The pride Richard had could be seen at first in his footstep and after a second look, his dressing takes it all.
He was surfing on his phone during the break hour, while drinking the office coffee when his colleague walked in.
"Attorney Richard, the Director wants you in his office." His colleague informed him politely.
"The director? Is he back from his trip?" He looked shocked when asking the question but the colleague had already run along.
As Lawyers, they were always busy and rarely had time for themselves, as soon as the break was over, clients normally flooded in their offices.
The "Mascott Law Firm" has been the leading firm in the country, and second to none after the Presidential Supreme Court.
Everyone wanted to work in the firm but in the end, only five to ten out of millions of applicants would be accepted.
Richard wondered why the Chief Executive Officer wanted to see him as he got closer to the office.
"Come in!" Mr. Mascott's voice came through the door as soon as Richard knocked.
"Sir, I heard you called for me." Richard said courteously with a short bow.
With a deep sigh, Mascott took off his glasses and gave Richard a long look.
"Mr. Richard, I called you here to tell you that you are fired. Our firm no longer needs you." Mascott broke the news bluntly and Richard gasped in disbelief.
"Sir! Just like that? What did I do?" Richard asked sadly, still keeping his boldness.
"Do you really want to know your offense?" He asked, curling his lips.
"Whatever I did can be scrapped because I have dedicated years in this firm." Richard bragged.
"Richard, you should be lucky that I'm only seeing this a little bit late and I'm trying to be nice else you should have started begging for a fee concerning business obstruction!" Mascott informed him curtly.
"Boss! Please sir. I badly need this job and no firm will take me in. All my past actions were as a result of desperation." He begged, falling on his knees but Mascott had already made his decision and couldn't back out since he had struck a deal.
"You managed to get into this firm with three credits in your certification which is impossible! And it seemed like during my 4 years sick leave, you fawn around my brother and found your way in. Your actions are truly despicable!" Mascott slammed his curriculum folder on his desk.
"Please sir, I'm sorry." These were the only words the proud Richard could profess as he buried his face on the ground.
"Too late. You are fired and you won't be given a dime, not to talk of pension. Leave this building the same way you came, as soon as possible." Mascott instructed him curtly, twirling his seat which made him face Richard with his back.
"Sir, please. I can't get fired now." Richard found himself at Mascott's mercy, begging for a second chance.
Mascott couldn't take it anymore so he called the guards into his office.
"Arghhh!!!" The screamed in the designated car as he returned home in dismay,
"Why did this happen to me when I have used up my money in signing up for the billionaire master club?" He cursed himself and spanked his head.
"How did I lose my job overnight? What do I do now?" He didn't even know he had gotten home, if the driver hadn't honked.
He paid for the taxi and stepped down, walking into his compound — he saw unfamiliar figures with helmets on their heads and couldn't understand what was happening.
"Please, who are you?" He was already infuriated and impatient. He was using the last sanity he had in him.
"And you are…?" The man looked at him.
"I'm Richard, the owner of this building you burgled." He spilled bluntly and the men exchanged weird looks.
"Mr. Richard, if I may remind you, you purchased this house under a work loan." The man began.
"Your office informed both the bank and the government about your unemployment, we are only checking things in the mansion before coming to take back the full document." The man rashly explained to him and he gasped in confusion.
"What do you mean? Isn't this too sudden? I just lost my job, at least I deserve a break!" He yelled at them in anger.
"There are other people who want this house more than you, this is business and I hope you can understand." The man explained to him politely.
"I can get another job, it's not like this is the end of my life." He tried to urge them with his quivering eyes.
This was all he had and he couldn't afford to live in the streets.
"According to your old director, with your certificate, it will be difficult to get a job somewhere." The man made a comeback.
"I…" Richard wasn't given a break to speak.
"You have a week to pack up so as to avoid any form of embarrassment." With that, the man called his team and they walked out of the compound.
"OH MY FUCKING JESUS! What is going on with my life today???" He screamed at the top of his voice as his briefcase fell from his hand, crashing on the floor and opening - scattering all his files and stationeries.
"I'm no longer interested! I'm no longer fucking interested in being with this bad luck family!" Richard had crazily ruined the family evening dinner and they were all looking at him in confusion.
Just some days ago, he was cool with them and had promised to be their shield but all of a sudden, he had changed into a mad dog.
"Richy, talk to me, what is the matter?" Diane tried to reach for him but he shoved her away.
"Since I met you and your family, I haven't had rest and it seemed as if I have been struck with bad luck." He cried out.
"What do you mean, Richard? Is my sister no longer your type or something?" Logan stepped in, sounding annoyed.
"I see you all are trying to turn me into your slave, just like you did to Drew, but it will never work!" Richard bickered in anger.
"I don't know where you are driving, son. Did something happen?" Mr. Stewart asked warmly.
He had already had hope that Richard would save his family but it seemed his plan was shaking without a good footing.
"What is happening is that I have lost my job, I have no money and my house has been claimed by the government." He spilled bluntly and they gasped in unison, staring at him in disbelief.
"How… How did that happen?" Diane stuttered.
"Why? Are you already thinking how to leave me just like you did to your ex-husband? But no need for that because I'm never getting married to you!" Richard hissed.
"What do you mean? You already got my daughter pregnant so you must take responsibility!" Mrs. Stewart reminded him seriously.
"What did you not understand in my sentence 'I will never get married to your daughter?' Or will you accept another live-in poor son-in-law?" He asked scornfully, wiggling his annoyed brows at them.
"This is crazy! So you didn't own the house or have a good ground at the office, so why did you brag about everything?" Logan lashed at him in fury.
"Because your family wouldn't accept a loser! I'm done with this family and I mean it!" Richard said curtly and attempted to leave when Diane's sharp voice filled the room.
"Uh! My stomach!" Diane screamed, trying to take a step with her hand holding her pelvic.
"Don't try to fool me. You can get rid of the baby and that's the end of us. There is no marriage, that's it." Richard stood firm in his words.
"Ahh!!" She yelled again and her mother rushed over to her.
"What is it? We already have a lot in our hands right now. What is your problem?" Mrs. Stewart tried to control her temper while questioning her emotionally derailed daughter.
"Mum— Mum— She is bleeding." Logan muttered, lifelessly staring at his sister.
"What? Honey! We have to rush to the hospital. Diane is bleeding and she might lose the baby!" Mrs. Stewart urged her husband as she walked Diane out of the living room with the help of Logan but Richard remained indifferent.
He wasn't going to associate with them or get married to their child and that was final.
It wasn't like there was love in the beginning, was there?