Sinjin Santillan was having a really bad day, despite it starting as a good one because it was his birthday and he had woken up with the anticipation of proposing to his girlfriend of ten years, Mallucia Goldstein and hoping she'd agree to become his fiancée. However, things had taken a turn for the worse.
Mallucia Goldstein was hailed as the 'nation's fairy', adored by everyone for her perceived kindness, warmth, and beauty, yet unbeknownst to them, the true nature of Mallucia Goldstein remained veiled. Despite being aware of her true self, he had continued to love her, and she reciprocated his love until an unfortunate accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Her attitude changed drastically, and she became more occupied with her work than ever. He now had to schedule appointments with her manager or assistants just to see his own girlfriend, and even then, it was a rarity if she appeared.
He was aware that his accident had affected her deeply, just as it had impacted him and his family. Therefore, he had dedicated himself to proving his love for her by diligently working to regain full use of his legs. Today, he planned to surprise her by proposing marriage, and once she accepted, he would astound both her and his family by rising from his electric wheelchair onto his own two feet.
Instead of him being the one to surprise Mallucia, he found himself utterly astonished by the surprise she had in store for him, turning what should have been a joyous occasion into an unexpected twist.
"I'm sorry, Sin, but I can't marry you," She uttered with a small, apologetic smile adorning her face. "I... Everything that happened between us was just... a mistake. I shouldn't have let it come this far."
"What... What do you mean?" He rasped, closing the lid of the box. Murmurs filled the air, and sympathetic looks adorned the faces of his parents and sister. He didn't want their pity. He didn't want anyone's pity. It made him angry. "Ten years was a mistake?"
"I'm sorry," She said, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. "I dated you because... of who you are; Sinjin Santillan. We were friends, and when you told me that you loved me, I couldn't say no. I... I like someone else, Sin."
As the blood rushed in his ears, his heart pounded so fiercely in his chest that he feared it might burst. The ring box slipped from his limp fingers amid growing murmurs, realizing he'd made a fool of himself with no one else to blame but himself.
"Who is this person?" He inquired in a shallow voice. Despite his suspicions, he didn't want to believe she could be so cruel.
"Um... I'm sorry," She murmured, but he cut her off sharply.
"Stop apologizing!" He hissed through gritted teeth. "It's unlike you."
"Luke," She muttered quietly.
His heart pounded. "There are many Lukes in the world. Which one?" He demanded.
"Lucas... Same Lucas you know," She replied softly.
Lucas Middleton, his once-best friend, had betrayed him by falling for his girlfriend, or had he betrayed Luke by falling for Mallucia? He didn't know anymore.
"Wow," He scoffed in disbelief. "I wanted to surprise you, but... Consider me blown away!" He exclaimed, his laughter laced with sarcasm.
"Son..." His father began, approaching them.
"Did you know?" He growled at his father.
"No!" Brendan Santillan looked appalled. "I would never do that to you, son."
"Fuck this," He said, his grip on the arms of his wheelchair turning his knuckles white. "Fuck this!" With a sudden burst of anger, he shot to his feet and kicked back the wheelchair, sending it skidding across the ballroom floor.
At first, his revelation was met with silence, then the room erupted into a cacophony of voices, everyone wondering about his miracle. And indeed, it was a miracle. He would have remained oblivious to the truth about Mal and Luke had he not waited for her response to his marriage proposal.
"Son... You're... How did this..." Brendan stammered, staring wide eyed at his son. Up until a minute ago, his only son was in a freaking wheelchair and now... This?
"Sin, you're standing on your feet." Mallucia gasped. "Oh my gosh!"
"Surprise!" He exclaimed, smirking sardonically. "I guess my surprise trumps yours, doesn't it?"
"Sin, I..."
"Oh, forget it. I'm outta here." He waved his hand dismissively and walked out of his own party, leaving everyone shocked in his wake.
After his dramatic exit, he instructed the valet to bring his car around. Once it arrived, he got in and drove off like a bat out of hell, just as his parents, sister, and Mallucia ran out to stop him.
