The Secretly Rich Man Chapter 191-195

[Chapter 191]

Gerald looked up. “What’s up?”

“We’ve got a gathering between old friends tonight. It happens every couple of months. I’ve never mentioned it before—but since we’ve bumped into each other, this is me letting you know!

“Also, Sharon will be there.” Lilian stifled a little laugh. “Come to think of it: Back in high school, you’d come first place in grades, and she’d come second. The two of you were close—in fact, you were after her, weren’t you?”

Gerald didn’t reply.

Sharon Leslie, an old friend from high school. It was true that they got along well back then.

It was also true that Gerald had harbored feelings for her, but that had been before… all of this.

Had he pursued her? He hadn’t dared.

Early on, during their first year of high school, they’d chat together often. Later, even on those few occasions when he’d tried to strike up a conversation, she hadn’t replied. And so, they’d drifted apart.

Three years had passed in a flash.

“Tee-hee! Come on… you know, last month, Sharon’s boyfriend was treating us to some eats, and then the topic of you came up! Sharon wanted to know what Gerald was up to—no one could answer her at the time, but now… you free tonight?”

As she spoke, Lilian stole a peek at Gerald, searching for a hint of despair.

But no such expression was to be found in his features.

“Tonight? Yeah, I can make it!”

“Great, great. You have to come, then—let everyone have a look at you!” Surreptitiously, Lilian snuck out her handphone and stole a snapshot of Gerald, which she sent to the chat group for the gathering:

“Guess who this bozo is?”

“Who? Looks familiar… I’ve definitely seen him somewhere before!”

“Same here, but… he just doesn’t look like anyone worth remembering! Ring a bell with any of you?”

Sharon Leslie: “Is that Gerald?”

“Oh, yeah!” Lilian gushed. “You two were buddies back in high school, huh? Only took you one look— it’s Gerald!”

It’s exciting to be the one who brings up something that gets everyone excited. That was the main reason why Lilian had suddenly decided to invite Gerald to the gathering.

They had a lot of former schoolmates in Mayberry—there was a handful in her class alone. Perhaps they wouldn’t recognize Gerald, but they were guaranteed to have heard his name before.

If he showed up at the gathering, she was certain he’d be the hot topic of the night.

Just look at the uproar in the chat group right now…

Sharon Leslie: “Were we buddies in high school? I don’t recall anything like that! Hehehe…”

Lilian’s fingers flew over the keypad. “Alas! Found yourself a hunk in Sunnydale now, so your ex doesn’t matter anymore?”

Sharon Leslie: “Get out of here! What do you mean ‘ex’… How about you ask him along to our gathering? We should catch up—we’re all old friends, after all!”

“Alright!”

Lilian turned to Gerald. “Everyone’s eager to see you again—especially Sharon. She even said it herself. Since you’ve got time tonight, just come for the gathering! If you’re worried about whether you can afford it, I’ll cover you for the time being!”

Gerald had just been about to turn her down. Truth be told, he hadn’t made a lot of friends back during those years. He’d have nothing to talk about with everyone there.

But now that Lilian had said all that, he couldn’t very well say no anymore.

“Alright, tonight then!” Gerald nodded his agreement.

Lilian gave him the venue, then went on her way.

Gerald shook his head in exasperation. “Lilian’s teaching at my new school. It’s a small world after all!”

He’d been planning to take a stroll through town, but talking to Lilian had ruined his mood for that.

Well, it was noon, and he was hungry, so Gerald headed out anyway.

At the school gates, there were three children in tattered clothes, perhaps four or five-year-olds. They were peering inside.

“Is this a school, brother? It doesn’t look like what Ms. Queta was talking about…”

[Chapter 192]

Her face smeared with dirt, the little girl was talking to the boy beside her.

“Maybe they haven’t started classes yet—that’s what’s missing!” The boy wiped away some snot. “I wanna go too!”

Another somewhat chubby boy piped up, “You need money to go to school. We don’t have any money. Ms. Queta is already working several jobs to feed us. We can’t ask her for any more!”

“I’m hungry!” the little girl whined.

“I’ll find you some bread in a bit!”

“Why are you urchins crowding the gates? Get lost!” A security guard came out, hollering in fury.

The three children leaped up in fright.

The guard was in his fifties, the sort you might find at a construction site.

