POV: Victoria
It's just one week after moms surgery, I was taking care of her while Claire gets the house ready for her return. She will be discharged today and I want everything in order before she gets home. She's been acting strange since her surgery, I guess she is tired of this hospital environment. We need to take her back home and take proper care of her.
She was lying peacefully on the bed, taking a nap while I put her things together. Then suddenly, the door to her hospital room pushed open, and I turned to Carl standing by the door, glaring at me.
"My boss wants to see you in his office!" he stated brusquely.
"Right Now!" he added in a fierce tone, giving me no chance to argue or refuse his request. I had no choice, he looked as if he was ready to drag me out if I dare to defy him. So I had to leave mom all alone in the hospital and follow him out. I had no idea what was going on, I've been to busy to play with my phone and surf the Internet. I don't leave mom's bedside unless I want to take a breath of fresh air for a few minutes.
When I stepped out of the building with Carl, I noticed a group of people gathered in front of the building taking pictures of me and asking each other questions.
These looked like reporters taking pictures of a celebrity, I was going to explain to them that they are mistaking me for someone else because I'm not a celebrity, I don't even have a good job. But Carl pulled be away from them, shielding me as he forced me into a car and drove off with speed.
"You are now a celebrity, you used my boss to gain popularity, are you happy now?
Your face is all over the internet, on blogs and papers. Reporters are struggling to get your pictures and grant you interviews. I guess you got what you wanted after all," he told me in mocking tone. He scoffed and focused on the road, calling me a gold digger without saying the word.
I grabbed my phone and got on the internet immediately. I did not believe one word he just said until I saw the news with my own eyes. There are pictures and videos of Raphael and I. The stories circulating the Internet was that Raphael bullied me to date him. I can imagine how furious he would be right now. But its not my fault he let the press get too close to take pictures of us, is it?
"What the hell is going on here?
You can't possibly think that I did this, why would I want to be in a scandal with your weird boss?" I asked angrily. But he did not flinch, he did not even act as if I was talking to him. He simply ignored me and took me to his furious boss who started yelling at me the moment I walked into his office. He's the billionaire here, he should have made sure this never happened. Why the hell is he blaming me for this?
"Are you trying to test my limits or what?
Are you courting death!" He screamed at my face angrily.
"I could make you disappear without traces, I could… I could…" he stuttered furiously, his eyes filled with anger. I did not say a word, I think this is a plot to get me in bed again and I'm not falling for it. He is a freaking billionaire, his family owns half of this city. If those pictures are out, it means he let it leak out, not me.
"What do you want from me?
Are you torturing me because I owe you money?" I asked him, my eyes fixed on him. He looked back at me for a while, then he leaned his back on the couch and started at me some more, making me feel uncomfortable.
"If this is about the money, please say so immediately. Stop making me feel guilty when I didn't do anything wrong." I told him sternly as I put my elbow on his table and leaned on them, fixing him a stern gaze. They said he is unable to look anyone in the eye because when he was a child, he suffered from a rare condition called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). But he doesn't flinch when he speaks to me, and he feels comfortable looking into my eyes.
"Could they be lying about his condition?" I thought within me.
"These rumors will tarnish my image and cause damage to my company. My grandfather already believes the rumors, my mom is going crazy about it. We need to fix it, we need to make it go away." He responded calmly.
"Your reputation, your company, and your grandfather…
What has that got to do with me?" I asked him, contorting my eyebrow curiously.
"As far as in concerned, all I owe you is money, and as soon as mom gets settled in at home, I'll go back to work and start pay you back your money." I told him firmly, stating the facts
"What if you don't have to pay me back that money, what if you never have to go back to being an escort?" he asked me, his eyes fixed on mine. I sat up immediately my eyes dangling with excitement as I looked at him curiously. He did not continue immediately, he let my imagination run wild, letting me wait impatiently for his answer.
"W… W… What are talking about?" I asked him, trying not to sound too desperate or greedy. He smiled and leaned forward to look at me more closely
"I'm talking about the rumors, Victoria. I will not deny the rumors, and neither will you. You will pretend to be my girlfriend, and after a few months, we'll announce our engagement to the world. We are getting married soon, Vic," He told me, saying it as if it was just a mere business contract.
"You know what?
You are insane!
I can see that the rumors about you are all true. If you think I would get involved with you just because of money, then you need to think again. I'm not getting involved in this scandal, sort it out yourself!" I yelled in his face and walked away. He is toying with me because of a few thousand dollars he lent to me.
I heard him chuckle as I headed for the door. That made me so pissed and I slammed the door so hard as I got out. I've never been this humiliated before, I feel so hurt and broken. He'll keep coming back to me as long as I owe him money, I have to swallow my pride and do something I have not done in twelve years.
I took a cab to my father's house, the mansion we used to live in before he brought in his mistress and her daughter and kicked us out of the house. The security at the huge gate let me in because they still recognized me. As I walked down the driveway to the huge mansion, I thought of my beautiful childhood and how Claire and I used to play in this huge compound when we were kids.
I got to the door and pressed the doorbell, waiting for the butler or maid to open the door. But no one did, and I heard some voices at the garden where mom and dad used to sit always when they want to be alone. I went around the back and to my greatest surprise, my moms garden has been transformed to an outdoor pool and lounge. I wanted to scream in rage, but I just had to let it go because I really need him to help us this time.
"Look dad, it's your bastard daughter," Cindy lets out in disgust when she spotted me walking towards them. She was the first to see me, and her outburst brought their attention to me immediately.
"What the hell is she doing here?" my step mother asked my father, her eyes blazing in anger. Then she turned to me with a fake smile that tells just how much she detests me,
"We don't have leftovers to give to paupers, child. Why don't you come back after we have fed the dogs, maybe they'll let you have their leftovers for you and your dying mother!" she told me in a mocking tone, causing Cindy to burst into a fit of laughter.