Chapter 2. Find a Job

Bam! 

"What are you trying to do?" 

Just waking up from a dream, Benjamin was suddenly kicked off the bed. His face instantly turned sour as he squinted at the angry Isabella lying on the bed. 

"What do I want to do? I want to stomp you to death!" 

"Wait, hold on!" 

Seeing Isabella's furious appearance, Benjamin finally awoke from his dream. He quickly got up, looked at Isabella, and raised his hands above his head.

"This wasn't my fault, either. It was you who provoked me last night. Then, I couldn't hold back anymore. So..."

"Shut up, and I won't let you speak!"

Before Benjamin could finish speaking, Isabella's piercing scream interrupted him. Caught off guard, Benjamin had no choice but to close his mouth obediently.

Immediately afterward, a torn dress was thrown from the bed to the floor. As she glared at him, Isabella's expression grew colder and more challenging.

"I want you to buy me a new dress like this!"

As Benjamin looked at the torn dress thrown before him, he intended to catch it. However, Isabella suddenly yelled at him again.

"What are you still doing standing there? Go buy me a dress, quickly!"

Although Benjamin wanted to say something more, Isabella's scream brought him back to his senses, and he could only look at her with a bitter smile.

"I'll buy you a new dress, but could you lend me more money? As you know, I don't have much on me."

As he spoke, Benjamin showed his nearly empty wallet to Isabella. But her demeanor remained unchanged, and her face showed a trace of contempt.

"Hmph, don't even think about it. I don't care how you do it. I want a dress like mine to appear in this room within half an hour!"

Knowing that reasoning with this woman was impossible, Benjamin could only stare at the dress he had torn last night and dejectedly leave the room.

***

"Miss, how much does this dress cost?"

"Five hundred USD!"

"What about this one?"

"Four hundred fifty USD!"

"Well..."

Benjamin incessantly pointed at the dresses displayed in a clothing store about four or five hundred meters from the hotel. However, as he listened to the shop owner's prices, his expression became increasingly difficult.

At this point, the shop owner's patience was also thin, and she looked annoyed at him.

"Look, handsome, do you want to buy something or not? The clothes in my shop are the cheapest in this area. If you don't believe me, go outside and ask around. Why would I cheat you?!"

When hearing these words from the shop owner, Benjamin's face showed a hint of surprise. Then, he gave a bitter smile and pulled out two hundred USD he had carefully stashed in his wallet.

"But I only have this much money left. I wonder if anything in the store costs about this much?"

As he spoke, Benjamin tried to appear sincere and forced a smile. Seeing this, the shop owner could only curse under her breath before pointing to a hidden corner.

"If you weren't the first customer and weren't somewhat good-looking, I wouldn't to sell you something for this amount of money. However, out of respect for your good looks, I'll give you a fifty percent discount and sell you that dress for a low price. It'll only take exactly two hundred USD from you!"

Seeing the new white dress, strikingly similar to the one Isabella had worn the night before, Benjamin couldn't help but feel relieved. However, when he thought about the remaining money in his wallet being taken away, his heart ached with pain. Nonetheless, his mood quickly stabilized as he hurriedly took the purchased dress and returned it to Isabella.

But as Benjamin pushed the door open and entered the room, his face instantly turned pale. At some point, Isabella grabbed a shard of broken glass and pointed it at his face. Her expression was also frighteningly fierce.

"Hey, what are you trying to do? Put that down right now!"

"You scoundrel, I want to kill you, kill you!"

"You've gone mad! Yesterday's incident had nothing to do with me!"

"Yeah, I'm crazy! So what? If you hadn't taken advantage of me when I was unconscious last night to do unspeakable things, how could I have gone crazy?"

"But..."

"I want to kill you!"

As Benjamin tried to explain, Isabella suddenly screamed. Immediately after, her body lunged forward, aiming the glass shard directly at his face.

Instantly, anger surged within Benjamin. He dodged and quickly grabbed Isabella's wrist, locking it tightly. Then, he snatched the glass shard from her hand and threw it to the ground. Finally, he looked at her coldly.

"Don't provoke me, or I won't be courteous to you anymore!"

Isabella's face momentarily showed signs of panic under Benjamin's intense gaze, and her body trembled slightly. However, she spoke coldly.

"What if you're not courteous to me? Are you going to assault me again? I'll tell you that if you dare touch me again, I won't give you a single cent. Then, I want to see how you'll find the money to treatment your sister!"

Initially still angry, Benjamin's expression became awkward upon hearing Isabella's words, and he hurriedly tried to explain.

"No, that's not what I meant. You know very well that my sister desperately needs money. And I still need to find a job. So, you can't do that."

