Chapter 1 - The Breaking Point “Sir, that watch costs more than everything you’re wearing.”
The salesman’s voice cut through the pristine silence of the luxury boutique like a shard of broken glass. Arthur stood motionless beside the gleaming mahogany and glass display counter, his worn brown work jacket smelling faintly of motor oil and sawdust, its frayed elbows exposing the gray flannel underneath. He clutched his battered brown leather wallet tightly in his calloused hands.
“I only asked to see it,” Arthur replied, his weathered face entirely devoid of anger, bearing only the quiet fatigue of a man who had built empires from the dirt.
The salesman, whose tailored black suit fit him like a second skin, leaned aggressively across the crystal-clear glass, his manicured finger jabbing into the air. “You heard me, you cannot afford this watch!”
Before Arthur could offer another word, the store manager hurried from the rear office, her face draining of all color as she recognized the stubborn old man standing in front of her. She gasped, grabbing the salesman’s shoulder and pulling him back.
“Wait, you’re the owner!” she stammered, her voice trembling in absolute terror.
Arthur slowly opened his worn leather wallet over the velvet tray inside the glass counter, his pale blue eyes locking onto the terrified salesman with a piercing, unrelenting sternness. The heavy air inside the store grew suffocatingly tense.
“I wanted to purchase the watch, to see how you treat people,” Arthur said softly, his voice echoing in the vast room.
May you like
The salesman staggered backward, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as he stared at the crisp black business card nestled securely in the front pocket of Arthur’s battered wallet, right beside a handwritten corporate deed that bore his own signature.
---
