I Am Rich Again

Chapter 5

John couldn’t tear his eyes away from the stunning, elegant woman who gracefully entered the room. Her mere presence silenced everyone, as if she held an unspoken authority over them. Though she was quite young, probably twenty years of age.

"Good day, ma'am," Officer Jason greeted, his demeanor exuding respect. It was as though he already knew her or was told something about her by his colleague.

The other officer, who had followed the woman into the room, leaned in to whisper something to him.

"Good day, officer," the woman replied, flanked by two guards—one clutching her handbag, the other standing at attention.

"How can we assist you, Miss B?" Officer Jason inquired.

The woman's gaze shifted to John, who felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead, his nerves palpable. His gaze was no longer on her as his mind was too filled up with doubt, trouble and confusion.

"I need someone," she stated, her cascading hair adding to her aura of spontaneity.

"Who, may I ask?" Officer Jason's confusion was evident in his narrowed gaze and wrinkled forehead.

"Him," she declared, pointing a finger directly at John.

John's heart skipped a beat at her words, his confusion mirroring the tension in the room. He met Miss B's gaze, certain he had never encountered her before. Her eyes, like a sparkling star with a lot of mysteries.

"Him? What do you want with this thief, ma'am? Did he steal something from you too?" Officer Jason's tone sharpened, his accusing stare at John brimming with fury.

John only looked at Officer Jason but then didn’t try to defend himself anymore, there was obviously no use for it. Rather he had more reasons why he should leave this cruel world and come back more cold hearted.

"Thief? I don't understand. Do you even know who you have here?" Miss B's shock was palpable as she locked eyes with the police officer, taken aback by his repeated accusations against John.

John looked at her wondering if she knew who he was where he had no hint of who she was.

"Yes, ma'am, he's a petty thief who terrorizes the neighborhood alongside his gang members," the officer insisted.

At that moment, John chose not to speak further, realizing his words held no weight with the officer. He sat in stunned silence, weary of the life he was leading. It seemed the universe was conspiring against him—losing everything in a single day, only to be accused of diamond theft for the first time in his life.

"He's not a thief, he's a billionaire," Miss B interjected, her frown deepening. "Why would you demean him and accuse him without evidence?"

John's eyes lightened.

"No, ma'am, I'm certain you've got it wrong. This man here is a thief. He stole an old woman's diamond ring. That's what they do on those streets. I'm sure he's part of a gang," the officer asserted, quick to label John a criminal without concrete proof all because he was poor. In his mind he had concluded that all poor people have animalistic behavior.

John remained silent throughout the exchange, his moodiness evident in his demeanor. He saw no point in speaking further; life had stripped him of his worth.

Miss B glanced at John, then back at Officer Jason. "Could you please spare me a few minutes alone with him?" she requested.

"Sure," the officer replied curtly, shooting John a dirty look. "But be cautious; he might try to steal from you. Poor people can't be trusted," he spat, his words dripping with contempt and prejudice.

The way he spoke about John made it seem as though he knew him personally and had undeniable evidence of his criminal activities.

Miss B nodded, taking the seat the officer had vacated. As the officers left the room, leaving her alone with John, silence settled in. Miss B studied John for a moment before speaking.

"Good day, Mr. John Beckham. I'm Miss Elizabeth Smith, CEO of JEL Tech and Companies," she introduced herself.

John remained silent, his gaze fixed on Miss B with a heavy heart, harboring a mix of trauma, resentment, and pain.

"Please, can I...?" Miss B began, but John cut her off.

"What do you want from me?" John's voice dripped with bitterness as he stared sternly at her.

Now the sight of a woman only made his blood boil. All the women he came across were hypocrites and deadly

"We need to talk," Miss B said calmly. "I sent you a text earlier today. I'm guessing you didn't see it," she added.

At her words, John's attention was piqued, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"About some investment returns?" John inquired, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes," Miss B confirmed with a calm nod.

"I did receive it, actually, but I didn't understand it. I was trying to comprehend it when the police arrived, and... well, this happened," John sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry about that," Miss B offered sympathetically, folding her hands gracefully as she reclined in her chair.

"Anyway, I don't recall making any such investment with your company. I don't recognize the name, nor do I know you," John admitted with a slight shrug.

"That's because our company underwent a rebranding from ML Tech to JEL Tech when I assumed the CEO position after my father Smith Longmans passing," Miss B explained.

"Oh, Smith Longman is gone? May his soul rest in peace. My condolences," John expressed, his tone filled with empathy.

It all was making sense to him because he remembered Smith Longman and he remembered investing in his business heftily about seven years back.

"Yes, he is," Miss B confirmed.

"Setting that aside, my dad mentioned that you invested in our company when we were on the brink of collapse, and no one else would help us. You had faith in us when others didn't. We tried reaching out to you through mail numerous times, but it seems you didn't receive them.

“Anyway, I'm here to inform you that your investment has yielded substantial returns as our company has expanded globally," Miss B elaborated, her British accent accentuating her words. It was obvious she didn’t live in the US even from the way she spoke and dressed.

"How much are we talking about?" John inquired eagerly.

"$500,000,000,000," Miss B revealed.

John's eyes widened to the point of disbelief, as if they might pop out of his head in shock. Was he dreaming? Was this some kind of joke? His mind exploded with questions.

"What? $500 billion?" John exclaimed, rising from his seat.

"Yes," Miss B confirmed with a smile.

"I'm rich again!" John exclaimed, dropping to his knees in disbelief and gratitude. From an alleged diamond thief to a multi billionaire.