The Billionaire's Revenge

Chapter 4

Richard blinked.

"Tell me, don't you have any shame?", Linda asked him again.

"Aren't you ashamed? That you have nothing to do but to ask for money from me?"

"Linda, it's my mother's hospital bills we are talking about. I'm not asking for personal money to spend. You are supposed to be paying for the hospital bills and now the nurses tell me you haven't paid for the last three months.....", Richard began to speak and stopped himself.

Linda stared at him intensely. She slowly put down the IPad in her hands and looked intensely at him.

"Go on", she said softly.

"Keep talking, you were lecturing me, weren't you?", Linda asked him.

"You were lecturing me on how I should spend the money that you don't earn a single dime of", Linda told him.

Richard bit his lips.

"That's not what I meant. It's just your grandfather....."

"My grandfather!", Linda exclaimed suddenly.

"My grandfather! My grandfather! My grandfather! That's always your excuse isn't it? Anytime you want money you bring up my grandfather", Linda lashed out all of a sudden.

"So what? So the old man made a stupid condition that I should care for your mother's hospital bills, he's not here, is he? He's dead!", Linda told him.

"So if I am two or three months late paying your mother's hospital bills, there's nothing you can do about it. If I even decide to stop paying the hospital bills, there is really nothing you can do about it either", she told him.

"Your mother's life is up to me, to do with as I see fit. So you will be careful how you speak to me and don't you ever dare to think you can lecture me ever again", Linda warned him.

Richard bit his lips harder.

"Is that understood?", Linda asked him.

"Yes", Richard nodded.

"Good", Linda said, picked up her IPad and went back to what she was doing.

Richard was left standing there awkwardly.

He slowly laid down on his sleeping bag after standing for a few minutes.

"Pick up my delivery tomorrow", Linda said all of a sudden.

"Ok", Richard nodded.

As Richard laid down on his sleeping bag, he pondered over what Linda had said and he knew she was right. The old master had taken precautions and had left it in his will that Linda should take care of his mother's hospital bills as a condition, but the truth remained that even if Linda didn't, there was really not much he could do. He couldn't exactly sue Linda, he didn't have that kind of money and besides the entire Wayne family would stand behind her. He would be the one who would end up suffering for it greatly. Richard felt helpless and that was truly his situation, he was helpless. Helpless against the Wayne family.

The next day, Richard was extremely careful around Linda and the Wayne family. He did his chores dutifully and carried out every errand they sent him on faithfully. He had messed up big time with the way he talked to Linda. He needed to make up for it and get back on Linda's good side, that was the only hope he had to get her to pay his mother's hospital bills. Even though he was on his best behavior, the Wayne family never faltered in ridiculing him, even Linda either joined them or encouraged them, but Richard took it all without complaints. His mind was set on one goal, how to get the money for his mother's surgery. Richard kept up the good behavior for weeks but Linda still shut him down whenever he tried to bring up his mother's hospital bills.

One day, Richard decided to pay his mother a visit while he was out on an errand.

"Richard, what a surprise!", Gloria exclaimed when she saw Richard walk into the room.

"Hi, mom", Richard greeted his mother and leaned forward to hug her.

"How are you mom?", Richard asked her as she sat next to him.

"As usual", Gloria answered.

"What about Linda? She didn't come this time either?", Gloria asked him.

"Uh.... No. She had work to do but she apologizes for not being able to come see you", Richard answered.

"Really?", Gloria asked skeptically.

"Yes, mom", Richard answered and Gloria sighed.

"Seriously son, is everything all right?", she asked him seriously.

"Is there something happening? Are you and Linda fighting?", Gloria asked him with a serious expression.

Richard paused for a few seconds but quickly regained himself.

"What do you mean mom? Everything is fine. There's nothing going on", he told her.

Gloria sat up on the bed.

"Really? You are not lying to me are you? There's really nothing going....", Gloria suddenly stopped talking and started gasping for breath.

"Mom?", Richard called out when he noticed something was wrong but there was no response from Gloria.

"Mom?!", he called out once again, urgency and fear slowly creeping into his voice.

Gloria didn't respond and began to gasp. She suddenly began to shake violently, she was having a seizure.

"Mom!", Richard called out and hurriedly pressed the emergency button to alert the doctors and nurses. Soon the room was flooded by a team of doctors and nurses.

The doctor was shouting instructions to the nurses who hurried to give him what he needed. Richard, who was hysterical by now, yelling for his mother was pushed out of the room to enable the doctors and nurses to do their work better.

Richard stood outside his mom's hospital room, waiting apprehensively. Soon the door of his mother's room opened and the doctor stepped out.

"Doctor, how is she now?"Richard rushed to ask with a moist eyeball.

"She's stable for now", the doctor answered.

Richard let out a sigh of relief at his words.

"But Mr. Richard, her situation is getting worse. I strongly suggest we carry out the surgery now while we still have a chance before it's too late", the doctor told him.

"Alright doctor, I understand", Richard nodded his head.

"Can I go in and see her now?", he asked him.

The doctor nodded before leaving.

Richard walked into the hospital room. His mother was sleeping on the bed. Richard watched her sleep for a while before finally leaving.

That evening as Richard prepared the Wayne family's dinner, he was absent minded. Finally, it was time for dinner, and the entire family sat down at the long dining table.

"Where is Lily?", Camilla asked.

"She'll be here soon, mother. She texted and said she's coming with someone", Linda answered her mother.

"Someone?", her mother asked, a spark of excitement in her eyes.

"Yes", Linda replied, a smile on her face.

"Who could it be?", her mother asked rhetorically, a smile on her face.

"Lily has arrived", the Butler, Mr. James announced.

Mr. James had been the Wayne's family butler for a long time. He was the old master's right hand man and confidant. He was a quiet man but very efficient. The old master relied on him a lot when he was alive. Following closely behind Mr. James was Lily, Linda's younger sister and a young man.

"Mom, dad", Lily called out cheerfully.

"Lily dear, who is this?", Camilla asked with a smile.

"Everyone, this is Shane, my boyfriend", Lily introduced the young man next to her.

"Good evening everyone", Shane smiled.

"Good evening, my dear"

"I hope I'm not being an inconvenience. Lily insisted I come over for dinner", he said.

"Sure, no problem. You are not an inconvenience at all, please sit, join us", Camilla invited him enthusiastically.

"Mr. James, please inform the kitchen to prepare another plate", Camilla told the butler.

Richard looked at Camilla, she seemed to be in a good mood, that was probably why she had asked Mr. James to inform the kitchen and not him. He looked at Shane, without being told, Richard knew he was definitely someone who was from a rich home, that was probably why his mother-in-law was in such a good mood. Lily had not brought home a nobody like him.