I Am The Richest Man Alive

Chapter Five - Humiliation.

Justin brushed a streak of saline sweat off his face. He paused to catch his breath, while his hand clasped a broom. His gaze twinkled across the room and it fell on the two ladies seated at the reception. Justin snagged a sight of them laughing and whispering words into each other's ears. While they stared at him. 

Justin couldn't figure out which part of him was the most hilarious to make two grownups laugh that hard. Maybe it was because of the dirty and torn apron he was wearing. He had pleaded with his boss, Bruce Springsteen for a replacement, but the contemptuous billionaire insisted he continued to use the stale and old one. 

Or better still, the disgruntled look on Justin's face could be the reason why the ladies are cracked up as if they chugged on an overdose of N20. 

Justin's thoughts drifted to the peril he'd been going through at the hands of the Tucsons'. And the mere thought that he might lose his wife soon sent shrills of panic to his heart. 

He marveled at how he nonchalantly allowed himself to be duped by a stranger. A stranger who turned out to be his sister-in-law's boyfriend. He also imagined how battered his face would be when the loan shake demanded a payback and he was not able to pay. 

"What the hell is going on here?" A gooey and masculine voice shouted from behind. 

Justin was startled. But when the familiarity in the voice dawned on him, his limps went numb, and cold adrenaline flashed in his ridge. He held the broom close to his chest and slowly turned to see his boss glaring at him with flaming eyeballs. 

".. good, morning boss." Justin stuttered. 

Bruce narrowed his lips. "And how long will it take you to clean up this place?" Bruce roared. 

"I'm almost done, Sir," Justin muttered as his hands trembled like he had eight cubes of ice concealed in each of them. 

"You better do," Bruce stepped forward. 

It was at that point Justin noticed Bruce held a mug. Bruce lifted the mug above his chest and dropped it on the floor. It shattered on the floor, with smudges of coffee cluttering the floor. The loud smash snagged everyone's attention. Sanguinely, the ladies at the reception will find a better reason to laugh now. 

"Now clean it up," Bruce ordered. Justin bit his lips and commenced sweeping the shattered mug fragments. "No. Give me that!" Bruce said and snatched the broom from him. "You're going to use your bare hands," Bruce said.

Justin exhaled. He stared into Bruce's eyeballs with a million and one vile thoughts skittering through his mind. Justin is way taller than Bruce and when Justin swerved his gaze off Bryce's eyes, his eyes fell on his head. Particularly at how the radiant lights spawned a waxy glow on Bruce's bald head. Maybe a bang on it will tame his wickedness. 

Justin knelt on the floor and picked up the fragments. Suddenly Bruce stepped on his hand and the broken piece Justin held pierced into his palm. Justin groaned while Bruce cackled with sarcasm. Justin held his palm with the other hand as blood spurted out of his injured palm.

"Ensure you clean this mess up. I have a notice outside for a new janitor, just in case you're too lazy to do it." Bruce said. He threw the broom to the floor and strode off as an audible but sinister chuckle scrambled out of his lips. 

Justin tried to stand on his feet, in a bid to go to the restroom and wash off the blood, but he tripped on the broomstick and slumped. A loud wince rolled out of his mouth. The ladies at the reception cracked up as if they were watching Kevin Hart throw a subtle shade at Dwayne Johnson. 

Despite the tears lurking at the corner of his eyes and the sharp pains cutting through his palm and shoulder. Justin managed to rise on his feet and head to the restroom. 

Moments later, Justin dashed out of the restroom to see Lilly waiting for him at the Bruce, Justin, and shattered mug accident scene.