Carolyn and her friend Nancy were stunned as Roland paid for the meal and entered the elevator.
"Is the loser really lodging in this hotel for real? Nancy asked a mixture of incredulity and resentment in her voice as she fixed her gaze at the elevator.
"Don't mind the church rat. He is just making a show of what he is not and can never be," Carolyn reiterated, smirking and rolling her eyes.
Roland had hurriedly left because he needed to place some orders from the Roch Tech USA for laptops, cameras and ring lights to set up a mini tech company with just sixty million dollars. It was the best Tech company in the world so far with a net worth of ten billion dollars.
He believed his mini tech company would grow by leaps and bounds if he put in what he learnt from Stone University.
It pained him that he was not allowed to finish his final year exams so as to be in possession of a degree certificate that will be tagged B.Sc Cyber Crime security and MBA Business Administration but he was not the one to budge.
He would make do with what he had learnt and make a name for himself in spite of his past. Then, he would teach those who had derided him a lesson of a lifetime.
He called the customer unit of Roch Tech company and placed his orders.
"We would deliver your orders in seven working days," replied Daisy, the customer care attendant.
"Alright, thank you Daisy," he said as a feeling of gladness permeated his heart.
He was beginning to live his dreams even if it was in a small way. He was indeed grateful.
"But who is Mr. Adams. He just appeared from nowhere and gave him a card with the WB and RL inscription. He could be an angel in human form," he mused.
Moreover, Madam Ross had taught him about the activities of angels. He made a mental note to place a call to Doctor Ray before leaving for Ivory boutique just to know if Madam Ross was responding to treatment.
He had been carried away with making sure he spent the whole cash within twenty four hours.
He smiled, stood and walked into the bathroom to freshen up before going to Ivory boutique.
Meanwhile, downstairs Nancy and Carolyn were still seated planning on how to spread the news to other students about the thief seen in Aureus hotel eating lunch.
Nancy placed a call to Greg informing him of the whereabouts of Roland.
"Can you imagine the church rat gripping my arm ferociously and shaking me roughly because I called him the name he ought to be called. He is a thief and a penniless nobody living in a fool's paradise. He had the temerity to eat lunch in Aureus seven star hotel," she fumed.
"He is in for a bitter lesson. I am in Washington DC now. Just meet me at Ivory boutique. We need to change your wardrobe. Let me spoil you a little just to compensate you for your troubles today. As for Roland, the penniless thief we will see to that," Greg said reassuringly with a smug grin etched on his chin.
Roland Lee had booked the cab that was waiting at the gate of the hotel. He came through the elevator and hurriedly entered the cab to Ivory boutique.
As soon as he entered Ivory boutique, he saw the couple. Greg's arm was draped possessively around Nancy as they trudged into the building.
He drew a deep breath as his face etched in pain. It was crystal clear that he still loved Nancy in spite of what had happened. He tilted his head and faced his front walking past them.
"Hey, loser," Greg called mockingly
Roland Lee did not respond and kept walking towards the designers section. They were designer shirts yelling to be bought. He saw several shirts and trousers that caught his fancy. He picked a few shirts, trousers and shoes worth five million dollars and walked towards the cashier to pay.
"The loser and thief wants to wear designers, how laughable?" Greg said in a mocking gesture as he advanced towards Roland hurriedly.
"And come to think of it, what was that stunt you pulled at Aureus hotel? Gripping my girl's arm for calling you a thief? Aren't you a thief and a pauper?" Greg spilled gripping his clothes tightly.
"Will you take your hands off me, Greg before I do the unthinkable here and now."
"Hahaha!
What can the penniless nobody do anyway? Posing with a stolen card to purchase items that do not befit his worthless life can be a pastime, isn't it?"
"Greg, times change, seasons change too. It is shocking isn't it? Well sorry to disappoint you. This is my card and I have made lots of purchases with it. No one owns the world you know," Roland snapped, shoving Greg off his clothes.
Greg staggered and almost fell when Nancy caught him.
"Roland, the penniless nobody. You are a thief. You stole this card. Otherwise tell us where you got it from? Nancy demanded tilting her face sideways in a mocking gesture.
"I don't owe you any explanation at all, Nancy. This card is mine. Could you excuse me? I need to pay for the items fast and leave here as fast as possible," Roland said with resentment in his voice.
"Wow! You want to leave quickly so as not to be caught in the act? The thief wants to leave fast so that the cops will not come for him. I believe the one you stole the card from is a big shot. When he gets you, you will land in jail," Greg laughed hysterically as he held his stomach.
"Yes, little wonder he is hiding in a hotel away from the crime he has committed. Let's call the cops immediately. This man must be arrested for stealing a world bank card," Nancy remarked sarcastically, pulling off a side chuckle to spite him the more.
The manager of Ivory boutique Mr. Jude walked up to them amidst the squabble as the cashier just ignored them attending to other customers.
He looked at Roland and the card in his hand.
"Can I see the card, man," he said as he fixed his gaze on Roland.
Jude looked at the card thoroughly and sized Roland from head to toe.
"This is a world bank card in the hand of a young man who is poorly dressed but let me not judge by appearance yet," he muttered under his breath.
"What is your name?"
"Roland"
"Roland what?"
Roland looked down and was reluctant to respond.
He looked at him again and placed a call to someone. Roland did not know who he called but as soon as Mr. Jude dropped the call, his brow furrowed in anger.
"Both of you must kneel and apologize to Roland. Roland is the son of the prestigious Austin Lee CEO of the Lee Consortium. Apologize to him now before I get you both rot in jail," Jude thundered at the duo.
Roland was stunned.
"Austin Lee, the CEO of the Lee Consortium Los Angeles, my father?" he mused.
He knew his name as Roland and when asked of his surname in school he mentioned Ross. Little wonder the card given to him by Mr. Adams was tagged RL. He had wondered what RL meant.
"The card you accused him of stealing is his card. Can't you see RL WB meaning Roland Lee World Bank?" Mr. Jude said, showing them the inscription on the card for them to see.
The stunned Greg and Nancy knelt reluctantly mumbling some words.
"You better speak out before you get maimed," Roland snapped at them with his hands tucked in his pockets as a smug grin etched his face.
"We are so sorry, Roland," Greg and Nancy said simultaneously facing downwards.
"Just say Roland Lee is not a thief. He is a billionaire.
Stuttering, the both of them repeated the sentence.
"Ro..la land Lee is is not a a th..thief. He is a bi…llio…naire."
He smiled, took his bags and walked away from the Ivory boutique to Aureus hotel. He needed to rest because he has had a stressful day.
He sat on the bed reminiscing about the day's events. But why was his father still hiding?. Where has his father been all these years while he suffered humiliation, penury and hunger? Where was he? He needed answers to these questions. How can a father abandon his son for twenty four years only to give him a card worth one hundred million dollars without being visible. I need to see Mr. Austin Lee. I need to ask him questions, he thought deeply.
He lay on the bed and slept off because he was so exhausted.
At 7am he woke up with a start. He thought deeply about what happened the previous
day and heard a knock at the door. He looked at the door intently before saying
"Come in, the door is not locked."