“For you, making money is hard. For me, it’s easy. Do you know what the biggest difference between us is?”
“Your mindset about money is too conservative. You’re already falling far behind the times.”
Eric Johnson’s manipulative words made Sarah Miller and the others look at him with burning eyes, as if he were some god of fortune.
My response was simple—I swung and landed a punch straight on his face.
No one had expected me to actually hit Eric in public.
He cried out in pain, clutching his face as he stumbled back and fell hard onto the floor.
The others gasped in shock and rushed to help him up.
Sarah, unable to contain herself any longer, slapped me hard across the face.
Her eyes were bloodshot with rage as she shouted,
“David, you’re insane!”
“You just can’t stand to see someone else doing well. Since when did your jealousy get so out of control?”
“I order you—apologize to Eric right now, or I’ll never forgive you!”
The others glared at me with hostility, joining in the chorus of scolding.
“This guy must be crazy!”
“Mr. Johnson only said a couple of things, and he lost it?”
“What a petty man—just like my husband!”
“Mr. Johnson treats us so well. We can’t just let him be bullied.”
“He must get down on his knees and apologize to Mr. Johnson, or we won’t let this slide!”
Even though I had hit him, Eric was smirking when he saw the women all loudly condemning me and firmly taking his side. His eyes gleamed with smug ridicule.
Feigning magnanimity, Eric said,
“Assaulting someone for no reason? That’s an arrestable offense.”
“David, I know you’ve always hated me. You think I’m better than you, and deep down you’re insecure, unable to hold your head high in front of Sarah.”
“I’ve seen plenty of men like you—narrow-minded, hot-tempered, and insecure.”
“But I won’t hold it against you. Just apologize, and we’ll let this go…”
Before he could finish, Sarah cut in quickly,
“How could we let it go? He split your lip! He has to get down on his knees and apologize to you.”
Then she turned on me, barking,
“What are you waiting for?”
“Didn’t you hear me? You’ve humiliated me enough tonight. Now you must kneel and apologize to Eric immediately!”
I stared at Sarah coldly.
“And if I don’t?”
Under so many watchful eyes, Sarah’s face twisted with fury. She raised her hand again to slap me.
At that moment, a group of police officers rushed in.
A flicker of panic flashed in Eric’s eyes.
Sarah and the others froze for a second, then broke into smiles, shouting all at once:
“Who called the cops? Perfect timing! Arrest this lunatic who hit our boss!”
“Officers, we can all testify—this madman barged in during our dinner party and attacked our boss for no reason!”
“Take him away! We think he’s mentally unstable. Best to send him straight to a psychiatric ward!”
The lead officer frowned at the chaotic scene and said sternly,
“We received a report of illegal fundraising taking place here.”
Sarah and the others froze again, then quickly began protesting their innocence.
