Chapter 863
Chapter 863:
“What do you mean?” Neal asked, hoping he had misheard him. “You’re backing out now?”
Ritchie looked away, saying nothing.
It was November, and the trees were bare, their branches reaching lifelessly for the sky. It reminded him of his life.
Ritchie felt completely different from them.
He’d been consistently bullied by those guys for a while, but they’d sent his tormentors running for the hills with just a few words. They were from a completely different world.
How could people who were so obviously different ever get along? He would feel out of place if he joined them. He didn’t want to put himself through that.
Neal turned to Fernanda, who didn’t seem surprised by Ritchie’s refusal. Gently but firmly, she said, “We’re not just asking you to join us. We’re asking you to become one of us.”
Ritchie finally met her eyes.
“Do you think you deserve to be bullied just because you’re poor? Everyone’s been down on their luck at some point. We are where we are today because of our abilities and hard work. This is an opportunity for you to change your life.”
Fernanda finished and extended a hand to Ritchie.
Ritchie stared at the hand that had been extended to him. He recalled the first time he had spoken to Fernanda.
Back then, she had offered him a chance for partnership. He had then asked what she would give him in return. Her response had been, “Everything you want.”
Even now, she looked so confident.
It was then that Ritchie finally understood what she meant by becoming one of them.
It wasn’t just about becoming as extraordinary and outstanding as they were. It was more about having the same confidence and overcoming feelings of inferiority and timidity.
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧽ⱼ𝗰𝗈𝗺
He wanted to be like them.
Ritchie had, from a young age, been exceptionally good at painting. However, his family’s financial situation left him unable to fully hone his talent.
The painting classes he had attended were paid for by his middle school art teacher. Even his painting equipment had been bought by his art teacher.
He was different from everyone in the studio because he knew how hard he had worked to get everything he had. This caused him to cherish it more and work harder. He had worked hard and not let his teacher down. Eventually, he was accepted into an illustrious university in Esaham.
His art teacher had been overjoyed and had hosted a dinner in his honor. The teacher had told him that if he ever needed anything, all he had to do was ask. The most important thing was that he focused on his studies.
Ritchie had nodded his agreement at the time, but he really couldn’t bring himself to follow his teacher’s advice. The teacher’s family wasn’t wealthy. They depended on the teacher’s retirement income, and his wife, too, was in poor health and needed medication year-round. He had a family to support with little means to do so.
Ritchie, being considerate, never bothered his teacher. He had applied for a student grant to cover his academic and living expenses.
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