A BILLIONAIRE'S TWIST

CHAPTER FOUR

"Wait, you mean Emil Rossi? The well-known businessman and CEO of C.O.B?" Abby’s eyes widened in astonishment as she leaned in, intrigued by Ember's revelation.

She couldn't hide her shock as she fired off these questions.

"Exactly, you heard me right!," Ember replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked down, her eyes filled with pain.

Lately, she had been deeply hurt by a series of events, feeling like time was slipping through her fingers, leaving her behind. Each passing moment seemed to mock her, and she despised her life as much as she loathed herself for her choices.

“That must be a lot to take in….. But what was a respectable man like Emil doing in the pub that night? Was he undercover or something? How was he not recognized by anyone? Didn’t anyone make a scene by trying to get a picture or an autograph?” Abby kept asking lots of questions, and as much as she was worried and concerned about Ember, there was some level of doubt. How could she possibly trust a stranger she had just met a few minutes ago?

Now that was a mystery. How was a famous business Tycoon in a low-class pub?..... There’s got to be some answers somehow. But who was to answer these questions, when the victim was under the influence and not in her right senses to recall or even picture anything?

She couldn’t believe nor understand how Ember, a middle-class girl, could get involved with Emil, a wealthy businessman.

Abby showed no sign of doubt about the account Ember had just told her, even though she had doubts. Ember, after sharing her grief with Abby, felt relieved and fell asleep on the couch.

****

Abby lives alone, she’s a Canadian based in the States. Her family moved to America when she was barely four years old. Her parents betrothed her to a sixty-five-year-old man they owed back in Canada. It was time for the family to move back to Canada, but Abby insisted on staying. However, her protest fell on deaf ears.

On the day of departure, her father grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the house. When they almost got to their car, Abby gathered courage and strength and bit her dad. She quickly ran off and left her dad groaning in pain. Her family left for Canada without her and never came back. She believes they must have married off her younger sister to an old pedophile to pay off their debts. This is how Abby came to live alone.

She works as a waitress in one of the expensive restaurants, where she uses the money she receives to fund her education and take care of herself.

She offered to be of help to Ember any day she needed her. She believed that no man should make any woman suffer and because of that, she was willing to help a stranger she had met in front of her apartment sobbing.

***

When Ember felt better, Abby saw her off, and she drove back home. Ember walked into the house to meet her parents seated at the dining table, wearing weary faces as if they had just been told that she was dead.

She said nothing to them and walked past them to her room. Her parents, who didn’t notice her presence until she banged her room door, quickly rushed up to the room to talk with her.

“Open up, Ember, we want to talk with you,” her parents said as they kept knocking for her to open up.

“Ember! Open the door this minute before I break in”, her dad, who was already losing his temper, ordered.

“Leave it to me honey” Mrs. Taylor assured her husband

“Ember dear, please open the door, your mom wants to speak with you,” Mrs. Taylor said softly as she kept pleading with Ember to let her in.

Ember, moved by her mom’s softness, opened the door for her mom.

“Honey, your dad and I are sorry for upsetting you this morning,” her mom said as she rubbed Ember’s cheeks lightly and affectionately smiled at her.

“What did he want Mom?...why was he here that early?” Ember, who was angry, eagerly demanded an answer from her mother.

"Darling, I want to remind you that your dad and I are retired now. Our family has faced many hardships lately, and we can barely afford three meals a day, let alone our utility bills.

Ember, who had sensed the danger that awaited her, interrupted her mom.

“Mother, please go straight to the point…. What does he want from us?” she asked. Her mom tried to ignore the question.

“Mom please answer me!” Ember yelled at her mom in anger.

This time, her mother saw her daughter's anger and decided to tell her what was discussed in the morning.

“He wants to marry you” Mrs. Taylor uttered shamefully.

“What?” Ember yelled. This time, her dad climbed up after hearing a loud noise.

“Calm down Ember, it’s for the good of the family. Besides, he’s rich, and marrying him is not only going to save this family but also make you one of the richest women in the city and beyond.”

Ember, who was pacing up and down all this while, stopped to look at her mom puzzled.

“Mother, what do you mean? You’re giving me to someone we barely know just because of money? Is this what you’re telling me, Mother?” Ember burst into tears as she asked her mom.

She couldn’t believe those words had just come from her mom. Neither could she believe that her parents had reached a consensus to give her out for marriage to a man she had spent a night with and believed had foully messed with her.

“My own family is giving me out because of money?....what?” Ember thought to herself and kept shedding tears uncontrollably.

Ember’s devastated state was not bothered by her father. Rather, he wondered why his daughter was exaggerating.

“You ungrateful child, your mom and I are here thinking of how to make you live a successful and luxurious life with the richest man in the city, and you stand here lamenting?....... imagine being surrounded by thousands of servants, driving the most expensive cars, and going on the most expensive trips as well in your private jet...you are not just doing this family a favor but helping herself as well” with these words Mr. Taylor walked away angrily to his bedroom.

Mrs. Taylor followed suit; she couldn’t bear to see her daughter in that state. Ember locked herself in her room and cried. She wept for an entire day and refused to open the door for anyone, not even her favorite uncle, whom her mom called to speak with her.