5 The Regal Apartments

Miya's place was on the outskirts of the city, nearly three kilometres from the restaurant. Jim wasn't sure the woman had run back to her house, but he assumed she had. Anyone would like to take a bath after cleaning up a bathroom, right?

Jim almost bowled over at the thought.

He doubted he would be able to cohabit with a person like that for a year. But there was nothing he could do, as such. Also, the worse the girl was, the better it was for him. Only then would he be able to appropriately enrage his father.

The thought calmed him down somewhat, and he drove his car in silence.

When he reached the street he had to turn to, he stopped the car and got out. The road was too narrow here, and he didn't want his beloved Ferrari to get hurt. He would have to walk the remaining distance.

Turning on the map in his phone, Jim followed the direction shown.

And the scenery around baffled him.

It was one of the most chaotic and crowded places he had ever seen.

Buildings stood on both sides of a rather narrow street, old and dilapidating. People ran in and out of them hurriedly, all ragged and smelling of cheap smoke. Curls of smoke rose from some chimneys, making Jim feel almost suffocated. There were even a few dogs that he could see run astray.

He immediately was on guard.

Marrying a poor woman was not going to be as easy as he thought.

Another thing about this place surprised him. He had, out of his own love for himself, imagined that people would be amazed when he walked onto this street. They'd point a finger at him and yell, as they always did – "Look, that's Jimmy Hunter, the heir of the Hunter Corporation himself! Isn't he the real deal?!"

This place was weird, though. Here nobody seemed to recognize him, or give two flying f***s that he was there.

Jim didn't know whether to be happy about it or cry.

When he finally reached the building to which the arrow in his phone pointed, Jim heaved a sigh of relief, but was once again horrified.

Relief came from knowing that he wouldn't have to walk anymore. Horror, when he saw the state of the building. It was painted yellow and brown and was so ragged, it looked like it would shatter any minute. And even though it was only ten in the morning, the place seemed strangely haunted.

Jim swallowed.

It was this place, for sure. The broken sign read, "Regal Apartments". There was nothing regal about it though.

Jim walked in.

He didn't know exactly what he had expected, but somehow he was surprised that there was no one at the area marked reception. He walked further in.

So he took the steps. The woman lived on 5th floor.

Even the steps creaked when he stood on them. He was slow, light but swift enough to quickly reach the 5th storey. Miya lived in apartment 508. The eighth one.

As he walked through the corridor, he could hear voices coming from afar. Just when he had reached Room 507, he realized that the voices were coming from the room of his 'perfect' bride. Even the door was slightly ajar.

Did these people really have no sense of their privacy? First the reception, and now this?

However, Jimmy quickly decided to eavesdrop. Who knew, he might gain some useful information. And so, he stood straight, sticking to the wall, focusing on the conversation that was being carried on inside.

"No way, I already said NO!" a loud, shrill voice said. Jim recognized it as Miya's.

"Why endure such pains, Miya? Your life would be a thousand times easier!" He heard another grave, angry voice.

Then he heard a laugh. "Probably Miya's," he thought.

"Give Ben up for adoption? You've got to be kidding me! I'd rather die!"

"Miya you…!"

"Enough! Please leave, you are scaring my child."

"Alright miss. Then don't come crying to me later."

"Get lost!"

Jim hid behind the door as a tiny, old and extremely fat man jumped out of the room and bounced down the staircase. Somehow, he reminded him of a football. He quickly walked a few steps away from the door as it was slammed shut. And while he did so, he heard the woman shout, "The next time that bald old idiot shows his face, I'll throw my sandals at him!"

Jim grinned slyly.

Fortune was on his side today. Because this was the perfect timing, wasn't it?