Being Wealthy is my birthright

8

Allen stepped out of the elevator and walked through the long corridor that led to Mr. Geraldine’s office. A few employees looked up from their desks but he paid them no attention.

He opened the door without knocking.

Mr. Geraldine, hunched over a pile of documents, didn’t look up. “I hope you’ve come to explain why you vanished and left your duties hanging, Allen. The audacity! You won't be paid this month—”

“I came to resign.”

Mr. Geraldine looked up, his face creasing in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

The Allen he knew would have started begging at the mention of his pay being pended.

Allen walked to the desk and placed a sealed envelope down. “My formal resignation. Effective immediately.”

Mr Geraldine stood, pushing his chair back “You think you can just waltz in here and quit like you matter? You’re nothing, Allen. You should be grateful we even let you near a desk!”

Allen looked at him calmly. “ Grateful you treated me like a trash!" He chuckled.

“What are you even talking about?” Mr. Geraldine scoffed. “You can’t survive out there. No qualifications. No recommendations. You walk out now, you’re finished.”

Allen smiled lightly. “No recommendations needed.”

He turned, but paused at the door.

“Oh, and Mr. Geraldine…” His voice dropped slightly, measured and sharp. “I’d suggest you look over that client file marked Harrison Group.’ Might be your last chance to correct the three errors I flagged a month ago… but I’m sure your assistant missed them.”

Mr. Geraldine blinked, clearly startled. He knew that file was due for review today.

Mr. Geraldine slammed his palm against the desk. “Mark my words,” he growled, his voice echoing across the office, “when you come crawling back which I know you will. I promise that I won’t even let you past the lobby. I’ll let you beg for your job, and I’ll personally toss you out.”

Allen chuckeld. " Soon enough, we'll see who is going to do the begging"

With that he left.

His words stung Mr Geraldine who angrily picked his phone and phoned his assistant.

“Blacklist Allen Penthorne. From every branch. I don’t want to hear his name in this company again. Eber again!” He said and dropped the phone.

Allen walked out of the office calmly, hands in his pockets, as if nothing about this visit had rattled him.

All his colleagues glued their eyes on his every step.

The old Allen would've looked down. Avoided eye contact. But now, he wasn't the same Allen they knew.

“Wait… Allen?”

A voice stopped him. Claire.

One of the interns who used to sit three cubicles away and never missed a chance to laugh when the others teased him for bringing rice and sardines in a plastic bowl.

She walked up to him, arms folded. “What, you got a new job now? Or did some cousin abroad promise you some illusionary wealth”

Her eyes flicked to the key in his hand. Allen said nothing.

Another intern, Jordan, joined her. “ Don't allow him to feed you with bullshit,” he laughed." He had no money last month, suddenly he thinks he can frame his way into wealth?”

Allen smiled lightly. “Did i ever tell you I'm wealthy.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Then what’s this,” she said, motioning to the sleek black key fob in his hand. “You borrowed a car to flex?”

Allen didn’t respond. He simply raised the key fob and pressed a button.

Beep-beep.

The deep growl of an engine echoed from outside

They ran outside to see it came from a black Maybach, the kind they'd only seen in screens blaring.

Jordan’s mouth opened. Claire blinked.

Claire’s eyes widened. “Wait. How do you—?”

But Allen was already gone, stepping into the car.

They watched as he drove off into the road.

*

*

It was nearing evening when Ella finally returned home.

She had spent the night at Rodney’s apartment after getting a little too drunk. He insisted she stayed and even kept her around most of the morning, refusing to let her go too soon.

But despite the delay, she couldn’t stop smiling as she enjoyed every second of it.

He had been incredibly sweet to her. Bought her gifts. Cooked breakfast. Made her laugh all through the morning Even credited her account with $3,000 before she left

He did all this casually, like it was nothing.

Now, walking through the door of her own place, she found herself grinning like a teenager. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies as she thought about him.

Rodney was trouble but the good kind.

She can't believe she was actually falling for him.

And she liked the feeling.

She smiled and was about to take the stairs to her room when her eyes caught a sheet of paper lying on the table.

The moment she saw it, her smile froze.

The divorce papers.

Allen.

As she remembered him, her once glowing face turned hard and angry.

That name alone was enough to sour her mood.

She knew that he'll be hanging somewhere in the house , waiting to beg.

After all these years of him leeching off her family, of watching him live rent-free in both their house and her patience, Ella felt nothing but bitterness.

He had always been useless and a burden to her.

Till date, she still resented her late father for forcing her into that marriage, binding her to a man who had no ambition, no drive, nothing but excuses that never paid rent.

As she stared at the paper on the table, her anger increased.

Today, no matter what it takes, she’d make him sign the damn thing. And he was leaving this house once and for all.

She snatched the document off the table and was about to storm to his room

She suddenly stopped when her eyes caught something.

A signature.

Right there.

Under his name, scribbled in that familiar crooked writing.

She blinked.

He had signed it.

A wave of relief flooded through her chest, so unexpected it almost made her lightheaded. She let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

Finally.

He had accepted his place.

But still, she was shocked.

She rushed out of the living room and pushed open the door to what used to be his room.

Her eyes landed on his jacket, neatly folded on the bed.

She chuckeld as she noticed all his belongings were still there.

Just as she expected.

She knew he had no where to do but didn't mind.

She just want to relieve herself the burden of him.

As she smiled to herself.

She felt familiar footsteps behind her.

The first thought that came to her mind was Allen and she turned sharply