The Rise of the Billionaire

Part 3

Since the humiliation Frederick received from his ex-wife and enemies, he has slowly started to rise. This change came especially after getting advice from Alex not to harbor disappointment for too long, but rather to immediately prove to them that Frederick is not trash. Frederick is an honorable man who is getting stronger every day.

Frederick obeyed Alex's words. He began to work even harder to realize his wish. From morning to afternoon, Frederick worked at the police station, while at night, he took a job at a café owned by an acquaintance of Alex. No day went by without complaints; Frederick lived his new life with enthusiasm, especially when he remembered his son, Jason.

"I have to make a lot of money and silence the mouths of those who have insulted me. Once I have a lot of money, I'll pick up Jason and take him away from the bad people like Bella and Paul. Frederick will never let his son share a house with those traitors," he declared, clenching his fists.

It had been two months since Frederick had done such a time-consuming job. Money began to accumulate, but unfortunately, it was far from what Frederick wanted—maybe just enough to pay the rent, eat, and save a little.

"If it goes on like this, I won't get rich soon, Alex." It was the first time Frederick had complained after a few months of working so hard. "Paul and Bella must be laughing at my current situation. I promised them to their faces that I would become a rich man. But I guess that's still too far off," Frederick complained again.

Now the two of them were sitting in a café, accompanied by music and the evening breeze.

"But I won't give up, Alex. Once I have a lot of savings, I plan to start a business. Yesterday, I read a business magazine about buying and selling property, and I think I'd be a good fit for the job. I've always been very interested in property. Hopefully, I can collect my money quickly and then realize my dream business soon," Frederick said enthusiastically.

Alex listened silently. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Are you sure about the property business?" asked Alex, his hand gripping Frederick's shoulder.

"Yes, very sure. Is there a problem, Alex?" Frederick asked back curiously.

"Come with me tomorrow," invited Alex after putting his hands on the table. "I'll pick you up before lunchtime."

"Sorry, Alex. I have work."

"You work on a holiday?" Alex couldn't believe that Frederick chose to work even though tomorrow was a day that was supposed to be free from all work.

"Yes, I have to work hard to earn a lot of money. You know that."

"Cancel it, Frederick. Come with me tomorrow instead of regretting it for the rest of your life!"

All night, Frederick thought, and finally, he had his answer for tomorrow.

"Good morning, Alex!"

"Good morning, Frederick."

Frederick canceled work and preferred to follow where Alex was going. It was quite a long drive, taking at least two hours before finally arriving at a luxurious house with a large yard.

"Whose house is this, Alex? Why did you invite me here?" asked Frederick, who was silent, with his eyes exploring the magnificent building in front of him. Starting from the top of the building down to the ground, full of manicured green grass, it looked very neat and comfortable to the eye.

Alex laughed softly. Not long after, an old man appeared, a bag hanging from one of his hands. He didn't stop smiling at Alex, like someone who had been waiting for the arrival of a loved one for a long time.

"Hi, Mr. Alex. How are you? You haven't been home for a while. Madam Angela must be happy to see you!" greeted a gardener who had faithfully served his employer for decades. His name was Rudi, originally from Southeast Asia.

"Hi, Rudi! My news is very good, as you can see now." It seemed that Alex was very familiar with Rudi; it could be seen from the way Alex stroked Rudi's arm several times, full of warmth and kinship. "Is Mama Angela home?"

Mama? Frederick began to guess that maybe this was Alex's new family home.

"Yes. Please come in, Mr. Alex. Since yesterday, Mrs. Angela kept saying her son was coming. And I'm sure now, Mrs. Angela wasn't lying."

Frederick's guess was right. It turned out that this luxurious house belonged to Alex's foster family. No wonder Alex looked very familiar with some of the workers, not only with the gardener but also with other workers. Like now, Alex seemed to be involved in a small conversation with a maid.

"Please call my mother. Tell her that her favorite son is home. I'm going to the kitchen to get my best friend a drink."

"Yes, Mr. Alex. Madame must be very happy to see her most handsome son back home," the old woman complimented before turning around and going upstairs.

Frederick couldn't stop marveling at the beauty of Alex's family home. It was a stark contrast to his current home. Here, various luxurious decorations were displayed before his eyes; there were many vases of flowers, paintings, and antiques arranged in a large cupboard.

While in Frederick's house, there was only a blank wall with paint that had peeled off because the building had not been renovated for too long. His eyes seemed unsatisfied with one thing: he looked at almost all the luxurious objects there with a feeling of admiration. He used to be a wealthy man too, but it seemed that Frederick's wealth was like a grain of dust compared to the wealth of Alex's new family.

"Drink up; I'm sure you're very thirsty." Alex gave Frederick some orange juice. "This is my new family home after my grandmother passed away. The people here are very kind and caring, especially my mother, Madam Angela. I'm sure she'll be willing to fulfill your wish to go into business. My mother is a true entrepreneur and has a great social spirit. She's a good woman. You will like her very quickly, Frederick. Believe me!"

"Yes, I trust you, Alex. Thank you for all your kindness."

