The holiday rush was about to begin. Across the city, businesses were shutting down, sending their employees home for a well-deserved break. Not me. I wasn’t giving my crew a single day off. And I sure as hell wasn’t paying them. The workers, a rugged bunch of construction hands, had unfurled a banner and were now picketing below my office building. Their cries were raw, desperate. “Mr. Blackwood! Just pay us what you owe! Our wives and kids are counting on this money to live!” “Please, Mr. Blackwood! We don’t even have to go home for Christmas, just give us our wages! My son’s tuition is due! My family hasn’t had a decent meal in weeks!” I stood there, impeccably dressed in a bespoke designer suit, dangling the keys to my Mercedes from one hand and pinching my nose with the other, my face a mask of annoyance. “Wages? You want your wages? Is the job even finished? I should be charging you for the delays, and you have the nerve to ask me for money?” … My words were like a lit match to gasoline. The protest exploded. An old man, his face a roadmap of wrinkles, dropped to his knees right there on the pavement, his sobs tearing through the cold air. “Mr. Blackwood! We’re not educated men! We took this job because you paid well. My wife… she’s real sick. If I don’t pay the hospital, they’re gonna stop treating her… she’s gonna die!” Others chimed in, their voices a chorus of desperation. “He’s right, sir. We’re all in a tight spot. To a man like you, our pay is nothing, but without it, we’ll be out on the streets!” Sobbing, the old man began to crawl forward on his knees, reaching a grimy hand for the leg of my trousers. I sidestepped him with a look of pure disgust, my brow furrowed. “Did you wash your hands before trying to touch me? This suit is worth fifty grand. You think you can afford to replace it?” The old man froze, his hand hovering in mid-air. He rubbed his palms together nervously and hung his head. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please, don’t mind an old fool like me. I’m begging you, just pay us our wages. Save my wife!” “If you pay us now, I’ll stay. I won’t go home for Christmas. I’ll keep working for you, I swear. Please, Mr. Blackwood, please!” With that, he began to slam his forehead against the concrete. Thump. Thump. Thump. A raw, red patch was already forming on his skin. I rolled my eyes, my voice dripping with scorn. “What do I care if your wife lives or dies? She’s not my wife. Don’t try to lay your guilt trip on me.” “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the project isn’t finished, and you’re not getting a single dime until it is!” The old man’s spine seemed to collapse. He crumpled to the ground, his body wracked with gut-wrenching sobs. The other workers stared, their faces a mixture of sorrow and burning resentment. A few looked so enraged they seemed on the verge of fainting. A crowd of onlookers had gathered, their eyes filled with a hatred so intense it felt like they wanted to tear me apart with their bare hands. “Julian Blackwood! What kind of monster are you? Everyone knows how long a project like this takes! How dare you withhold their money and keep them from their families at Christmas? That’s their blood and sweat you’re holding hostage!” A man in a sharp black suit pushed through the crowd, glaring at me. I recognized him instantly. Leo Vance. A slimy middleman for construction contracts. He was the one who’d recommended this crew of troublemakers in the first place. “Leo, if you’re so concerned, why don’t you front them the cash?” I said with a lazy shrug. “I’ll pay you back when the job’s done. Right now, I’m a little short.” Leo’s fists clenched so tight his knuckles cracked. He looked at me as if I were something he’d scraped off his shoe. “You’re short on cash? Don’t make me laugh! You just posted pictures of your new private jet on Instagram yesterday! Weren’t you about to take your girlfriend on a little trip to the Maldives?” “You could pay their wages ten times over with a fraction of that money!” The crowd roared in agreement. “What a scumbag! I can’t stand parasites like him. Someone put this guy on blast! He should be hung from a lamppost!” Leo helped the old man to his feet. “Sir, don’t you kneel to him. We kneel to God, we honor our ancestors, but we don’t kneel to a heartless leech like this!” “I’m seeing this through today,” Leo declared to the crowd. “I’m not going home until you get what you’re owed!” A wave of cheers went up. “Now there’s a man with a conscience!” “Expose this Julian Blackwood! Let’s see who’ll work with him after this! Ruin him!” The old man bowed gratefully to Leo, but when he looked back at me, his voice was still timid. “Thank you, Mr. Vance, you’re a good man. You got us this job, and now you’re helping us get paid… Mr. Blackwood, we’re honest folk. If you just pay us today, we’ll stay and finish the work. We promise!” The other workers echoed his plea. “Yeah! The job’s halfway done! We’ll see it through to the end!” All eyes were on me. I, however, was busy browsing charters for a luxury yacht in the Maldives and was getting irritated by the interruption. “Look what you’ve done! The yacht I wanted is sold out now! You’ve completely ruined my vacation mood!” “You’re all acting like it’s the end of the world over a little bit of cash. I told you, you’ll get paid when the job is done! If I pay you now, who’s going to cover my losses?” A collective gasp went through the crowd, their chests heaving in disbelief at my audacity. Leo couldn’t take it anymore. He lunged forward, grabbing my tie and pulling his fist back. “Blackwood! I’m asking you one last time. Are you going to pay these men or not?” I let out a short, sharp laugh. “And what if I don’t? Are they going to drop dead? Maybe you should all take a look in the mirror instead of blaming me for your problems!” “And you,” I sneered at Leo. “You want to hit me? That’s assault. I’m calling the cops!” That was the last straw for some of the workers up front. They spat at me, one after another. “You goddamn Scrooge! We worked day and night for you, rain or shine!” “You pushed us to work faster and faster, and what did you give us? Watery soup and bread for lunch, barely a scrap of meat! But we didn’t complain! We took the job, and we were determined to do it right!” “Some of the guys aggravated old injuries working for you, but they bit their tongues and kept at it! And now you won’t even pay us what we’ve earned?” The man’s voice