We’ve never recognized him as our son-in-law. This doesn’t count!” Fiona retorted.

“That’s right. If not for him, my leg wouldn’t be in this state!” Andrew was similarly holding his grudge.

“But what mistake did he commit? Back then, I slept with him out of spite. I didn’t expect myself to be pregnant from that!”

Selena felt helpless. It was indeed her own brazen action that caused this. However, she really could not bear aborting the child.

The situations they face up to that point were considered compensations for the mistake she made back then.

“But you didn’t have to carry the child. You...you’re really trying to give me a heart attack!”

Fiona stomped her foot in frustration.

“Nevermind. It is what it is. He’s back from the war. Let’s just see if he can find something to do in the future. Our lives will improve eventually!”

Andrew took out a cigarette and lit it. He was indeed angry when he saw Fane, but at that point, there was nothing he could do. After all, Kylie was his granddaughter, the flesh and blood of his own daughter.

“How much better can it get? Can it compare to back when we were staying in the townhouse?”

Fiona was still huffing angrily.

“Selena, where’s my mother? How come I haven’t seen her?”

Fane frowned. He had been back for quite a while, but he had yet to see his mother. Shauna told him earlier that his mother was staying with them.

“She’s still working. We can’t help that. Your mother is uncultured and old. She can only work as a cleaner outside. Her monthly salary is quite low, and she has split some over for us. As a family, we can only make do!” Selena finally said after a bitter smile.

“Come, bring me to her! You should know which street she’s in charge of, right?”

Hearing that his own mother was working as a cleaner and the entire family’s income was dependent on her and Selena’s trash collecting, Fane felt very uncomfortable.

“Brat, I’m telling you that you need to divorce our Selena. Moreover, I won’t let you off without at least ten million bucks of compensation for her lost youth!”

Just as they were leaving, Fiona’s furious outburst could be heard from behind.

…

At that moment, the scorching sun was high in the sky. The blazing summer day caused the temperature on the ground to rise continuously.

On the side of a street, a middle-aged woman was holding onto a hat as she cleaned the road.

Thud!

An empty mineral water bottle was thrown right in front of that middle-aged woman.

The middle-aged woman raised her head and saw two youngsters along with some girls in sexy short dresses. She shook her head in resignation. “Sigh, youngsters these days...they don’t even know how to throw it into the trash can right there.”

Unexpectedly, the cleaner’s lamentation was heard by the other party.

“F*ck, you’re just a cleaner. Why are you spouting so much nonsense?”

“I’m throwing it in front of you. What about it? If I don’t throw my trash here, you cleaners would be getting paid for nothing, isn’t it?” The youngster that threw the bottle immediately started running his mouth.

Having said that, he followed with spitting on the floor. “People from the lower rung of society can only get so far!”

“That’s right. If not for us creating trash, they’ll be unemployed!”

One of the young girls with curly hair was wearing a black skirt and pantyhose. She started chewing on sunflower seed and threw the shells all over the place. “Clean it up. If you don’t clean properly, you might get a pay cut!”

The two youngsters joined in and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, munching away. “That’s right. Auntie, clean it properly. Hahaha!”

“Y-y-you guys are still so young, yet so uncultured. The trash can is right there. Don’t you know that littering is a very uncultured thing to do?”

The cleaning lady was aggravated. Under the hot blazing summer sun, she was on the verge of passing out from the heat, yet the street that she spent so much effort cleaning up was…

“Haha, you’re teaching me about culture? You’re just a cleaner, yet you’re talking about culture. What a joke!”

The first youngster burst into laughter once more.

Witnessing the scene, Fane and Selena almost had an aneurysm. These youngsters were too uncivilized.

“What’s the point of you guys bullying an elderly here?”

Before Fane could take a step forward, Selena was already rushing up to them, shouting angrily, “What’s with that behavior? People are working so hard to clean the street. Can’t you guys just do your part to maintain a nice environment?”

“Aiyo, pretty lady, are you trying to stand up for her? You look pretty and have a shapely body. However, you’re a little too poor. Look at those patchy clothes!”

That youngster shot a look at Selena and was surprised by what he saw. This woman was wearing such old and simple clothes, yet they could not cover up her beauty.

