Corporate Villainy: Trampling Protagonists as a Business Dad

CRASH!

The sound of metal against metal echoed through the intersection as Aelric's electric scooter slammed into the rear bumper of a sleek black sedan. The impact sent him tumbling onto the road, his delivery bag spilling its contents across the road. His scooter lay on its side, front wheel bent at an unnatural angle and headlight flickering weakly.

Aelric groaned as he pushed himself up, checking for injuries. A scraped elbow and bruised knee. Nothing too serious. But as his eyes fell on the damaged scooter, his heart plummeted straight into his stomach. The phone! My goddess's phone money! The thought hit him harder than the crash itself.

The sedan's door burst open with violent force, and out stepped a man who screamed nouveau riche from every pore. Gold chains glinted against his hairy chest beneath an unbuttoned silk shirt, while his Rolex caught the streetlight as he gestured wildly. His face was flushed red with rage.

"Fuck! Poor bastard, is your brain rotten? Do you even know how expensive this car is?" the man shouted, spittle flying from his mouth as he stormed toward Aelric. "This single dent will cost more than your pathetic existence!"

"I, this, I am sorry." Aelric scratched the back of his head, offering an awkward smile that only served to further infuriate the man. Inside, he was calculating frantically, if they made him pay for the car damage too, he'd never afford the phone.

"You dare smile at me, you worthless cockroach?" the man snarled. "Know your place!" he raised his hand for a slap and stopped.

A crowd began gathering, phones emerging to record the confrontation. The man's eyes darted nervously around the growing audience. Sector-3 security forces were notoriously strict about public disturbances, and he couldn't afford to waste time dealing with them.

"Consider yourself lucky I'm in a hurry," he growled, poking a jeweled finger at Aelric's chest. "But mark my words, if I ever see your miserable face again, I'll make sure you disappear completely."

The man climbed back into his sedan and sped away, leaving Aelric standing among the scattered remains of his delivery. Sweat poured down his face as he stared at the broken scooter. Three months of saving, three months of eating nothing but instant noodles... and now this.

He took a shaky breath. No, I can still make this work. The hotel will definitely deduct repair costs, but if I'm careful... maybe I can still get the phone by next week.

With renewed determination fueled by delusion, he righted the damaged vehicle and began pushing it through the streets toward Grandeur Hotel while planning for his future.

By the time he reached the hotel's service entrance, he'd mentally planned his entire future, complete with destination wedding, names of their children to growing old with his goddess.

- - - - - - - - - - -

The manager looked up from his desk with obvious irritation at the idiot in front of him.

"Why do all the bad things happen to you?" The manager's voice carried the exhaustion of someone who'd dealt with this before. "We kept you as a part-timer because we were temporarily short on staff, but look at you. You can't even do a single delivery right."

"It really wasn't my fault. That customer definitely didn't have the money to pay for his order," Aelric protested, conveniently omitting the part about running a red light while daydreaming.

"Sigh." The manager pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Let's say you were not in the wrong about the customer. What about the scooter you broke? Would you still claim that's not your fault?"

He pulled out his tablet, showing footage from the scooter's dashboard camera. The video clearly showed Aelric sailing through the red light with a dopey smile on his face, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

Aelric's face flushed as he watched his own stupidity play out on screen. "I was... thinking about work strategies."

"Work strategies?" The manager's eyebrow twitched. "Is that what we call daydreaming now?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. You're fired. Get lost."

"Ok. Give me my half month's salary." Aelric knew this outcome was inevitable and didn't bother pleading. He just needed to get what money he could and move on.

But this attitude of not begging for forgiveness only displeased the manager further. "Salary? After deducting the repair expenses, you ain't getting shit. I should be charging you extra, but since I'm a magnanimous person I won't—"

Before he could finish, a man suddenly barged through the office door, his face flushed with panic.

"Sir, there's an urgent order to be delivered to The Golden Cicada, but all our delivery guys are out!" His eyes fell on Aelric standing before the manager's desk. "Perfect timing. You—deliver this immediately."

He reached out to grab Aelric's arm, but was shaken off.

"I've been fired."

"Just deliver this last package and you can go," the manager said urgently. The last delivery boy had left moments ago, and the next shift wouldn't arrive for twenty minutes. He couldn't keep a Golden Cicada client waiting—especially not one wealthy enough to casually order twenty premium steaks for a private party.

"Then give me my salary first."

The manager's eye twitched. "Are you seriously negotiating right now?"

"You said I was fired. Why would a fired employee do extra work for free?" Aelric's logic was annoyingly sound.

Gritting his teeth, the manager relented. "Fine. Half a month's salary."

"And the medical expenses for my injuries?" Aelric gestured to his scraped elbow and the cut on his lip.

