Billion Dollar Vows

Chapter 1

LEILA

The annoying brightness of the laptop illuminated my face while I stared at the time being wasted.

I needed to publish this article ASAP.

Logan, my editing partner, took his sweet time editing the work we’ve been researching for the past twenty-four hours. I was the head editor of our company, so the work I had to submit had to be from my account. Now, the deadline is fast approaching. The time read 11:55 pm.

The article was meant to be published by 12pm, if I wanted to keep my job.

I heard a loud cry come from my room. It was Jasmin. She most likely woke up scared because I wasn't in the room with her.

I saw my phone lit up, a sigh instantly escaped my lips. It was Barry. The biggest elephant in the room I've been avoiding. He most likely wanted to scream in my ear about another complaint. About how dead our incoming marriage will be before it has even started.

I wasn't involved in the wedding planning. I left it to his sisters because he respects their decision over mine anytime of the day. I picked up the phone and placed it on the speaker.

“Hi Babe, I’m a bit busy with Jasmin and work, I’ll call you in a few minutes.”

He chuckled under his breath.

The sound sent a quiet shiver down my spine. “Another day for you to pick others over me, Leila. Cut the bull shit.”

The next words he said made me scoff.

“Do you even love me?” he asked.

My heart raced at his low, frightening voice that came through my phone. My fever was getting higher, and I felt the sweat that beaded my forehead. I didn’t think again. I flipped my phone to not disturb, then powered it off completely.

I looked at the clock. I had three more minutes to submit the article.

I saw a notification pop up from my laptop. Logan has finally sent the final revision of the article.

I clicked the two documents he sent and scrolled through the first. It was a detailed and concise article about JHK Investments recent dip in their shareholders' stocks. The second one spoke about the illegal works of the same investment company.

I checked the time.

30 more seconds.

I published the two articles.

The moment I pressed send, a breath slipped out of me, the one I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

I finally leaned back in my chair, a deep sigh escaping my lips.

Jasmin released another sharp cry.

Instantly, my legs were on the floor and I rushed into my room.

I saw her teary eyes on me. Jasmin let out a loud cry again like she'd seen a ghost.

It had to be one of those nightmares she had.

I took her body into my arms gently and patted her hair down.

“Shhh, Jasmin i’m here,”

Another sharp cry filled the room, she moved her body away from mine, her lips parted as she wailed.

“where’s maama?” she cried.

My heart clenched, and I sniffed back some tears myself. I rocked her more in my embrace.

“I’m here my baby, I'm here,”

“No, you are not my mama, where is my mama?”

Her mouth trembled open with loud sobs that dissolved into hiccups.

I brought a glass of water to her lips, then she slowly sipped. After a few minutes passed, she was deep asleep in my arms.

I laid her back in the bed and looked at the wall clock in my room.

I saw my laptop and closed it. I took my phone and looked at my phone with a hard stare. Barry had to be the most heartless man ever. What he did today was totally uncalled-for.

All I did was to match his energy. He told all his sisters about how ungrateful I was, how I wasn't doing much for the wedding, despite him knowing how my debts are weighing heavy on me every night.

I snuggled close to Jasmin. Her chestnut-coloured hair was so similar to her mothers. Seeing her cute deep breathing even made my heart tug a little.

I remember the days we’d go to the park, all of us to have fun. Now we only had each other.

I closed my eyes and released a gentle sigh as sleep crept in.

……………….

The bird's chirping sound made me move.

The bright morning light shone into my room and made the curtains look almost ethereal as the gentle breeze grazed my skin.

I looked at Jasmin and her eyes were on me. Her milk teeth were on full display whilst I smiled back at her.

She wrapped her hands around me, I held her the same way before I tickled her.

Her childish giggles filled the room and made the atmosphere brighter than it already was.

“How are you my baby?” I poked her cute dimples.

“I want waffles with maple syrup," she said.

When my legs hit the ground, I went straight to the kitchen.

Work started at 8:30 a.m., so I had an hour and thirty minutes to get ready.

I took a quick shower and got ready for work. The thought of Barry's outburst yesterday left me with so many thoughts of the day before.

I needed to call him on the train. My fingers tightened around my phone, I couldn’t believe how cruel his words felt.

I finished dressing up and made Jasmin get ready for Kindergarten. I opened the fridge and took out the soup I left out yesterday. My fever was definitely better, so I made us some waffles and we ate.

After all the food on our plates disappeared, we rose and quickly left the apartment.

I dropped off Jasmin at her school and met up on the train.

I noticed,

Barry sent one missed call,

Our CEO, Mr. Davis, sent five missed calls,

Logan sent fifteen missed calls.

A sharp sigh escaped my lips, before I opened Logan's messages.

Logan: Leila! The other article wasn’t meant to be published, didn't you see the headline??

Logan: Delete it now, it's getting way too much traction!

Logan: Oh my God Leila, I hope you haven’t slept off. WE ARE SCREWED!

I checked the time he sent these messages. They were twenty minutes after I published the articles at midnight.

My heart dropped, and I quickly went to our company's website to see what I had published.

The article boldly read, “The Private Despicable works behind Harrison Holdings.”

My heart beat faster.

I scrolled through the article and got over 50,000 comments within just eight hours.

A particular part of the article caught my attention.

“Thomas Harrison was sentenced to two-year imprisonment for embezzling funds from innocent investors of Harrison holdings, but proof says he kidn*pped and shot the victims. Only one managed to escape.”

What in the world?

How did I miss this?

How was I so negligent to publish anything that had to do with Harrison Holdings?

Not only are they the most prestigious and wealthy investment firm in the whole of the country, but their company controls the global flow of money.

Those were exactly who I poked.

Suddenly red lights were flashing on my phone that read Mr Davis. The CEO of our company was calling me.

My hands started shaking frantically, and I looked around me on the train, the men and women, the children, the old people. My breathing became uneven and my head felt dizzy.

This time, I answered.