SHE'S THE BILLIONAIRE'S NIGHTMARE

********** Riya jolted awake, her eyes scanning the room before landing on a wristwatch lying at the edge of the bed. "Damn, it's past 8!" she screamed, jumping off the bed and rushing to the bathroom. Despite her body aching from the beatings she received from her husband last night for not giving in to his demand for money, she was still determined to make it to work. She hurried to the bathroom to have a quick bath. Riya finally walked into the bar, one of her many jobs. It had been a rough day. She had to escape from home, leaving her kids with their neighbor before rushing to John’s coffee shop earlier in the morning. Receiving a query from him was no new thing ; it had become routine. What bothered her was that she was always made to cover someone else’s shift whenever she was late. Now, after juggling multiple jobs, it had turned into a long day. She entered the bar, weary and worn out, trying to maneuver through the crowd while making sure not to bump into anyone. She finally approached a lady standing at the entrance to an exit door, she managed to give a weak smile. “I’ve been waiting for ages!” the lady exclaimed, tossing an apron at Riya with a flair of annoyance. “I’m done here,” she concluded, letting her hair down in loose strands around her shoulders. “Take care of yourself, Riya. See you tomorrow!” Olivia, her friend and colleague, said with a smile before making her way out of the bar. Riya nodded, appreciating her friend’s constant support. Olivia had always been there for her, covering her shifts whenever she was running late or had emergencies. Riya tied the apron around her waist, letting out a deep sigh as she leaned against the wall, trying to brace herself for the chaotic night ahead. The loud music pulsing through the bar only heightened her sense of unease. She thought about her kids: Were they alright? Had Laura fed them? A wave of relief washed over her knowing that Laura was watching them; she was a caring neighbor. Yet, her mind kept drifting back to Mark. Laura had mentioned that he was the one who paid for her bills—including the water bill—which explained the sudden availability of water in her home. But who was he? "Why don't I know anything about him?" Riya mused silently. Laura's vague reassurances about Mark being her savior did little to ease her concerns. “Waiter!” a voice called, snapping Riya back to reality. She turned quickly, trying to maintain her balance but accidentally bumped into someone. "Are you blind?" the man barked, shoving her aside roughly while another patron simply walked away without sparing her a glance. “I'm so sorry!” she apologized, her stomach knotting from the encounter. Just then, the agitated guy chasing after his friend shouted, “Wait, Edward!” before dashing after the man. "Edward!" The name sounded familiar to her but can't picture where she has heard it from. She exhaled, brushing off the incident and hurried toward the customers who seemed to be growing impatient. She put on her best smile, trying to mask her exhaustion. ********** Edward stirred restlessly on his bed. It wasn’t midnight yet, but he was already trapped in a world of nightmares, plagued by a recurring vision that left him gasping for breath and struggling to sleep. Each time he awoke, he wondered why this dream kept haunting him. It was just few hours ago he'd returned from the bar, a place where he had thought would help him relax and maybe wash off his constant nightmare, but being there only added to his problems, the place was loud and disorganized. He only had to leave in anger and in a state of dejection. In this dream, he found himself on an island, the air thick with an otherworldly heaviness. The sky was overcast, as though it were about to rain, and a chilling breeze brushed against his skin like the touch of a ghost. He felt an inexplicable pull, a deep yearning within him—a sense of belonging that suggested this place was somehow his home. Each step he took echoed louder in the stillness, and far off, he spotted a figure resembling a woman. Though the view was blurry, curiosity drove him deeper into the mist. As he approached, he could finally see the woman standing by the water with her back turned to him. " Why am i here? Why does this place feel so familiar?" He asked himself. Each time he dreamed, she was always in this position—never turning to face him, always sobbing and screaming. Whenever he tried to reach her, he became acutely aware of his surroundings and was jolted back to reality. But this time was different. She abruptly turned to look at him, the lady who had haunted him in his dreams, even though he had never seen her in waking life. Standing a few meters away, a wave of calm washed over him—a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced. She was beautiful; her long, flowing hair danced like shadows in the wind, framing her delicate face. Her eyes, a deep shade of blue, were filled with a profound intensity that shifted between sorrow and longing. “Edward,” she called softly, reaching out for his hand but stopping halfway, as if held back by an unseen force. “You have to listen to me.” She continued when she noticed him retreating. “Who are you?” he managed to ask, his voice reduced to a hoarse whisper, though he felt he already knew the answer deep within. “What do you want from me?” “I am a part of you,” she replied, taking a tentative step forward. “But I cannot be with you, Edward. Not now, not like this.” The pain in her voice pierced through him like a dagger, creating a deep, gnawing emptiness in his heart. “I do not understand you. what do you mean ?" Edward asked, confusion etched across his face. “Please, save me. We are meant to be together,” she implored, her voice trembling. She attempted to bridge the distance between them, reaching out with desperation, but something unseen pulled her back, stronger than her will. Edward reached out instinctively, desperate to close the gap, but in that moment, a flash of bright light ignited the clearing, blinding him momentarily. “Amanda!” he called out, jolting upright in his bed. Did i just call her name? How did i know this strange lady's name? This were the questions in his head. He knew there had to be a connection between them, but how? Though he didn’t know her, a feeling of attachment tugged at his heart, keeping him in a whirlwind of confusion. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and glanced at the clock on his nightstand; it was past eleven. Sleep seemed utterly unattainable after that vivid nightmare. He stood up, determined to clear his mind. As he walked into the sitting room, he noticed the television was still on. Taking a seat on the couch, distractedly, he picked up the remote and began changing the channels, but the haunting image of the dream—a blend of longing and sorrow—persisted in his mind. “How am I supposed to save someone I’ve only seen in my dreams?” he muttered aloud, frustration bubbling within him. The questions gnawed at him: What was she asking him to save her from? " Why the f**k does she keep appearing to me?" Bringing out his phone, he scanned through the internet, keyed in the name “Amanda.” That was all he knew about her, yet it felt like an undeniable clue. He searched tirelessly but found nothing—images of various Amandas appeared, none of whom looked remotely like the woman in his dreams. He logged into i********:, hoping for a different outcome, but once again, he found nothing that matched the striking lady from his visions. In a mix of anger and disappointment, he tossed his phone onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. “How the hell am I going to find you?” he cursed, leaning his head back against the sofa. As exhaustion washed over him, he drifted into a restless sleep, the remnants of the dream still swirling in his thoughts.