A Mother to the Billionaire’s Daughter

"THIS IS THE TENTH TIME YOU WERE LATE, ISABELLA," said the man, who was the manager of one of the most well-known hotels in the country. "I'm sorry. I still had to finish something at the university and then there was traffic—" "How many times do I have to tell you that I understand your situation, but I hope you also understand the job you took on," he interrupted, looking clearly at a loss for what to do in the situation. "One last time, Isabella. The next time you're late, I'm going to fire you. Just focus on your studies instead of being a headache at work. Are we clear?" "Y-Yes, Mr. Santos. Thank you. I won't let you down." Isabella's shoulders slumped as she went to the dressing room to change into her work uniform. She found her friend there, in front of her cell phone while she changed. When she finished, she approached her and peeked at what her friend was doing on the screen. "Are you looking for a new job?" Isabella asked curiously upon noticing her friend scrolling through a hiring page. "No. I'm looking for one for you. Looks like you're about to get fired," her friend said with concern. "Come here, look at this. The position they were hiring is amazing." Isabella looked at what her friend wanted to show her. "Hiring for a mother?" she read as a question, since it was the first time she had ever heard of such a job opening. "Then look at the salary and packages. Two hundred and fifty thousand a month plus a one-hundred-thousand allowance. With a salary that big, I could practically build a house!" her friend said in disbelief. "Oh wait, I wouldn't even need to build one. The package includes a house and lot, a car, a one-week vacation abroad every month, and they even cover our life insurance. Amazing!" Isabella winced upon hearing what she said. "That's just a scam. Where have you ever seen a hiring post with a salary that huge? That's even better than donating to a charity." "You have a point... but it's impossible for it to be a scam, too." Her friend read more details, which made her eyes widen even further. "It really is impossible for it to be a scam, Isabella. It's addressed to Mr. Henry Vanderbilt's company!" Isabella frowned at what she said. "Who is that? An actor?" It was her first time hearing the name mentioned, so she had no idea. "You don't know him?" her friend asked in disbelief. "Mr. Henry Vanderbilt is the multi-billionaire of the famous Sovereign Global Enterprises and there are even rumors that he also owns this hotel where we work." Isabella nodded in understanding. "So he's super rich, then why does he need to hire a mother?" she said, laughing and emphasizing the last word. "I heard Mr. Vanderbilt has a child, but I'm not sure if it's still alive because his child hasn't been seen in public anymore. His personal life is way too private," her friend explained before turning off her phone because her shift was about to start. "If I were you, I'd try to apply. Who knows, it might help you even if it looks like a scam," she advised, knowing her friend's situation. "I'll go ahead. Hurry up over there." Isabella was left alone in the dressing room. Soon enough, she started her work as a cleaner. She had a five-hour shift as a part-timer, and she could say the pay was okay somehow, but not quite enough. Because of what her friend had discussed earlier, half of her focus drifted to it while working. Something was urging her to try it out to find out if the hiring post was a scam or not. If it were true, it would be a huge help to her, but she also kept wondering if she was even capable of being a mother. ---- "So, have you thought about it? Do you want to try the hiring post we saw?" her friend asked while walking Isabella to the bus stop. "I'll see. Wait..." Isabella stopped walking and faced her friend. "Why don't you apply? Why are you pushing it onto me?" Her friend suddenly laughed at the question. "I'm not ready to be a mother yet," she said jokingly. "Besides, my job here is fine. I'm just worried about you, and I think that would help you more than it would me." She linked her arm through her friend's and continued walking. "Don't overthink it, Isabella. Go tomorrow since it's your day off anyway. I'm sure a lot of people will apply, and you'll regret it if someone beats you to it. It's like winning the lottery." ---- Because of her friend's relentless prodding, she was now standing in front of a skyscraper with over fifty floors. She felt almost dizzy from its immense height as she looked up at the very top. It was even bigger than the hotel where she worked. Her friend had even helped her prepare. The corporate attire she wore was borrowed from her friend, who made her wear a pencil skirt that practically doubled as a mini skirt on her. The blouse she had on was also extremely tight, outlining the curves of her body. "You need to seduce Mr. Vanderbilt to get the job." Isabella shook her head as she remembered what her friend said. "I don't even know what he looks like," she told herself while looking at the printed form she had brought along with the page where they found the job posting. Mr. Vanderbilt was probably an old, frail man. Most multi-billionaires are like that, right? she muttered to herself, because no matter how much she searched on the internet the night before, no pictures of the man came up, and her friend had no idea either. "Miss, where are you heading?" The guard immediately blocked her before she could step inside. "Uhm, I'm going to apply," she replied softly, gazing at the women she saw inside. Are they here to apply too? she asked herself. "Do you have a form?" the guard asked, unable to keep his eyes from wandering over her outfit that distracting him. "Here it is." She handed over the form she was holding. Even before stepping inside, she was already nervous. The guard reviewed her application form before handing it back along with an ID pass. "Head straight to the top floor for your application." Isabella stepped inside with a fluttering heart. Her heavy footsteps matched the rapid beating of her chest. She couldn't help but notice the eyes staring at her. She felt like they were judging her. "Excuse me," a woman at the reception area called out before Isabella could reach the elevator, "Where are you heading?" Isabella squeezed her eyes shut against the things holding her back. The nervousness she felt grew even worse. "The guard said I should go straight to the top floor. I'm going to apply for this." She showed the application form to the receptionist. "Hold on. I'll inform the CEO." The receptionist immediately dialed the CEO's line, glancing at the application form in her hand. "Mr. Vanderbilt, you have an applicant here... her name is Isabella Morales... alright, Mr. Vanderbilt. I'll send her to your office now." She hung up the phone and turned to Isabella. "You may now proceed to the top floor, and don't forget to hand over this application form once you enter." Isabella headed toward the elevator, the paper in her hand practically crumpling from her intense nervousness. She argued with herself in her mind to just go home and finish what she needed to do, but she felt like she had no escape when the elevator stopped at the top floor. She was the only one inside the elevator, allowing her to arrive quickly. She swallowed hard before gathering the courage to step out of the elevator. It wasn't very bright inside. It was extremely quiet, and she was the only person there. She's wondering if the women she saw earlier were in the floor, thinking they might already inside the office. There was a single door at the end of the long hallway. The door had CEO's Office written on it, so she walked toward it. "You can do this, Isabella. This is just an interview like your previous job applications," she motivated herself, then stopped right in front of the door. Before she could even open it, it swung open on its own, startling her. An elderly man appeared before her, with hair and a beard that were almost completely white. He was wearing an expensive black suit typically worn by businessmen. He was tall and handsome, despite his age. "M-Mr. Vanderbilt?" Is this really him?, she asked quite disappointed in her mind.