Chapter 4

"Do you know how much this costs? I got it for $11,000." Scott screamed on top of his voice. His veins popping out of his neck.

"I don't care. Chloe let's get out of here now. Give him back the ring." Richard grabbed Chloe's hand and removed the ring.

"Give that back. What's wrong with you." Chloe tried to get the ring back from Richard but failed woefully. She slapped him across his face again.

Richard rubbed his cheeks.

"What's wrong with you Chloe? Scott is not the kind of guy you'd want to be with." Richard said

"Scott is the kind of guy I want to be with. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. He has a future not like you. He's the heir to a big company. He doesn't even need to apply for a job,he has a job waiting for me. He just got me a diamond ring and a dress worth $1100. How many people in your generation have seen that kind of money before?" Chloe went on and on and on until she ran out of breath.

"Where's the manager of this place? This is getting out of hands?" Scott yelled as he checked his bloody nose.

"Chloe! Chloe! Let's leave. Scot if not the guy you want to be with. He's evil. He has an ulterior motive." Richard pestered.

"So you think you're the guy I want to be with. I'm sure you don't have a penny with you right now." Chloe mocked.

Richard knelt down.

"I know I'm poor and I don't have money but just give me another chance,I'll prove to you that I'm better than this brat." Richard commented and the manager rushed in.

"What? What's going on here? I hope you're fine sir." The manager,Mr Stewarts chipped in.

"Get me the police. This guy has ruined my day." Scot said and the manager rushed off.

"You can't just arrest me. You can't do this to me." Richard said.

Before the twinkle of an eye,the police had arrived.

"He's a theif. He came here to cause chaos. He hit me,destroyed my financée's dress and stole her diamond ring." Scott lied and Richard could only watch in awe.

"I didn't steal any ring. I just want my girlfriend to leave with me." Richard defended.

"I'm not your girlfriend. I don't know you. I've ever seen you before. Please arrest him right now." Chloe lied.

"Then why are you holding a ring?" One of the police officer asked. It was then Richard realized he was still holding the ring after snatching it from Chloe.

"I I I didn't. It's not what it seems like." Richard argued but he was handcuffed and thrown into the van.

"I didn't do it I swear." Richard kept begging till he got locked up.

"You are guilty of stealing,evading a private property and assault. You can only get bail with $6000." The officer informed.

"Thanks." Richard answered.

"Here's your phone. You can call whoever you want." The officer handed his phone to him.

He looked through his phone contact and he only had his manager,his grandmother and Chloe's number on his phone.

He had no close friend since childhood. He had always been a loner as everyone considered him too poor to keep.

"If I call granny,there's no way in hell she'll get $6000. Who can I call?" Richard tugged hard at his hair as he thought deeply.

"Have you made a call?" The officer came back to enquire.

"No! I'll soon make a call." Richard answered swiftly.

There was no one he could call. Chloe was the only person he could call for help.

In desperation and utmost need to get out of the fore walls of the station,he decided to call Chloe but she didn't pick the call.

"Please pick up." He whispered as he continued to call.

After a while of calling her,she picked up.

"Are you mad or something? What do you want from me? You just ruined my day." Chloe yelled.

"I'm so sorry but please I need your help." Richard said shamelessly.

Chloe didn't even wait to hear what he had to say. She dropped the call immediately.

He decided to call his manager,me Stewart.

"Sir! Please help me. I didn't steal from the customer." Richard begged.

"Are you nuts?! You almost made me lose my job. I told you specifically that the owner of the restaurant son would be here tonight and you messed it up. You're on your own this time." Mr Stewart yelled.

"Sir! Please just lend me the money,I'll work without pay. I don't mind." Richard bargained.

"You must be out of your mind. Do you think I'll employ you back after the rubbish you did at the restaurant today? You're fired. Don't let me see you near the restaurant again or I'll call the police." Mr Stewart threatened then dropped the call.

There was no one else to run to other than his grandmother now.

Richard has no other choice than to call his grandmother.

She picked on the first ring as usual.

"Hi son. How are you?" Eleanor yawned as he called late at night.

"Granny please I need your help. I don't know who to turn to."

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Eleanor jumped out of bed as she was frightened.

"I'm in jail right now granny and If I don't pay $6000 I'll be charged to court." Richard confessed.

"What? Why are you there? What did you do Richy?" Eleanor asked.

"Granny let's just forget what I did. Can you just help out please? I don't want to rot in here. I don't want to go to jail granny." Richard begged as tears streamed down his eyes.

"You know there's no way I can get such amount of money. It's impossible for me to." Eleanor said.

"Can you at least please try. Help me in any possible way you can." Richard insisted.

"Fine. I'll find ways to borrow the money. Just take care of yourself till I reach." Eleanor said and dropped the call. Her eyes were filled with tears already.

"Where would she get the money? From who and how will she even pay the money back?" Those questions filled her mind.

She has no property to use as collateral even if she was to go to the bank.

"Done?" The officer came some minutes later.

"Yes sir! May I ask a question?" Richard asked and the officer nodded.

"Can I be released then go out to work for the money?" Richard asked.

"It doesn't work that way." The officer eyes then walked away.

~~~~~~~~

It's been three days since Richard last heard from his grandmother.

Those three days has been hard for him,he was beaten to a pulp by the criminals he was locked up with. They always see him as a prey everytime.

"Sir! Can I call my grandma." I begged the officer.

He handed my phone to me. The phone rang but no one answered.

"What's wrong granny. Pick up." I yelled at the innocent phone in my hand.

The fourth time I called her she picked up.

"Granny what's wrong? I've been calling your number for the past three days." Richard cried as he spoke.

He has been in police custody for the past three days sleeping in he cold fore walls of the cell and enduring been beaten by the other criminals he was locked up with.

"This is Nurse Williams speaking from St Matthews hospital. Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt is dead. She was involved in a car accident and was rushed in here. She was brought in dead and has been transferred to the mortuary. Please come pick up her body." Nurse Williams paused waiting for Richards response.

Richard world just collapsed in front of him. His only family is now gone. His eyes became blurry as they were filled with tears.

The only family he has is now gone,gone forever.