THE STOLEN BILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER

Dulce Madden I heard the bell ring as soon as the clock struck three, marking the end of the class and the day at school. I could hear students chatter along about their plans for the rest of their day. I grabbed my bag and made my way to the parking lot where my mother was seated in my car waiting for me. She was a teacher at Emmons High School, the same school I was at. I opened the car and entered. She smiled at me, “how was your day sweetie?” She asked. “Same old, same old.” I replied in a monotonous voice. There wasn’t much to enjoy in school. I kept counting the minutes till it ended and I could leave. I didn’t have a lot of friends. That’s actually an understatement. I didn’t have any friends in school. “Do you have a party to go to today?” She asked merrily as she backed us out of the parking lot. Most parents dreaded the idea of their children going to parties, drinking or even staying out late, but not my mother. She encourages such kinds of behaviour because, according to her, I wasn’t acting like a normal teenage girl. I sighed, “you know I never party.” I replied, “however I will be late for work if you drive any slower,” I stated. My mother sighed, “maybe you should stop trying to take care of everything and be a child for once. You’re a senior in high school and seventeen, I have attended a lot of parties at that age.” She said as we drove home. “I am a child, that’s why I come back home and do my homework and study, as children do.” I replied. “Besides, I don’t need to get distracted, I need a scholarship if I have any chance of getting into college.” “You know that’s not what I meant. I mean, make friends, go out and have fun, party, drink and come back home and lie about it.” She chuckled. I knew she had the best intention at heart, but I knew how she struggled to pay the bills around the house and her salary didn’t cover much. That’s why she had to take on another job of being a tutor. She was the one who needed the break. “Mom, I know how much you struggle to give me the things I have and even though my pay isn’t much, I want to help you, rather than going to a party with children who have rich parents who can bribe their way into a college or whatever.” I replied. She looked at me and smiled, “sweetie, I want you to know how much I love you.” She said. “But I also want you to go out for parties.” She added. “I know that, now put your eyes on the road.” I said as I looked at my old Samsung phone. It took a lot of saving to even afford one, so I tried to protect it as best as I could. We got home, we both immediately started getting ready for our other jobs. I heard a loud honking. It was my co-worker who always picked me up so we could drive to work together. I looked out of the window, “would you relax I’m coming!” I yelled at him as I picked up my blue hat that completed my uniform and walked out of my small room. “Mom I’m leaving!” I yelled as I made my way to the door. “Okay sweetie. Take care. See you later!” She yelled back from her room. “I’ll bring us food from work, so no need to prepare anything,” I said as I walked out of the house. I walked up to the old Toyota that was parked outside the apartment building that was waiting for me. I looked through the window, I smiled at the boy seated in the driver’s seat. “Well, I see you decided to make yourself extra pretty for me today.” He said as he wiggled his eyebrows. I chuckled as I opened the door, “keep dreaming Austin.” I said as I closed the door. He chuckled as he drove off. Austin was someone I happened to meet on the first day I went looking for a job. He was nice to me and so, when I got the job, we clicked and we became good friends. He finished high school and didn’t have a plan to go to college, so he decided to just work at the fast food joint as he figured out what he wanted to do with his life. “So, are you still studying hard?” He asked. “I am, though my mother is trying to get me to go to parties and get drunk and sneak out of the house.” I replied with soft laughter. “I think she has a point. You’re only seventeen and you already put yourself under so much pressure to succeed, I don’t think that’s healthy.” Austin said, agreeing with my mother. I sighed, “I know that I have to go out and party but I see how my mother is struggling and I want to help her. But once I have landed at a good college with a full scholarship, then I will let loose and go to all the parties there are.” I explained. “You are a really good daughter and student, but you also need to take advantage of the time you have in high school.” Austin said as he parked the car and we entered the building to start our work. The job wasn’t an amazing one, but the worst part of it was when I had to meet students from my school who would decide to just be mean or rude for no reason. But I kept my head down, telling myself that it was all for a while. Then I would be off to college, help me manage through all the things I was going through in their hands. “I’m home!” I yelled when I opened the door and walked in. My mother was at the