HIS INTENSE declarations were followed by a massive volume of laughter within the crowd— including the Sandoval family, except for Daphne. August closed his eyes and clenched his fists, trying not to bring their laughter straight into his heart. But it was to no avail. He could feel his heart breaking. One of his hands traveled onto his chest and clutched it while breathing heavily. His chest went up and down as he did that. All of them found August's claims amusing. Nicole even held onto her stomach as she laughed hard with her eyes getting teary, the same as the other people in the place who looked at him like a clown who was giving them entertainment. "He's sick!" "Dream on, dude!" "Your dreams will come true once you die!" Their sarcastic laughter was followed by harsh insults. They were even pointing out at him. Some of them were spitting on the stage, while some were splashing their wines onto him. At that time, he regretted opening his eyes— the same as how he regretted

WITH THAT, the tables had turned immediately as he was the one who got caught off-guard. People around them gasped in shock because they knew that Daphne had a double meaning with her statements.   Everyone knew that Daphne was an illegitimate child, and having a mistreatment towards illegitimate children was not much news to them, but they were shocked because all along, they thought that the Sandoval family gives Daphne the same treatment as Bruce.   Lots of cameras and flashes went onto Jake, Bruce, and Nicole Sandoval. The reporters were asking what Daphne Sandoval could mean behind that sentence she spouted earlier.   All of them went silent, especially B

THE ROOM WENT in silence as August heard what Charles had said. His eyes widened as he forgot to breathe for a second. His hands were about to move to fix his hair but was stopped mid-way because of shock. He wasn’t stupid to understand Charles’ statement. If he wouldn’t pretend to be his son despite inheriting Charles’ wealth, then… ‘Would I be adopted for the second time?’ August couldn’t help but ask at the back of his mind. It was the only way he could be an inheritor without pretending, but at this point, he didn’t know what to feel. The Fordman family treated him properly without any judgments, and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to let go of their surname because of this new opportunity that could help him exact revenge. He remembered his life in the orphanage back when he was a child. The other children didn’t like him— they treated him differently and bullied him. They constantly told him that he didn't belong in the orphanage because he was different, and at that time,

“WHAT WAS he even thinking? He didn’t even inform me of what we’ll do tomorrow,” August mumbled as he sat at the edge of the bed and stared at the door where Charles had gone out earlier.He looked at his body. Some parts of his body were covered with bandages. August raised the hem of his shirt and grimaced as he saw his stomach having some stitches because of what Bruce did to him yesterday.‘That’s why it pained me so much. His punch created a wound within it,’ he said at the back of his mind. He massaged the bridge of his nose as the memories from last night surged onto his mind like a tidal wave.A day had passed, but the pain from their insults lingered in his mind. He could remember how they mocked him and threw insults at him like he was a rock that wouldn’t be affected by what they said. He clenched his hand and tried to find the remote so he could watch the television.“Where is it?” August talked to himself as he removed the blankets covering the bed and even removed the p

THE SUN already rose, yet August wasn't able to get some sleep. It became hard for him to rest his mind if he wasn't in the right mood. He felt like he was prohibited from doing anything. 'Did I do the right thing?' August couldn’t help but ask that question at the back of his mind. If it wasn't for the revenge he wanted, he would have run away by now and lived the peaceful life he always wanted. He could forget everything. He could forgive them and start a new life like he did in Mrs. Johens' restaurant. But it was different right now. Everything wouldn't be able to be the same again as he also thought about Daphne who crossed the line just to help him. He would show her his gratitude some other time. “Good morning, August," Charles greeted as he entered the room. Charles thought that August would flinch or show a shocked expression because he looked like he was in deep thought when he opened the door, but August just gazed at him with his arms crossed. ‘He was conscious of his

“WHAT ARE you waiting for?” Charles asked as he tilted his head, waiting for August to speak since it was almost a few seconds since he just stared at the wall. "If you want to say something, speak."He was opening and closing his lips like he wanted to ask for something but couldn’t find the courage to ask. Charles clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers in front of him, causing August’s gaze to go back to him. Even though he doesn’t show it, Charles was worried about his son. He could have said something that terrified him. “H-How about my underwear?” But it looked like it wasn’t the case. Charles only shook his head as he massaged the bridge of his nose to calm himself down. However, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the same time because he never thought that his son had this kind of side. His question may sound ridiculous, but for Charles, someone holding his underwear would be the most embarrassing moment of his life. “You’re shy, aren’t you?” the old man asked as he cares

August continued watching Daphne's video on repeat. He clenched his hand as he felt guilty because he was saved at someone's expense. His gaze went darker every second as he gritted his teeth, annoyed. However, at that time, August didn't know which he should be annoyed with if it was the Sandoval family who humiliated him or himself… because he couldn't even defend himself even though everyone had wronged him. And he couldn't protect the first woman in his life who tried to help him. “Let me ask you a question, August." August snapped out of his thoughts when Charles spoke. He had been watching August's reaction— trying to decipher what was on his mind. "What was the reason why you accepted my offer?" Charles asked authoritatively, yet August could hear a hint of curiosity in the tone of his voice. "You were firm in your decision before. You even called me crazy for what I offered." Charles let out a chuckle and smiled as he remembered the time he commanded Maxine to bring Augus

“M-MAXINE?” August asked as he slightly stammered. His eyes widened while looking at Maxine who was wearing her nurse uniform.“Nice to meet you, young master,” Maxine answered before she bowed in front of him, smiling. “I’m glad that you still remember me.”“W-What is—” August was about to ask Charles what was happening when Charles interrupted him.“If you’re listening to what I’m saying earlier, I believe I told you that your first training was enhancing your physical strength,” Charles mumbled as he patted August lightly on his shoulder. “She’s the perfect person who can train you.”“Not bad.”August didn’t speak, but he understood where Charles’ statements were coming from. He remembered the time Maxine injected him with a yellow liquid. August stared at Maxine from head to toe, checking her but not in a bad way. Based on her looks, Maxine looked like a slightly strict woman working at a high-rise company.But she looked different back then. She had the same vibes as Sapphire, a

Hello, readers! First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who's reading August's story. This will not only focus on him rising to the top but on the progress and struggles he would need to face before that (and, of course, the revenge! The beloved revenge~). I hope everyone will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. The schedule of my update would be every 8:00 PM, GMT +8. I would write two chapters a day sometimes, depending on my schedule availability. If it's okay, I would like to ask for feedback about the story in the comments or the review section. It will help me to improve this story (and other stories) in the long run. ^0^ Again, thank you so much for reading this story! You can also follow me for more stories! Have a good day or night, everyone~! - Star

“Is that all? Is that what you can do?!” Maxine shouted as his pace started to get slow. He had been running for almost an hour, and he couldn’t even feel his feet anymore nor breathe properly. It also looked like he had been bathed in sweat. August believed he had enough stamina for running, but with Maxine as his trainer, it felt like all his energy had gone down the drain. “Faster!” Maxine exclaimed as she blew the whistle, making August run again in a manner where he should raise his knees higher— making everything unbearable for him. “I said faster! Knees higher!” August didn’t know he was at his limit if Maxine hadn't pushed him outside his comfort zone. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wouldn’t be surprised if he fainted on the spot. “Are you sure that this is training?! Not a way of killing me—” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence when Maxine blew the whistle again to the point that it almost destroyed his eardrum. “Ugh!” “Stop complaining. Focus on your goals, an