MARRIED TO A CRUEL BILLIONAIRE

THE SHOCKER. ANNA'S POV I stood in front of my late father's picture frame on the wall along the passage, tears rolled down my cheeks as memories of my late father flashed through my eyes. "Take it easy on yourself my love," my mother Madam Angelica said smoothly as she gave me a warm massage on my shoulder, they called her Madam Angelica due to her possessive character as she is very strict. I quickly wiped my tears away with my hands and put on a brave face, trying to hide my sadness. I didn't want to worry her, so I did my best to keep my emotions under control. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, Who could that be? I asked as I tried to peer through the window to see who was there, but I didn't have a clear view. "Perhaps it's one of your father's friends" Madam Angelica responded with confidence like she was expecting someone. "Come in," she said in a cool tone. I wondered who it could be, and what they might say. I took a deep breath as I sat on the couch, trying to steady my nerves. The main door creaks open, and Sir Thomas the gatekeeper leads a man with a briefcase and an old fat man into the parlor. "You may have your seat," I said smoothly as I turned to her mother who was still trying to recall where she knew the face of the old man from. "Thank you" the old man replied with his deep, possessive voice as he sat down, "Take your seat, Mr. James," he said tapping the space beside him, He adjusted his tie, and took off his glasses "My name is Reynolds, Mr. Lucas was my business partner before his death, may his gentle soul rest in peace. "Amen," Madam Angelica murmured, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to place the face. She pressed two fingers to her forehead as if to press the memories into her mind. "I feel like I know this person, but I can't quite remember where from." Her voice trailed off, lost in thought. I could tell that she was trying to figure it out, and I wondered if I should do something to help cut the suspense. "Let me get you water" I stood up heading towards the kitchen, looking at the man with a briefcase, I presumed him to be a lawyer. "Thank you my dear" madam angelica replied, readjusting her sitting posture. "Well, that aside." Mr Reynolds clears his throat as he sits upright, "Mr man take out that file" he said hitting the lawyer's briefcase with his hands. "Madam I need my money, and I need it very fast!" He said without hesitating. "Excuse me! Madam Angelica responded feeling very irritated, "What do you mean by that" "Your husband borrowed a huge amount of money from me" he collects the file containing a written agreement from the lawyer and slides it on the table towards her, Madam Angelica was flabbergasted by the old man's revelation. "That can't be right," she exclaimed. "My husband never mentioned anything like that to me." I suddenly heard the commotion and rushed into the room. Saw the look of shock on my mother's face and noticed the paper on the table. I picked up the note on the table and read it over my mother's shoulder. "50 pounds what" The glass of water fell from my hands out of shock, spilling it all over the floor. The lawyer replied "Yes 50 million pounds, and this beautiful mansion was used as collateral for the loan" "It's so unfortunate," the old man replied, his voice strong and unwavering. "Your father was a good man, but he made some bad decisions. Now it's up to you to decide what to do next." "You have just a month to come up with my money, or you leave this mansion" The room was silent for a moment, the only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. My mother and I exchanged glances, unsure of what to say or do next. I trembled as I struggled to find the words to respond. Finally, I managed to stammer out, "You mean... there's nothing that can be done? This mansion is all we have left of my father. How can you do this?" Mr. Reynolds replied with a cold, unfeeling tone, "I don't joke with money. You have a month to pay up or move out. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is." He put on his glasses and stood up ready to take his leave. "Please give them a copy of the notice," he said to the lawyer. The lawyer, feeling sympathy for us, carefully placed the notice on the table, as they made their way out. I quickly picked up the notice with curiosity, it read: "You are hereby notified that you have one month to pay the balance of the loan or vacate the property. Failure to comply will result in foreclosure and eviction proceedings. Thank you for your understanding." Madam Angelica sat still trying to get a hold of herself. I could see the panic in her. My mind raced as I attempted to make sense of everything that was going on. I have never been in a situation like this before, and I am absolutely out of my element. I stared at my mother, who was buried in her thoughts and staring blankly ahead. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of loneliness. I knew I needed to act, but I had no idea where to begin. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head, then I realized that the only thing I could control right now was my actions. So, I started by asking my mother a question. "Mom, can we please just sit down and talk about this?" I asked gently, taking my mother's hand. Madam Angelica looks at me, and a flicker of hope appears in her eyes. "Of course, dear," she says. "Mom, I know this is a difficult situation, but we are going to get through it together," I said reassuringly. "Let's try to figure out our options." Madam Angelica takes a deep breath and nods, her expression softening. "You're right, dear. We'll figure this out," she said. "We could try talking to Mr. Reynolds again, and see if we can buy some time" I suggested, even though I knew that it would be impossible to pay off the debt with my current salary. "But Mr. Reynolds was pretty clear that he wasn't interested in negotiating," Madam Angelica responded. "I'm not sure there's anything we can do to change his mind." a note of worry crept into her voice. "Maybe not, but we can't just give up without trying," I replied. "If we can just get a few more months, maybe we can figure something out." I think about it for a bit. "All right, let's talk to Mr. Reynolds again." But first, we must.. the jarring buzz of my phone interrupted the talk, "I will be right back Mum," I replied as I rose and went outside to take my phone call.