kitchen table going through some test papers. She looked up at me and smiled, “how was work honey?” She asked. I placed the food on the table, “same as usual. Mean classmates, rude customers, good customers.” I ranted off. “How about you, how was tutoring?” I asked. “I like the student I’m tutoring now, she isn’t as dumb as her parents make her out to be. She is just shy.” She said. “Or maybe she just likes you,” I said with a smile. I would do this from time to time and it has helped us cut back on food expenses from time to time, the money often going to other bills in the house. We talked for a while as we had our meal, then I went to my room, took a shower, did a little homework of my own, then I went to bed after texting Austin, who was probably at a party. Goodnight. The next day it was the same routine all over again. I got ready for school, drove with my mother to school and after school was over we drove back together. “Honey, I got a call from this man who wants me to tutor his son. I might come back home late today. You should prepare dinner, okay?” She said as we walked into the apartment. “Are you sure you should take on another student? You seem overwhelmed already as it is,” I said. I noticed the tension in her shoulders. I even tried to learn massage so I could help with that, but it didn’t do much. “We need the money, sweetie, besides this guy seems to be really rich, and if this works out for me, maybe I wouldn’t have to take on a lot of students after all.” My mother explained. I sighed, “fine, but send me a picture of this guy so that I can identify him if you end up in a ditch somewhere.” I joked. She chuckled, “I know you meant to joke but it could be serious, so let me send you the picture and his contact information.” She sent me the information and I almost fell over. “Mom!” I yelled. My mother rushed into my room in a panic. “What’s wrong, Dulce?” She asked, concerned. “You realise who this is, right?” I asked. She sighed, “you scared me.” She said as she walked out of my room. I followed her, “I don’t really know. Is he someone I should know?” She asked. “Yes it is. This is Miles Langley, the owner of Langley Enterprises and the founder of the Langley foundation. Langley foundation is one of the places I was hoping would give me a scholarship.” I explained excitedly. “All I’m hearing is that he is rich and handsome.” She said as she packed her materials. I heard the honk, meaning that Austin was there. “Mom, I never asked you for anything, but please make sure you get this job. It could determine the rest of my life.” I begged her. “Honey, I’ll do my best, but it’s not really up to me if he hires me, but up to him, if he really likes me enough to hire me.” She said casually. I played with her hair, “you’re beautiful and charming. You should use that to your advantage.” She swatted my hand away, “I’m a professional and I will not be trying to seduce anyone. But I will try and be charming for you sweetie.” She kissed me on the cheek, “now I have to go before I am late.” She said as she walked out. I was so excited about all this; I have always wanted to meet Mr. Langley but I always thought it was a long shot, but now it didn’t seem that much of a long shot. I spent most of the time looking up Langley, looking at the work they do, where they are located, if they have connections to any major universities that I was hoping to get into. I was so hopeful that everything might work out that I didn’t stop to think that it might not. But when you live a life like mine, hope is all you have. At the end of the day, Austin drove me home. “You know now that your mother is going to be late, we could attend this party I have been invited to.” He offered. “I have a ton of homework and I have to prepare dinner. Maybe next time,” I said. “You always say that and you never come. Your next time is usually never.” Austin complained. But before I could speak, an expensive looking car drove past us and parked in front of us. “I think this guy took a wrong turn.” Austin said, wording my thoughts. I was surprised when I saw my mother walking out of the car, then a man following her shortly after. My mother was giggling and smiling, it was as if she was a teenager again. “Looks like your mother got you the connection you needed.” Austin commented when my mother hugged the man. I playfully hit his arm, he walked back to his car, waved her goodbye and he drove off. “See you tomorrow.” I said as I quickly got out of the car and followed my mother. “I see you two got along well.” I commented, startling my mother. She chuckled, “turns out he did need my services but he also needed me.” She winked. “Gross.” I said as my face cringed. “I have another date with him tomorrow.” She said as we walked to our apartment. “You’re not doing this because I asked you to, right?” I asked, feeling slightly guilty that I even asked her to do that in the first place. “Oh sweetie, I would do anything for you but this is not because you asked me to. I actually love spending time with him and it has been a while since I went out on a date.” She said as we walked into the house.