A Mockery 

Author's POV

On getting home, Anna was so furious at the fact that Richard could act that way towards her. Acting like he did not know her. Acting like they had not had anything to do with each other. As she stepped into the mansion, she flung her bag on the floor and stomped her feet on the ground as Joe stood behind her, also very angry. Even more angry than Anna thought she was.

"Did you see what he did there? He literally humiliated us. He made a mockery of us. He made a mockery of our niceness because we tried to become friendly with him. He played with us. Can you even imagine something as absurd as that?" Anna said angrily.

As Joe smirked, he replied, "Of course, it is all your fault. You have been so nice to him, acting like he is a messiah or something, making him feel so special. That is why he actually took himself as special. And I know that dumb lady is making him feel like he's on top of the world. I'm sure she owns a cooperative or maybe has a deal with one, and she feels like she is better than you. She is not. I feel like teaching Richard a good lesson. A kind of lesson that he would not be able to forget no matter how hard he tries," Joe said angrily to Anna as she laughed.

"The bar! We are having a contract with that restaurant. They are not even supposed to act that way with us. They're supposed to respect us. I mean, if someone is trying to harass us, they would bring their guards and protect the people who are investing in them, yet they did nothing. I feel like going there and closing down that restaurant if I had the power to. It turns out that Joe has found a place to do his bindings, and I don't like it at all. I just want to ruin everything that has to do with Richard," Anna said angrily as Joe smiled.

"Do not worry, I will deal with that myself," he said with so much determination. Joe then stormed away. Of course, Anna felt happy and glad. She always accepted Joe because he always listened to her, and even when she did not make the first word out, letting him know what she wanted was all he needed to go and make her happy. 

As she slowly walked into her room, she could already imagine how humiliated Richard would be when Joe closed down that restaurant and clearly made them know that it was all Richard's fault. She laid in her bed, waiting patiently for Joe to come back with the good news. 

Meanwhile, Joe sped through the road angrily, so determined that he could not wait. He was feeling so impatient, like he should just get to the restaurant at once. He got to the restaurant, stormed in as everyone looked at him in surprise. He went directly to one of the employees and pulled her to a corner, a corner where it would not attract people's gaze.

"I want to speak to your manager now," he instructed as she shivered in fright. But it was clear she was not going to do that.

"I can't give direct contact to my manager. I don't have that sort of right," she said while still shaking as he held tightly to her uniform. He flung her to the ground, and just then, the manager came in, judging by the way he was dressed.

"I am sorry, sir, but you are causing a scene, okay? And you are molesting our employees. That is against the rules of this restaurant. If we really need to do anything or if they offended you, you can at least face us or complain to us. You can't just attack our employees that way," the manager said as Joe laughed.

"I am not here to attack anybody, and I am not some kind of illiterate. You can't tell me what to do. I know the rules, okay? She just pissed me off. And now that I've seen you, I want to talk to the owner of this restaurant. We are making a deal with this corporation only for us to hear that you could not protect us while we're being molested. We are one of your important clients. All you can do is at least make sure that we are okay. Instead, you guys stood there watching somebody else belittle the person who is paying millions just to invest in your own company. Is that even right?" Joe yelled at the manager as he opened the door.

"Luckily for you, the owner of the restaurant is around. You can have a discussion or two with her this way," he said as Joe smiled. It was even easier than he expected. They did not cause any havoc or insist that they would not let him in. He had already decided that if they continued arguing and did not let him in, he would instantly put the phone through to Anna so she could give instructions directly. Of course, they would not be able to say no to her. 

But just as Joe walked in, he was surprised to see Mary seated on the sofa with her legs crossed as she was going through some documents. She looked up, and instantly, a frown formed on her face.

"Why are you here? Are you here to apologize?" she questioned as he scoffed.

"Me? Here to apologize to you? That can never happen. I am here to warn you. Luckily enough, you are the owner of the restaurant. You have to be careful about that man. You have to be very, very careful about Richard; he is going to use you the way he used my fiancée. You should at least know the difference," Joe said angrily as Mary started laughing very silently.

"Really? So he's going to use me? Wow, thank you for the information, but I don't need it. And I never knew Anna made you her fiancé. I thought you were just the guy she had to cheat on her own boyfriend with. I am so confused as to what is going on right now. It's just amusing to listen to you blabber rubbish," Mary responded as Richard couldn't help but choke behind the curtain.