Chapter 68 – A Man Like None Other
Jared replied with a smile, “Mr. Chance, don’t worry. I won’t do anything stupid.” Chuckling, Franklin patted Jared on his shoulder. “I appreciate your willingness to help.” After leaving Franklin’s house, Gary let out a gentle sigh. “Jared, Mr. Saunders is a good man. If you manage to get a job tomorrow, you have to work hard so that others would not look down on you.” Evidently, Gary was hurt by the treatment Franklin’s wife and daughter gave him.
Unfortunately, he had resigned himself to the fact that his incompetence had forced him to seek help from others. “I understand.” Jared nodded. Feeling disheartened, Hannah remarked, “What’s going to happen to Hilda? After what transpired today, we can’t be asking for their help again.” They had agreed to help Hilda find a job. But now, they didn’t even have the chance to bring it up. In response, Gary lowered his head and lit a cigarette in silence.
Evidently, he didn’t know how he was going to break the news to Chloe. “Mom, Dad, don’t worry about it. I’ll think of a way to help Hilda. If I can land a job in the company, I will help her secure a job there too,” Jared reassured his parents. “I guess that’s all we can do.” Gary nodded. After hailing a taxi, they hurried back home. Inside the car, Jared sent a message to Tommy. He related Franklin’s situation and instructed Tommy to get Glamorous Designs to pay up.
After that, he kept his phone and closed his eyes to rest. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of their residential area, only to find Hilda pacing about anxiously. Curious, Jared asked, “Hilda, what are you doing here?” “Jared, I—” Just when she was about to explain, she held her tongue when she saw Gary and Hannah alight from the taxi. At the sight of Hilda, Gary assumed that she was waiting to ask about the job.
Blushing in embarrassment, he said, “Jared, you should go ahead and talk to Hilda. Meanwhile, I’ll head home first with your mom.” Gary couldn’t bring himself to explain to her. After all, he was an elder and had failed to deliver what he had confidently promised the day before. After watching his parents leave, Jared inquired, “Hilda, did something happen?” Teary-eyed, Hilda explained, “Jared, I-I’m scared. The debt collectors are after me. Hence, I’m worried that my mom will find out.”
“Calm down, Hilda. I’m right here. When they come, I’ll deal with them for you,” Jared comforted her. “Jared, p-please don’t get into a fight. I don’t want you to be locked up again because of me.” Even though Jared was the only person Hilda could rely on, she didn’t want history to repeat itself on her account. “Don’t worry. There won’t be any violence.” Jared smiled slightly. While they were talking, an SUV suddenly screeched to a halt in front of them.
From it, a group of five burly men alighted. One of them wore a big gold chain and sported a crew cut. The expression he carried was especially ferocious. The moment Hilda saw the men, she quickly hid behind Jared. Their leader, the one wearing the gold chain, asked, “Girl, have you prepared the money?
If you don’t pay up today, I’ll confiscate everything you have at home.” “I… I don’t have it. Can you give me a few more days?” Hilda answered meekly. “No, not a single day more. If you have nothing valuable at home, we will take you with us. You look decent, so I think you should be worth a pretty penny.” The moment he finished speaking, the leader ignored Jared and tried to grab Hilda.
