Chapter 1.1 Caleb : My chaotic night

“I don’t agree!”

My voice echoed through the room as I stared at them coldly.

The entire room fell silent. Low murmurs quickly spread among the people inside.

“Caleb, have you lost your mind?” The woman in front of me let out a weary sigh, tension written all over her face. “Everyone has already agreed, and tomorrow is an important day for the event.” Her voice carried a sharp edge, almost demanding.

I didn’t care.

No one gets to decide things for me like this.

“That sounds like your problem. Why make a decision without my consent?” I shot her a cold glare.

“The event cannot be canceled, and you are not backing out now!” she snapped.

“Tomorrow, you’ll arrive at exactly seven o’clock. Understood?”

That wasn’t a request. It was an order.

“Tch… annoying.”

Arguing any further was pointless. I turned away and walked out, heat rising in my chest.

“Caleb, please don’t act like this. Don’t become like your brother.”

The woman—my mother—called after me.

She hurried after me for a few steps before saying something she never should have said.

I stopped immediately.

My jaw tightened. My fists clenched at my sides.

“Isn’t all of this your fault?” I snapped as I turned back toward her.

She went silent.

Her body flinched slightly, though I couldn’t tell whether it was because of my tone or because she realized I was right.

“From now on, stay out of my life. Whatever I do has nothing to do with you. I’m not some child you can control and marry off for the sake of your business.”

My voice rang through the entire house.

No one dared to speak. No one even dared to look at me.

“I’m your son… not an asset you can sell.”

That was the last thing I said before walking out of the house and leaving every single one of them behind.

People obsessed with power.

Who cared about their wealth anyway? My own business was already doing more than well enough.

I grabbed the doorknob and yanked the door open.

Bang!

I slammed it shut behind me hard enough to shake the walls.

“Heh… ridiculous. Forcing me into marriage just so they can divide the family assets afterward….”

I muttered under my breath while walking down the long driveway.

The guards at the gate quickly opened it the moment they noticed me approaching.

“Good evening, Young Master.”

They bowed respectfully as I walked past them.

I didn’t answer.

Right now, I just wanted to get away from this place.

Once outside, I headed straight toward the black Rolls-Royce Phantom parked not far from the gate.

The moment my car roared to life, I heard hurried footsteps cutting through the sound of the engine behind me.

“Caleb! Come back!”

Haha. So she actually chased after me.

I glanced toward the gate and saw her struggling to catch her breath.

“Sorry, Mom. I don’t have time to play along with your little plan,” I said with a faint smirk from behind the car window.

“Caleb! Seven o’clock tomorrow night!” she shouted stubbornly.

“I can’t hear you! Bye!” I waved lazily before stepping on the gas.

Did she seriously think I’d show up?

On the road, my phone suddenly started ringing.

“Who else?"

This is annoying.

I ignored it at first, but the ringing continued relentlessly.

“What the hell do you want?!”

I slammed on the brakes in one motion, my body jerking forward before hitting the seat again.

My eyes narrowed at the still-ringing phone. Without even checking the caller, I grabbed it.

“Who is this, and what do you want?” I asked sharply.

“Caleb… it’s Dad.”

His calm but firm voice made something tighten faintly inside my chest.

“Did you call just to force me into that event too?” I shot back immediately.

“If you still consider me your father… though perhaps you don’t anymore—”

Tch. Damn it.

He really knew how to use his position against me.

Just because he knew I still cared.

“Fine. I’ll come,” I replied with a small exhale.

“Thank you, Caleb. I knew I could count on you,” his voice softened.

“Just don’t bother me again. I’m driving.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow night.”

The call ended.

“That woman definitely made Dad call me. Unbelievable.” I tightened my grip on the phone.

That scheming woman… she really used my father as a trump card.

But even if I showed up, it didn’t mean I would agree to the arranged marriage.

Just wait. I’ll make them regret this.

A grin slowly spread across my face as I imagined their reactions.

My Rolls-Royce Phantom cruised smoothly through the city streets, passing shopping districts, karaoke bars, and clubs.

One place in particular caught my attention—the club I usually went to. The Macallan Club.

