RICHARD'S POVBrenda’s laughter echoed through the dealership, bouncing off the gleaming hoods of cars I could apparently never afford. " ‘Richard the Beggar’, buying a car here? Honey, you must be lost. The used car lot is two blocks down.""Funny, Brenda," I said, my voice flat. "Last time I checked, I wasn't asking for a handout. I'm here to buy, not beg.""Oh, I'm sure you are, sweetie," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "But let's be realistic, those clunkers with the 'For Sale' signs taped to the windows? Those are more your speed.""Brenda, you seem to have forgotten that people grow up. And some of us even become successful," I said, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. "Maybe stop judging a book by its dusty old cover?""Successful?" she scoffed. "You? Please. What are you now, Richard, Assistant Regional Manager of Paperclip Sales? Look, I've got real customers to deal with. So, how about you take your faded jeans and your empty wallet and...""Empty wallet?
RICHARD’SPOV "Are you sure that's real?" Brenda sputtered, her perfectly manicured fingernail finding its way between her teeth. "That transfer, I mean. It's not... manipulated or anything?" I laughed. "Honey, you're starting to sound paranoid. You think I hacked into Bill Gates' account or something?" "Well, you never know these days," she mumbled, her eyes darting between Hawthorne's phone and the door, as if expecting the FBI to storm in and arrest me for fraud. "For all we know, you could be running some elaborate scam." "Brenda, sweetheart, if I were running a scam, don't you think I'd aim a little higher than a used car dealership?" I said, my voice laced with amusement. “I could have easily swiped my card at Hawthorne Motors, you know. Saved us both a lot of time. But where's the fun in that? I wanted you to see this. To see the opportunity you just flushed down the toilet with your little judgmental attitude." Brenda went silent, her face a mask of disbelief and dawni
RICHARD'S POV Hamilton (owner of the dealership Brenda worked as manager) finally coughed upan apology for the embarrassment and disrespect I had faced in his dealership, but the damage was done. My afternoon was shot. Didn't matter much. Thankfully, Hawthorne, the manager of the rival dealership, was a breath of fresh air, and he was already practically vibrating with excitement. I followed him to his dealership just across the street. Hawthorne's place was a display of amazingly shiny cars and a glass palace compared to the dealership Brenda was managing. He slapped the keys to the car into my palm, a grin stretching ear to ear. "She's all yours, champ. But seriously, dude, that thing's a beast. Don't go wrapping it around a telephone pole on your way out, alright?Honestly, who wants to drive a brand newbeauty through rush hour traffic?"Nah, tell you what," I said, leaning back inthe plush leather chair, "Why don’t you save me the hassle.”“Sure,” he said with a smile. “Eve
RICHARD'S POV Before anyone could recover their breath, much less their voice, I stepped forward, ignoring the gasps and glares directed at my back. My gaze never left Amelia's, my "I'm here'" I announced, my voice echoing in the sudden stillness, "because there's something you need to know. Something everyone needs to know." Taking another step towards her, each footfall a thunderclap in the silence, I declared, "Amelia...will you marry me?” Silence. Like a thick fog, it settled over the grand living room. I almost chuckled – did they think silence was intimidating? Then, a sudden, sharp scream cut through the quiet. It was high-pitched and shaky, like the sound of old dishes being dropped. Amelia's grandma, who was wearing tons of jewelry, like a king's treasure chest, burst out laughing. Her laughter was loud and long. "Marry? You, you...boy thinks he's worthy of marrying *my* Amelia?" Each word dripped with venom, her face twisted in a weird smile that wasn't really
RICHARD’S POVThe silence in the room was thick enough to choke on. You could practically hear Pretty Boy sweating. I had to hand it to Amelia, though. She stood her ground, even with her grandmother’s laser focus burning a hole in her."Richard…" she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "We met at the banquet."The old bat stiffened. "Banquet? What banquet?"Amelia’s eyes darted between me and her grandmother. “The Business Consortium's banquet. Richard got me in.”The air crackled. Jaws dropped. Even “Mr. Suitor” looked like he’d swallowed his tongue. The old woman’s face, though? Priceless. A mix of disbelief, confusion, and a healthy dose of “oh shit.”“He… he got you in?” she stammered, her voice shaky for the first time since I'd arrived. Amelia nodded, finding her voice. “He’s a member.”The word hung in the air like a grenade, just waiting to explode. I saw the realization dawn on the old woman’s face. I was someone important. Someone powerful. She recovered quickly, t
RICHARD’S POV“Richard, are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Dennis’s voice crackled through the phone, a hint of amusement in his tone. “You know the Van Der Lins aren’t actually in the consortium, right? They’ve been trying to weasel their way in for years, but no luck so far.” I froze, my finger hovering over the “End Call” button. Wait, what? Had I misheard him? Was this some kind of elaborate joke?“Dennis, you’re messing with me, right?” I asked, my voice tight. He chuckled, a low rumble that did little to ease my apprehension. “Son, I wouldn’t joke about something like this. Those consortium spots are like gold dust. People would kill to get their hands on one.”“Right,” I muttered, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. “Of course. I'm just making sure we were on the same page.” For a moment, I stood there, phone pressed to my ear, trying to process this unexpected turn of events. The Van Der Lins weren't even in the consortium. They were just wannabes, puffing o
RICHARD’S POV The old bat did a complete one-eighty. Gone was the fire-breathing dragon, replaced with a surprisingly convincing imitation of a gracious hostess. "Richard, dear," she chirped, gesturing towards a plush armchair. "Please, sit down. Make yourself comfortable." I smirked, hiding my amusement behind a carefully constructed façade of polite compliance. The old bird was a piece of work, I’d give her that. Adaptable, too. Amelia looked like she'd just witnessed a unicorn tap-dancing on a rainbow. Relief flooded her features, washing away the fear and anxiety that had been clinging to her like a shroud. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her eyes, however, spoke volumes. Gratitude shone in their depths, warm and genuine. Van Der Lin, meanwhile, had finally managed to dislodge his jaw from the floor. He sputtered a few incoherent curses, something about "gold-digging hussies" and "knowing my place," before stumbling out of the house in a flurry
RICHARD’S POV “Father!” Grandma White, Amelia’s grandmother, trilled, practically levitating from her seat in excitement. “You’re back early!” Amelia’s grandfather, a tall, imposing figure with a shock of white hair and eyes that could cut diamonds, strode into the room like he owned the place. Which, considering this was his house, wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Introductions were made, handshakes exchanged. I plastered on my most charming smile, doing my best to exude an air of polite respectability. The old man, however, wasn't easily swayed by charm, even charm as potent as mine. He subjected me to a scrutiny so intense I could practically feel my skin prickling under his gaze. "So, Richard," he began, his voice a gravelly baritone that spoke of countless board meetings and ruthless business deals. “Tell me about your family. What line of work are your parents in?” “My mother,” I said, choosing my words carefully, “is…retired. And my father…” I paused, letting the silen