Chapter 1 Inferior

• “Mr. Finley, it’s been ten years already. Whatever grudges you may have, it’s time to forget about them. Please come home. Your father, your grandfather, and your brothers are all waiting for you. As for your marriage, it concerns the honor of our family. After you return, we will select the most beautiful and most excellent woman to be your wife and the daughter-in-law of the Cooper family. That Mariette Quinn from the Quinn family is not worthy of you. Or the Cooper family.”
• Standing by the moat of Yannopolis, a blotchy-eyed old man in traditional garment was earnestly trying to persuade Finley Youngblood. Compared to the others standing before him, Finley's clothes seemed ordinary and shabby.
• “Yes, it’s been ten years. A dog would be considered old by now. But the family you speak of hasn’t changed one bit.” Finley laughed self-deprecatingly, with a hint of bloodshot in his eyes.
• “Ten years ago, my parents kneeled in front of the Cooper family’s gates. At that time, the family told my father that my mother was a commoner, not worthy of the Cooper family, and unfit to be their daughter-in-law. And I am born of the ‘commoner’ the family spoke of. My mother and I were driven mercilessly out of the family. We had to live in the streets. Until later, when I married into the Quinn family, where I had to endure humiliations.”
• “For the past ten years, when did you ever give a d*mn about my mother and me? Now, with just a few words, you expect me to forget about this grudge and my mother’s humiliation, and return with you to continue the Cooper family line. Do you think that’s possible?” Finley continued.
• He added, “Go back and tell the family that my surname is Youngblood, not Cooper. And tell that useless father of mine that he’s not worthy of my mother and unfit to be my father!”
• Finley truly hated that cold-blooded family.
• But even more so, he hated that weak father of his.
• Back then, if his father had a bit more backbone, he and his mother wouldn’t have to suffer so much humiliation.
• Oftentimes, Finley longed for his father to protect him and his mother. But his father always chose to back down and side with his family.
• Even when the Cooper family drove away the mother and son, Finley's father could only look on in fear. In front of the family, he didn’t dare to speak up or retaliate. He could only look on as his wife and son suffered humiliation.
• From the bottom of his heart, Finley despised his father.
• “Mr. Finley, please consider carefully. You have to understand what you are turning down. That’s wealth comparable to a nation’s budget and enough power for you to be able to look down on everyone else. As long as you return, you will be able to become the family head within ten years.” The old man was still trying to persuade Finley.
• But Finley had already turned away. With a laugh, he asked, “So what? Even if you give me the whole world, I will still consider it to be inferior to a mere speck of dust!”
• His words were firm and reverberated like the sound of a rock hitting the ground.
• Finley left, leaving behind a crowd speechless with shock.
• After a long while, somebody sighed.
• A middle-aged man looked at Finley from afar, with feelings of indebtedness and remorse swirling in his heart.
• “Finley, you are even more promising than your father!” The man smiled even as tears brimmed in his eyes.
• With his eyes blotchy from crying, Finley strode along the streets of Yannopolis.
• After enduring so many years of humiliation, Finley thought nothing could faze him anymore. But the appearance of the Cooper family did disturb him, who was but a young man in his early twenties.
• But life must go on. So Finley picked up the pieces and hurried on his way to the Quinn family's house.
• The Quinn family was considered a somewhat prominent family in Yannopolis, a third-tier city. But they only truly rose to fame due to a scandal that had happened three years ago. The most beautiful daughter of the Quinn family, Mariette Quinn, suddenly got hitched to a luckless hopeless man and even let him marry into her family. This incident shocked the whole city and turned the Quinn family into a laughing stock.
• Half a year into his marriage, Finley finally realized the truth behind the matter.
• At that time, Mariette's family had committed a serious error and caused great losses for the entire Quinn family. The head of the family, in a fit of rage, punished Mariette's family and so she was forced to marry a trash as a warning to the other family members.
• And Finley, one of the leading characters in this incident, lost all respect with both men and women alike. He became a laughing stock, an object of ridicule to be talked about during meal times.
• Suddenly, Finley’s phone rang. The caller was Mariette, his wife in name.
• “Where are you? Get back here now. We don’t have time to wait around for you.” Her tone was cold and authoritarian as if she was giving an order.
• It had been three years already. Finley had already gotten used to it. After ending the call, he hurried toward the Quinn family's house.
• Today was the day of Mariette's cousin's engagement party.
• The head of the Quinn family had five sons and a daughter. Mariette’s father was the third eldest son. Today, the fourth eldest son’s daughter was getting engaged so, naturally, Mariette had to attend the event with her family.
• “Mariette, I’m sorry. I had something to attend to, and was held up.” Thanks to his efforts, Finley finally made it just in time.
• At this time, the multitude of guests were gathered at the entrance and the scene was rather lively. But it was easy enough to single out Mariette from the crowd due to her outstanding looks and figure.
• “Something to attend to? A trash like you had something to attend to?”
