This year, Louis Johari turned twenty-three. He was an ordinary office worker.
He had a girlfriend named Jessica Harman, who was twenty-one.
They had met at university and had now been dating for three years. However, unlike Louis's impoverished family, Jessica's family was well-off. They were one of the wealthiest families in the city.
That was why the Harman family had initially opposed their relationship.
As for the Johari family, Louis's mother had died when he was very young. Last year, his father had also passed away from an illness. As a result, Louis was the only one left in the Johari family. Naturally, he couldn't oppose himself. Nor would his girlfriend, Jessica, look down on Louis simply because he had no money at the moment. Jessica knew that Louis was highly capable. He was bound to stand out someday.
Jessica's parents, however, didn't see things that way. One day in April, they kept Jessica in the dark and brought Louis to the Harman family's old residence.
"Here's Rp 200,000,000. I want you to leave my daughter."
"Uncle—"
"Don't blame me for being heartless. I don't want to interfere in young people's freedom to choose their relationships. However, Jessica is my only daughter. I can't stand by and watch her live a life of hardship with you."
Louis could understand her father's decision, but he couldn't simply give up on Jessica. She was the only woman he had ever loved.
"Uncle, please give me a little time, okay? I'll definitely earn enough money to make you feel at ease about entrusting your daughter to me."
"Then come find me again after you've earned that money. Until you do, I won't allow you to see my daughter again. If you're a man, I hope you'll leave with your dignity intact."
"I understand. May I meet Jessica one last time? I want to explain the situation to her myself."
"All right. I'll grant your request."
And so, Louis left the Harman family's old residence.
He didn't take the Rp 200,000,000. Of course, that was because of his pride.
Half an hour later, Louis met with his girlfriend. He told Jessica what had happened.
"No! I can't live without you, Louis!"
"Me neither, Jes. I hope you can trust me. Within three years, I'll definitely make your father acknowledge me."
"Do you really want to leave me for three years?"
"Um... I won't beg you to wait for me. If you fall for someone else..."
"After falling for you, how could I possibly fall for someone else? Please don't say something so stupid again. Louis, I'll wait for you for three years. Three years from now, you have to come find me! No—for us to get married!"
Louis smiled, then gave Jessica one last embrace.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely marry you within these three years."
"Mmm!"
Louis left Jessica.
When he returned home, Louis's lofty ambitions were quickly replaced by worry. He was only an ordinary office worker. How could he earn enough money to make his girlfriend's father stop looking down on him?
Louis definitely wasn't going to do anything illegal. He wanted to start a business, but he had neither capital nor any connections in the business world.
Even if Louis had the capital, there was a good chance he would lose it all.
"How can I make money?"
Louis racked his brain.
He listed all kinds of possible methods on his laptop. In the end, however, he still couldn't find a viable way to make any of them work.
Louis felt utterly hopeless. He was also frustrated by how useless he was. He opened the refrigerator and took out a beer. Maybe this was what people meant when they said getting drunk could make you forget everything.
But that would only allow him to escape reality. It wouldn't solve his problems.
Then, at that very moment, something suddenly occurred to Louis.