Eric, unhappy with his predictable life, runs his father’s company into the ground with his arrogance and horrible attitude toward people.
But what happens when a beggar changes his ways about life?
Eric was sitting in the darkness of his upscale apartment, his face briefly illuminated by his phone as he scrolled through emails with disdain.
He longed for adventure and the mysteries of ancient civilizations rather than the cold, corporate world he was shackled to following his father’s death.
“I hate this,” he muttered under his breath.
Since he took over his father’s company, his passion for exploring caves and ancient tombs was reduced to dust, and he had turned bitter, his anger often misdirected at those around him…
As he approached his towering office building that morning, he tried to muster pride in its imposing stature, yet felt disconnected and resentful.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the beggar sitting on the sidewalk near his building and accidentally knocked over the poor man’s box of coins.
“Don’t worry about it, sir,” the beggar offered meekly. “I’ll pick it up.”Eric felt terrible for the beggar for a tiny sliver of a moment.
He considered reaching into his pocket and giving the person some money. But when the breeze turned and he got a sniff of the man’s odor, his entire demeanor changed.
“You’re gross!” he exclaimed.
“Look at my shoes! Your stuff has made them dirty, too!”Eric watched as the man refused to respond and picked up his coins with his fingers in dirty cut-out gloves.”Do you even know how much they cost?” he yelled.
“Well, that’s more than you’ll ever make in a lifetime! I don’t want to see you here next time.”
Eric grimaced as he walked away, the wind returning the man’s smell to his nose.
When he opened the door to the office building, he didn’t bother to acknowledge the onlookers exchanging uneasy glances at him.
“Mr.
Stanton, is everything alright?” Tennessee, his secretary, asked as he marched through to his office.
Still consumed by his new source of anger, Eric didn’t spare her a glance.
When he got into his office, he sighed as he closed the door. “I hate people,” he muttered under his breath.
Right then, the chair at his table turned, revealing one of his best employees. “Good morning!
I came in early to catch you, Mr. Stanton!” Lucretia said from the chair.
“I’ve been trying to meet with you for two weeks!” “Just get out of my office,” he replied. “Mr.
Stanton,” she continued, “I’ve been working on this project for a long time.
Just give me a chance to present it. I’m going to give you the short version.”Eric sighed and sat down as Lucretia hurried to stand across from him.
He tried to focus as Lucretia presented her project, but his encounter with the beggar lingered in his mind.
”So, this could increase our capital by 70%,” she said as she finished. “Great, why don’t you run the company then?” Eric snapped, his patience worn thin.
“Since you know so much!” “Sir, I-I just thought this project could help,” she replied, taken aback.Eric dismissed her efforts.
“I need results, not dreams.
Bring me something concrete. And one more thing, Lucretia. Never come into my office and sit around like this again.
If you want to see me, you must schedule an appointment with my secretary.
Understood?” He thought Lucretia would leave; instead, she stood her ground.
“I’ve been waiting for you for two weeks, Mr. Stanton,” she said, sounding bolder.Eric had to admit, he liked this. He liked the change in her attitude – she was trying to stand up to him.
He could count the number of people who stood up to him on one hand.
But he also just wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of it. “Get your things and get out!” he demanded.
As the door closed behind her, Eric sat with his feet on the table and took out his phone to browse the internet again.
There were new articles about oracles that he wanted to read. Two of his old classmates had published their papers on the existence of oracles in ancient communities.
“I should be the one exploring, researching, and publishing,” he said aloud, slamming his hand on the table.Eric continued reading through the day, only stopping to take two phone calls.
He ignored every call and message sent through from his secretary.
And left every email unread.When the day was finally over, he packed up his bag and left for the day. As he was leaving his office, Tennessee called out to him.
“Oh, Mr. Stanton!” she said, jumping up from her desk.
“Make it quick,” he said. “The office is out of coffee, and the water guys won’t come back and fill the water filters until our account has been paid.”
“So?””Sir, the problem is that we ran out of coffee,” she said. “And the water supplier—” “Well then!
If everybody wants to drink water, they must bring some from home.
And as for the coffee, a recent study has shown that the average office loses two hours of productivity per day at the coffee machine.” Eric looked at her with his eyebrows raised.
“Any questions?” “Yes!” she exclaimed. “The office is supposed to have a positive atmosphere.””I agree,” he said. “Go look for a way to do it for free, Tennessee.
Right, goodbye.”
“Mr. Stanton,” she said, interrupting him again. “You forgot to sign for my vacation.
I’m planning to take a week off next month. My sister is having a baby, and I wanted to ensure everything is in order before your schedule becomes too hectic.”
“Vacation? Now?
Tennessee, we’re in the middle of crucial projects. I cannot have my key players disappear when things are this intense. Postpone it or something.” Eric began to walk to the door, ready to leave the day behind him, but Lucretia approached him.
”Sir, I have an id
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