"That should give her something to think about," He thought angrily. "Fucking bitch!" He slammed his fist on the steering wheel.
The infotainment screen lit up with a call from his father, but he declined it and pressed down on the accelerator, driving at a breakneck speed of 260. He declined calls from his sister and mother and eventually turned off his phone, tossing it onto the passenger seat.
He had no idea where he was headed, but soon he found himself in the less glitzy area of Elderstone, with its dingy pubs, motels, and almost dilapidated residential buildings. He'd never ventured past his home in Aria Falls or his company, which was in the heart of Elderstone, the capital of Merendra.
As he drove, he passed a woman being harassed by three men in an alleyway and quickly applied the brakes. He wanted to keep driving, but it looked like she needed help, and despite being so mad at the world, he couldn't ignore her plight.
"Maybe I'll vent all of my anger on those fuckers. Pick on someone your own size," He muttered to himself. Unfastening his seatbelt, he opened the door and stepped out of the car.
A foul odor hit him, causing him to briefly cover his nose. He was so scared to inhale that he reached back into his car, opened the console between his seat and the passenger's, and took out a nose mask.
After slipping it on and feeling a little better, he shut the door, locked the car, and approached the people in the alleyway. Three men stood there: two holding knives, while the last, who looked like the leader, was busy going through the woman's bag."You don't have any money?" The man demanded. "How can you not have any money? You work four jobs, Eds." "I know. They aren't enough to pay my bills and..." She began to babble."Blah blah blah. Excuses, excuses," The leader cut her off, tossing her bag to the ground. "You remember what I told you I'd do to your boys if you don't pay me my money?""Please, don't hurt them," She pleaded, dropping to her knees. "Give me a month.""Because of my love for you, I gave you six months, Eds," The leader reminded her. "I don't do that and you know it.""Please," She sobbed. "Please.""How about this? You give me your body and I'll let you off the hook for now?""What?" She stared wide-eyed at him. "No!" She exclaimed."Really?" The leader chuc
Miracle or Deceit: Paralyzed Billionaire Sinjin Santillan Walks Out of His Party After His Girlfriend Rejects Him."In an astonishing turn of events at the extravagant birthday celebration of billionaire mogul Sinjin Santillan, attendees were left stunned as Santillan, who has been paralyzed from the waist down for years, reportedly rose from his wheelchair and walked out of the party after a public rejection by his girlfriend.The opulent affair, held at the Santillan family estate, was attended by high-profile guests from the business, entertainment, and political spheres. The event was meant to mark Santillan's 31st birthday and was anticipated to be a lavish affair befitting his status as one of the wealthiest individuals in the country.However, the evening took an unexpected turn when Santillan's girlfriend, Mallucia Goldstein aka the nation's fairy, reportedly declined a marriage proposal from the billionaire in front of the gathered guests. Witnesses described the scene as tens
"Sir, you have a visitor." His secretary, Adella Simmons, announced. "Who is it?" Sinjin wasn't up for visitors. He'd not been in the mood to talk to anyone for over a week and they'd given him his space. He figured the time for peace and quiet was over and either his mother or father was here to get some information out of him by force.He hadn't told anyone about his physical therapy, preferring it to be a surprise on his birthday. After vacationing at his family's European island resort until he recovered, he returned home. Despite outwardly maintaining the facade of being injured, he secretly exercised his legs in the privacy of his home and underwent a medical examination to ensure he could father a child of his own.Upon receiving positive test results, he became even more resolved to propose to Mallucia, unaware of her hidden agenda. He had been merely a pawn in her and Lucas's scheme, leveraging his name for their own gains in their acting careers, a fact they conveniently ov
