Gold Digger

_____________________________ . . . "Ben, tell her to just listen to me!" Elizabeth Steele followed her daughter to the living room. Rebecca was not in the mood to listen to anything her mother had to say right now. She had already made up her mind to spend the night in her room, binge-watching some horror documentaries and she was not going to change her plans for one of her mother's socialite activities. "Becca, listen to your mother honey." Benjamin Steele said, not taking his eyes off the newspaper as he sipped on his coffee and listened to his wife go on and on about how their daughter had become a spoilt brat who just wouldn't listen to her. "Dad, I refuse to go to any more of her stupid parties!" Rebecca exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "You will have to drag me there because I refuse to go willingly." Elizabeth was about to respond but the head of the family finally looked up, looking between his wife and daughter. Of course, he had a soft spot for his little girl. "Lizzie, you can enjoy the party. Becca, I need help with accounts on last month's sale." Rebecca squealed and ran over to hug her father while Elizabeth gave him a flat look. Why did she even bother to think that her husband would take her side on this? Or anything for that matter when it was their little girl on the other side? The couple loved their child with everything they had. When they were told years ago that they could not have children of their own, they decided to adopt instead of going for any other clinical option. And they believed it to be the best decision they made every single day. Because Rebecca was the most perfect daughter - maybe they felt that because she was their kid but she was kind and strong and beautiful and everything good. "But honey, she needs to go around and meet people now." Elizabeth sighed, approaching her husband and daughter, keeping a hand on her kid's cheek. "You know how our society works, right?" "I don't care how the society works darling. All I know is that our daughter will do as she pleases. Always." Rebecca nodded, smiling. Rebecca loved the life she got to live, and she valued it because she still remembered the things that had happened to her before she was taken away by child service and adopted by her parents. She still remembered the life she used to have and she was not going back anywhere near it even if it was the last thing she was going to do. Elizabeth sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Fine, you daughter and father enjoy the night while I cower among those back-stabbing snakes." Rebecca and Benjamin looked at each other and then at Elizabeth before they burst out laughing. . . . "Are you sure she is going to be completely fine?" Owen Desta asked as he walked over to the elevator. "Are you sure that I don't need to call in any specialists?" "Yes, Mr. Desta. Mrs. Desta is absolutely fine now. She just needs to keep away from such high-sodium food at this age." The doctor said as they rode up to the VIP floor. Mrs. Florence Desta was the Chairperson of Desta Corporation and Owen's paternal grandmother. She was also the only family the billionaire had left. "Granny, what were you thinking?" He asked as soon as he saw his grandmother sitting up on her bed, watching some daily soap. "I was thinking that being old did not mean I have to restrict myself to bland soup and porridge. That's what I thought." She said stubbornly. Whoever said that people became more childish as they grew old was absolutely right; at least in the case of Florence Desta they were, because she was stubborn like a five-year-old and did as she pleased despite being requested and pleaded otherwise. "Granny-" Owen started but was cut off. "Shut up." She huffed. "I don't want to live any longer anyway. I thought it would be nice to stay alive till the day I see my great-grandchildren but since you have decided that you are not going to give me them, I don't see any reason why I should take care of my health and live such a senile, boring and torturous life." Owen groaned; every conversation the grandson and grandmother ever had came back to the fact that he did not want to get married or have children. He just did not want to. Because he did not want to lose any more people he loved. He would not be able to bear that. And Florence thought that this fear of his would destroy his chance of a happy life; something that he was entitled to after all the troubles and trials that he had gone through. "This is not about my marriage Granny.." Owen started but as he expected, was cut off immediately. "This is exactly about your marriage, grandson." She said stubbornly. "Are you or are you not going to get married and give me great-grandchildren?" Owen sighed again. He knew that he did not want any of that but he also knew that if he refused now, his grandmother would just start a fast then and there. She was just too pig-headed and there was nothing anyone could do about it. "I will think about it." He said quietly. It was the best that he could come up with, but it was not what Florence Desta wanted to hear. "I am going to pretend that I did not hear something so pathetic." She huffed. Owen looked over at her grandmother and pursed his lips. The woman was almost eighty years old. He wished to think that she was going to live a long life but her heart was too weak and her liver was failing. She was dying. What kind of grandson would he be if he didn't give her the one thing she ever asked from him? "Fine, I will get married." He blurted, feeling a bitter aftertaste after he spat it out. He really did not want to get married. Her face lit up at once. "Do I get to choose the bride?" Owen gave her a confused look. First of all, she was emotionally blackmailing him into a marriage he did not want and now she was hinting at an arranged marriage. "Why?" He asked. "Shouldn't I be the one to choose?" The old woman gave him a wise look. "Honey, I am more than twice your age." She said as she leaned against the headrest. "And I was married to your grandfather, the most crooked man I ever knew. And you are his blood so..." "So?" "So, my experience with Desta men and the novels I have been reading online in my free time tells me that you will go straight for a contract marriage just to make me happy until this poor lady dies-" "Granny!" She sighed again. "You and I know very well that I have lived longer than necessary. But I want to make sure that the Desta family lives on. Bad things have happened to us but we have always remained good people." She smiled up at her grandson. "How am I supposed to let such a good and kind bloodline go extinct? And even if I am being a bit unfair to you, I want to make sure that the woman who will continue this family line is as good." Owen just sat down on the couch; yes, he had subconsciously made the plan of a contract marriage in his mind and his grandmother had seen right through it. But then he thought that if he had to get married, he might as well get married to whoever his grandmother wanted. After all, he did not have a specific woman in mind. Despite the numerous amount of women he had spent his days and nights with, he had never really fallen for any of them. He had not even formed some sort of affection. His best friend liked to imply that he could be gay but he knew that was not the case; he enjoyed s*x with women like a nymphomaniac. He just couldn't commit. "I see that my grandson is agreeing to this wish of mine too." Florence smiled and then raised a brow. "Don't you think you gave in too easily?" "You talk like this is the first time you have tried this stunt on me." Owen rolled his eyes. He did not care for anything except for his grandmother's happiness and if this was what she wanted from him, then he was going to give it to her though he did not want it. "I would have convinced you sooner if I wanted to." She sighed, happy with her achievement. "I was just giving you time to try to find your true love. But now, I feel like my time is coming to an end and I need to make sure that my little boy is not left alone in this world." Owen looked at her, a lump forming in his throat. He tried to ignore it but she was so old and sick now. She would go any day. And then he would be all alone in the world with all the riches and comforts and nobody to share it with. "Just do whatever you think is right, Granny." . . . ________________________________