"Hmph, what does your sister have to do with me?"

Isabella snorted coldly, and her voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

"Weren't you quite fierce just now? How come you're scared now?"

Hearing her taunts and seeing Isabella's smug demeanor, Benjamin's expression became even more embarrassed.

Indeed, without her monthly financial support, he couldn't afford even his sister's daily medication, let alone her treatment. At this point, all Benjamin could do was clench his fists tightly. He then looked at Isabella with a weak voice and asked: "So, what do you want me to do? Should I apologize to you?"

"Apologize? Can you change what happened yesterday?"

As she spoke, Isabella glanced at the bloodstain on the bed. For a moment, Benjamin was at a loss for words. He could only shake his head, sigh, and place the newly-purchased dress on the table.

"I'm sorry. Yesterday's incident was my fault. If you want to hit me or scold me, go ahead. But you can't withhold the money for my sister's treatment."

This time, Isabella has yet to respond. She simply looked at him with a disdainful gaze. Feeling helpless, Benjamin turned around and left the room.

As Benjamin walked away, the corner of Isabella's mouth slightly curled upward. But soon after, her eyes turned cold as she looked at the traces left on the bed from the previous night.

***

"Dad, how's my sister doing?"

Standing in the hospital corridor, Benjamin anxiously looked at the elderly, frail man with a hunched posture and inquired.

"She's the same, still needing the special care of the doctors. Moreover, the hospital has been pressing for payment these days. Benjamin, don't you plan on finding a side job?"

Hearing his father's question, Benjamin's face showed a hint of annoyance. He had previously sought work at several places, but they all paid meager wages. It was difficult enough to cover their daily expenses, let alone his sister's medical bills. Often, he could only eat instant noodles and drink some coffee to get by. Life in the city was expensive, and it was challenging for a recently discharged soldier like him to make a decent living.

"Dad, I've thought about it carefully. I'll continue looking for work today. Once I have a stable job, I'll provide for my sister's treatment."

"Ah..."

Benjamin's words were met with a sigh from his father, Jevin. His aged face grew even more worn. But then, as if remembering something, Jevin asked:

"By the way, your wife didn't come again today? Last time, Isabella only sent money for your sister's treatment. What's keeping her so busy that she hasn't visited our family since you married?"

Hearing Jevin's words, Benjamin was slightly startled. He didn't want his father to know that his marriage to Isabella was merely a transaction. So he hastily explained,

"Dad, my wife is busy with work. She said her company is working on a big contract with a foreign partner. She has to be in charge of it. After the contract is completed, she'll visit my sister!"

Hearing this, Jevin didn't show any suspicion. However, a hint of disappointment could be seen in his eyes.

"Ah, being busy is good. Moreover, since your wife works so much, you should help her; you can't just wander around all day. Besides, she's a good person, so you must cherish her, understand?"

Listening to Jevin's advice, Benjamin could only nod continuously. However, he didn't know what he was thinking deep down.

After leaving the hospital, it was then that Benjamin decided to look for a job. He had thought carefully, he could only sometimes rely on Isabella. Like the morning incident, how could he afford his sister's medical expenses if he didn't have money and Isabella didn't provide for him?

Determined, Benjamin spent the entire morning searching for a suitable job. After exploring various places, he noticed an eye-catching job posting. It advertised a security guard position with an attractive salary.

Seeing the job requirements, Benjamin didn't hesitate and quickly entered the restaurant, intending to apply for the security guard position.

"Ma'am, is this place hiring security guards?"

Seeing a young woman sitting at the restaurant's cashier counter, Benjamin carefully inquired. Hearing Benjamin's voice, the young woman looked up.

After observing Benjamin for a while, the young woman finally nodded in response.

"That's right, and my restaurant is looking for security guards. However, this job requires you to handle pressure. Moreover, you must be prepared to work overtime when I ask."

After speaking, the young woman's gaze lingered on Benjamin briefly before continuing.

"So, can you handle it?"

Contrary to the young woman's thoughts, Benjamin responded promptly and decisively.

"I can!"

Leaving the restaurant, Benjamin felt great. In addition to the demands the young woman mentioned, the job still offered a high salary, especially since the restaurant owner promised to pay him extra if he performed well.

Nothing was better than earning extra cash for someone needing money like Benjamin, as long as it was appropriate.

However, Benjamin's joyful smile only lasted a moment. Immediately after, his expression turned gloomy. Then, he realized he had no money left, and his stomach was still growling with hunger.

Fortunately, there were a few free water dispensers and some bread for passersby along the way. Biting into a piece of dry bread, Benjamin gulped down a mouthful of water to help it go down his throat.