The Author's POV

1 - Prologue

'Efforts never betray you'

A quote that has been widely respected and repeatedly preached across the world.

Some people widely regard this quote as a personal mantra to follow throughout their life, while others simply scoff over the quote as if it were a mere joke.

I mean, why put effort when you have a super-rich dad that provides you with all that you need?

Big house?

'Hello daddy, can you buy me a house?'

New Car?

'Daddy~ There's this new car that I really love and was wondering if...'

There's also those that live in luxury because they area simply lucky, like the ones that win a lottery.

I mean, how much effort does it take for someone to win a lottery?

'Congratulations, you have won 200 million'

How does 'efforts never betray you' apply here?

Of course, setting those examples aside, there were many cases in which the quote proved to be correct.

For example, have you seen the movie... hmm what was it called?

Ah right! the 'Pursuit of happiness'

It was your perfect example of 'Efforts never betray you'.

It was a touching story about a homeless dad living in the street with his son, and later because of his pure love and dedication for his son, he managed to succeed and became a millionaire. Very touching...

But what about me? What have I got to say about 'Efforts never betray you'?

It was utter bullshit. Period.

'Efforts never betray you'? I could only simply scoff at such a ridiculous notion. I mean, sure if you put in some effort, you would definitely achieve better results than your regular mob out there, but was that really all to it? Was this the key to success?

No. It simply wasn't.

They key ingredient to success was 'Talent'.

No matter how much effort you put into something, you would never be able to surpass the unsurmountable mountain known as talent.

I mean, look at football for example. Many people trained just as hard as Messi or Ronaldo, but in the end, they don't even come close to their level. No matter how much they trained, no matter how much blood, sweat and tears they put in, they would never be able to event touch their ankles.

What kind of bullshit was that?

Getting back on topic. Why did I have such a grudge against the quote 'Efforts never betray you'?

Simple. It was because I was one of those idiots that wholeheartedly believed in that quote.

You see, my parents died when I was 14. Some bastard got drunk and ran them over. I couldn't remember how many times I had cried myself to sleep because of the accident.

My parents didn't have siblings, and both my grandparents, maternal and paternal, had already left the world, making me an orphan.

Luckily, they had enough money in their bank account to last me until I finished my schooling, and thus I studied as if my life depended on it. I mean it literally.

I would study hours and hours on end, just so that I could enroll at the prestigious University A and later find myself a suitable job for myself.

But hold on. How could I possible afford to go to university? I mean, university usually costs a hell of a lot of money.