Sinjin, pacing the length of his hotel room, checked his wristwatch every five minutes, wondering where his date was. The party had started ten minutes ago, and he found it funny that he wasn't there, considering it was thrown in his honor.He was going to receive the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award and didn't want to attend the event alone, so he hired an escort. He regretted not suggesting to Adella to hire a professional escort from one of those agencies instead of choosing her friend. He hoped her friend didn't look too bad, as it would be a waste of both their time.Just as he retrieved his phone from his pocket to call Williams, the doorbell rang, and he heaved a sigh. Stowing his phone, he walked over to the door and swung it open, ready to rake Williams over the coals for being late. However, it wasn't Williams who was at the door.Before him stood a stunning woman with emerald green eyes, donning an equally striking sleeveless emerald green lace maxi dress. The sweetheart ne
A week laterSande inquired of Eds, who she was working alongside in the convenience store's storage room, "Aren't you going to call Mr. Santillan?""No," Eds replied."Why not?" Sande asked, surprised. "Give me one good reason.""He's out of my league. I don't belong in his world," She listed off her reasons on her fingers. "I lied about my identity, and I have kids.""His world isn't vastly different from ours, you know." Sande countered. "It's just more glamorous, filled with wealthy people and stuff. Did you know it was because of him that his family became wealthy again?""What do you mean?" Eds frowned."His grandfather squandered their wealth gambling, and they became poor. Sinjin Santillan was a high school genius; he created a game called Warlords of Chaos, which he sold for a million dollars. Then, he developed unhackable software, which he used to start his company.” “Now, he's the richest man in the world," Sande explained with a hint of pride in her voice. "I read somewh
Sinjin scoffed in disbelief at the notion of Edselyn being a single mother. "You're kidding," He remarked. The stunning woman he'd been with last Friday could've passed off for a model if she wanted. She'd not looked like someone who'd given birth to one, much less two kids."I'm not, sir," Adella assured him. "She has two nine-year-old boys who are in elementary school, and she works four jobs to support herself and her sons.""Four jobs?" Sinjin was stunned. "How's that possible?" It was already challenging for some individuals to maintain just one job, yet Eds managed four. He considered himself quite gifted, attributing his success to his abilities.As the CEO of a massive multinational corporation with millions of employees and numerous subsidiaries, he often delegated tasks. Despite occasionally needing breaks himself, he couldn't fathom Eds finding any time for one for herself.Adella shrugged. "All I know from my best friend Sande is that Edselyn didn't go to college, so she c
As Sinjin drove to Dapplewood, all he could think about was the potential aneurysm his father would have if he knew what he was up to and about to do: risking his life to save a stranger's kids. Despite the danger he knew he was going to be in, he wasn't scared of dying himself, though he hadn't planned on it. However, he couldn't say the same for the men who had kidnapped Eds' sons.Pulling up at the curb in front of Sande's apartment building, he dialed Eds but received no response from her, so he quickly dialed Sande, who answered on the first ring, as if she'd been waiting by the phone. Worried that Eds might have acted impulsively by trying to save her sons alone, his fears heightened when Sande came downstairs, got into his car, and tearfully revealed Eds' absence.She recounted how Eds had slipped away when she waited for him, and when he didn't show up, she asked Sande for a cup of water. Sande blamed herself for not anticipating Eds' actions, but thankfully knew where Eds had
"What happened to her?" The attending doctor asked Sinjin as Eds was wheeled into the hospital."Uh... She was shot," He replied anxiously. "She's barely breathing. She's lost a lot of blood. Please save her.""We'll do our best, sir," The doctor assured him, hurrying after the gurney through the operating room doors.Anxiously, Sinjin ran his fingers through his hair, praying fervently for Eds' recovery. He knew he'd never forgive himself if anything happened to her. If only he had reached her friend's apartment sooner, she wouldn't have felt compelled to rescue her sons alone.She likely believed she couldn't truly rely on a stranger, especially a billionaire, to abandon everything and rush to her aid. After all, just a week earlier, she had been his escort, and he hadn't even known her real name or anything else about her until now.Speaking of sons... Sinjin spun around and spotted the boys standing outside the hospital doors, clinging to each other. He sighed heavily. He had done