The Billionaire's Revenge

Chapter 3

Richard left the doctor's office with a lot on his mind. He kept thinking of the doctor's suggestion of surgery. He didn't like the low chances but the doctor had made it pretty clear that without the surgery, his mother probably didn't have much time left. What other choice did he have?

Richard walked to the accounting department where the doctor said he would be told the cost of the surgery that was to be carried out.

Richard stared at the paper in his hands, he could feel a headache coming on as he stared at the cost on the paper. The surgery would cost a total of ten million dollars. It was a large amount of money. There was no way he could get that kind of money, he had to turn to the Wayne family for help. As Richard stood in the accounting department thinking of what to do, someone tapped him. Richard turned around to see a woman standing behind him.

"Mr. Gray?", the woman asked.

"Yes?", Richard answered.

"I'm Sara, I work in the accounting department", the woman introduced herself.

"Oh..."

"I've been meaning to reach out to you...", Sara began.

"In regards to what?", Richard asked curiously.

"Well, Miss Gloria's hospital bills for the past three months haven't been paid", Sara told him.

"What?", Richard asked.

"That's not possible, I'm sure there's been some kind of mistake", Richard told her.

"No, Mr. Gray. I have to keep track of these things and the hospital bills for these past months have not been paid", she told him confidently.

"I'll have to urge you to pay them to avoid her being moved", Sara told him.

Richard was silent for a few minutes.

"Alright, I'll check and sort it out when I get home. Thanks for informing me", Richard thanked her.

"No problem", Sara responded with a smile and walked away, leaving Richard standing on his own.

Richard watched Sara walk away as a lot of thoughts flooded his mind. The hospital bills were supposed to be paid monthly by the Wayne family as that was the agreement between him and the old master. When the old master was alive it was paid by him and when he passed on, in his will, he instructed that the bills continue to be paid by Lucy as Gloria is her mother-in-law.

Lucy at first had not taken it seriously and was often late to pay but she had never been this late before. Three pending months? How could he ask for ten million dollars to pay for the surgery of his mother when she already had three months of hospital bills pending?

Richard left the hospital and took a taxi home to the Wayne mansion. He got home and found his mother-in-law waiting for him.

"Where have you been?!", Camilla asked as soon as he stepped into the house.

"I visited my mother at the hospital", Richard answered.

"Oh! So you left your duties and went out to do unimportant things?!", she asked him angrily.

Richard blinked. He had just told this woman that he visited his mother at the hospital today, what then did she mean by he went out to do unimportant things?

"I had a guest over today and I was so ashamed of how the garden was looking", Camilla continued angrily.

Richard stood staring at her, still confused by what exactly this had to do with him.

"What are you still standing here for?", Camilla asked him suddenly.

"Ma?", Richard asked back, confused.

"Go find a pair of shears or whatever and trim the plants, now!", Camilla ordered him.

Richard stood rooted for a few minutes. Did he just hear her right? She wanted him to trim the plants? But isn't that gardener around?

"What are you still doing here?", Camilla asked again.

"Nothing mother, it's just, I was wondering, isn't the gardener around?", Richard asked her.

Camilla looked at Richard incredulously for a few seconds.

"So? What does it matter if he's around or not? I want you to do it", she answered.

Richard bit his lips. Of course she wanted him to do it. They'd make him do anything little chore in this family, all just to ridicule and belittle him.

"Why?", Camilla asked suddenly.

"Can't you do it? You don't want to do it?", she asked him.

"No mother...."

"Don't 'mother' me!", she raged.

"I am not your mother. And let me ask you, what do you contribute to this family, huh? You are not even a graduate, a college dropout like you should be happy that you have in-laws like us and be eager to do anything. We certainly do a lot for you, even paying for your sick mother's hospital bills and what? You can't do this little task?", Camilla scolded him angrily.

Richard bit his lips harder as she mentioned his mother. He remembered the ten million dollar surgery his mother had to have and the three months pending hospital bill. That's right! He should be doing everything to get on the Wayne family's good side.

"I'm sorry, mother", Richard apologized, bowing a full 360°.

"I'll do it right now, mother"

"You better", Camilla said before walking away.

Richard walked away before letting out a deep sigh. It was all for his mother, he told himself, he was doing it for his mother. Richard spent the afternoon trimming plants in the Wayne family's huge garden. When it was evening, he still had to join in the preparations for dinner. During dinner, Richard made sure to carry out every chore or errand that he was sent on swiftly and without hesitation so that no one would find a reason to nitpick him. After dinner and having a shower, as Linda sat on the bed preparing to go to bed, Richard sat on his sleeping bag on the floor, in deep thought. He was contemplating whether this was the right time to bring up his mother's hospital bills and the surgery fee. He looked at Linda who was applying her night cream. He tried to ascertain if she was in a good mood or not but her back was to him and it was hard to tell. After much thought, it was only when Richard saw Linda about to lay down that he decided it was best to just bring it up now.

"Linda", Richard called out softly as he stood up from his sleeping bag.

"Hm", Linda answered.

"I have something I want to talk to you about", Richard told her.

"Ok....", she said as she picked up her IPad.

"I went to visit my mother at the hospital today", Richard began.

"Hm..... And how is she?", she asked him, her attention on the IPad.

"She's fine. She sends her regards", Richard answered.

"Hm", Linda nodded.

"I also spoke to the doctor and he said her condition is getting critical. He said mom has to undergo surgery very soon", Richard told her.

"Hm", Linda said again and Richard looked at her. There was no other reaction from her, she just continued swiping at her IPad, busy with whatever she was doing that Richard wondered if she was actually paying attention to him at all. Refusing to be discouraged, Richard continued,

"Also, they told me at the hospital that the bills for the past months have not been paid", Richard told her, this time in a clearer and bolder voice.

"So?", came the reply from Linda. Richard was stunned for a few seconds. What did she mean by 'so'?

"So..... they advised that we should pay the hospital bills soon to avoid mom being moved and aside from that the surgery the doctor recommended, we have to pay the deposit first before they can carry out....."

Linda suddenly sighed loudly causing Richard to stop talking. Linda looked up from her IPad and stared intensely at Richard.

"You really have no shame, don't you?", she asked him.