cracked, thick with unshed tears. The onlookers were filming everything, a sea of dozens of smartphones pointed directly at me. “What a soulless bastard! Let’s make this go viral! This guy shouldn’t be allowed to leave this building until he pays up!” “I’ve already called the union and the Department of Labor! They’re on their way! Don’t let this parasite get away!” Faced with the mounting pressure, I remained as calm as ever. “A few of you just spat on my shoes. That’s going to cost you, say, ten grand for cleaning and damages. Pay up, and then we’ll talk.” “And you mentioned old injuries? Are you trying to scam me for worker’s comp? You’re all a bunch of scheming crooks. Good thing I saw this coming. You’re not getting a cent!” “You son of a…” Leo’s fist connected with my face. The world exploded in a flash of light as my glasses shattered, my vision blurring. The crowd cheered. “Yeah! That’s what he deserves! Give the scumbag what’s coming to him!” I clutched my eye, pointing a shaky finger at him. “You hit me! You’re paying for my pain and suffering! You’re not leaving here until you do!” Leo shook his wrist, his expression dark. “Fine. I’ll keep hitting you until you agree to pay their wages. Then we can talk about my compensation for having to deal with you.” He bit out each word. “Julian, just pay them! Forget the Maldives! I don’t want to go! I won’t be able to sleep at night if you don’t pay them!” A slender figure came running down from the building entrance. She was moving so fast in her high heels that she nearly stumbled. It was my girlfriend, Lyla. Also, my company’s CFO. Lyla threw herself in front of me, bowing deeply to the workers, apologizing over and over. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. Julian has been under a lot of stress lately. He’s just confused. I promise, you will all be paid.” After humbling herself, she turned to me, her face streaked with tears. “Julian, you’ve made so much money. Isn’t it enough? This is their livelihood. Don’t do this!” “We don’t have to go to the Maldives, okay? And you don’t have to pay for the wedding, I don’t need it. Just… consider that money spent, and pay these men what they’re owed!” My eyes roamed over her. She had a fiery body and an innocent face, a combination that was even more heart-wrenching when she cried. She was my type, through and through. And now she was offering to forgo the wedding fund? That would save me a pretty penny. “It’s a thought, but…” I paused. “Your wedding fund won’t even cover their wages. Why don’t you use your dowry to pay them instead?” No one could believe I could be so utterly shameless. Lyla’s face went white. She swayed on her feet. Leo stepped in, pulling her behind him as he spat at me. “Have you no shame? What kind of man withholds wages and then asks his fiancée to bail him out with her own inheritance?” I shrugged. “I told you, the project isn’t done, so no pay. She’s the one who wants to pay them, so she can use her own money. Seems fair to me.” “But just so we’re clear,” I added, “if you pay them now, you still owe me the full dowry later. I’m not marrying a woman who throws her money away.” A bitter, broken laugh escaped Lyla’s lips, as if it took the last of her strength. “Fine. I’ll use my dowry.” “Christmas is almost here. These men have families waiting for this money. What does my inheritance matter compared to that?” There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd. They were all moved by Lyla’s sacrifice, and their hatred for me deepened. “I think I’m gonna be sick. How did a monster like Julian land such an amazing woman? Did he save her life in a past existence?” “Lyla doesn’t have that much money, does she? If she gives it all away, how is she going to live? God, I wish that bastard would just drop dead!” The workers themselves were shaking their heads, tears in their eyes. “No, no, miss. We can’t take your money. We didn’t work for you.” “It was you who paid out of your own pocket to get us better food when the lunch catering was bad. We could never take your money.” But Lyla was resolute, shaking her head and trying to calm them with a soft voice. For a moment, I was lost in a memory. Starting the company had been hard. In the beginning, it was just me and Lyla. She was with me every step of the way as we grew, handling logistics, procurement, secretarial duties, finances… she did the work of four people. At one point, the stress landed her in the ICU. She had given me the best years of her life. She was just like this back then. Stubborn and determined. She’d said, “Julian, everything will be okay. Our company will grow, and we’ll help a lot of people make a good living.” I held her in my arms back then and swore I would give her the grandest wedding, that we would build our dream together. But things change. People change. I hardened my heart and looked away. Leo’s eyes were red with fury. “Julian, are you even a man? Hiding behind your fiancée’s inheritance? Pathetic!” I chuckled, my tone turning suggestive. “Whether I’m a man or not… my fiancée knows the answer to that quite well. As for her inheritance… we’re family. What’s mine is hers, what’s hers is mine.” My words made Leo laugh, a harsh, grating sound. “You twist everything! It’s disgusting! Lyla, aren’t you the CFO of his company? Since he won’t pay, you transfer the money from the company account. He just said it himself—you’re family, there’s no ‘yours’ or ‘mine’!” A spark of realization lit up the crowd. “That’s right! Take it from his company account! Why should you have to use your own money?” Lyla wiped her tears, her gaze filled with sorrow as she looked at me. “Julian, I don’t want to touch the company’s money… but I can’t stand by and watch you make this terrible mistake!” “These people have families to feed! This is all they have! With or without your approval, I’m going to make sure they get paid!” Her voice was soft, but it rang with unshakeable conviction. The crowd burst into applause. “Now that’s a real boss! How did this company end up with that scumbag Julian instead of her?” I just smiled faintly, making no move to stop her. Lyla, spurred on by the crowd’s encouragement, opened the company’s banking app to initiate the transfers. But as she scanned the first worker’s payment code, her eyes widened in disbelief. “Why is there no money in the account? The company’s been doing so well! And… the account is frozen!”
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