Rise Of Michael Jordan

Chapter 1

I’m sorry, Micheal, but I can’t marry you!”

Vivian Loyd said this firmly in her office at Loyd Corporation. She was sitting behind her big desk, looking very elegant in a black dress. She seemed calm, but cold, like she had already made up her mind.

Micheal Jordan, standing across from her, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He asked, “Vivi, what do you mean? What happened to our promise?”

They had planned to get married on the day Loyd Corporation went public. That was supposed to be a happy day for them, after three years of dating.

Vivian looked at him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Micheal,” she said gently but firmly, “I need to be honest. I feel like we are from different worlds now. The distance between us has grown too much. If we keep going, it will only make things harder. For me… it would be a burden.”

A burden? Micheal felt stunned. He never expected Vivian to say that. He had worked so hard to help her family and her business. Without him, they might have gone bankrupt long ago. He had helped her reach the success she had now.

Vivian reached into her purse and took out a pen and a checkbook. “I know this is hard,” she said, “so I want to make it fair. After we cancel the wedding, I will give you money, a villa, and a car. It will be enough for you to live comfortably.”

She wrote the number on the check: 1.2 million.

Micheal stared at her in silence. She looked like a stranger to him now.

“Is this all what our years together worth to you?” he asked softly, his voice full of hurt. “Just some numbers on a paper?”

Vivian’s perfect face showed a flicker of emotion for a moment, then went back to looking calm and distant. “If you think this isn’t enough, I can give more. Name your price.”

Micheal looked at her, pain in his eyes. She had misunderstood him—he wasn’t asking for more money.

“So, you really want to cancel this marriage?” he asked quietly.

Vivian pressed her lips together and turned to look out the window. “If that’s how you see it, I have nothing more to say,” she replied.

Vivian was a powerful CEO, worth over 150 million dollars, with fans all over Vegas. Micheal no longer fit in her world—not in money, not in thinking, not in life. This marriage wasn’t what she wanted; it was too ordinary for her.

“I never thought all our love, the nights we spent together, the breakfasts and dinners I made… would end like this,” Micheal said bitterly. “You’re now the CEO of Loyd Corporation, Vegas’s golden girl, admired by everyone. And me? I’m just a nobody, not worthy of you at all.”

Vivian’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “Micheal, you’ve done so much for me, but this… this isn’t what I want. You’ll never understand, no matter how much I explain. Take the money. It’s your reward for all your help,” she said, sliding the check toward him.

Micheal didn’t even look at it. “A 1.2 million dollar breakup fee? How kind of you, Ms. Loyd. But I don’t need it.”

He stood up and started walking toward the door.

Vivian frowned deeper. “Micheal, I strongly advise you to take this money. Don’t be foolish for the sake of pride. A small-time doctor like you could never earn this much in a lifetime.”

Micheal ignored her. Truth was, he didn’t need the money.

Suddenly, a loud voice called out, “Hold it right there!”

A woman wearing lots of jewelry and bright makeup walked in. Micheal recognized her immediately.

“Aunt Ivy,” he said.

It was Vivian’s mother, Ivy Ben—the woman who would have been his mother-in-law.

“Hmph! Don’t call me ‘Aunt Ivy,’ we’re not that close! If you’re leaving, take your things with you. Our family has no room for your junk!” Ivy snapped.

She tossed a small box and a credit card at Micheal. The warmth on his face vanished instantly.

It was the engagement ring he had picked for Vivian, and the money he had saved for their wedding. Even though the marriage was over, she didn’t need to hurt him this way.

“Aunt Ivy, did you really want this too? I’ve always treated you with respect,” Micheal said calmly.

Ivy laughed harshly. “What’s the matter, Micheal? Does it hurt?”

“Mom, watch your mouth!” Vivian snapped, frowning.

Ivy ignored her. “Why should I? He’s just a dreamer. Marry into our family? Not a chance!”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Ivy said, mocking him. “Vivian will soon be engaged to Sebastian Parley when he comes back from abroad. You’re not in the same league as him, got it?”

Micheal stayed silent, his eyes dark, feeling the full weight of their words.

Micheal looked at Vivian with cold eyes. He couldn’t believe she was already planning to be with someone else before ending things with him.

Vivian didn’t meet his gaze, but she spoke firmly. “The Parley family is very powerful in Vegas,” she said. “They have influence in the military, politics, and business. They’ve worked for generations to become one of the city’s strongest families. Sebastian will inherit it all one day. Marrying into their family is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me. It’s a way to change my life.”

Hearing that, Micheal finally let go. He smiled, but it was sad and calm. “Is that so?” he said. “Then I wish you and the Loyd family all the best in your climb to the top.”

Without another word, he turned and walked out, showing no signs of sadness or attachment.

Vivian watched him leave, feeling a strange mix of emotions. She had expected him to yell, beg, or cry when he heard about Sebastian, but he had stayed calm—almost indifferent.

“Mom, do you think I went too far?” Vivian asked quietly.

Ivy scoffed and laughed. “Too far? That good-for-nothing thinking he could marry you now—that’s too far!” She smiled with excitement. “Just wait until Sebastian comes back. The Loyd family will be at the top of Vegas society. And as for Sebastian, he knows better than to mess with me. If he tried, I’d teach him a lesson he’d never forget!”

Vivian stayed silent, feeling an empty space in her chest. It was as if something precious had disappeared from her life, leaving a quiet, aching void.