What's wrong with people? Rude or stupid or no etiquette?

I am an employer at one of the companies in Dubai, and last year I decided to invest my savings in a small business in partnership with another person who owns a trading company.

Anyway, I work full hours at the company and during lunch hour sometime I go to deliver the goods to shops or after 6pm when I finish work, I also try to go meet new clients or deliver goods to them if they have made an order.

I work on Fridays and Saturdays as well because these are my days off so I try to use them in meeting new clients or make deliveries.

Basically for this small business, I do everything, I call shops to convince them to take my products, follow up by email, I meet with them, I go buy stands to display it in the shops, I fix the stand which is a man job but I do it myself, I follow up with them on payments, I check stocks, prepare invoices etc.. it is too much work but because I love the kind of this business, I am very much happy of doing all this effort because my aim that after a year or so, when this business succeed, I want to leave my current employer and focus on this business which I love.

I heard last week that one of my clients who owns me around 800dhs and didnt pay me anything from day 1, might close his shop. I prepared their statement of account last night and went there today during lunch break to see the owner and check if he is going to pay. Anyway he was not there, and the employees didnt help as much.

When I asked one of the senior staff if the owner is ever coming or if he gave them any instructions to pay, she replied: "OH, come one, you drive a Mercedes! You dont need this 800".. I didnt think twice before replying and I just said "I invested all my savings in these products and what car I am driving is none of your business, I am just asking if the owner is coming back or not as I have accounts to make".. I said it very loudly, I was in fact shouting..

Other employees came in the middle and tried to be friendly and actually before I leave, I told her in a nice way that this is not a polite way to talk to people.

I feel angry and upset. Even if I am driving a mercedes, I got it before the cricis, it is a loan from the bank. I am an accountant, driver, sales, even that stand who needs a man to fix it I dont feel shy and I go fix it myself in the shop, I work long hours in the store to check the products what is in stock, etc.. I am really doing a great effort and I go deliver the goods myself because this is still a small business and when after a year or so, when things improve and I have more clients, I can then employ a driver to help.

Did I over react? I think that it is very rude of her to answer me like this.. Am I right? Would you be upset if someone replied to you this way? So If I drive a good car, does that mean that I dont need my money??
<em>edited by JS on 11/04/2011</em>