Too Late, Mr. Billionaire: You Can't Afford Me by Thedora Birnir

Chapter 147 A Message To

Her Mom

On his third night in Blathe and after a dinner with his business partners, Eric sensed something amiss as he

exited the restaurant.

He began to feel faint and unstable on his feet.

“Mr. Flynn!” Phillips quickly cto his help. “We can’t put this off any longer! Let's get you to a hospital.

There’s nothing pressing now anyway, right?”

“Alright.”

Acknowledging Phillips‘ suggestion, Eric had no objections. His commitments at hwere complete with the

supplier issues sorted.

As Phillips assisted him into the car, Eric's struggle to stay conscious intensified, his head spinning and throat

searing.

At the hospital.

“Mr. Flynn, please hold on here while | handle everything else.”

“Okay.”

Being in a strange country posed certain challenges for foreigners seeking medical care.

Waiting in the lobby for Phillips, Eric took a seat. His robust health usually served him well, and after resting for a

bit, he started to feel slightly better.

Adjacent to the lobby was an activity room enclosed with clear glass walls.

From his seat, Eric could see inside. The evening hour left the room sparsely populated, occupied only by a few

children.

Eric’s attention was captured by a child with ear-length hair and large, expressive eyes that peeked out from

beneath her bangs. She was irresistibly cute.

He couldn’t help but watch her.

Unaware of the attention, Joy positioned herself in front of a whiteboard, her fingers meticulously twisting the

cap of a water-based marker.

“Hey! Give it to me!”

Suddenly, a girl darted over and yanked the marker from Joy's grasp.

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Chapter 147 A Message To Her Mom

Joy's body stiffened slightly as she looked at the girl with hopeful eyes, attempting to negotiate. “I had it first.”

“Is that so?” The girl cocked an eyebrow and shrugged. “Well, it’s mine now.”

She then questioned Joy, “You wanted to draw?”

“Yes,” Joy responded with a nod, her voice filled with hope that the girl would relent. “Could | please have it

back?”

“This marker?”

The girl looked over at two boys nearby, and then playfully threw the marker up into the air.

“Catch it!” the girl exclaimed.

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“Got it!” said the boys, scrambling after the soaring marker.

Their laughter echoed around.

“Keep throwing it!”

They continued to toss the marker back and forth, reveling in their game.

Meanwhile, Joy's frustration mounted, her cheeks ballooned in anger, and tears welled up in her large eyes. She

voiced her displeasure, saying, “What you're doing is wrong...”

Her protest fell on deaf ears; the three paid her no heed.

“Hey, look, she’s crying!” one of the children pointed out.

“Really? Oh, she is,” another responded with a laugh. “What a crybaby!”

The laughter continued.

Growing up, Joy often felt the sting of discrimination in Blathe. Without any adults to defend her, she felt

particularly vulnerable and isolated.

Joy remained still, tears glistening in her large eyes.

“Hey!” A voice echoed through the room as the door swung open.

Upon turning, Joy’s gaze met with a tall, striking man stepping into the room.

Eric approached the child clutching the marker, offering his hand with a mild smile. “Could you hand over the

marker, please?”

With a gentle coax, he added, “If not, maybe we should visit the nurse’s station? Isn't it past your bedtime?” The

children, all donned in hospital gowns, grew anxious at the suggestion of involving a nurse.

“Here you go!” The boy, now eager to avoid any trouble, hurled the marker skyward. Eric caught it without a

hitch.

“Off you go,” he said, and with a shared look, the children bolted from the room.

Eric, marker in hand, finally turned to Joy. “Here-"

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Chapter 147 A Message To Her Mom

Joy's body stiffened slightly as she looked at the girl with hopeful eyes, attempting to negotiate. “I had it first.”

“Is that so?” The girl cocked an eyebrow and shrugged. “Well, it’s mine now.”

She then questioned Joy, “You wanted to draw?”

“Yes,” Joy responded with a nod, her voice filled with hope that the girl would relent. “Could | please have it

back?”

“This marker?”

The girl looked over at two boys nearby, and then playfully threw the marker up into the air.

“Catch it!” the girl exclaimed.

“Got it!” said the boys, scrambling after the soaring marker.

Their laughter echoed around.

“Keep throwing it!”

They continued to toss the marker back and forth, reveling in their game.

