My Dream Deferred

"Five million! Am, five million! Where am I supposed to find that for you?"

"I don't know! But you have to find it, or I'll use Kew to pay off the debt."

"Am! That bastard is your child!"

"Yeah, so what? A child has to repay their parents."

"You lousy father!"

The argument between the husband and wife echoed through the dilapidated old two-story wooden house, causing the neighbors to shake their heads in exasperation. It happened so frequently that they were used to it, simply walking by without paying attention. But not Phapfun, the slender yet tall figure who had to abandon his steaming banana dessert to rush towards the source of the commotion.

"Uncle, don't hurt Aunt!" Phapfun sprinted to the scene, stepping in to protect the small woman from the towering but shabby-looking man about to harm her. The man before him was Am, his aunt’s husband, and the woman standing behind was his aunt.

"You're butting in again, you burden. Get out of the way!"

"No!"

"Are you going to move or not?!"

"Don't you dare hurt my nephew!" his aunt shouted at her husband when he threatened to slap her nephew. Her ultimatum left the drunken husband stunned, his hand hesitating before lowering it reluctantly.

"If you hurt my nephew, you'll have to find the five million yourself!"

"Fine! Protect that burden all you want," Am grumbled, glaring at his wife's nephew. "But you better find the money, or I'll use Kew to pay off the debt. If you don't agree, we'll all die in this house!"

As soon as her husband walked away, Kanda collapsed to the floor, sobbing. Her husband was a drunkard, and for years now, he'd been possessed by the gambling demon, unable to quit. He lost tens of thousands each time, and the money she and her nephew worked hard to earn was squandered on booze and gambling. But this time, he lost millions. How could someone of her modest means possibly find that kind of money to repay Boss Songphon, the ruthless owner of the biggest gambling den in the area?

"Aunt Da..."

"It's happened again, Fun. Where am I going to find five million for him?"

Phapfun gently rubbed his aunt's back, comforting her. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone by the stairs—a young woman with good looks, crying hopelessly as she looked at him. It was Kewalin, his sister, the girl their father intended to use to settle his debt instead of money.

"Aunt Da, calm down. There's got to be a way out."

"What way, Fun? I don't see any way at all."

The aunt and nephew wore expressions of deep concern. Phapfun felt a surge of anger towards his uncle-in-law. In truth, he both hated and despised the man. Ever since he could remember, the man had done nothing but harm his aunt, constantly burdening her with debts. What was even more infuriating was that his aunt could never truly sever ties with him. They had tried to break up many times, but whenever he returned to apologize and ask for reconciliation, Aunt Da would relent every single time.

Kanda clutched an old piece of paper tightly in her hand, hesitating as she looked at the faded numbers. After sending her nephew to look after her daughter, certain memories flooded her mind. She almost cried when she found the remnants of the old paper she had kept since she first came here over twenty years ago. The middle-aged woman sighed briefly before deciding to dial the number on the paper, praying for the call to go through. The words of her benefactor echoed in her ears.

"Even though your lady has passed away, she asked me to look after you. If you're in trouble, don't hesitate to reach out, Kanda."

Kanda hadn't thought about those words in years, and honestly, she had almost forgotten the face of the person who spoke them. However, the response from the other end of the line made her heart race.

(Zhang Chan Group is pleased to assist you.)

"I would like to speak with Mr. Zhang, please."

The line remained silent for a while, making Kanda's hands cold. She knew well the status of Mr. Zhang, and it wasn't easy to get just anyone to talk to him. The middle-aged woman sighed and spoke up.

"My name is Kanda. Please tell him that someone named Kanda wishes to speak with him."

(Hello, Mrs. Kanda. Mr. Zhang is not here at the moment. If you wish to speak with him, we will contact you as soon as possible. Goodbye.)

The call ended after the message, leaving Kanda feeling disappointed yet somewhat understanding. She had dialed the number of a major corporation to request a conversation with its owner. Anyone who knew might laugh or think she was trying to cause trouble. But she prayed that the person on the other end would relay her request to him, rather than dismissing her as mentally unstable.

"Mrs. Phim... please help me."

She murmured a plea to her late employer, who had passed away long ago. If she weren't truly in distress, she wouldn't dare seek help from someone as influential as Mr. Zhang. She was quite intimidated by someone like him.

A tall figure walked into the large house with a tense expression. His father had returned from China earlier than expected, likely bringing some issue to trouble him. Zhang Chengyi was quite sure it was about his heir once again.

"I'm not getting married," he blurted out upon seeing the elderly man in the wheelchair. "Not to any young miss or young master from any family."

