“Gerald, I bought these fruits for you. I’ve already washed them, so come over and eat them!”Giya set a tray of fruits down upon the coffee table, then took an apple herself and began munching on it as she watched the television.Rather than a runaway fiancée escaping an arranged marriage, Gerald thought she looked more like she’d come for a pleasant holiday.He’d returned half an hour ago. After helping Giya get settled in, he’d gone to take a bath.At the moment, he wasn’t sure what to say about this relaxed, untroubled mood she was in. Regarding the luxurious suite he was in, Gerald had only mumbled some throw-away excuse so far.His earlier attempt at theatrics had flopped, and now he was no longer in the mood. Imagine bringing it up out of nowhere…Gerald took a seat. “So, about your engagement… I think it’s best to talk things through with your father. Certainly, you can’t keep running away from it forever. The trouble with his business will ease in time—surely it’s not worth sa
Tammy’s car was a handsome Camry.The very first thing she said to him was, “Hmph! Gerald Crawford… to think that a bottom-feeder like you could snare yourself a goddess like Giya—what a dream come true for you!”“Yes! Yes, indeed!” Gerald nodded.“Huh? Tammy, this guy is Giya’s boyfriend? Ah… what is this world coming to?” Tammy’s cousin clutched her forehead, staggering in place.After all, anyone who knew Giya, knew that she was a beauty among beauties, a goddess among goddesses. No one would have expected her to find someone like this to be her boyfriend.It seemed that Tammy and her cousin were of like mind. They stood there now, scowling contemptuously at Gerald.‘Wipe those dirty looks off your faces!’ Gerald thought to himself.“Alright, that’s enough,” Giya cut in. “Oh, Tammy—didn’t you say you had a bunch of distant relatives here in Serene County? Are they not joining us?”As she said this, she hugged Gerald’s arm tenderly… and also rolled her eyes at him, as though to say,
“Gerald, did you come here to have lunch?” Morgana enquired, with no small amount of disbelief.At the table sat Morgana, her boyfriend, Cameron, and several others. Everyone was smiling his way.Mead Hall was unmistakably an upper-crust establishment, and you paid by the head here, from a starting minimum of thirty dollars per pax. After accounting for drinks and so on, each meal could easily cost hundreds.Everyone knew Gerald wasn’t rich, so this was a fairly peculiar circumstance.Gerald smiled back at them. “That’s right! I’m meeting with some friends, and I thought I’d treat them all to lunch here! Who would have thought I’d run into you guys here, too!”“Pfft! We eat here all the time!”“Ah, Gerald… It’s nice that you’re treating your friends to something, but do you know they charge at least thirty dollars per person here? Are you sure this is a good idea?” This was coming from a girl seated beside Morgana, who had also gone to the same high school with them.Sully was h
He couldn’t very well go around telling everyone that he was rich, like some fool who’d just won the lottery, and try to show up everyone, right?Feh. What would that achieve?“Heaven have mercy! Gerald’s actually found himself a girlfriend?” One of the guys exclaimed. “Holy hell, this is big news! We’ve got a high school reunion coming up in a few days, right? Everyone will be floored when they hear about this!”“Gosh, what sort of girl would take a fancy to him? Oh, no… who’s grandma is it?” Sully shook her head, and took a sip of her juice.This elicited a round of merry laughter from everyone at her table.Morgana watched Gerald with a growing sense of disquiet. Then she said, “Gerald, today we’re actually celebrating my promotion at work—to the Reserve Department, no less. Cameron’s my guest here today. How many friends of yours will be coming? I’d be glad to have them join us.”“No, I can’t accept that. There may be seven or eight of them!” Gerald said with a laugh.So Mor
“Hmph! Gerald, don’t you even know how to wait for us outside once you’ve got a table?” When Tammy reached him, Giya was by her side. The first thing that spewed out of her mouth was abuse.Gerald put down his phone and smiled faintly. He’d been preoccupied with reading investment reports coming in from Zack Lyle.Meanwhile, Sully and the others were staring as though their eyes might pop out of their sockets. “What? What! These are the friends Gerald was going on about?”Cameron still stood there, phone in hand, his face now turning blue.They ignored him, but yet, they were so friendly to Gerald? Blast! It was indeed a vicious slap across the face!“Huh? Gerald, happen to know those people at the next table?” Giya had taken a seat beside him, and she now wondered why everyone at the adjacent table seemed to be gawking strangely in his direction.“Hey, hey! Gerald, why don’t you introduce your friends to us? When I went up to welcome them, those ladies just brushed me off, you
“What grade will you select today?”Across all tables, all eyes turned to Gerald.“Give me your best. A hundred per pax!” It was what he’d been planning for all along, anyway.“Pfft!” Cameron and company tried to hold in their laughter.What an imbecile! A hundred dollars per head, plus drinks—the final bill would add up to a thousand dollars!Tammy’s side of the table was equally shocked by the turn of events. They reached the same conclusion: Gerald was a complete fool. Anyone could see that Cameron was up to no good, provoking him intentionally. Yet, Gerald walked straight into his trap. Really?Gerald’s lack of affluence was hardly news to Tammy. She’d already agreed with Giya not to allow Gerald to foot this meal’s bill.Now, Gerald was going for the most expensive option available? Argh! May the heavens help her!“I beg your pardon—that’s not what we want. Something simpler will do just fine,” Giya interceded.“Nope, a hundred it is. Go on, then!” Gerald was losing his
“Mr. Lourdes…” Cameron murmured. He suddenly felt silly for waving his watch around earlier. He stood at attention, much like a misbehaving student before the discipline teacher.“Cameron, which Mr. Lourdes did you mean?” the girl beside him wondered aloud.“Who else could I have meant? Louie Lourdes, scion, and heir to the Lourdes family mining conglomerate! The big kahunas!”“So, it’s that guy!”“I didn’t know he was that handsome in person!” Morgana, Sully, and the other girls gazed with ardent admiration at the legendary character.The guys, meanwhile, seemed afraid even to breathe too loudly.Not mentioning the cashier, who was already on her feet, displaying the most professional smile she could muster.Louie had a handful of people with him, not even bothering to look at Gerald or his guests as he cut in front of them.“My bill!” Louie barked.The cashier’s smile didn’t falter. “Of course, Mr. Lourdes. Your bill this time comes up to one thousand, two hundred dollars.
Louie’s father had even told him that he deserved to be beaten up. His father explained that the person who had beaten him up was none other than the extremely rich and humble heir, Mr. Gerald Crawford from Mayberry. Hearing that, Louie felt chills run down his spine. He had almost brought great trouble upon himself that day. Perhaps like his father had said, being beaten up was a good thing after all. Maybe it could even get Mr. Crawford to invest in his company. Thus, with that possibility in mind, Louie was faced with a cocktail of surprise, fear, and joy at the same time the moment he saw Gerald. “Gerald! So you were eating here as well!” said Louie with a chuckle as he patted his hurt bottom. ‘What.’ Cameron and the others were all thinking the same thing. They had all been eager for some drama but Louie’s reaction only left them stunned. ‘What? Why does Louie know Gerald? He even addressed Gerald in such a familiar way!’ ‘How is that possible!’ “That’s right