The Poor Billionaire

Chapter 38 Extreme Discrimination

Horace said goodbye to his mother and left her in Cara's care before he walked out of the Rinas

Infirmary.

It was eight o'clock in the morning. Since it was a weekday, this was the rush hour for work. Many

commercial and private vehicles were on the road. He didn't want to waste too much time in traffic, so

he hailed a taxi.

The Rinas Infirmary was very far from the Sea Square. A bus ride would take at least forty-five minutes

because of the many stops that would be made. Time wasn't on his side now.

He knew that he needed to patiently decide on a perfect birthday gift for Laila.

It took only twenty minutes for Horace to arrive at the Sea Square by taxi.

The opening time for the shopping mall was eight o'clock in the morning, so it was already open at this

time. Shoppers were very few because today was a working day. And a great part of the few was only

window-shopping.

Horace had never been here before. He had been poor all his life, so his major concerns weren't

luxuries, but basic needs. The only reason he knew about this place was that Amaia mentioned it to

him frequently.

While they were still dating, she always rang a particular reminder in his ears. "Horace, you must

become rich in the future, so you can take me to the Sea Square and buy me all the luxuries I want!"

"Alas!" Horace sighed as he stared at the tall building of the shopping mall. He was finally entering this

place for the first time, but he wasn't shopping for Amaia. He was here to choose a gift for Laila.

'Boy, stop reminiscing about your relationship with that girl. She dumped you ruthlessly. Just do what

you came here to do with a clear head!'

Horace advised himself and took a deep breath. He then strolled in the mall and looked at the various

luxury stores.

Some of the passers-by looked at him with disdainful sneers and even pointed at him.

Since Horace discovered his true identity and became rich, he hadn't bought any new clothes for

himself. He was still wearing his tattered clothes. They made him look like a poverty-stricken beggar or

a homeless man. He was neither of those, but everyone here thought he was.

All of a sudden, a young woman who looked very fashionable stared at Horace from head to toe and

then murmured, "Are paupers so rich now? This one even dared to come here. Isn't he afraid of getting

shocked to death at the sight of the prices?"

"Lana, I doubt if this beggar came here to buy anything. I mean, look at the way he's dressed. He can't

possibly afford anything here. It seems that he came here to beg for alms. Many rich people come here

to shop. Some of them are very benevolent. This man would most likely earn more than what he gets

begging on the street for a whole day," a petite girl said to the fashionable woman in disagreement. Her

tone was insolent. Afterward, she proudly raised her head and stared down at Horace.

"Oh, Gussie, you have a point there. You are so smart that you quickly read the pauper's mind!" When

the fashionable woman named Lana Lynch heard Gussie Cohen's words, she chuckled. She then

looked at Horace and tut-tutted. "Young people nowadays are so lazy. Most of them don't want to work

hard. They love handouts. It's no surprise that they become paupers at such a young age. We and

people like him are worlds apart."

Gussie concurred with Lana's statement. They both despised Horace just because of the way he

looked.

Horace heard everything they said. Their words pricked his heart a little. When he looked up, he saw

that they had very beautiful faces. It was surprising that beneath their beauty were two ugly hearts.

The women had exaggerated about his shabby looks. His clothes were worn out, but there was a

visible difference between him and a street beggar.

Like the gentleman that he was, Horace ignored the women. He felt that their mean words would

remove nothing from him. This wasn't the first time people were gossiping behind his back.

The only times he confronted such people and told them to take back their words were when his loved

ones were involved. If he was the only one being insulted, he didn't give a damn. As a poor student in

high school, almost all his classmates and schoolmates made it a point of duty to mock him at the Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

slightest chance they got. He had suffered worse at that time. These women's ridicule was nothing, so

he paid no mind to them.

Horace finally stood at the door of a jewelry store.

"A formal item would make a perfect birthday gift. I have walked past many shops, and most of them

sell only informal women's wear. A piece of jewelry seems to be the most decent gift I can buy. In fact,

let me enter this jewelry shop," Horace murmured as he looked at the BVLGARI jewelry store. He

stepped in as soon as he made up his mind.

"What?" When Lana saw Horace entering the BVLGARI shop, she exclaimed, "Look! That pauper just

entered the BVLGARI shop! What is he going to do there? Does he plan to beg the jewelry shoppers?"

This exclamation drew Gussie's attention. She looked over and saw Horace stepping into the shop.

She also exclaimed, "Damn it! Are my eyes deceiving me? Or did that poor loser really enter the

BVLGARI shop?"

After recovering from the shock, Gussie said to Lana in a low voice, "Let's go, Lana. I'm sure that there

would be a good show in there. Let's follow him to see what happens!"

"Okay!" Both women went to the BVLGARI shop without hesitation.

A woman's angry voice was the first thing they heard the moment they stepped into the shop. "Where

did this pauper come from? Why are you here? Anyway, I don't want to hear anything you have to say.

Don't spoil business for us. Just get lost right now!"

Gussie and Lana saw an attendant glaring at Horace with her hands on her hips.

"A pauper?" Horace frowned. To be sure, he pointed at himself and asked, "Are you referring to me?"

He instantly felt disappointed with the bad welcome he just received. He didn't expect that the

attendant of a luxury brand would be so rude and ill-mannered.

It was only right that anyone who stepped into this shop was given a good welcome. It was often said

that customers were kings. This was Horace's watchword when he did any kind of part-time job.

He found it very appalling and this shop attendant had no work ethic. She was treating him, a potential

customer, as if he were a piece of trash.

"Huh!" The shop attendant smirked disdainfully after hearing his question. She pointed her index finger

at him and said boldly, "Of course, I'm referring to you! Do you see another pauper here? It seems you

are not only poor, but also dumb. Get out of my shop!"

At this moment, the shop attendant noticed that two sophisticated women were standing at the door.

She quickly put on a smile and walked up to them. In a voice laden with flattery, she said, "Hello,

beauties. Welcome to our store. Today we are offering a 12% discount on all purchases. Please feel

free to look around and pick what you want. There will be no such price tomorrow!"

"Wow! A 12% discount on all purchases?" Lana was stunned. She then said to Gussie, "Didn't your

sugar daddy promise to take us shopping today? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

"Oh, Lana. Take a chill pill. The discount lasts for a whole day. It's not even nine o'clock yet. Well, I just

texted him. He said he just arrived and is parking his car. He should be here any time soon!"