The Billionaire Gardener

Chapter Two

"Move that piece of shit away from there!" The voice roared. Andre Summers! The Bully! Ralph instinctively recognized it as Andre's. He didn't need to turn around to confirm; the disdain in Andre's words was unmistakable.

Although Ralph had initially parked at that spot which was his normal parking spot, he opted to avoid a confrontation. Even if he parked there, Andre would still have enough room to park his Rovers Classic, a luxury car from Rovers Motors. A bicycle does not require that much space! But, Andre always looked for his trouble.

"Not today," he muttered under his breath.

Calmly, he hopped back on his bicycle and rode it down to another location.

As Ralph pedaled away, Andre continued honking loudly, attracting the curious glances of nearby Summers workers who peeked out to see what was happening. Immediately they saw it was Andre, they hid themselves and watched from their hidings. No one liked to get into his bad books. He might ask Lady Margarita to lay them off.

Soon, Ralph found another spot where he put his bicycle to rest.

As he approached the main entrance, Ralph couldn't help but admire the timeless elegance of the Summers mansion – a testament to Lady Margarita Summers' impeccable taste and authority. This mansion had been his residence for more than two years since marrying Diana Summers. Yet, despite the luxurious surroundings, it never felt like home, thanks to the daily dose of bullying and banter he endured.

"Hey! Bingo!"

Ignoring the taunt, Ralph continued towards the entrance. He was already late for the Summers weekend dinner, and Diana would likely be upset about his absence.

“Bingo! Are you deaf?”

Andre caught up, determined to provoke a reaction. Ralph sighed, accustomed to these encounters.

“I believe you know my name is Ralph.”

“No! It’s Bingo. That fits you better. You are still going to pay dearly for the other time. I’m working on that.”

Ralph gave no response.

Andre continued. “Are you going to sit at the same table as I with these cheap wears of yours?”

“At least, they are neat.”

“Such audacity! When I talk, you keep quiet!” Andre commanded, blocking Ralph from going further.

“What now?” Ralph, frustrated after a long day of work in Rovers Villa's gardens, was worried about Diana's reaction.

“When are you going to leave my sister and return to the streets where you came from?” Andre seemed eager to cause a scene.

“Your sister? Anyone who hears you now will think you like her that much!”

“It’s none of your business. Whether I like her or not, she is still a Summers. You, what are you? Ralph Ross, a nobody pretending to be somebody. Your days are numbered in this mansion, mark my words!”

“We're both late for the weekend dinner. Please make way.” Ralph tried to evade Andre, moving sideways to find a new path.

Andre laughed hysterically and blocked him even more.

“We both know I’m not late, but you are. I can’t wait to see how granny will roast you once you enter the dining hall.”

Left with no choice, Ralph firmly lifted Andre by the neck and moved him aside. Before Andre could regain his composure, Ralph had already entered.

As expected, every member of the Summers family was seated except Ralph and, of course, Andre.

Diana felt uneasy where she sat, wondering what was keeping Ralph.

“Diana? Why is that thing you call a husband not here yet? Such a disrespectful loser!” Lady Margarita, seated on a special chair at the top of the table, mocked Ralph.

“I’m so sorry, granny. Don’t know what is keeping…” Diana stopped at the sight of Ralph, rushing up the stairs and panting.

“Here comes the loser of the century!” Dean, her brother, mocked. Laughter echoed, except for Diana. It always annoyed Diana that even her biological brother would join in ridiculing her husband. Even Felicia, his wife, was obviously in support. Worse still, her parents, Blake and West, joined in the laughter. It wasn’t new to Diana, but it felt deeply hurtful.

She looked angrily at Dean, who laughed even more. Felicia intentionally avoided eye contact. Diana turned to her parents, first her father, Blake, then her mother, West.

“What? Isn’t he a loser? Let’s call a spade a spade!” West replied to her daughter’s disapproving look. Diana looked more hurt as she gulped down her wine, her hands shaking. She stared into space.

Ralph took his seat beside her, trying to soothe her.

“If you had arrived early, this ridicule could have been prevented,” Diana whispered angrily, brushing off his hands.

“I’m sorry, but Mr. Rovers was having a high temperature, and I had to stay a bit to do my part,” Ralph explained, attempting to hold her hands, which she shook off.

“When did you become a doctor that attends to sick people?”

“I was not performing the duties of a doctor but of a concerned worker.”

As Ralph continued explaining, the door opened, and Andre entered, holding his neck.

“Andre sweet, what happened to your neck?” Lady Margarita was concerned, leading him to his seat.

“Who else could it be if not that loser Diana calls a husband!” Andre feigned great pain, gaining sympathy.

“What! Ralph? What did you do to my sweet Andre?” demanded Lady Margarita as others turned to Ralph for an explanation.

“What did you do this time? Do you want granny to roast you alive?” Diana asked under her breath.

“You want to believe him over me?” Ralph was disappointed in Diana's lack of trust.

“What did you do, loser?” Lady Margarita's voice demanded an answer.

“I think you should ask your spoilt grandson what he did to me!” Ralph leaned back in his chair, avoiding Lady Margarita's angry gaze.

Everyone gasped at his utterance.

“How dare you talk back at my mother, you filthy rag! Do you want to die!” Bridget Summers, Andre’s mom and the only female child out of three, was furious as she sat between her husband, Wade Potter, and Ralph. She emptied her glass of wine on Ralph.

“He deserves more than that. He tried to strangle me, mom,” Andre added, correcting his mother.

The room fell silent. Diana hadn’t felt more humiliated in a long while and wished she could disappear into the ground.