"Don't push your luck. This mess is entirely your fault. I'm already being generous by not charging you for the scooter repairs."

Aelric turned toward the door. "Then don't expect me to deliver anything. I need to go to the hospital for my injuries."

"Wait! Damn it, wait! Alright, I'll cover your medical expenses too." the manager's voice cracked with desperation.

"Pay me now, or I walk."

The manager's knuckles turned white, veins popping on his forehead as he pulled out his wallet. "You're the most shameless bastard I've ever met."

"Thank you for the compliment." Aelric pocketed the money with a satisfied smile. Combined with his previous savings, he now had exactly enough for the phone.

After collecting his payment and the delivery order, Aelric made his way to The Golden Cicada. The establishment's opulent interior made him acutely aware of how his wrinkled uniform and disheveled appearance drew disapproving stares from staff and patrons alike.

"Delivery for private room seven," he announced at the reception desk, trying to stand straighter.

The hostess looked him up and down with barely concealed distaste. "The service entrance is around back—"

"Actually," interrupted a supervisor, appearing beside her with an apologetic smile, "the client specifically requested personal delivery to their room. Some of our VIP guests prefer to inspect their orders directly and provide feedback to the chef." He turned to Aelric. "They've ordered quite an expensive spread. Twenty premium steaks. They want to ensure everything meets their standards."

Aelric nodded seriously, though internally he was amazed. Twenty premium steaks? These people must be incredibly wealthy. For a brief moment, he imagined returning here someday with his goddess, both of them dressed in fine clothes, sharing an intimate dinner in one of these private rooms.

Then he shook his head firmly. No, my pure goddess would never come to a place like this. She's too refined for such establishments. She probably prefers quiet cafes where we can have deep, meaningful conversations about life and love.

Following the supervisor's directions, he made his way through corridors lined with elegant private dining rooms. As he approached room seven, he could hear the sound of laughter and conversation from within, along with the clinking of glasses and what sounded like... were those women's voices? No, no don't get distracted, you already have a much beautiful girlfriend.

He paused outside the door, adjusting his uniform one final time and checking that the food containers were properly arranged. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he knocked firmly on the ornate wooden door.

"Come in," came voice from within.

- - - - - - - - - -

Back in the private room, just moments before the knock, the blonde woman leaned closer to Vincent, her breath warm against his ear as she prepared to reintroduce herself.

"My name is Liora," she whispered, her voice husky with desire.

Without warning, she shifted boldly onto his lap, facing him directly. Her hands cupped his face as she gazed into his eyes with brazen intimacy, completely ignoring the room full of people watching them. Vincent's hand instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer as the heat between them became palpable.

The knock at the door was ignored. His eyes remained locked on Liora's, his expression maintaining that familiar indifference, though a flicker of desire and amusement danced in his gaze at her bold actions.

"Come in," called out one of the bodyguards from across the room, his voice professionally neutral as he and the others ignored their boss's intimate display.

A few of the hostesses, however, exchanged wide-eyed glances, silently marveling at Liora's audacity. Not many women would dare to be so brazen in front of Vincent Cornelius, especially with an audience.

The door opened to reveal a young man in a wrinkled delivery uniform. Aelric stepped inside clutching several insulated bags, but his words died in his throat as he took in the scene before him.

"I've missed this," Liora breathed against Vincent's lips, her fingers threading through his hair. "I've missed you."

Vincent's expression remained calm, almost detached, which only made Liora's smile twitch slightly. She had expected more of a reaction from him.

"And you're still in college?" Vincent asked, his voice carrying that same indifferent tone that both frustrated and intrigued her.

Liora's face faltered for just a moment at his detached demeanor, but she quickly recovered, leaning closer until their faces were mere inches apart. "Yes, though I'm in my final year now. I've been thinking about you everyday since that night."

Just as their lips were about to meet, Aelric's world shattered.

The woman sitting intimately on another man's lap, the woman whose every curve and feature had been burned into his memory through countless hours of worship and devotion. It was her. His goddess. His pure, refined goddess who was "saving herself for him later" and "didn't believe in physical contact."

The insulated bags slipped from his trembling hands as if in slow motion.

CRASH!

Twenty premium steaks scattered across the expensive carpet in a cascade of sauce and garnish. The room erupted in gasps of horror as bodyguards and hostesses stared at the disaster with despair written across their faces.

Vincent and Liora's attention snapped toward the source of the commotion, their intimate moment shattered. Liora's eyes widened in surprise as she took in the disheveled delivery boy standing frozen among the ruined food.

Aelric stood there trembling, his face pale as a ghost, staring at the woman who didn't let him touch even her pinky finger. The woman he had saved every penny for, the woman he believed was too pure for places like this.

"G-Goddess?"

P.S.— My laptop gave me a blue screen. Had to rewrite the whole chapter.