The narrator, Ian, recounts his complicated childhood with his rich but troubled family. His father is hot-tempered, and his sister Ariel is spoiled and manipulative. Ian's life changes when he meets Elsa, a quiet and gentle girl who works as a waitress. Despite his family's disapproval, Ian starts dating Elsa, but their relationship is sabotaged by Ariel and their father, who frame Elsa for stealing. Elsa disappears, and Ian is heartbroken. Years later, Ian has started his own successful IT company and is still single. He runs into Elsa at a grocery store and offers to help her when her card declines. Elsa is initially angry but eventually forgives Ian and accepts his help. She even shows up at his doorstep a week later, and they rekindle their romance.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator was born into a wealthy family that owned a chain of restaurants.
2. The narrator's father had a bad temper and threw tantrums over small things.
3. The narrator's mother was soft-hearted and rarely spoke back to their father.
4. The narrator had a younger sister named Ariel who was spoiled and mean.
5. When the narrator was 8, they witnessed Ariel being mean to a poor boy at a wedding.
6. The narrator's father defended Ariel and sided with her against the poor boy.
7. In the fifth grade, Ariel joined the narrator's school and caused trouble for them.
8. The narrator was asked to look out for Ariel on her first day, but Ariel disappeared and the narrator got in trouble for it.
9. The narrator was grounded for a month because of Ariel's actions.
10. The narrator became quiet and withdrawn from their family and focused on doing well in school.
11. The narrator loved computers and spent a lot of time teaching themselves about them.
12. In the 10th grade, the narrator started getting attention from girls, including Ariel's friends.
13. The narrator reluctantly agreed to date one of Ariel's friends, but the date was a disaster.
14. The narrator met a girl named Elsa, who was a waitress, and started hanging out with her.
15. The narrator's father and sister did not approve of Elsa because she was poor.
16. The narrator's father and sister set Elsa up to look like a thief, and she was accused of stealing.
17. Elsa left school and the narrator never saw her again.
18. The narrator found out that their father and sister had plotted against Elsa and had given her grandmother money to take Elsa to another school.
19. The narrator quit their job and moved out of the house after discovering their family's actions.
20. The narrator's mother gave them a large sum of money and left their father to move to Bali.
21. The narrator used the money to start their own IT company, which became successful.
22. The narrator ran into Elsa at a grocery store years later and offered to help her when her card wasn't working.
23. Elsa was initially mad at the narrator but eventually forgave them and came over for dinner.
24. The narrator and Elsa reconnected, and the narrator was smitten with her again.