No Going Back
Turning to the busy street behind him, a man could see different people from all walks of life haggle prices and buy things in a flea market.
"How much is this?" he asked a lady who screamed out her prices while cutting fishes into diced parts.
"Twenty dollars, Sir," she smiled, showing a broken tooth amongst a set of yellow teeth. "Would you like that diced or whole?"
He knew that was what they all said but he did not have that much for the fish. He dipped his hand into his pocket, hoping to find something useful, but all he could get out was ten dollars. It was not going to be enough for the fish.
"Should I start dicing it?" she asked ready to drop the knife on the creature.
"I don't have that much for the fish. What is the lowest price you can sell it to me for?"
"If you did not have enough money, why come to my table," the woman frowned, dropping her fish back into a cooler. With swift movements, she took up a tiny one from a different cooler, slicing it up into different dice.
"How much would that be?" He asked the woman who ignored him, cutting up the fish into parts before tying it up in a leaf for him.
"Four dollars," she gritted through her teeth, dumping the fish on the table for him.
Rummaging through his pocket, he got out the ten dollars in there, handing over the crumpled money to the woman.
While she searched her bag for his change, he spotted a familiar face in the crowd causing him to panic a bit.
"Could you hurry it up?" he asked nervously, trying not to sound rude. "I've got other things to get."
"Sure," she sighed, giving him his change as he turned to go, bumping into someone.
"I'm sorry," the person he bumped into apologized.
"No, it was all my fault, I apologize," he said back, ready to leave before getting a hand which held him in place.
He turned to see the stranger smiling at him. It was a familiar face. One he had not expected to see in a place like this.
"Greg?" the stranger called out his name. "Is that you?"
The man named Greg froze in place wondering how he had been found.
"Greg," a familiar face shot forward. It was a man in an expensive suit.
Greg looked at the two men in front of him with a worried look on his face.
"Why are you both here?"
"Your family wants you back," the man in the suit replied.
"No," Greg grunted, walking away from the men.
"I'm happy with what I am now. A useless son-in-law," he laughed. "It's better than being cast aside by my own family. Besides I'm married to a beautiful woman who is from a rich family so I don't need you all."
With that, he started out of the market heading home with his food.
Petra, his wife, had come from a long line of rich people known as the Williams. Of course, it didn't help when her family hated him for being poor, however that was a life he chose for himself and not one he intended to keep up with forever.
Reminiscing on the memory he had of his family, he could tell that his past had been a shitty one.
Greg was the second son of the most well known and powerful family in the country. His family, the Edwards, were well known and had so much influence in every part of the country.
His twin brother Andrew had been born roughly twelve minutes earlier.
Every family member, especially his grandfather, the master and patriarch of the family adored Andrew more than he liked Greg leaving the young man to be pushed aside.
From the day of his birth till the day he got banished, he could not remember any memory he had had with his grandfather.
During his banishment from the family, he had nowhere to go.
None of his relatives attempted to pick him up, house him or give him food or money. Instead they turned away from him while he roamed the streets in search of shelter.
He remembered how he had gone into the streets, under the rainy night looking for anyone to have pity on him and take him in.
He had braved the weather that night, heading under a bridge to sleep for the night as a Bentley slowed to a halt in front of him.
"A young man such as yourself should not be sleeping in this horrible place," a voice said as the window of the car rolled down. That was how his life changed, taking a huge turn.
He stayed with the man for a few days before knowing who the man actually was. He was a rich man who had companies all over the country just like his family.
He found the man to be Thomas William, the founder of the Williams corporation. The man knew who he was and kept his identity a secret.
"I have a proposition for you," the man said one day, inviting Greg to get married to his granddaughter.
Of course Petra, the girl he was to get married to, hated the idea and this caused her to hate him even more than she already did.
Her grandfather died a natural death after a couple of years driving the rift between the couple even farther.
His pocket vibrated as he dipped his hand into it to get out his phone. On the screen, he could see a notification reminding him of a birthday.
"Oh shit," he mumbled. He had almost forgotten about it. It was Petra's grandmother's birthday. The whole family was going to be present at the family house. He had to get something for her or he would not hear the last of it.
Getting into a store where they sold jewels, he bought an antique bead from the store before heading straight for the estate.
***
When he arrived at the estate, he did a quick scan of the place, seeing his wife waiting at the entrance of the house.
She looked stunning in the red gown she had on with her red hair flowing in the gentle breeze.
She looked up to see him coming up the stairs and when she saw him, the smile on her face fell.
She was visibly disappointed.
Walking up to her, he handed his gift to her as she told him to get rid of the bloody fish in his hand.
"Well, well, well," someone laughed. "If it isn't the worst in-law the world has ever produced."
Greg turned to see Damien, Petra's brother climbing up the stairs with his hand spread
"Tell your husband that he can't just bring something he found randomly at a second hand shop to give to my grandma. What a sad little thing?" turning to his sister he chuckled. "That goes for both of you, I guess."