“Don’t you know to mind your own business?”

The two girls, instead, gave Selena disgusted looks.

“Selena, why are you here?”

Fane’s mother, Joan Xavier quickly pulled Selena back. “Nevermind, it’s fine. They’ll go away after a while. I’ll just clean it up after that!”

“Mother, they’re too much. They’ve crossed the line!”

Selena felt uncomfortable. Her fists were tightly gripped, but she could not do anything.

“Hey pretty, you look quite cute when you’re angry!”

The youngster took a look, growing more excited. He could not resist teasing, “Come here. If you give me a kiss, we’ll stop littering. Deal?”

“You dare pick on my woman!?”

Fane could not hold back any longer. He stepped forward and stared them in the eye.

“You’re…”

Joan was caught off guard. She quickly recognized Fane and started tearing up. “Fane, y-y-you’re back?”

Fane turned around. His eyes were similarly tearing up, grabbing Joan’s hands tightly, “Ma, I’m sorry. Your son made you suffer. I was unable to be by your side for the past five years!”

“No, I’m fine. I’m doing just fine!”

“All that matters is that you’re home safe and sound. They all said that you’ve died on the battlefield. I knew you’d definitely come back alive!”

Joan’s passionate tears flowed as her voice trembled. Her pair of old callused hands holding onto Fane’s hands quietly, fearing that it would be all a dream if she let go of them.

“I’m back, I’m really back. We’ll never be separated again and live comfortably in the future!” Fane nodded repeatedly. “Your son has been unfilial for making you worried!”

“No, no, you’re a good boy. I know you married into the family just to get money for my treatment. You went to war for our country!”

Joan’s tears blurred her eyesight. “I’m very satisfied to have such a son!”

“F*ck, are you guys from the entertainment department? What’s with all these dramatic flairs? Sickening!”

That youngster was frustrated. However, his words caused Fane’s eyes to flicker with murderous intent.

“That’s right. These bums are talking about war and bringing glory to the country. What a joke!”

The other youngster snickered along.

Bang, bang!

However, the very next instant, both youngsters only saw a blur then was sent flying away and slammed into the wall behind them, causing it to crash.

“Pfft!”

Both of them spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Their legs stiffened, then stopped moving.

“Ah! Murder!”

Both the girls shrieked as though they had just seen a ghost, running away immediately.

“Oh no, Fane, you’ve killed someone. What if they’re some important people or belong to some organization? What’re we going to do?”

Seeing the two of them lying there motionless, Joan went pale. “Y-y-you’re just too hot-headed. This is not the battlefield. There are some people that we can’t afford to offend. Do you think you’re still on the battlefield where killing your opponent was fine?”

“Why can’t you hold your temper? They’ve only said a few words!”

Selena was extremely frustrated as well, unsure of what to do.

Seeing how the two women he cared for the most was worrying about him, Fane felt his heart all warmed up.

“Ma, Selena, don’t you worry. They’ve just passed out. I know how to hold back. They’ll be waking up in a while!” Fane made a bitter smile as he explained.

“Really?”

Selena quickly stepped forward and placed her fingers under their noses for confirmation. She then let out a sigh of relief. “They’re still breathing. It should be fine.”

“Come, let’s leave quickly!” Joan ushered while looking around.

“Ma, let’s go. You can forget about your job. It’s about time for you to enjoy your life!”

Fane looked at both women with a carefree smile on his face, stating, “Let’s go. It’s still early. I’ll bring you both to buy a few sets of suitable clothes!”

“A few sets?”

Hearing that, Joan was shocked. “And where is your money? Furthermore, how can I stop working? There are so many people I need to feed. Our whole family is depending on Selena and me! Son, listen to me. Selena had suffered a lot of hardships for Kylie’s sake. You better treat her well and not let her down!”

“That can’t be it. Father-in-law’s leg might be stopping him from working, but mother-in-law and Clifford should be able to work right? Are they also being suppressed at work?”

Fane scowled. Clifford Taylor was still young in the past and was unable to be enlisted. However, five years have passed and he should be an adult by now. He should be helping out the family.

