1 Prologue

[Alarm ringing] [Alarm ringing] [Alarm ringing]

Ethan woke up and checked the clock. It was exactly 8 a.m. He was late for lectures at the university. He removed his clothes and rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower, but all he heard was the sound of air escaping from the shower.

"Dammit!" he shouted with rage. "I forgot I haven't paid the water bill for the past two months." He couldn't believe it had been a week without a bath. He rushed outside to get dressed, opening his closet to decide what to wear.

"I shouldn't waste time guessing what to wear," he thought. "After all, there are only a few options in the closet."

"Hmm, I have a job interview, so I should wear something decent," Ethan decided.

He chose his favorite dress: a Louis Vuitton T-shirt adorned with the iconic LV monogram in gleaming gold against a backdrop of deep navy blue.

He had bought it from a boutique for special occasions like Christmas. It cost around $200, and after a month of saving, it even made him go bankrupt. He wore it with tailored trousers and his old Converse shoes.

As Ethan admired his reflection in the mirror, his thoughts drifting to the hefty price tag of his favorite Louis Vuitton T-shirt, a sudden knock on the door shattered his reverie."

When Ethan opened the door , he saw his landlord standing in front, which caught him off guard.

"Mr. Thompson," Ethan stuttered as he spoke, "what brings you here today? God, please don't let it be the house rent," Ethan spoke inside his head.

Mr. Thompson was a fat man in his forties with a big belly and a bald head. His fist was clenched, holding some papers. His face reddened as if it was ready to explode like an atomic missile.

Ethan felt Mr. Thompson's anger rise.

Mr. Thompson grabbed Ethan's collar and slammed him against the door. "You are asking me what brings me here, huh?" His voice was loud. "His saliva was spitting onto Ethan's face as he spoke."To be honest, his mouth really kinda stink, making Ethan feel sick.

The noise brought a lot of neighbors out of their rooms calling for attention.

"I swear I'm going to pay you back. I swear," Ethan pleaded. "You are owing me goddamn two months of rent fee."

"Nathan!" Mr. Thompson called out his son's name. "Pack Ethan's stuff out. I'm sacking him out of my building." Nathan was a well-built muscular guy. He rushed to pack all of Ethan's stuff out.

"What the hell? You can't do that!" Ethan shouted over his voice. He couldn't be homeless, sleeping on the streets. No, it couldn't be possible.

"Okay, I will pay you the money right now," Mr. Thompson's eyebrow moved, staring at Ethan curiously. Nathan left the stuff. "I don't have time to play. Give me my money." He stretched his hands, waiting for the money.

With trembling hands, Ethan removed his wallet from his pocket and counted the crumpled dollars inside, each one a reminder of how he would survive for the rest of the week.

He stared at his kitchen table, feeling the weight of impending homelessness pressing down on him.

Tears blurred his vision as he realized he was unable to provide even the most basic necessities for himself.

The walls of his small apartment seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with a sense of despair.

It was $70. He handed over the money to the landlord. "Huh, it doesn't reach. What about the rest?"

"I swear, I'll pay it to you. Okay, I will let you go for now, but I will be taking the rest of the money next week."

"It is shame you were born in this poor life. You can change everything by ending it. You know what I mean right." Mr. Thompson left his apartment mocking him. Such a poor loser Nathan laughed at him as he left his small apartment.

Ethan's fist clenched with determination as he shouted, 'Hell no way am I going to give up!' He paused, his mind racing. Thoughts of Clara flooded in his, bolstering his resolve.

I have my girlfriend Clara with me, and no way she is gonna abandon me,' he muttered to himself, drawing strength from the thought. With renewed determination, he stormed out of the room, his heart pounding with a mix of defiance and hope."

 He was surely like a mad person.

Ethan reached the lecture hall. At the university Class had already started an hour ago. He was late; he couldn't withstand the stares of everyone. He entered the room he always hated when he was right about something. The professor stopped teaching, which called for attention to Ethan. He became a little bit nervous.

"Look at his backpack, it's very old. Yes, I bet you his trousers are even second hand. Yep, what do you expect from him? He's a loser."

"I heard he worked as a delivery guy. Such a poor guy. I never knew there was someone as broke as him in this century. You guys won't believe this, I heard he was dating Clara."

"No way, do you mean Clara, the one studying medicine? That hot chick. Unbelievable! How come a poor loser like him gets a girl like her?" Most of the guys became jealous, watching him with anger and hatred. Well, there's nothing he can't do about that one. They commented on him as if he wasn't there.

Professor Marcus was the only one who really knew Ethan and his backstory, so he often helped him with his financial problems. "Okay, let's continue, and can you all stop talking about Mr. Ethan," he said after he got their attention before continuing to teach.

Ethan sat down as if nothing had happened. He had no problem facing their cruelty anymore; he had faced a lot more than this when he was in high school so he could control it.

After all class ended really bad. He couldn't stand; they were still staring at him. He was like an alien to them.

Ethan felt his phone vibrating inside his pocket. It had vibrated an hour ago. It was his girlfriend calling