The children were visibly terrified by him, and on the verge of fleeing—but they kept on gazing at the school, just a little longer…

Gerald spoke up: “They’re only looking. That’s fine, isn’t it? It’s not like you paid for this school.”

“Kid, I didn’t say anything about you going inside earlier, but don’t be putting on any airs with me! You don’t own this school any more than I do… now, get lost!”

The man was red and blustering. He had clearly had a few pints to go with his lunch—his breath reeked of alcohol.

“Here, buy yourself a real drink.” With a little smile, Gerald reached into his wallet and tossed him a hundred bucks.

This money obviously wasn’t being offered as a compliment. Gerald made a note to recommend the man to be fired later. A lousy old drunkard in charge of security, probably hustled in by a friend in the company.

“Yo! Alright, alright! Thanks a lot, man!” Then the guard left.

Gerald knelt down and smiled at the children. “You kids wanna go to school, too?”

The girl in the middle nodded vigorously. “I do!”

The other two were more cautious and watched him wordlessly.

Truth be told, seeing these three young children, yearning to go to school like this… it tore at his heart.

No one understood that feeling better than him.

That was why he couldn’t resist the urge to do something for them.

“Anyone hungry? How about I take you guys out for lunch?”

“Ms. Queta says we shouldn’t talk to strangers—and we absolutely mustn’t follow them anywhere!” The two boys stepped out in front of the girl.

Gerald laughed and nodded. “Alright… then I’ll buy some stuff and bring it to you here!”novelbin

With that, he ran off to the KFC opposite and procured a pile of burgers, fried chicken, and drinks.

“You don’t have to follow me anywhere. Just take it and eat it. Besides, I’ll help you go to school, too!” Gerald patted the girl on the head and handed the food to them.

“Thank you!” The children’s eyes came alight.

The moment they received the food, they began gobbling it down.

“Why are you just eating something that he gave you?”

It was the dulcet sound of a woman’s voice—pleasant, yet anxious.

“I can’t apologize enough, sir. How much was all that food? I’ll pay for it!” the woman babbled nervously.

However, when Gerald saw who she was, his eyes shone.

“It’s you!”

[Chapter 193]

Gerald recognized her straight away.

He had met her in Homeland Kitchen just a few days ago. Jane had been scolding her—back when she still worked for them.

She’d left an impression on him. Even just seeing her from the side, he had known that she was an extraordinary beauty. Seeing her again now, she’d immediately seemed familiar to him, and then he’d placed her.

“You know me?” she whispered, gathering up the three children protectively.

She was evidently frightened of him. What if he was involved in human trafficking?

“Yes, we bumped into each other in Homeland Kitchen. Have you forgotten me?” Gerald smiled at her.

The woman spent a moment in recollection, then brightened up. “Oh, it’s you, sir! Thank you for helping me out, that time!”

That time, she was being scolded so hard she didn’t dare look up from the floor. It was only when she was leaving that she had stolen a brief glance at Gerald.

Meeting him again now, what she recognized was his voice.

He had saved her that time.

Also, he was rich!

“Don’t mention it. At least you won’t have to keep your guard up around me. Have you been looking after these three children?” Gerald inquired curiously.

“Yup, yup!” Queta Smith nodded, bringing over the three kids.

As they walked along together, she told him the story: It turned out that these three children had been wandering urchins who had managed to escape after being kidnapped by slavers.

With such muddled circumstances, no orphanage had been willing to take them in, and so they’d been wandering the city on their own, begging for scraps… until Queta found them, and took them all under her care.

She mainly worked as a kindergarten teacher and also did some other work on the side, thereby earning enough to keep them all fed. She had even been saving up money to send them to school.

Good thing Queta often worked with kids. She’d taught these three well.

What a mess. And the three children were all siblings.

His heart wrenching terribly, Gerald asked, “What about your family?”

“I don’t have one—I grew up in an orphanage.” As she told him this, Queta hung her head and picked at her clothes.

What a phenomenally beautiful woman she was, though her radiance was being obscured by long hardship.

And she was being very reserved in Gerald’s presence. He knew it was because she was afraid he would tire of her.

Queta wouldn’t know that Gerald used to be the sort of person who never felt he was good enough, either.

The two of them were about the same age. Gerald used to think he’d gotten the short straw in life, but Queta here had it so much worse: A young woman with no parents, caring for three kids on her own.

How often did you come across a woman like this, these days?

