Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1-1: MY LOWEST POINT
My name is Julian. After my parents passed away, I became nothing more than a poor boy living with my grandmother in a village. My life was simple. Our house was a small structure on the edge of the village, its wooden walls starting to rot, and the tin roof sometimes leaked when it rained. The floor was nothing but hard dirt, occasionally flooded during bad weather. My bed was just a wooden board topped with a mat. Our furniture was just a few tables and chairs made of bamboo.
I was forced to work odd jobs to pay for my living expenses and schooling. I worked as a shop assistant, a waiter, even a street sweeper—anything just to afford food and education.
At night, with nothing but an old, creaky desk and the dim light of an oil lamp, I would study, surrounded by the sound of crickets. I dreamed of one day changing my life for the better.
At school, I was often looked down on by other students just because I wore worn-out uniforms and tattered shoes. Those who lived seemingly perfect lives would laugh at me.
Not just at school, but the people around me often used me as the target of their mockery. Every day, I had to endure insults, mockery, and scorn. They called me a loser with no future.
Despite the hardships, there was one person who always made me smile. Emily, a beautiful girl with short hair and glasses. Unlike me, she came from a wealthy family. Her house was grand, filled with all the luxuries most children would dream of. Yet, Emily never judged me for my status and befriended me as I was. Sometimes, she even helped me when I was in trouble.
Although the world often humiliated me, Emily treated me as a precious friend. She was the only one who made me feel there was hope in my life. I secretly liked her, but I was aware of the great social divide between us.
Our friendship continued through high school. Initially, we were still close, spending time together studying or simply talking. But as time went on, she began to drift away. Her gaze grew cold, and her smile slowly faded. When I tried to approach her, she would stop talking and walk away as if I no longer meant anything to her. Sometimes, she even started berating me. That was the end of our friendship, without any explanation.
The pain and sorrow consumed me. Losing the only person who had given me a reason to live, coupled with the ridicule from everyone around me, made my life even more miserable. Sometimes, I wanted to run away, to disappear. But my grandmother always reminded me to stay strong through adversity. She made me realize that I couldn't give up. I had to keep fighting to change my destiny.
Years passed. I continued to work, study, think harder and smarter than anyone else. My sweat and tears witnessed every step I took. And now, I stand here as a young manager at 26 in one of the country’s most famous brand management companies. Not only that, I’ve also built a side business, a ramen shop I named "Zenith Ramen," which now has several branches and is always bustling with customers. What I once thought was just a small dream has now become reality. But my ambition doesn’t stop there. One day, I aim to own my own company.
People no longer recognize who I was in the past. Now, they only see me as a successful man with a perfect life. Those who once mocked, laughed at, and scorned me now show respect. I smile with satisfaction, having exacted my revenge on fate. I’ve proven that the poor, ridiculed loser has now become someone successful in life. This is the best revenge, the most effective way to silence those who once underestimated me.
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CHAPTER 1-2: RETURNS OF THE PAST
This Sunday morning felt perfect. The bright sunlight pierced through the curtains of my bedroom, spreading warmth throughout the room. I woke up and rushed to the bathroom to wash my face and take a shower. Then, I headed to the kitchen to enjoy breakfast—a cup of hot coffee and some slices of toast I’d arranged on the dining table. It seemed like a simple meal, but to me, it felt special. Every bite tasted delicious, perhaps because I was fully aware of how much better my life had become compared to my past. Even though I still lived alone in the house I had built with my hard work, I felt content.
I then moved to the living room to relax on my day off. Just as I was about to turn on the TV to watch the morning news, I heard a knock on the door that stopped me from turning it on.
"Who could it be this early in the morning? I’ve already canceled all my magazine and newspaper subscriptions," I muttered.
The knock sounded hesitant, as if the person was unsure. Curiosity got the best of me, so I walked toward the door, wondering who would come at this hour.
When I opened the door, time seemed to stop. Standing before me was someone I had once known so well—Emily, my childhood friend who used to be so close to me. But she was also the one who had left without explanation when I needed her the most.
She still had the same short hair and glasses. But I felt that the person standing in front of me now wasn’t the Emily I once knew. Her face looked tired, her hair disheveled, her clothes shabby, dirty, and torn. She seemed thinner, and the once bright spark in her eyes was now empty and hollow. She looked so different, as though life had abandoned her repeatedly. I could hardly believe the woman standing before me was the same girl who once made me smile during my darkest times.
"Hey, Julian. How are you?"
Emily’s voice trembled as she spoke my name, sounding so fragile. I was shocked that she still remembered me. I stood frozen as memories of her flooded my mind, especially the way she had left without a word, leaving a wound that hadn’t healed.
Should I be angry? Or happy to see her again? My emotions were a chaotic mess. But one thing was clear—she was in pain. Time may have changed everything, but one thing was certain: fate had brought her back into my life. And perhaps, it was time to find the answers to my past.
[Continue to chapter 2]
