The Invincible Arthur Gardner novel Chapter 1

Arthur Gardner attempted to stand tall and appear more self-assured, yet he could not; he felt as if he had been kneeling on both of his knees for the entire duration.

"Who gave you this job here?"

Marco, his cousin, who held a prestigious executive role at the company Arthur worked for, sneered contemptuously.

"Someone like you only dirties this place. Why don't you leave and go back to the street life you're used to?"

Arthur had endured a difficult past. His father had been disowned by his wealthy family after marrying his mother, a commoner, and had suffered in poverty since his childhood. The strain of their circumstances eventually took its toll, and his mother died when he was only ten.

His father was struggling to pay the hefty medical bills incurred by his late wife. And his father's good friend finally offered to help by lending some money, even offering his daughter to be engaged to Arthur.

Despite their best efforts, Arthur's and his family's lives did not improve. The debt that his father had accumulated was insurmountable, and eventually, when Arthur was 15 years old, his father passed away.

This forced him to live a harsh life on the streets, struggling to survive and enduring humiliation until he was 25. Eventually, he was able to get a job at a prestigious company, although it was only as a janitor.

Marco and four other people were standing around Arthur, all looking at him with disdain.

"Why don't you just go ahead and kill yourself, and donate your corpse to be dog food?" In a leisurely stride, Marco spoke with a haughty air. His casualness and placidness conveyed his affluent upbringing: he came from a considerable wealthy family. The two were, in fact, related, but the lives of Arthur and Marco were on completely different levels.

Arthur looked at Marco, "I got this job in a legitimate way. I applied for it, and they thought I was suitable for the role."

Marco approached Arthur and firmly pushed him back. "Who gave you permission to talk to me like that, Arthur?"

Arthur had no other choice than to submit to the cruel treatment he was receiving. With a lack of job opportunities in the country and the desperate need for any kind of employment, even finding food was a struggle. As a result of such oppressive conditions, he was forced to comply.

Still, Arthur harbored a deep resentment in his heart towards Marco and the entire family, who had abandoned Arthur's family and discarded him like garbage. Not even when his father had passed away had any of them show up.

"Arthur, as you can see, I have a high position in this company. I am one of the highest executives here and I have the power to do anything to you, including firing you right now. So, it's in your best interest to not defy me. Show me that you really want to keep working here." He then gestured to the other four people in the room, prompting them to hold Arthur and force him to kneel on the floor.

Two sets of hands suddenly grasped Arthur while he was kicked in the legs. He desperately fought back, but four people overwhelmed him. They eventually managed to overpower him and threw him onto the floor, forcing him to kneel.

"Lick the bottom of my shoe. Show that a dog like you really obeys its master."

Marco waved his shoe in Arthur's direction, and it landed right on his face, but Arthur remained unresponsive and still.

He glanced at Arthur with a sneer and mocked, "Useless human, dog, animal." He then stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick to Arthur's stomach, causing him to grunt in pain.

Arthur received a kick right in the stomach, but not many people know if that was due to the suffering he had endured in his life. He was used to physical labor, especially since he was also used to being abused by his peers, which made him quite able to withstand physical treatment from others.

Marco spat on the floor, right in front of Arthur.

"Arthur, lick my spit. I know it's an honor for you, right? I just ate a 10,000 USD meal, I'm sure there's still some of the taste left in my spit."

The four other people standing around Arthur laughed at how he was being humiliated like that.

"Garbage should be treated as garbage indeed."

"Hahaha, Master Marco looks like he's a bit hesitant to lick your spit. Do we need to give him a little push? Hahaha."

Arthur knew that Marco wouldn't easily let him live in peace. However, he wasn't that low to obey all of his orders. For him, receiving kicks on his body was still better than doing what he was being commanded to do now.

Arthur clenched his fists, hoping he could retaliate against all the treatment he was given, but of course, he had no power to do so.

"You're better off hitting me than asking me to do this, Marco," Arthur said with a firm tone, followed by another kick from Marco and a few other people surrounding him.

After that, the door in the room opened, and a girl stepped in. She was Linda, Arthur's fiancée, who had been engaged since his parents were still alive.

Linda was an incredibly gorgeous girl. Standing at 175 cm (5.74 ft) tall, her body was incredibly sexy, with light blonde hair, full breasts, wide hips, and a complexion that was as white as snow. Her beauty was undeniable, and it was love at first sight for anyone who laid eyes on her.

"Linda?"

Arthur turned to Linda, but the girl walked to Marco's side and put her hands on the man's waist. Then she brought her face close to Marco's and kissed him.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked in surprise.

Linda had never consented to this arrangement and had been distressed over it for some time. After her parents passed away, she was finally liberated from the burden of their agreement, and she could pursue a relationship with Marco, a wealthy man, instead of Arthur, who was nothing more than a poverty-stricken street urchin.

"Arthur, you should know, I never accepted our engagement, and now that my parents are gone, I can decide to end it," Linda said, then hugged Marco again.

"Hahaha.... " Marco laughed loudly. "Even your fiancé has left you, Arthur. I think you're no longer worthy of living in this world."

"Linda!" Arthur raised his face. "Don't you know that Marco is a playboy? He's just using his wealth to attract women, then leaving them."

"Arthur!" Linda exclaimed, her dissatisfaction bubbling up as she spoke. "Even though Marco is a playboy, he has promised me loyalty, and he even got me a new sports car worth one hundred thousand dollars! What can you offer me? I'm sure Marco's shoes are still worth more than your life!"

"Finally, I'm the first one to experience Linda's embrace," Marco said boastfully, wrapping his arm around the girl's waist with pride.

"See, Arthur, your ex-fiancée is such a stunning beauty; far beyond your reach. You couldn't even hold her hand or win her heart. Can you imagine the joy I'm feeling while I'm embracing your dream girl?" he asked mockingly.