The air in the room seemed to grow heavier as the final figure was announced. Lila’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind reeling at the sheer audacity of it all. How could this be happening? Oliver was supposed to be the pauper here, the one barely scraping by, not the one making extravagant purchases without a second thought.Meanwhile, Anita’s smile grew even wider, a mix of disbelief and glee painted across her face. To her, it felt as though she had won the jackpot, her wildest dreams unfolding right before her eyes.Oliver, however, merely smiled sheepishly, his calm demeanor unshaken by the staggering total. He turned to Anita and said, "I hope you’re satisfied with your picks. Let’s get these wrapped up."At the same time, When the assistant called out the total—$350,000—the shock on Lila and her companion’s faces was almost palpable. Lila’s eyes widened in disbelief, her carefully calculated confidence beginning to unravel as she processed the staggering figure. The man bes
Lila's face turned a deep shade of red, her anger bubbling to the surface. She opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out. The sting of Anita's words cut deep, leaving her seething with rage and embarrassment. She could only watch, helpless and fuming, as Oliver and Anita walked away, leaving her and her companion in the wreckage of their shattered pride.As they exited the store, Oliver couldn't help but relish in the moment. The bewilderment, the disbelief, the raw anger—it all gave him goosebumps. He smiled to himself, satisfied that he had once again proven his doubters wrong. With Anita by his side and the memory of Lila's stunned expression etched in his mind, Oliver felt a sense of triumph that would stay with him for a long time.As Oliver drove through the city streets, the sun was beginning to set, he had just dropped Anita off at her house, and as he headed back home, he found his thoughts drifting. The day had been a whirlwind of unexpected events, and he felt th
Mrs. Martha looked at the money in her hands, her eyes widening with surprise. "Oliver, this is… so generous of you. Thank you! The children will benefit so much from this. You have no idea how much this means to us."Oliver felt a deep sense of fulfillment seeing her reaction. "I’m just glad to be able to help, even in a small way," he said warmly. "It was really good to catch up with you, and I’m happy to see that the orphanage is doing well."With that, he bid her farewell and made his way to his car. As he drove home, his mind wandered back to the events of the day, a sense of peace settled over him, knowing that he had reconnected with a piece of his past.The next morning, despite the lingering exhaustion from the previous day's stress , Oliver woke up with a renewed sense of determination. He was set on having a productive day at the office. After getting ready, he made his way to the company headquarters, his mind focused and ready to tackle whatever the day would bring.When
Oliver looked straight at the manager and he delivered the bombshell of bad news."Mr. Oliver, we have some urgent developments to report," said Mr. Harris, the head of Sales, his voice grave. "Five of our top sales leaders have resigned... and they’ve all joined a rival company."Oliver’s heart sank further. "What? How did this happen? Who’s the rival company?" His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. Losing five key players in their sales team was a devastating blow, especially after the morning’s revelations.Mr. Harris exchanged glances with the others before continuing. "It’s… it's Luminary Industries, sir. They’ve been aggressively headhunting our top talent over the past few weeks. They offered them significantly higher pay and better incentives, and it seems they couldn’t resist the offer."Oliver clenched his fists, the weight of the situation becoming almost unbearable. "Luminary Industries… Of course," he muttered, recognizing the name. They were a major co
Victor, now brimming with confidence and a sense of victory, straightened in his chair and began to speak."So, gentlemen," Victor began, his voice dripping with satisfaction, "it seems our little plan is working flawlessly. Howard Group is reeling, just as we anticipated. And to think, all it took was a few strategic moves and a well-placed insider." He glanced at Mr. Smith, who returned his gaze with a nod of acknowledgment."Indeed, Mr. Langston," Mr. Smith replied, his tone equally triumphant. "Their sales team is in shambles, and their clients are already questioning their stability. The panic is spreading like wildfire."Victor chuckled, leaning forward as he poured himself a glass of wine from the bottle he had just opened. The sound of the liquid filling the glass was a prelude to the toast he was about to make. "To the beginning of the end for Howard Group," he said, raising his glass. "This is only the first strike. By the time we're done, there won't be anything left of t
A few days later, In the middle of a stressful morning at work, Oliver decided he needed a break. His mind had been racing with problems and new developments from the news from luminary Industries, and unwinding with some food seemed like a good way to clear his headHe drove to a nearby restaurant, the streets quiet compared to the chaos inside his mind. Just as he was nearing the restaurant, his phone chimed.He glanced at the screen, a message. It was from the orphanage, a gentle reminder about the upcoming fundraiser. A flicker of warmth spread through him as he recalled his recent visit.After enjoying a meal at the restaurant, the urge to make sure everything was in place for the orphanage event nagged at him. He decided to stop by the bank to withdraw some cash, not just for the fundraiser but for his own expenses as well. His focus shifted to the task at hand, and he drove straight to "Imperial Trust Bank", a high-end international financial institution renowned for its exclu
As Oliver's words lingered in the air, murmurs spread among the queue of onlookers. Intrigued by his claim of being an SVIP, they began making snide remarks under their breath."SVIP? Ha, in those clothes?" a man in a tailored grey suit scoffed, adjusting his expensive watch. "He looks like he can’t even afford lunch, let alone hold a VIP status.""Is he out of his mind?" a woman in a sleek red dress muttered, rolling her eyes. "This isn't some backstreet store where you can play pretend.""Honestly, the nerve of some people," another person added, clearly irritated. "We’ve all been waiting in line, and now this guy wants special treatment?"The employee, emboldened by the growing discontent from the crowd, let out a derisive laugh. Her mocking tone cut through the noise. "Sir, I suggest you leave now before we’re forced to take more serious measures against you." Her eyes gleamed with the thrill of asserting authority, and her words carried a veiled threat.As if on cue, two fierce-
Oliver replied, his voice edged with a mix of anger and frustration. "This isn't about pretense or trying to impress anyone. It's about class—and class is earned based on contribution to society, something I don’t expect you to know anything about." He shot the man a sharp look, his patience wearing thin.As Oliver’s words hung in the air, the crowd’s reactions immediately followed, sparking a flurry of murmurs and amused comments."Contribution to society? What’s he even talking about?""Look at him, acting like some big shot. What’s he done for anyone?""Bet his ‘contributions’ are as fake as that card!"A middle-aged man near the back chuckled sarcastically, "Oh please, this guy? Contributing? More like he’s contributing to wasting our time."Another voice piped up, "Probably donated his old clothes to a thrift store and thinks he’s saving the world."The well-dressed woman from earlier sneered, "This is just embarrassing. What kind of contribution could he possibly be talking abo