Insulted by the attendant

Liam had already left the hotel room. He was walking around the area looking for where to board a cab so he could go to the company like he agreed on last night, but the place was only flagged with luxurious cars all around.

As he walked further, he was surprised to see some group of students crying in front of a store.

Liam slowed his steps as he approached the bookstore, his curiosity increased by the sight of the crying students.

They were huddled together, their faces wet with tears, their voices hushed. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened, what could have caused such distress. He hesitated, unsure if it was appropriate to intrude on their moment of grief. But something told him to move closer, to try to offer comfort if he could.

“Hey kids, what’s wrong?” Liam asked but their cries only increased.

“We were chased out of school because we didn’t have any textbooks,” The older one among them said and Liam sighed.

Liam felt an overwhelming urge to help the students. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a deep sense of empathy for their pain. He took a deep breath and he said.

“Is the textbook sold here?” He asked the moment he realized he wasn’t the poor and penniless man he once was. The billions he had in his account was enough to buy half of planet earth.

“Yes sir,” One of the students said, scratching his eyes which were already red and floppy.

Liam sighed and he walked to the bookstore which was a vast, high-end space, with soaring ceilings and marble floors. The shelves were filled with rare and expensive books, and the atmosphere was one of opulence and sophistication.

The light was dim and moody, creating an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. There were comfortable chairs scattered throughout, inviting visitors to settle in and lose themselves in the pages of a book. It was a place that seemed to promise the fulfillment of every bookworm's fantasy. He could tell it wasn’t the kind of bookstores he knew or had ever seen.

Liam approached the bookstore attendant, who looked up with a curious expression. "I'm sorry to bother you," He said, "but I'd like to buy a book for those students over there." He gestured towards the group, who were still huddled together, their eyes downcast.

The attendant looked over at the students, ' back at Liam, his face turned from curious to skeptical as he stared at Liam’s worn-out clothes.

The attendant released a long sigh, his expression skeptical. "Are you sure you're able to afford this?" He asked, his tone cold and condescending.

Liam’s smile faltered, but he stood tall, his gaze level. "I can afford to pay for it," he said, his voice steady. The attendant hesitated, then shrugged.

"Fine," He said, their tone dismissive.

The bookstore attendant turned to his computer, jia fingers flying over the keyboard. "It'll be $500 for the set," He said, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Liam smiled, it was just as he expected, the money in his account could literally buy the whole building. He took out his black card and gave it to the attendant who immediately swiped the card.

Liam’s hand hovered over the keypad, his fingers poised to type in his PIN. But as he typed the numbers, the screen flashed red. "Invalid PIN," it read in bold letters. Liam froze, his mind racing. Had he entered the wrong PIN? He tried again, his heart pounding. But the same message flashed on the screen. He glanced at the attendant, who was watching him with a bemused expression.

"Sir!" the attendant snapped, his tone taking on a sharp edge. "This is not a playground. I don't appreciate you wasting my time." Liam’s face flushed with embarrassment, his heart sinking. He had never intended to cause any trouble. He sighed hoping Mr Smith wouldn't do such a thing to him.

As Liam stood there, feeling like a fool, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, his hands shaking, and saw a message from his bank. "There is a question about a recent transaction on your account," it read. "Please contact us at your earliest convenience." Liam’s stomach dropped. What did this mean? Was his money in danger? His mind whirled as he turned back to the attendant, who was still watching him with a mix of curiosity and anger.

He slowly showed the message to the attendant so he wouldn't think he came to waste his time, but the attendant's reaction shocked him.

"You're a thief!" The attendant accused, his face flushed with anger. "You must have stolen that card and are trying to use it here! You're a fraudster!" Liam’s jaw dropped, his mind reeling.

"That's not true!" he protested, his voice rising in panic. "I'm not a thief! I'm not a fraudster!" But the attendant wasn't convinced.

“I don't believe you! Get out of here now!” He yelled his voice cold and hard.

As Liam tried to prove his innocence, the attendant lost his patience. He stepped forward and pushed Liam hard in the chest.

Liam stumbled backwards, his feet tangling, and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. He landed hard on his butt, his breath knocked from his lungs. As he struggled to regain his breath, he heard the attendant yelling at him to get out.

“You're not welcome here," The attendant yelled, his voice full of rage. "Just go!" Liam struggled to his feet, he dusted his pants and he stared at the attendant angrily.

Liam limbed over to the counter as he tried to take his black card but the attendant beat him to it.

"Please, just give me my card," Liam pleaded. But the attendant was unmoved.

"I can't do that," he said, their tone implacable. "You need to leave, and then I'm going to call the police. You've committed a crime here, and you need to be held accountable." Liam’s eyes widened in horror.

Liam couldn’t believe this was happening to him, nor could he bear the insult any longer, he dug his phone out of his pocket and he dialed a familiar number.