The Billionaire Student's Secret.

4

Jade yawned and stretched as she got off a bus, happy that two hours of sitting in a place was over. She slung her one and only tote bag which had seen better days over her shoulder and walked the remaining distance to her destination, which she would have booked a cab to, if she still had a job.

Jade refused to dwell on the sob story her life had become after Mr. Tung had fired her. To save money, she'd almost stopped using her water and electricity, so that her bills wouldn't accumulate, she only ate once a day, and she almost never used any transport other than her legs, unless the distance was too far.

Jade stomach rumbled and she walked faster. She remembered she had only taken two spoons of cereal in the morning.

“Ahhhh! I need to eat,” Jade lamented, hoping and praying that she'd be served a large quantity of food where she was going to.

From the main road, Jade walked into a cul-de-sac of identical red and white brick bungalows. Going to the most ramshackle one with an overgrown lawn, Jade knocked on the rusty front door and waited.

“Coming,” A feminine voice from within intoned and Jade clasped her hands in waiting.

A minute later, the door opened and a woman in her early forties wearing a pair of mismatched pajamas and holding a lit cigarette in her hand appeared, “What?”

“Good morning,” Jade smiled.

“What's good about the morning?” The woman asked lazily, taking a puff of her cigarette and exhaling directly in Jade's face.

“Mother, can I at least come in?” Jade begged as she pinched her nose to prevent inhaling cigarette smoke.

* * *

Jade was visibly shocked at the change the house she'd grown up in had undergone. Most of the furniture in the house were missing, probably sold off. And the house looked like it had been painted for quite a while. Palm prints marred the walls, and the sitting room was littered with cigarette butts and overflowing ashtrays, empty pizza boxes and takeout containers, unwashed dishes and crumpled snack wrappers.

Jade was disgusted, but she was hungry. So she asked as politely as she could, “Do you have any food?”

Her mother, Mary's only response was to eye her lazily and take another drag of her cigarette. Jade took that as a no.

“What do you want?” Mary asked suspiciously, and for the first time since Jade arrived, she looked at her mother.

Mary was a beautiful woman with coffee-brown eyes, glorious hair and a usually jovial expression. She had married Jade's father, Micheal right out of high school and had given birth to Jade two years into their marriage.

Micheal had worked as a factory manager in the industrial district while Mary had stayed at home, taking care of Jade. They had lived happily, until the year before when Micheal had died of myocardial infarction.

After Dosan's death, Mary became unmoored, and the once vibrant woman dimmed to a shadow of herself. She had taken up gambling, smoking, and bringing home men of all types.

Jade replied, “Mother, I lost my job on campus, and I don't have any money.”

Mary showed no reaction whatsoever, “And so?”

“I don't have any money to pay for accommodation, and the next academic session's fees.” Jade's frustration was evident in her tone.

“And what do you want me to do?” Mary questioned, snuffing out her cigarette on a nearby ashtray.

“I need you to give me money.” Jade pleaded, and at that, Mary began to laugh drily, until tears came to her eyes.

Even then, she continued to laugh until she choked, and began to cough violently.

Jade rose up to offer assistance in any way she could, but her mother held up a hand to stop her.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps and a second later, a shirtless young man who looked to be barely twenty appeared.

“Honey, are you alright?” The man asked with concern as he sat his scrawny frame right next to Mary and held her hand.

Jade was shocked by the gesture. Of course, she knew her mother had been with a lot of men after her father's demise, she'd never seen one of them in the daytime. Mary usually sent them home before day broke.

Yet, here was this one, holding hands with her mother right before Jade.

“And who are you?” Jade queried aggressively.

The man turned to her, “My name is Drew. And who are you?”

“My daughter,” Mary croaked out, her voice unsteady.

A scowl immediately came over Drew's face, “The selfish one?”

Jade's blood boiled at the description, “Excuse you?” turning to Mary, “Mother, who's this leech?”

Mary sighed, “Drew's my boyfriend.”

“Where did you pick him up from?” Jade asked, repulsed.

Drew started, “Hey—”

“I met him at the casino.” Mary stated without any enthusiasm.

Jade shook her head disappointedly, “Come on, Mother. Really? Can't you see this man is a parasite? He's probably a bum who has no place to stay, and now he's here mooching off you!”

“Shut up! b***h!” Drew shouted.

“No, you shut up!” Mary addressed Drew sternly, “you're giving me a headache.”

Drew immediately quietened and leaned in to press a kiss on Mary's cheek, “I'm sorry, hon.”

“Leave us,” Mary dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

Drew hesitated for a minute before he stood up and walked away, casting Jade a glare which she reciprocated.

Immediately he left the room, Jade began, “Mother, what can I say to get you to dump that man? He's only going to cause you trouble.”

“After all, he's nothing but a parasite, right?” Mary concurred.

“Yes,” Jade replied, happy that her mother was agreeing with her.

Mary laughed bitterly, “You think I don't know that Drew's a useless i***t who runs around, looking for a woman to gamble with him, and pay off his debts?”

“Then why do you put up with him?” Jade cried.

“Because he's here and he gives me the attention I need!” Mary answered, her voice rising.

Jade's eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”

“Come on, Jade. You barely have time for me. You're always so busy in school. Do you know this is the first time you've visited me since you transferred to your present university?” Mary complained.

Jade opened her mouth to vehemently deny it when it occurred to her that Mary was telling the truth.

Mary continued, “You don't call me, you don't visit. You don't even care how I'm faring.”

“That's not true!” Jade interjected.

Mary ignored her outburst and continued, “And when you finally visit, it's to tell me how you need money, with even asking if I'm alright.”

Jade had the grace to feel ashamed. Schoolwork and her job had taken up so much of her time, and she thought her mother understood. Apparently, she didn't.

“I'm sorry, Mother.” Jade apologized, getting on her knees, “it was selfish of me to forget about you. It won't happen again. From now on, I promise to keep in touch with you.”

Mary wiped a stray tear from her eye and replied in a voice as cold as ice, “Don't bother. I don't want your pity.”

Jade's heart dipped and her voice broke as she asked, “Then, what do you want from me?”

Mary looked away, “Leave me alone.”

Brokenly, Jade picked herself up from the floor, carried her tote and left without another word.

On her way to the bus stop, the tears began to flow freely and sobs too much for her to bear. Once again, she sat on the sidewalk and cried, desolate that she'd lost one of the most important people in her life, her mother.