Chapter 17: An Unexpected Invitation
1361 Words
Ruth was arranging the documents on her desk when David called her into his office.
She entered with her notebook in hand.
“Sir, you called me?”
“Yes, Ruth. Sit down.”
She sat opposite him, wondering whether she had made another mistake at work.
David noticed her worried expression and smiled.
“Relax. You haven't done anything wrong.”
Ruth released a quiet breath. “Okay, sir.”
“I spoke with Mr. Adebayo this morning. He was impressed with the report you helped prepare, and he wants you to attend next week's business presentation.”
Ruth stared at him.
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You'll help present the part concerning our community scholarship programme.”
Her mouth fell open slightly.
“But sir, there will be important people there.”
“And you are part of the team.”
Ruth looked down at her notebook. Excitement and fear battled inside her.
“What if I embarrass you?”
David leaned forward.
“Ruth, listen to me. I didn't offer you this opportunity because I expect you to be perfect. I offered it because you've shown that you are willing to learn. Prepare properly, and do your best.”
She nodded slowly.
“I won't disappoint you.”
“I know you'll work hard.”
When she left his office, she felt as though she were walking on air. It was the first time someone had trusted her with such an important responsibility.
She wanted to call Mrs. Efe in Ugonoba and tell her the news, but she decided to wait until she had made more progress.
For now, she returned to her desk and began preparing.
---
That afternoon, David found Ruth in the conference room practising her speech.
She was standing beside the large table, holding a sheet of paper.
“Good afternoon, sir,” she said when she noticed him.
“Good afternoon. Don't stop on my account.”
Ruth looked at her paper and began again.
She spoke about the girls in Ugonoba, the importance of education, and how a scholarship could give young people a chance to build a different future.
At first, her voice trembled. But as she spoke about the village girls, her confidence grew.
When she finished, David remained silent for a moment.
“What's wrong?” Ruth asked nervously.
“Nothing. I was listening.”
“Was it bad?”
“No, Ruth. It was good.”
She smiled with relief.
“Thank you, sir.”
David pulled out a chair.
“Tell me something. Why is helping those girls so important to you?”
Ruth sat opposite him.
“Because I know how it feels to have dreams but no opportunity. Sometimes, people look at you and decide that you cannot become anything because you're poor. I don't want those girls to believe that.”
David listened carefully.
“And what about your own dream?”
Ruth hesitated.
“I want to finish my education. I want to earn my own money and take care of myself. I also want to help people in my village one day.”
“That's a good dream.”
She smiled sadly.
“Sometimes, I still find it difficult to believe that my life can be different.”
David looked at her.
“It already is different. But you don't have to achieve everything at once.”
His words comforted her.
For a while, they talked about the presentation and Ruth's plans for the future. David discovered that she had many dreams she rarely spoke about because she was afraid people would laugh at her.
He wanted her to understand that she did not have to hide them.
As Ruth packed her notes, David realised he had spent nearly an hour talking to her without once checking his phone.
He could not remember the last time a conversation had felt so effortless.
---
Meanwhile, Vanessa sat in her apartment, scrolling through old photographs of herself and David.
She had called him twice since their meeting, but he had not answered.
She was used to David making time for her. Even when they argued, she had believed she could eventually persuade him to forgive her.
This time felt different.
Her phone rang. It was Mama Nosa.
“Vanessa, have you heard from David?”
“No.”
“Then stop calling him repeatedly. You will only make yourself look desperate.”
Vanessa's face tightened.
“So what do you expect me to do? Sit here and watch Ruth take everything?”
“Ruth hasn't taken anything that David hasn't chosen to give her.”
Vanessa went quiet.
Mama Nosa continued, “If he has decided to leave you, you cannot force him to return. You need to think about your own future.”
Vanessa ended the call shortly afterwards.
She hated hearing the truth from her own mother.
Still, she was not ready to accept that David might genuinely fall in love with someone else. She decided she would stop calling him for now. She would watch from a distance and wait to see what happened.
She told herself it was only a temporary decision.
---
Two days later, Ruth received an invitation from the company secretary to attend a preparatory meeting.
She arrived early, dressed neatly in a simple cream blouse and black trousers. She carried her notebook and the presentation notes she had prepared.
When she entered the conference room, several members of staff were already seated.
One woman glanced at Ruth.
“Are you the person presenting the scholarship section?”
“Yes, ma.”
The woman smiled. “Good. I heard you worked on the Ugonoba outreach. I hope you'll tell us what the programme has achieved.”
Ruth nodded, feeling nervous but encouraged.
David arrived a few minutes later and took his seat at the head of the table.
The meeting began.
When it was Ruth's turn, she stood and started speaking. She stumbled over one sentence, paused, and looked at her notes.
For a second, she remembered the insults she had endured in the village. The old fear returned, telling her that she was not good enough to stand before these people.
Then she remembered David's words.
You don't have to be perfect.
Ruth took a breath and continued.
This time, her voice was steadier.
She explained how the outreach had encouraged girls in Ugonoba to consider further education and how the scholarship forms could help them take the next step.
When she finished, the woman who had spoken to her earlier nodded approvingly.
“Thank you, Ruth. That was clear and meaningful.”
Ruth sat down, her hands trembling slightly beneath the table.
David did not interrupt the meeting to praise her, but when their eyes met, he gave her a small, encouraging smile.
That smile was enough.
For the first time, Ruth had stood before important people and spoken about something she believed in. She had not been perfect, but she had done it.
And she was proud of herself.
---
After the meeting, David found her gathering her papers.
“You did well,” he said.
Ruth smiled. “I was so afraid I would forget everything.”
“But you didn't give up.”
“I almost did.”
“But you continued.”
She looked at him gratefully.
“Thank you for giving me the chance.”
“You earned the chance, Ruth. Remember that.”
His words stayed with her as she walked back to her desk.
David watched her go, feeling a quiet happiness he could no longer explain away.
He was falling in love with her, slowly but surely.
Yet he knew that before he could tell her, he had to be certain his feelings were genuine and that he could offer her a relationship built on respect rather than power.
For now, he would keep giving her room to grow.
And when the time came, he would tell her the truth.
Neither of them knew that their next challenge would come from an unexpected direction—one that would test the trust they were beginning to build.
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