“Hm… it’s still early,” I muttered after glancing at the golden watch wrapped around my wrist.

In the end, I decided to head inside.

Bored.

I needed entertainment. A few glasses of whiskey… maybe some beautiful women too.

I skillfully steered my car into the club’s parking area.

This clearly wasn’t an ordinary club. Every vehicle parked there, from motorcycles to luxury cars, looked ridiculously expensive.

I circled the parking area for a while since the front section was already full.

Then, at one point, I noticed a group of young men—probably around college age—surrounding someone.

The guy in the middle was vomiting violently, his body swaying unnaturally.

Probably drunk.

I stopped the car and rolled down the window.

“Hey! Don’t let him puke all over the street! Take him somewhere else!” I shouted.

The group turned toward me with awkward smiles.

“Sorry about that. We were just about to take him away,” one of them said with a small nod.

“Good. Then hurry up before he causes trouble for everyone else,” I replied, already looking away.

“What did you say?! I’m causing trouble?!”

My brows furrowed at the rough, hoarse voice beside me.

Before I could even react, the drunk guy grabbed my collar and yanked me halfway out through the open window.

He leaned in dangerously close. Our faces were only inches apart.

“Damn rich people… acting like everyone else is garbage….” His words came out slurred, his breath thick with alcohol.

“Shit! Let go of me!” I shoved his hand away.

He stumbled backward, and his friends quickly rushed over to hold him.

“Sean, what the hell are you doing?! Don’t start a scene!” Said the shortest one.

“S-sorry… he’s just going through a hard time right now. His father got hospitalized, and their family business—”

“Erwin! Why are you telling strangers that?!”

The guy with tied-back hair shot him an irritated glare.

“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to!” The smaller one immediately covered his mouth in panic.

“Forget it. Let’s just get Sean out of here,” the one in the back said while trying to support him.

“You’re not leaving until he apologizes to me.”

The three of them froze and turned toward me at the same time.

“Don’t drag this out. He’s way too drunk to even understand what he’s doing,” the guy on the right said, trying to calm the situation.

“I only want an apology. That’s not difficult, is it?” My gaze sharpened.

I was seriously starting to lose my patience.

“Hey, you…”

I grabbed the collar of his light gray shirt and yanked him toward me, forcing him to face me directly.

“Look at me. Apologize. Now.”

His droopy eyes slowly shifted toward me.

“Heh… hehe—hoooeeek!”

He suddenly threw up all over my shirt.

“HAAAAA!! SEAN!!”

The three of them shouted simultaneously, their eyes widening in horror.

“You—!” My grip tightened instantly. “You threw up on my clothes?! Do you even know how much this shirt costs? Twenty million!”

“TWENTY MILLION?!!” They shouted in unison.

Then, without hesitation, the three of them bolted.

“Sean, we’re leaving first!! Call us later when you’re sober!!”

I blinked several times.

They seriously abandoned him just like that? What kind of friends do that?

But more importantly….

My eyes slowly shifted back toward the drunk man in front of me.

“So… what exactly am I supposed to do with you now?”

“Hehe… what are you gonna do…? It’s okay… just don’t leave me again….”

He suddenly clung to me.

Great. Now people were definitely going to stare.

“Hey, Sean… let go.” I tried pushing him away while calling his name.

But instead, he started crying.

“Why…? Why did you leave me when I needed you the most…? Was it because my family fell apart… so I became worthless to you too…?”

Now he was crying against my chest and I could already feel my shirt getting soaked.

I hated drunk people.

Whatever.

Instead of relaxing, I somehow ended up stuck with a drunk stranger I didn’t even know.

“Such a damn hassle…” I muttered while dragging him toward my car and opening the back door, before this turned into spectacle.

I shoved him into the back seat without much care.

His body collapsed against the seat, stopped moving.

I returned to the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“Laura…."

His weak voice came faintly from the back seat.

“Why…? Why were you so cruel to me…? Those two years we spent together… were they all fake…?”

I glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

His eyes were closed.

He must’ve passed out. Well, I don't care.

I just needed to get out of here.

Sean, whoever you were, I didn’t care.

Just make sure you pay for my ruined shirt once you wake up.

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