After Bruce and his dad, Collins got kicked out of their apartment in the Richardson Estate, Collins' health deteriorated even further. Bruce had to use every bit of money he had left to get his father admitted to the local Health Center.
To make ends meet, Bruce took on a new job at Deluxe Mall. The work was tough and required him to stock shelves, organize the storeroom, and sometimes assist disabled customers in finding their way around the mall.
Although his new job was exhausting, it paid enough to cover his dad's hospital bills and accommodation while he was able to crash in a container at night.
Bruce had barely started his five-hour shift at the mall, stacking boxes on the shelves, when he heard a burst of laughter. Glancing up, he saw a group of girls standing nearby, all watching him with mocking grins.
Leading the group was Tessa Richardson, one of the daughters of his former landlord, Mr. Harold. Alongside her were her friends Lila and Megan, each with an arrogant look on their faces.
"Hey, Bruce," Tessa called out in a mocking tone, "why don't you carry our bags to the car?"
Bruce ignored her, continuing with his work. He knew better than to let Tessa and her friends get to him.
But Tessa wasn't done. She walked up to him with her two friends trailing behind.
Bruce looked up to find Tessa and her friends, Megan and Lila, standing behind him with smug, mocking smiles. He hadn't noticed when they'd entered the mall, but their presence here wasn't surprising since only the rich could afford to shop in this mall.
Though Tessa, Megan, and Lila were all friends, each had a distinct appearance and personality. Tessa had a plump look, Lila was petite and Megan was the tallest among the circle of friends.
"I said, carry our bags to the car, Bruce. Don't make me repeat myself." Tessa sneered.
When Bruce shook his head and refused, Tessa suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face, her cheek instantly turning pink.
Her friends gasped in mock horror, then looked at Bruce accusingly.
"Did you see that?" Lila shouted. "He just slapped Tessa!"
"Bruce, how could you?" Megan added with a fake tone of shock. "What kind of man hits a woman?"
Bruce felt his face heat up with embarrassment and frustration. "I didn't touch her! She's lying," he responded in a bid to clear his name of assault.
"You did that, you hit her." Lila repeatedly said as she glared at him with disgust.
"Prove you didn't touch her," Megan demanded, her arms crossed. "If you can't, then I'll report you for harassment. You wouldn't want that, would you?" She shot Bruce a taunting smile before raising her voice. "Security! Security!! I'd like to speak to your manager."
Her words instantly drew the attention of everyone nearby. A few shoppers in the mall started to gather, curious about the commotion.
"Wow, he really did that to a girl?" one man murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Unbelievable. They'll let anyone work here these days, even guys who have no respect for women."
"She slapped herself, and you all saw it! They're just trying to get me in trouble because I wouldn't do what she asked." Bruce defended himself.
"Oh, please," Tessa sniffed in tears, rolling her eyes and clutching her cheek for extra effect. "You think anyone's going to believe that?"
"Why don't you just admit you can't handle it when a woman tells you what to do?"
A middle-aged woman hurried over from the back of the store. "You called for me, ladies?" Her name tag read Karen, and she was clearly familiar with the trio.
"Your employee here just physically assaulted my friend!" Megan lied smoothly, her face twisted into a look of fake outrage.
"If I knew you had such an aggressive worker in your store, we would have never stepped foot in here." Lila backed up her friends.
Karen's face turned pale at the accusation, and she immediately turned to Bruce with cold eyes. "I'm sorry for the trouble, ma'am," she apologized. Without a second thought, she slapped Bruce in the face. "If I had known you were this kind of person, I would've never hired you. You're worthless!"
She quickly spun back to Tessa, Megan, and Lila, her posture immediately shifting to one of submission. "I sincerely apologize for my employee's actions. You can rest assured, he won't be working here anymore."
Bruce, who at this point was embarrassed, could hardly believe what was happening. The lies spread like wildfire, and there was nothing he could do to stop the injustice. He knew better than to say a word.
"Get on the floor, now!" The manager, Karen, harshly ordered, slapping Bruce across the cheek again in front of the watching crowd. "Apologize to these ladies, or I'll make sure you're fired right here."
Bruce lowered his head in shame, his face burning from the slap. He was about to get up when Tessa, with a wicked smile, kicked him in the side, forcing him to collapse back onto the floor.
"Now, apologize properly, on the floor," Karen said coldly, fully siding with the girls.
Bruce kept his gaze downward, unable to meet anyone's eyes, while the customers muttered among themselves. He could hear a few nasty comments being whispered about him, calling him a woman-beater. It hurt deeply, but he could only hold back the bitterness and choke out, "I'm sorry, Tessa, Lila, and Megan. It won't happen again."
"Sorry to your useless self," Tessa cursed.
The crowd began to slowly disperse, meanwhile, Karen turned back to Bruce and coldly informed him, "I'm also cutting your pay for this. I believe this will teach you a hard lesson."
After he was dismissed, Bruce quietly went about his work, trying to stay calm but unfortunately for him, the girls, Tessa, Lila, and Megan, began making a joke with their purchases on purpose.
They called him over, making him carry several heavy bags all the way to their car. Once in the car, they laughed and told him to take the bags back to the mall.
It was clear they didn't intend to buy any of those things, but they still made him do the work as a punishment. These went on for hours until his shift finally came to an end.
It was already late when Bruce finally clocked out from his shift for the day, feeling drained both physically and mentally.
After a few minutes' walk, he reached the place where he was planning to stop by and see Sadie, his fiancée, and give her some money for upkeep.
As Bruce neared the entrance, a man from the side approached him, looking around cautiously before stopping Bruce in his tracks.
"Hey, I have a job for you," the man said in a low voice, handing Bruce a package and a slip of paper with an address on it. "Deliver this package there before 10 PM tonight. The pay's good, and it shouldn't take long."
With his recent pay cut, the offer seemed too tempting to refuse, and he quickly agreed, grateful for a chance to earn some extra cash.
Bruce accepted the deal that would change his life for good or better still for the worse.