Gerald was deeply moved with admiration for her.

“Where do you stay?” he asked.

“Over there!” All three children pointed towards an ordinary residential area, not far from the school.

“Would you mind if I swing by for a bit?” he asked with a chuckle.

After a moment’s consternation, Queta nodded.

The whole area was basically a collection of old squatter shacks.

When they reached her place, Queta brushed off a stool and offered it to him. Then she shooed the three kids away to go get a bath. The children had been trying to do their part, collecting some refuse to sell every day. That was why they were covered in grime.

“Queta Smith, my name is Gerald Crawford. Shall we be friends?”

“Friends?” She was taken aback. Queta knew that Gerald was a powerful man since he had been able to order around that manager person.

[Chapter 194]

Why would such a powerful man be interested in her friendship?

Gerald wouldn’t just come out and say why, either. Today was just a chance meeting.

He was a soft-hearted man and held particular sympathy for people who were suffering.

Of course he could just solve their problems straight away: Find them a nicer place to stay in, put all the kids in school… all it would take was a few words from him.

However, from the moment Gerald saw Queta again, his heart had been racing wildly out of control. Some subtle emotion was compelling him to get closer to her, to get to know her better.

He didn’t understand this feeling.

Yet, thinking back now, he’d known from the first time he laid eyes on her… Just one look from the side and her face had been burned into his memory.

A girl he’d met purely by chance. How could he be feeling this way about her?

He didn’t have the slightest clue. All he knew was that, from the moment he met her, he’d felt like he’d known her forever.

The two of them began to talk, warming towards each other with each passing moment.

Without noticing, an entire afternoon had gone by.

“Queta, Yasmin, I’m going now. I’ll visit again in a few days!” Gerald waved goodbye to the girls and took his leave.

After spending the day with them, his heart felt light, his soul at peace for the first time in an eternity.

Then his phone rang. It was Lilian.

When they’d last parted ways, Gerald had asked to exchange numbers with her. Reluctantly, she’d agreed.

“I say, Gerald… I invite you to be a part of this gathering, and you’re going to be late for your first time?” Lilian’s voice was sharp with reprimand. “I said to meet at five. Where are you?”

“Oh, something came up, so I was held back. On my way now, maybe ten minutes!”

Doot… doot… Without another word, she’d hung up on him.

Gerald smiled wryly.

He should have just stayed out of this ‘old schoolmates’ trouble. What a d*mned headache!

But he had already given his word, so he had to keep it now. He returned to the car park, started up his car, and made for the hotel where the reservation had been made.

He arrived, parked the car, and found the table.

“Took you long enough, Gerald! You’ve really kept everyone waiting for you, you know?” Lilian’s face contorted hideously at the sight of him.

“My God, it’s really Gerald! After all these years! No patches on your clothes… have you started dressing like normal people?”

“Hahaha! Oh, Gerald, I hear you’re in Mayberry University? That’s a swanky place! How have you been doing lately? The internship is coming up soon—found yourself a spot somewhere, yet?”

“Have a seat first. Gerald, tell us all about what you’ve been through, these past few years.”

They were in a private dining room, with a massive table that could easily seat two dozen. That was the number of ‘old friends’ who were in attendance this evening, including a handful of former high school classmates of his. It was a crowded and cozy affair.

Gerald smiled at everyone, then spotted a girl at the head of the table: Sharon Leslie!

The prettiest girl in class, and his best friend in high school. They used to study together all the time.

As a matter of fact, each had been harboring some measure of affection for the other.

However, Sharon hadn’t wanted to get involved with someone from his sort of background.

Likewise, Gerald hadn’t dared to get involved with someone from her sort of background.

There had been too great a fault in their stars.

And so, they’d never been much more to each other than just friends.

“It’s been a while, Sharon. Have you been well?” Gerald smiled at her. Sharon had changed tremendously. She’d learned how to use make-up, and her appeal was now far beyond what he remembered.

A first-class beauty without question.

“I’m doing great. Why don’t you find a place to sit down!” Sharon replied with a smile and in a tone that was neither malicious nor dismissive.

After three years without contact, anything they had had between them had long vanished.

They were just strangers, now.

“Alright!” Gerald spotted an empty seat, and he moved to take it.

“Who said you could sit there?” Before he could actually do so, however, another girl—another ex- classmate—snapped harshly at him, giving him a fright.

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