Ethan Smith: The Lost Heir

Chapter 5

His brain couldn't process what was going on. Was he dreaming or could it be fate playing tricks on him? Whatever the case, it didn't matter to him.

Now it could give his wife the life she deserves. No one would bully or insult them again, he remembered his wife's words and smiled.

She's such an angel!

Ethan took a cab and headed home, but first he needed to buy a new phone. So he told the cab driver to drop him off at Nice Phone Company.

When he got to his destination,he stepped out and walked towards the entrance. The air felt different. He couldn't believe how his life had turned around for good.

As he approached the door of the company, the security guard looked at him in confusion, wondering what a useless man like him was doing there.

The security guard was ready to throw Ethan out at any moment if he turned out to be a burglar, this was because Ethan still wore his worn out jeans and dirty shirt. The security guard kept a special eye on Ethan, like that would be this lucky day to catch a burglar red-handed.

Ethan got in and immediately, his eyes flitting around looking at all the different categories of phones.

The phones looked very good, but they were too expensive. He just wanted a simple phone. 

As he was still scanning through the phones, he heard a loud slap and turned to see a young lady standing in front of an angry young man. From the look of things, she just poured coffee on him. His suit looked very expensive.The young lady looked terrified, a small group was gathering to watch.

“What the hell did you do?* The furious man shouted at her.

“I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to..” the girl stammered.

An employee got close to her and gave her another slap, “ you fool, what's the meaning of this rubbish?”

Ethan was disgusted by the employee's behaviour. The young girl quickly reached into her purse and pulled out all the money she had, offering it to the young man with one hand on her jaw as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“ Do I look like a joke to you?” The young man sneered, "Do you know how much this suit cost?”

“ What were you doing pressing your phone and walking with a cup of coffee?” The employee asked, rage evident in her voice, “ you're here to steal, right?”

The young man was still fuming with anger “you can't even afford to pay for this suit even if you work to death, and you dare pour coffee on me?”

The young lady was shaking in fear “ I'm sorry sir, I'm at fault here. I'll do anything you want, sir?”

“Will you pay for the suit? This suit is a limited edition,”the young man's face lit up with a little mischievous smile, “ did you say you'll do anything I want? Okay, lick my suit, since it's your coffee that poured on it”

Ethan stepped in between them, he has had enough, “ that's enough, young man”

The young man looked at Ethan from head to toe, * and who is this fool?”  he asked, “ is she your girlfriend or wife? You're both  dressed like beggars, are you here to steal from innocent customers? Do you also want to lick my shoes, you fool?”

“ You are a bigger fool, for raising your hands on a woman, is that how you treat women?” Ethan said standing his ground.

“It seems you're here to play hero. Do you know who I am? Can you pay for this suit?” The young man asked, as he took angry steps towards Ethan.

Ethan wasn't intimidated nor took a step back from his position, “yes, I can buy your suit, but can you pay for the damage you've done to her self-worth?” Ethan asked, his response caught the young man off guard. Everyone looked shocked as they never expected such a reply.

“And you,” Ethan looked at the female employee, “ you dare slap a fellow lady for nothing, what would you say if the young lady decides to sue you?”

The employee laughed, “ she can't even afford anything here, not to talk of affording a lawsuit”.

As the trio continued to argue, the young lady decided to intervene. It's her fault and Ethan should never get dragged into her mess, besides the young man looked like someone very important, someone she should never mess with.

“Sir, please I'm at fault here, let me take the blame for it. I appreciate your efforts to save me”. The lady pleaded as she stood in front of Ethan.

Before the young man could say anything, a voice interrupted, “ what's going on here?”

Everyone turned to see the owner of the voice, walking towards them. From the way the employee was trying to behave herself, Ethan knew he was the manager of the store. The employee quickly explained everything to the manager, stating that the young lady had poured coffee on the VIP customer, and when they tried to talk to her, Ethan rudely interrupted them.

Ethan smiled when he heard the employee's explanation, “ rudely? Your story is incomplete, you skipped the part where you both slapped her and your VIP customer asked the poor lady to lick his suit, despite her pleas, do you call that talking?”. He pointed out.

The manager sighed, “and who are you to interrupt? We can't afford to lose our VIP customer because of one stupid young lady”.

“I am willing to pay for the ruined suit,” Ethan replied firmly.

The manager looked at Ethan from head to toe, looking around for cameras maybe he was shooting a movie. ” Do you know the cost of his suit?” He asked, pointing at the young man's suit. The shattered phone on the floor caught the manager's attention

“ Would you also pay for this?” He added pointing at the phone.

He was ready to lick Ethan out if it turned out he was just there to bluff.

Ethan sensed sarcasm in the manager's tone, he pulled out his black card and gave the manager, “Please, ask your VIP customer the cost of his suit, deduct the cost of the shattered phone and I'll be taking a phone for myself too”.

The manager and everyone around immediately laughed at Ethan. He must have stolen the card on his way here. But another card caught the attention of the manager, the Emerald Group business card with the inscription “Leo”. The only Leo he knew working for Emerald Group is the butler of the late Smith's family.

The manager wondered how someone like Ethan knew Leo, but his instincts were telling him Ethan could be a spy sent by Leo to secretly rate what was going on there.

The manager swiped the card in the machine and it signalled a red light, indicating the payment was declined. He tried it the second time and it still showed red.

The manager turned to Ethan, “ Did you steal this card? You came here to insult my VIP customer and employee while flaunting a stolen card.”

Ethan was dumbfounded, he just got the card today. So everything the old man told him was a lie. He felt so bad but he managed to stand his ground. “ Please, can you lend me your phone?” He asked the manager. “ I want to call someone”