The Heir's Redemption; Leonid Triumphs Over wealth

CHAPTER 5

"I didn't do it! It's so clear that you are trying to frame me, this is not your first time, not your second time." Leonid snarled. 

Ethan smiled at him, "Getting angry already, even when the proof has not been provided yet."

Leonid glared at him, just as Ethan had hoped. Leonid decided to take matters into his own hands. 

"Here is it, search me and you won't find anything on me." Leonid suggested.

Everyone around them agreed to his suggestion, Ethan could not stop smiling, this was what he wanted, Leonid was going to get fired for sure. 

"Alexander, search Leonid thoroughly for the wristwatch." Leonid's boss Mr. Evan said.

Alexander was a co-worker of Leonid, the guy who had replaced Leonid at the job he was doing before he went to attend to Ethan. Alexander never spoke to Leonid because he always found ways to bully Leonid. 

"Yes sir."

Alexander was smiling as he walked up to Leonid, why of all the people to search him did his boss choose Alex. Leonid could not refuse because of course he was innocent and not guilty. Alexander stood in front of Leonid and began searching through his pocket. He searched his trousers first, dipping his hand into Leonid's pocket and searching though. 

Leonid could not wait for Ethan to be proven wrong in front of everyone. Alex moved to his shirt and ran his hand around it. He dipped his hand into Leonid's breast pocket and smirked. He leaned in towards Leonid's ear and whispered in a low voice.

"This is your last day here, actually I have been jealous of the way my boss treats you. I don't care if you stole the wristwatch or not. You're finally leaving."

Leonid's eyes widened hearing that, before he could say anything. Alexander took out a golden wristwatch that cost $63000 from his pocket. Alexander raised his hand and waved the gold watch around like he was being paid to do so. Leonid was surprised to see the wristwatch had been placed in his pocket. Even though he would try to protest, no one would believe him, after all the watch was found in his pocket.

Leonid knew this was the last day of his work in the car wash. Ethan had succeeded in making him lose his job, he had gotten what he wanted. Leonid did not feel sad at all for losing his job after all it was worth it. He had finally known Alex was jealous of him and the relationship with his boss. It was not like his boss favored him either, he wondered what made Alex jealous of him.

Alex was clearly doing more better than he was but checking it in a different way. Leonid was the one married to a rich wife while Alex always hung out with different kinds of girls. Leonid glanced at Ethan, Mr. Evan and then the crowd that had surrounded them. Each of them in the crowd were looking at him with disgust and a scowl on their faces. 

Ethan had gone too far making him look like a thief in front of everyone. Leonid felt so embarrassed and the worst part of it was that he couldn't do anything about it. Even if he tried, he wouldn't win because it was clear that there were two people up against him.

"See?" Ethan yelled. "I told you all he was a thief."

"He had the wristwatch on him all the while and claimed he was not a thief, just like the day he stole the money I had saved for my mother's hospital treatment. I had to go borrow a loan from the bank which I struggled to pay. The Vanderbilts had the habit of stealing money and owing a huge sum of money. Maybe his father thought he could steal the money but couldn't so he took it as a loan and ran away." Alexander supported, adding more lies to it.

"I did not steal anything from you." Leonid protested. "Why would I do it?"

"You need money, you want money to pay for the debt you owe." Alexander said.

Ethan watched and smiled, he seemed not to be the only one who wanted Leonid fired. Alex was making things go way more easy for him and he was loving every bit of it. Who would have thought he would meet Leonid here and get to play with him just a little bit. Yes, a little bit. This was just a trial for Leonid trying to differentiate them, were they even alike in anything?

"Alex, stop this, nothing has gone missing since I started working here." Leonid said. 

"Nothing has gone missing?" Alex thundered, "My money got missing, the bosses wristwatch also got missing. We found it in your backpack but the boss decided to let it go, Chad's lost his wife's family heirloom and we also found it in your backpack."

Wow! Ethan grinned, things were getting worse than he planned. Who would have thought Leonid was actually a real thief?

Leonid was done hearing all the thrash they were saying about him. He had to defend himself no matter what, if it goes on this way, the police might get involved and arrest him for robbery. A crime he never committed. 

"I didn't do any of those things, I am innocent. They are both framing me, I never stole Ethan's watch. How could I take off his watch while he was wearing it, why would I do that?" Leonid said. "They both hate me and are trying to get me fired."

The place fell silent as if a golden crow had just passed by and the next minute. The crowd began murmuring.

"He looks so decent, who would have thought he was a thief?"

"I guess you do not judge a book by its cover."

"Is it really true it was his father who took the debt and ran away. I feel sorry for him."

"Isn't he the one featured on the article for being a debtor?"

"He needed that watch to pay off some of his debt."

"No one wants to be his friend."

"I heard he is married to the Ceo of Melianid."

"Framing you? You are a thief." Alex said.

"So, are you getting him fired or not?" Ethan asked, turning to Mr. Evan.

Mr. Evan was still in shock about the revelation of the gold watch being found in Leonid's pocket. He had seen Ethan wear the watch but how Leonid had taken the way away from his wrist without Ethan knowing was amazing.

"I…hmph! I am curious about how he got the watch away from your wrist without you knowing." Mr. Evan said.

"Actually, he is a really skilled thief and maybe that's what his dear wife found really good in him." Ethan mocked, chuckling.

"Boss, you have to fire him, he has nothing to do here anymore." Alex said, pointing a finger at Leonid.

It was then Leonid knew trying to prove his innocence wasn't worth it. No one would believe him at all because he had boasted about not being a thief and the golden wristwatch was planted in his pocket. He stared at Alex and Ethan, they had the same look on their face. He wondered if they had planned all of these all along.

Mr. Evan nodded. "Sure, we all made an agreement, didn't we?"

Leonid fist tightened, he wished his life could turn around so he could deal with these two but he knew it was not possible. With the burden of the debt hanging on his neck and the responsibility of his idle mother. Leonid found it hard to waste money on anything. 

"Yes, we made an agreement."

"We want him fired."

The crowd began shouting for the boss to do as he promised. Mr. Evan took a deep breath and proclaimed it in public.

"Leo, you are fired, you will no longer work here." 

Leonid showed no emotion, he gave Alex and Ethan one more glance before turning around and heading out of the car wash. He had never felt so humiliated in his whole life, accused of stealing something he could not even afford. Hateful words followed behind him as he left. 

Hah! 

He laughed, what was so special about Mr. Evan that Alex was jealous about. 

"I was jealous of you because of the way your boss treats you." Leonid muttered. "Ha ha, treating me like a thrash because I am poor."

Leonid hated the way the rich ridiculed the poor. If you were broke, they would make life miserable for you. He knew his life was already miserable without anyone making it miserable. He had not been happy even as a child, the only thing he heard everyday was the word that haunted him till now.

"PAY YOUR DEBT! PAY YOUR DEBT!" They would always say as they bumped the front door at night.

Leonid had never gotten so much sleep as a kid because of the noise at the front door. First he had been a happy kid with both father and a mother but everything took a huge turn. His father left and left a huge debt for them to pay. Leonid didn't want his father back, he never had a father. Every man could be a father but only few were worthy to be called father.