“Sigh!” Speaking of them, Joan could not help but sigh deeply. “They’re blaming everything on you for their ill fate. Moreover, they’re used to being pampered back when they were in the Taylor family. How do you expect them to be willing to work? They’re just unwilling to look for work!”

“My brother is too useless. He hardly comes home, and every time he does, it’s to ask for money!”

Speaking of the useless brother, even Selena was frustrated.

Having said that, Selena looked at Fane. “However, now that Fane’s back, the Taylor family didn’t set any restrictions on him. It’d be great if he can go get a job soon!”

“Them restricting me?”

Hearing that, Fane chuckled. “It’s already very kind of me to not suppress the Taylor family!”

“Look at you. Just because you’ve been a soldier, you’re behaving all different now. You’ve grown tougher. However, it has also made you boastful!”

Joan looked at her son, her face glowing blissfully. Everyone told her that Fane was surely dead, but she did not believe them. She was sure that Fane would make it back safely eventually, and that day arrived.

“Come on, let’s go get you some clothes!”

Fane pushed Joan forward.

“Where did your money come from?”

Selena thought for a moment, then a sudden realization hit her. “Oh right, I’ve heard that the soldiers returning from war are given rewards. Seems like you’ve gotten some rewards, didn’t you?”

“Is that so?”

Joan was delighted. “Then that should be tens of thousand bucks, right? You’ve been a soldier for five full years after all. However, you should be thrifty. Kylie is about to start kindergarten. Nowadays, better kindergartens are very expensive!”

“It should be more than tens of thousand bucks. I’ve heard from several people returning from the battlefield. One of them was awarded over two hundred thousand bucks, and that’s a common occurrence!”

Selena gave it some thought, then smiled delightfully. “That’s wonderful. If we have two hundred thousand bucks, then our lives would be more comfortable.”

“Ma, you don’t need to worry about it. If Kylie’s attending kindergarten, it must be the best kindergarten!”

Fane took Joan and Selena along, quickly arriving at a huge shopping mall.

He stopped in his tracks and held onto Selena’s hand, saying in full seriousness, “Selena, you don’t need to collect trash anymore. You can work to kill time if you want. If you don’t feel like working, I’ll take care of you!”

“What’re you talking about? There are so many people watching!”

Selena’s face turned scarlet immediately as she quickly retracted her hand.

To be honest, she had little feelings for Fane. Back then, she was forced into the marriage. It was out of spite that she got herself drunk, resulting in that incident.

However, she really could not bear to abort her own child. Moreover, Fane was a filial son and seemed to have a decent personality. It was because of her child that she held on for so long.

Now that Fane suddenly held her hand, she felt extremely shy.

“Let’s go in and have a look. However, Fane, don’t you buy anything for me. You should buy some for your in-laws. They’ve suffered a lot of hardships for the past five years because of you!”

Joan, on the other hand, just smiled at them. She obviously hoped that Fane could gain the recognition of his in-laws.

“For clothes, it’s better to bring them over to pick for themselves. If I buy it for them, it might not suit them!” Fane answered after some consideration. They were his in-laws after all. They have suffered hardships all these years because of him, yet he had never treated them properly for even a day. Their dissatisfaction with him was understandable.

Very quickly, Fane brought them to the second floor of the shopping mall.

“Fane, I think it’s better for us to shop around on the first floor. The clothes on the second floor are mostly branded. There are even international brands. Those are expensive!” Selena whispered to him after looking around.

“Really? Are they that expensive?”

Upon hearing that, Joan urged, “Son, let’s go downstairs. Those on the first floor are cheaper. Just buy some for your wife. That’s sufficient. Don’t worry about me. I still have quite a lot of clothes!”

“I don’t need them. Just buy some for your mother instead!” Selena interjected. She was also thinking of saving some money.

“Let’s stop this. Listen to me. We’ll shop here!”

One on each hand, Fane pulled both of them and strode right into an exclusive store.

“No no no, this is too expensive…” Selena retorted, but it was too late. Fane was very persistently strong, dragging them into the store easily.

However, right as they entered the store, she immediately kept quiet. After all, she knew not to embarrass Fane in public.

However, unbeknownst to them, their apparels immediately attracted disgusted glares.