Meanwhile, Joy's frustration mounted, her cheeks ballooned in anger, and tears welled up in her large eyes. She

voiced her displeasure, saying, “What you're doing is wrong...

Her protest fell on deaf ears; the three paid her no heed.

“Hey, look, she’s crying!” one of the children pointed out.

“Really? Oh, she is,” another responded with a laugh. “What a crybaby!”

The laughter continued.

Growing up, Joy often felt the sting of discrimination in Blathe. Without any adults to defend her, she felt

particularly vulnerable and isolated.

Joy remained still, tears glistening in her large eyes.

“Hey!” A voice echoed through the room as the door swung open.

Upon turning, Joy’s gaze met with a tall, striking man stepping into the room.

Eric approached the child clutching the marker, offering his hand with a mild smile. “Could you hand over the

marker, please?”

With a gentle coax, he added, “If not, maybe we should visit the nurse’s station? Isn't it past your bedtime?” The

children, all donned in hospital gowns, grew anxious at the suggestion of involving a nurse.

“Here you go!” The boy, now eager to avoid any trouble, hurled the marker skyward. Eric caught it without a

hitch.

“Off you go,” he said, and with a shared look, the children bolted from the room.

Eric, marker in hand, finally turned to Joy. “Here—"

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Chapter 147 A Message To Her Mom

He realized then just how tiny she was, barely coming up to his knee.

With a slight hesitation, he crouched to her level. “Here you go,” he said, offering the marker to her.

Joy's eyes widened as she gently took the marker, her voice soft and grateful. “Thank you.”

Eric, intrigued, lifted an eyebrow and smiled gently. “Do you live around here? You seem unfamiliar.”

“I'm from Srixby, not Blathe,” Joy responded.

Srixby?

That piqued Eric's interest even more, and upon scrutinizing her a bit more, he believed it.

“What a twist! I'm actually from Srixby too,” Eric said, hoping to connect further.

“That's amazing!” Joy’s eyes sparkled even more. “My mom's back in Srixby right now. Do you know her?” Eric

laughed softly, amused by her straightforwardness. “I don’t think I've had the chance to meet her.”

How would he know her mother or have ever met her?

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Nonetheless, Eric felt an unexpected tenderness toward this young child, compelling him to ease her distress. He

nodded at the marker in her hand and asked, “What were you planning to do with this?”

“l wanted to write a message to my mom saying | miss her,” Joy explained with a hopeful look.

“That's a wonderful idea.” Eric encouraged, gesturing towards the whiteboard. “Go ahead and write it.”

“Okay.”

Joy approached the whiteboard, marker in hand, but hesitated and stopped short.

Eric asked curiously, “What's stopping you?”

Tears welled up in Joy's eyes as she said, “I... | can’t write yet.”

Overwhelmed, she burst into tears before she could say more.

“Hey!”

Taken aback and unsure how to respond, Eric quickly lifted Joy into his arms, trying to soothe her sobs.

“There, there, it’s okay. I'll help you write your message, okay?”

Joy, still sniffling, nodded her agreement.

Eric gently took Joy’s small hand, noticing the dimples on her knuckles, and led her towards the whiteboard.

“What message do you want to send to your mom?”

“Tell her, ‘Mom, Joy misses you,“” Joy replied softly.

“Okay, let's write that,” Eric responded as he helped position her hand.

While writing her message, Eric paused and looked at her curiously. “Is ‘Joy’ your name?”

Joy, slightly confused by the question, blinked up at him and answered simply, “Yes.”

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Chapter 147 A Message To Her Morn

Eric stood still, a sudden realization washing over him. “What a stupid question to ask, End of course it’s her

name! What else could it be?” he thought.

He then internally acknowledged. “It’s a lovely name.”

At last, Joy’s frown turned upside down as she admired their handwriting, “Is this word ‘mom?

“Yes, that’s right.” Eric confirmed with a warm smile.

“And this one is ‘Joy,’ isn’t it?”

“That's correct, very clever!” Impressed, Eric gently ruffled her hair.

Joy's grin stretched wide, nearly closing her eyes. “Mom showedthese words; 1 know them now!

“Joy!”

Just then, a nurse appeared at the doorway.

Joy stiffened slightly. “Oh, my nurse is here. | need to go now.”

“Alright then.”

“Bye-bye!” Joy called out cheerily, stepping away but then paused. With a burst of energy, she darted back to

Eric, wrapped her arms around him, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

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