• “You keep dilly-dallying day in and day out. My Mariette is being held back because of a hopeless man like you.” Upon seeing Finley, a lady was unable to contain her dislike for him and let loose with a scolding.
• She saw what Finley was wearing and got angrier. “Are you an idiot? Do you not know what the occasion is today? Yet you are wearing such shabby clothes? Are you trying to humiliate us?”
• She was in the throes of rage and wished she could give Finley a good kicking. Standing beside her, a middle-aged man stared at Finley with displeasure. His look of contempt made for a distinctive contrast with the lady’s clear display of disgust.
• “Mom, stop it.” Mariette, on the other hand, was calm and responded softly.
• It was as if she was already used to being humiliated because of Finley.
• “Why must I stay silent? Mariette, this piece of trash did it on purpose. He deliberately dressed shabbily to shame our family! The heavens must have sent him to torment us!” Lily Hughes, Mariette’s mother, yelled in fury, her eyes bloodshot with rage. During all these years, she had been accumulating a lot of grievances because of Finley.
• “Enough is enough!” Mariette cut in with a scream. “Mom, how long are you going to keep this up? It’s fine when you keep the scoldings at home, but don’t you know you are embarrassing me when you scold him in public? Also, have we ever bought him anything nice after he married into our family? You want him to wear nice clothes, but does he have any to wear?”
• Mariette tried her best to calm herself down, but Finley could see that her eyes were red.
• Nobody knew what kind of grievance and humiliation this family had to suffer during these past three years.
• After her daughter’s outburst, Lily stopped talking and, after dabbing at her eyes, she turned and left.
• Finley had nothing to say either and followed Mariette’s family into the house.
• Inside the family house, there was a festive atmosphere.
• At this moment, Mariette’s uncle was standing by the door, greeting the guests warmly together with his family.
• “Hahaha!”
• “Sister-in-law is looking prettier and prettier.”
• “I am already very happy that you can come today, there’s no need for gifts.”
• “You’re being too formal.”
• “It’s too much money. No, no. I can’t accept this.”
• “Fine, we will take this. Next time, invite us to your son’s wedding.”
• “Quick, Yvonne, come thank your auntie and uncle.”
• Mariette’s aunt, Christine Wendel accepted the gift warmly and instructed her daughter, Yvonne Quinn, to greet their relatives. After some sweet salutations, Christine attentively guided their guests to their seats in the hall.
• “Christine, congratulations. We didn’t come late, did we?”
• Mariette’s family had also arrived. Mariette’s mother stepped forward with a smile and offered her congratulations. Mariette and Finley also greeted their aunt affectionately.
• “Oh, it doesn’t matter even if came late. Since it’s useless even if you come.” Christine’s smile vanished as soon as she saw Mariette’s family and she responded coldly to their greetings. She simply ignored Mariette’s and Finley’s display of affection.
• “Who asked you to come? And you even brought that piece of trash here? To embarrass us?”
• Even though Christine had a bad attitude, she didn’t do anything outrageous. But Yvonne was young and reckless, so she paid little heed to societal norms. Her dislike for Finley outweighed everything else. She disregarded the presence of guests as she unleashed a verbal tirade.
• In the Quinn family, Finley was a source of shame. With a useless son-in-law like him, Mariette’s family was also held in low regard.
• “Yvonne, be quiet. Pay attention to your surroundings.” Christine pulled her daughter aside and indifferently accepted the gift money offered by Mariette’s family. And without offering to guide them, let Mariette’s family make their own way into the hall to find their seats.
• “Mind the trash. Don’t let him embarrass our Yvonne.” Christine couldn’t help but leave behind such an insulting barb.
• “That family of four, they could only come up with that much money?” They’re obviously here to freeload off us. Shameless.” Behind them, the undisguised disgust in Yvonne’s voice could be heard. Mariette’s face paled in anger and Lily could feel her heart constricting in her chest, but they ignored the insult and kept their peace.
• After all, out of the five brothers, their branch of the family was the worst off. Their son-in-law was also the most useless. Without power and wealth to back them up, they could only accept their lot in silence.
• Suddenly, a commotion could be heard outside the door.
• A Benz drove into the driveway, and a young lady in a long gown stepped out hand-in-hand with a male companion.
• When they saw her, both Christine and Yvonne smiled brightly. The looks of disgust on their faces had all but vanished. The mother-and-daughter pair scurried over to the front door to receive their guests.
• “Scarlet. Brother-in-law. You’ve finally arrived. We have been waiting for you.” Yvonne smiled fawningly.
• “Here, this way. Oh my, why did you buy so many gifts?”
• “Here, somebody come give my nephew-in-law a hand.” Christine too, was also eager to please.
• Even though Mariette and her family were also blood relations, the difference in treatment was like heaven and earth. The unfairness twisted in their hearts like a knife.
• The new guest was Scarlet Quinn, the daughter of the fifth Quinn. Because she had found herself an excellent husband, the entire Quinn family could not help but suck up to their family.