"I'm not asking you to get married, but to use the same method as before."

Zhang Chengyi rubbed his temples in frustration. At thirty-two, he had already experienced an arranged marriage, but despite his efforts, he still had no heir. After his first wife passed away, Chengyi had no intention of marrying again. To him, family life wasn't as fulfilling as he'd imagined. Yet, as the eldest and only son of Zhang Chen, the head of the Zhang family, one of the major families in China, the most pressing issue was inevitably about having an heir. Since Chengyi wasn't planning to remarry, surrogacy was the easiest and most practical option for someone wealthy like the head of the Zhang family.

"How many times has it been, Dad? Isn't it enough?" Chengyi sank into the sofa, exhausted. The family's numerous businesses left him with barely any time to sleep, and now he had to stress over the issue of an heir again.

"This one is different from the last," Zhang Chen remarked. His son must be referring to the previous woman who almost carried the Zhang family's heir. She was a stunning half-Chinese, half-Ukrainian model, talented and perfect for the role. However, she broke the agreement, wanting a natural method and marriage to Zhang Chengyi, which his son refused.

"I don't agree," Chengyi dismissed, sipping his tea. "I've already compromised enough, Dad. If it's meant to happen, it will."

"When, Chengyi? You know the secondary families are exploiting your lack of an heir to block your path to becoming the supreme leader. I won't let what my father built so painstakingly crumble just because you can't produce an heir. The leader of Zhang Chan Group must be from the Zhang family!" Zhang Chen declared firmly, coughing and sipping his tea as his breath became labored, typical of an elderly man. His weary eyes pleaded with his only son.

"Don't you want me to hold a grandchild before I die, Chengyi?"

"Dad, please stop using this method," Chengyi replied wearily.

"Kanda's daughter"

"Yes?" Chengyi raised an eyebrow as his father reverted to his usual demeanor. The familiar name triggered memories of the past. Though he was very young at the time, he wasn't too young to forget his own nanny. Moreover, she was a close confidante of his mother.

Zhang Chen was a true Chinese native who had such a passion for Thailand that he spoke Thai fluently. He also fell in love with a Thai woman named Pimchan, who was Chengyi's mother. Zhang Chen loved Pimchan so much that he risked expanding his business with the intention of settling in Thailand, as his wife refused to return to his homeland with him. As the company grew strong, Pimchan gave birth to a son, an Alpha secondary gender, named Zhang Chengyi. But when Chengyi reached early elementary school age, she left and never returned, causing Zhang Chen immense pain. He took the only son she left behind back to his homeland, while the company was entrusted to reliable caretakers. Due to its rapid growth and substantial profits, Chengyi was sent back to manage the business here over the past four or five years.

"Has Nanny Da contacted you, Dad?" Chengyi couldn't help but feel delighted upon hearing the name of the nanny he hadn't seen in nearly twenty years.

"She reached out because she's in trouble and asked to borrow five million. But how many years would it take for a middle-class family to pay it back?" Zhang Chen smirked.

"Dad, you're so focused on benefits. Have you forgotten that Nanny Da was someone Mom loved? She was like a sister to her," Chengyi frowned in displeasure. He remembered well that his mother had told him Kanda was like a sister she grew up with. Even though Kanda was a servant to Young Miss Pimchan, to his mother, she was family. And even though he never contacted her, nor did she reach out, knowing she was still in the world allowed him to deceive himself into believing his mother was still with him, just out of sight.

"Chengyi, nothing in this world is free. Haven't you thought that maybe your mother would want to see her grandchild, the one born from Kanda's daughter?"

"Dad, don't try to persuade me. Even if she's Nanny Da's child, I can't marry her."

"I'm not asking you to marry the girl. Just have her carry your child," Zhang Chen said with a smile, cutting off his son before he could protest. "With Kanda's daughter, it's better than anyone else, isn't it, Arthit?"

The Thai name his mother had given him made Chengyi pause. He sighed, knowing well that the matter of an heir was important, and neither his father nor the secondary family would let it slide. Perhaps Kanda's daughter might be better than others, as his father suggested. At the very least, he might be able to care for her somewhat.

"What's her secondary gender?"

"Beta."

"Alright, Dad, do whatever you want," he said, conceding. Having a child might finally put an end to the problem.

Zhang Chen smiled with satisfaction. It was fortunate that Kanda's daughter was a Beta because if she were an Omega, Zhang Chengyi would not have agreed. As for why she couldn't be an Omega, only he knew the reason.