Alex wasn't lying when he said Madam Angela was a good person because that was how Frederick saw her. Madam Angela was friendly, always had a smile at the end of her words, and, most importantly, she was willing to help Frederick.

"Before you came to this house, I had heard your story from Alex. In the past, you saved my son's life; now it's my turn, as Alex's parents, to help you. Come to the office tomorrow; this is the address." Madam Angela handed him a small piece of paper with an address and the name of the company.

Frederick was stunned to read the words on the address card. "Century sss! Wow, amazing!" he shrieked in amazement. As Frederick recalled, this company was famous for its success among other companies. Every year, it was featured in business magazines. The company's huge profits and high customer loyalty were always the main topics of discussion.

"So, you were adopted by this family, Alex? Why did you hide it from me?" Frederick turned to Alex. He still couldn't fully believe that his old friend was from a billionaire family.

"Before you came to this house, I had heard your story from Alex. In the past, you saved my son's life; now it's my turn, as Alex's parents, to help you. Come to the office tomorrow; this is the address." Madam Angela handed him a small piece of paper with an address and the name of the company.

Frederick was stunned to read the words on the address card. "Century sss! Wow, amazing!" he shrieked in amazement. As Frederick recalled, this company was famous for its success among other companies. Every year, it was featured in business magazines. The company's huge profits and high customer loyalty were always the main topics of discussion.

"So, you were adopted by this family, Alex? Why did you hide it from me?" Frederick turned to Alex. He still couldn't fully believe that his old friend was from a billionaire family.

"I want to live the way I want to live, Frederick. Luckily, my family is very supportive of whatever I decide to do, which is a great blessing. Thank you, Mama," Alex replied. Then, he stood up and approached his mother. Alex kissed Madam Angela's right and left cheeks. "I love you."

"I miss you too."

It was a family scene that Frederick envied. He was reminded of his own mother, who was long gone. 'If I hadn't stabbed Papa, maybe Mama would still be here with me now,' Frederick said to himself.

Before going home, Alex told Frederick to be serious about achieving his goals: focus on success and make his ex-wife and family regret it. "It's better for you to resign from your job at the police station and focus on your business. Besides, I've already found a replacement."

"Fine, if that's what you want, Alex. Thank you very much for this invaluable help."

"You're welcome."

In the morning, Frederick arrived at the Century sss office, a large, multi-storey, and very luxurious building. Upon entering the office, he was greeted by an employee who said he was Angela's messenger to escort Frederick to the leader's private room.

Before long, Frederick had arrived. The door was closed, and he politely greeted the two men in black suits who were sitting casually on the sofa.

"Meet Frederick; this is Mr. Michael," Angela turned to look at the man next to her. "This is Frederick, the man I told you about earlier. I hope you two can work well together."

At first, Frederick was taken aback by Michael's presence and Angela's plans, but after Angela explained that Michael was a successful businessman in the property business and was ready to teach Frederick how to do business, Frederick was happy to hear it.

"Thank you very much, Madam Angela. Thank you also to Mr. Michael. I promise not to let you down. Indeed, I will work hard to succeed in this business." Frederick's enthusiasm was like a blazing fire.

"I hope so, Frederick," Angela said, a smile gracing her lips.

"Yes, we will definitely look forward to it," Michael chimed in as well.

Frederick kept his promise. He worked hard day and night for Michael. It turned out that the business knowledge he had was not enough to enter the real estate world; fortunately, Michael taught him every core aspect of the business well, without leaving behind the firm attitude and strong determination of a businessman.

"Today, you have a meeting with a new client. He's been eyeing a house we're selling, and this afternoon he asked for a meeting. I hope you can serve him well, Frederick," Michael said.

Frederick's heart was happy because this was the first time Michael had entrusted him to meet clients directly outside the office. Usually, Frederick only handled matters within the office, and even then, under Michael's supervision.

"Well, Mr. Michael, thank you for your trust. I am very happy with your assignment."

Frederick arrived at his destination. Before the clients arrived, he would first go in and study some of the rooms of the house to help him promote it. Michael said that buyers prefer a salesperson who is skillful, friendly, and knowledgeable about the house rather than a salesperson who sits around waiting for questions from the buyer.

"All right, Frederick. Let's welcome your new awakening!"

The house that Frederick was going to promote was spacious, although not as spacious as Alex's family's. However, it was at least many times better than Frederick's current house. The house is clean, tidy, and has good air circulation. It's very comfortable and suitable for family living, especially since there are many bedrooms and a spacious living room. This was the kind of house that Bella, Frederick's ex-wife, used to dream about.

"Oh God!" Frederick screeched, patting himself on the forehead. "Why should I remember a woman like my ex-wife? Bella is the worst partner I've ever had. Yes, she was the worst. Remember that, Frederick!" Over and over, Frederick shook his head, banishing Bella from his memory.

"Why are you calling me that? Do you think that you are a great husband, Frederick? Oh no! You're the trashy husband I hate most in this world!"

Frederick's breath caught. His body twisted backward, while his eyes looked directly at the owner of the voice that had managed to startle him.

"Bella? You?"