Chapter 3: Karma
1251 Words
Joe was elated. Since these people were extremely rich, he would definitely get his $100,000.
After hesitating for more than ten seconds on the side of the road, he decided to take a taxi for the first time in his life.
This was the first time in his 22-year life that he had enjoyed such a "luxury".
After about ten minutes, Joe got out of the taxi. It was not because that he had arrived at his destination, but because the taxi had a flat tire.
The driver was sorry and generous enough to say that it was a free ride and asked Joe to find another way to go there. Joe asked why he had not changed the spare tire. The driver laughed and said that the spare tire had exploded last year, and he had not changed it yet.
Joe was speechless. Could someone be this unlucky as him!? Now, Joe felt uneasy about the upcoming trip to the Andrew family house.
Just as he was starting to have this feeling of depression, Barret called.
Joe explained his unfortunate situation.
"I'm sorry to have caused you trouble. Please wait on the spot, and I will pick you up right away."
"Okay, I'm standing next to two gray trash cans right now."
Maybe it was because that he had dealt with trash cans too much, Joe always felt more at ease when standing next to trash cans.
Barret was very polite, but when he hung up, Joe began to feel uneasy again. His instincts told him that he was about to fall into a huge vortex but he could not back out now, could he?
After waiting for about ten minutes, a champagne-colored Mercedes sedan stopped on the side of the road. A well-dressed middle-aged man got out of the car and walked quickly towards Joe.
When his eyes settled on Joe, he was visibly stunned, and then smiled faintly.
"Hello, Are you Mr. Smith?"
"Yes, that is me, and you're Barret?"
"Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Smith. Please get in the car. My Lord is waiting for you at home."
Joe almost burst out laughing.
Seriously? Was anyone still addressed as Lord now? Wealthy people were weird, Joe thought.
Besides, did a very rich man drive only a Mercedes? Joe was expecting at least a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley.
"Please get in the car, Mr. Smith."
"Well...what about the money..."
"Mr. Smith, may I ask a question? Is the necklace still in the bag?"
"Yes, it is."
"Great, Mr. Smith, I assure you that you will have every penny of the money you’ve been promised."
Joe felt relieved at Barret’s conviction and nodded, "Then let’s go."
After getting in the car, Barret glanced at Joe several times through the rearview mirror.
"Are you a local resident here, Mr. Smith?"
"Sort of."
"How old are you?"
Joe was very vigilant. He just wanted to take the money and walk away, so he was not willing to reveal too much about himself.
"I’m 25 years old."
"Oh, you look younger."
Joe hummed and looked down at his phone pretending to message someone. He wished Barret would stop asking him personal questions.
The car drove on for a while and entered a manor through a large, grand iron gate. Stone statues of eagles were on either side of the gate as if a warning for all who entered. As the car drove on, Joe saw an impeccable lawn, the garden filled with beautiful flowers, a pond with a trickling fountain, and perfectly manicured hedges.
Then his eyes fell on the Andrew manor. Joe pretended to remain calm, but deep down, he kept saying, "Oh, my God.”
He could not help it. Seeing such a high-class manor was simply too much for a loser like him.
Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of the manor.
"Please get out of the car, Mr. Smith. My Lord is waiting for you in the living room."
"Okay."
After getting out of the car, Joe walked torpidly inside, his eyes wide while taking in the grand décor of the manor.
The happiness of the rich was far beyond his imagination as a poor boy who picked up trash for a living.
There was no one in the huge living room.
"Sorry, Mr. Smith, my Lord may have gone to the study. Would you please take a seat? I will ask him to come here. "
"Ok."
After Barret was gone, Joe seemed to have entered a whole new world and looked around. He kept marveling at everything he saw. Not a single thing seemed out of place.
A few minutes later, he heard footsteps in the corridor.
Joe immediately sat upright and kept his eyes fixed, trying to look as cultured as he could.
Soon, a cold shrill voice resounded in Joe’s ears.
"Hey! Do you have my bag?"
Joe turned his head and immediately recognized that it was Nicole.
He had to admit that she was even more beautiful than her picture on the ID card. She was tall, fair-skinned, with a delicate face and a curvy figure but her facial expression made Joe uneasy. She seemed like she was arrogant and haughty.
For a moment, Joe was stunned, not knowing what to say.
"Huh, are you dumb? Didn’t you hear me? Who allowed you to sit on our sofa? Your clothes are disgusting! Stand up," Nicole shrieked at Joe.
Joe stood up slowly, trying hard to remain calm. He was used to being insulted but Nicole’s words hurt him deeply. The pitiful stories he had made up shattered in an instant.
Nicole stepped forward, grabbing the bag roughly from Joe. She rummaged inside and pulled out the necklace.
Then she glared at Joe ferociously.
"Did you touch my necklace?"
"Uh, I just wanted to see what I had found, I..."
Before he could finish, Nicole raised her hand and slapped him.
"Who allowed you to touch my things?"
Joe only felt the burning pain in his cheek, his eyes closed at the sudden surprise hit.
What was wrong with finding something on the roadside and opening it up? What an unreasonable young lady!
"Why are you hitting me?"
After a tenth of a second, he was slapped again.
"How dare you!"
Joe stepped back and covered his face with his hands.
"You... don't go too far."
"Get out of here now!"
Joe knew he had to leave right away but he wanted his money first. A few slaps were worth it for a $100,000.
"Give me the money, and I'll go right away."
Nicole sneered disdainfully, took out a wad of cash from her bag, and threw it in Joe's face.
"Get out of here."
Joe immediately squatted down to pick up the money.
It seemed that he could not count on his $100,000 reward, so he just decided to take as much as it was.
"You are a really cheap man."
Joe did not care about Nicole's ridicule at all, because having experienced countless sufferings in the past, he was immune to such ridicule and insult.
Reality told him very well that dignity was just a joke when it came to survival.
After picking up the money, he got up and left without saying anything.
He cursed softly when he got out of the grand manor. "What a b***h! I hope karma gets you, you evil witch."
- Writer
