Chapter 14: Matchmaking
At that time, Durwin Gills looked at her and her sick brother at the age of four and said to her mother with great embarrassment, “Elda, it’s not that I don’t want to take you in and help you, but you know that the workers on the farm are paid only a small salary, and it’s hard to buy medicine for Gar Gills with this meagre salary, so if I keep you on the farm, it will be a disservice to you and to the children.”
Durwin Gills thought sadly for a moment, “After all, the child is my brother’s own flesh and blood, I can’t just leave you all alone, and I won’t.” Then Durwin Gills went to his room and took out an old, faded note and said to Octavia Gills’ mother, “Elda, this is a customer I was introduced to by a friend of mine who gets all the fruit and vegetables for his company’s staff meals from me. I heard the other day that the nanny of company chairman’s family’s resigned, so go there and try your luck. I’ve shown you the way, it’s your destiny whether you take it or not!”
Although they knew that Durwin Gills was a mean and mercenary man, Octavia Gills could not believe what they were hearing. But they had to accept the reality of the situation.
It was only by chance that Lilian Drye’s mother, who had gone to school with her mother, took them in and was able to get through the worst of it! Later, Durwin Gills, who had learned that Elda Block had gotten a job with the Drye Family, began to talk about this so-called “kindness” every time he saw them, saying, “Thanks to my forethought, you have this job and are able to make ends meet, sister-in-law. I had the forethought to give you the job you need to make ends meet.”
Today, surprisingly, a banquet was hosted to say that the family should sit down for a meal and that Octavia Gills must-attend!
Octavia Gills, still dressed in elegance, entered the hotel where Durwin Gills was invited to the banquet, a four-star hotel with luxurious decoration and golden smoke, and looked at the palace-like VIP room, thinking that the sun was rising in the east as usual in the morning. Did the sun come out of the west today? Octavia Gills had a bad feeling as she walked around, wondering if the sun had come up today.
“Sister, you’re here!” Maud, who was standing at the door of the VIP room greeted them, and was all smiles. She had a very attentive face, “Come, I’d like to introduce you to President Banbury, who is already worth over a billion dollars and has a very good business sense! His original wife died last month after a long illness.” The mother and daughter were carefully guided to Durwin Gills and her Maud, who had just spoken of the bereaved but wealthy President Banbury, smilingly dragged Octavia Gills to introduce her to him.
“President Banbury, this my niece, and look at how good she looks! She’s currently the head of finance at Group Davi!”
Octavia Gills began to confirm what she had just suspected, that the so-called family dinner was just a scam by Durwin, but the purpose of Durwin and Maud’s play, and the reason for her and her mother’s visit, was not yet clear to Octavia Gills. However, something was not right.
With the unsuspecting Octavia Gills, President Banbury, who had not restrained his lustful eyes, took the opportunity to molest Octavia Gills when he reached out to shake her hand under false pretenses. After instinctively brushing off his tacky hands, Octavia Gills turned to President Banbury and said, with a slightly stern look, “President Banbury, please behave yourself!”Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.
Durwin Gills saw the situation and rushed forward and said smoothly, “The young girl is not experienced in the world, so she doesn’t know how to speak well. President Banbury, you have a generous heart, do not take offense. Come on… let’s serve the food and talk about it while we eat!” Durwin Gills gestures at the waiter standing outside the door, and he comes forward immediately, with a smile on his face.
“President Gills, arrangements being made to serve the food.”
“Serve everything we just ordered, and a bottle of Lafite ’82!” The stingy Durwin Gills is throwing his weight around today, making Octavia Gills wonder who this President Banbury is and how much he can bring to the table for Durwin to give him this treatment.
Durwin Gills, who has always been stubborn, turned to her mother, Elda Block, and said, “Sister-in-law, it’s like this, he is a big client of my company. President Banbury wants me to find him someone who will help him with his housekeeping and take care of the children left behind by his ex-wife.” Elda Block was anxious to interrupt as she listened to what Durwin Gills had to say.
“Big Brother…” the words were cut off by Durwin Gills.
“Sister, listen to me, I’m doing this for your sake, there are many girls who would like to marry President Banbury, and Octavia, with your father gone, it’s Durwin’s duty to care and to worry about your life!”
“Durwin, is this a family dinner? Or a dinner party to sell your niece?” Finally sensing Durwin’s intentions, Octavia Gills was furious that there was no one else in the world like Durwin who could make such a shameful excuse, and yet sound so righteous.
Durwin Gills gave a wink to his wife who was sitting next to Octavia Gills, and Maud took her hand as if she was very affectionate and said, “Octavia, Durwin has worked so hard for you in your life, you have to appreciate your blessings! Don’t think only of yourself, you should think about your brother. It’s rare that President Banbury doesn’t care about your family’s situation, but if you are so ignorant and ungrateful, you’ll upset me and Durwin. If you delay the treatment for your brother’s illness, it will be trivial, and your father will most probably turn in his grave!”
Maud was reminding her that her brother, Gar Gills, was almost 25 years old and that Gar Gills’ doctor had said that if her brother did not find a suitable heart and brain donor before he turned 25, they won’t be able to provide a cure for him.
Maud’s words reminded not only Octavia Gills but also Elda Block, who had been silent, of her son’s inability to live a normal life. But what the Durwin Gills are saying is, this is the only way out for her family, otherwise, her son… would be too much for Elda Block to handle!
“Octavia, Durwin and I really have good intentions for you. President Banbury doesn’t mind our family’s situation, and is willing to pay to find a suitable heart donor so Gar Gil can have his operation. President Banbury must be a good man, and I’m sure that in the future, you won’t be sorry because you won’t have to worry about Gar’s medical expenses every month anymore!” Elda Block wanted to use her daughter’s marriage to save the only son she had with her husband. Sje knew that it was selfish, but her daughter had to be sacrificed.