Matthias took a closer look at her, noticing just how beautiful she was.
He smirked and said, “Sure.”
With that, he walked into his cab and drove off, leaving Bethany watching him with a mix of hope and regret.
Matthias got out of the cab, holding the backpack filled with cash. He had stopped at a store to buy a backpack, transferring the cash into it for easier carrying.
Unsure about which phone to get, he headed to the AZ Super Phone Store, renowned for its vast selection of phones.
“I’m sure I’ll find just the perfect phone here,” Matthias murmured as he crossed the grand entrance.
As he walked into the IOS store within the AZ Super Store, he sighed, marveling at the fact that he could now afford any iPhone of his choice.
However, he decided to explore further before making a purchase. He whistled softly as he approached the Samsung store.
Just as he was about to enter, he heard familiar voices from inside. His brows furrowed as he recognized the unmistakable voice of his ex-girlfriend, Paula.
“Paula?”
“Why is she everywhere?” Matthias mumbled to himself.
She was with Rafael Vicenzo, both standing at the counter, belittling a young lady who appeared to be there to buy a phone too.
Paula sneered at the girl, “Stores like the AZ Super Phone Store are for people of the rich class, like me.”
The girl replied, “But there’s enough room for anybody to shop here. My presence in this store shouldn’t bother you,” she added.
Paula scoffed, “It’s an irritating sight to see someone as low as you trying to purchase the same phone I came here to buy. Besides, I know you from school; you can’t even afford expensive things. Why are you here trying to buy the same phone as me?”
The girl hung her head at the humiliation as people started to gather around.
Paula’s voice was sharp as she wanted to draw attention to the girl and shame her.
Paula continued, “There’s only one Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra left in the entire store, and there’s no way I’ll let a poor girl like you take it.”
“Come on! Even if you can afford it, it doesn’t match your poor status. Can’t you get that into your poverty-stricken skull?!” Paula yelled, and the people who surrounded them laughed at the poor girl.
Paula called the girl Maya, and at that point, Matthias recognized her from their school.
Maya was a struggling young lady like himself, the only person as poor as him at Harribug University. Matthias watched from the doorway, feeling for Maya as Paula insulted her.
Paula shoved Maya by her shoulders, forcing her to move back from the counter. She almost fell.
Matthias gritted his teeth, remembering how Paula had once belittled him too.
“Now, listen Maya, respect your status, embrace your poverty and walk away! You don’t belong here…” Paula said to Maya rudely.
Maya raised her head slowly, her eyes welling in tears threatening to fall. “But I placed an order on the phone before you walked in. I haven’t even asked about the price yet to know if I can afford it, and you are asking me to leave? Is that fair?”
Paula gritted her teeth as she examined the girl’s worn out outfits. She spat on the floor, expressing her irritation at how poor Maya was.
“It’s not about what’s fair, you fool! It’s about who has the money for the phone. We know between us that you can’t afford it, aren’t you even ashamed coming to a huge store, dressed like this?” Paula said, shouting at Maya’s face.
Paula sneered, “You’re not even qualified to make an inquiry here. Go to some cheap, low-class store and get the fairly used phones you can afford, if you can even afford that.”
The girl’s eyes became so wet. She was drenched in shame and humiliation.
Rafael chuckled, enjoying the humiliation. Paula turned to the seller at the counter and smiled mischievously, “This girl, Maya, is too poor to afford a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, so don’t let her waste your time.”
Paula spoke to the man at the counter, “Since Maya is so desperate to know the price of the device, tell her the price and see if she’ll still be standing here.”
The man hesitated but then said, “The phone is $1,299.99 only.”
Maya’s eyes widened in shock when she heard the price. She had saved $150 for over six months for a new phone, and she had no idea the phone she had pointed at was that expensive.
Paula laughed seeing how confused Maya was after hearing the price.
“Now that you’ve confirmed you can’t afford the phone, even in two years, get lost,” she growled at Maya.
With that, she pushed Maya, causing her to fall to the floor. Seeing that from afar, Matthias couldn’t stay silent any longer.
He stepped forward, his voice stern, “That’s enough, Paula.”
Paula turned, surprise flashing in her eyes before it turned into annoyance. “You again? What are you doing here, Matthias?”
Ignoring her, Matthias extended a hand to Maya, helping her up. “Are you okay?” he asked gently, wiping her tears with his thumb.
Maya nodded, though her eyes were filled with tears. Matthias turned to Paula and Rafael, his expression was hard. “You should be ashamed of yourselves, treating someone like this.”
Paula scoffed, “Mind your business, Matthias. This store is for people who can afford it. Not poverty wells like you two. What are you even doing here? I had no idea what you did at Jude Campbell’s event, but let’s see how you are going to win this time.”
Matthias turned to the man at the counter, completely ignoring Paula. “I’ll take the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.”
Paula laughed derisively, “You? How can you afford it?”
The man at the counter glanced down at Matthias and sighed. “Please walk out so that customers who can afford it can purchase the product,” he said dismissively.
Matthias turned and frowned at him, about to counter his harsh words, when Maya held his arm, tears in her eyes.
“It’s enough,” she said softly. “I’ll go to a cheaper phone store. I wouldn’t have come here if I knew the phones were this expensive. You don’t have to get insulted because of me.”
Maya recognized Matthias from school and was aware of his struggles as a delivery guy.
Matthias looked into her eyes and spoke softly, “do you like the phone or not?”
Maya sniffled, holding her tears back. “I like it, but… I also have to accept it’s not for people like me, I have to go,” she said. Just before she could take a step, Matthias held her hand.
“Wait, Maya…”
“If you want the phone, that’s exactly what you are going to have,” Matthias said to her and her eyes widened in shock.
“What are you even saying? You are just going to get humiliated by Paula and her boyfriend,” she said, knowing how poor Matthias was.
Without replying to her, Matthias turned to the man at the counter. “Do you really want to sell the phone?” he asked.
The man sneered. “Yes, to real customers, not random people from the slums. Please take your poor friend and get out.”
Paula and Rafael laughed loudly at Matthias. Despite his anger, Matthias remained calm. Paula turned to the man at the counter.
“Let me give you a brief introduction about Matthias,” Paula said with a smirk.
“He’s a poor delivery guy who can barely scrape together $10 in a day. How could he possibly afford a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for another miserably poor person when he can’t even afford his own meals?”
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