THE BILLIONAIRE'S CINDERELLA WIFE

Episode 13

Its a battle in my mind as I ask myself what it will mean to let Greenfield buy such expensive shoes for my little brother and how will people see me, as a gold digger or a poor girl accepting handouts?

So many eyes are on me waiting for my response, Matt is pleading with his eyes and Greenfield is encouraging me to accept whilst Tiffany looks annoyed and impatient to leave. "The man is not asking you to marry him, do us all a favour and decide whether you will accept Tyrone's offer or not," Tiffany snorts.

Tyrone! So that's doctor Greenfield's name...it sounds nice and I think it suits him. "Please say yes Becca," Matt shakes my hand.

"I can't ask you to spend so much on my brother," I blink.

"You are not asking, I'm offering," he says as he takes out his wallet and I notice a lot of hundred dollar notes in it. After his niece chooses the shoes she wants he pays for both shoes and leaves a large tip for the cashier, who is more than overjoyed to receive it.

"Are you guys done here in town? Would you like me to drive you home?" He offers.

Tiffany peers at him wide eyed, jaw dropped, ready to protest.

"So what did you say about having dinner with me?" He asks.

"Oh gosh...I will wait in the car," Tiffany says with annoyance before stomping away, dragging her daughter along.

"Don't mind her, she is just having a bad day," Greenfield whispers.

"Oh...okay," I respond, tucking my hair underneath my ear and fighting the urge to use my toes to draw on the floor.

"You are beautiful but you don't seem to know it," he comments, making me aware that my low self esteem and lack of self confidence isn't secret at all.

I have no words to use to respond to him and I can't bring myself to lift up my head and stare at him.

"Father tells her all the time that she is beautiful but she doesn't seem to believe it," Matt blurts.

"Keep quiet...no one is talking to you," I scold him using a low voice.

"I will think about your proposal and then I will give you a call to let you know...if you can excuse us my brother and I have to get going." I quickly say and follow by hastily walking away.

"Thank you for the shoes," Matt yells while I drag him away.

"Damn it Matt!" I grunt. "What?" He shrugs. "Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut. Do you have any idea how you have embarrased me?"

"No I didn't...I was only helping you,"

"Did I ask for your help?" I frown at him.

Its no point lashing out at Matt, its me I should be disappointed in, had I been bold enough to quickly respond to every statement Greenfield uttered Matt wouldn't have felt the need to do the answering for me.

"Would you like some ice cream before we go back home?"

"Really?" He happily glances at me.

"Yeah...why not? Greenfield has saved me a lot of money by paying for your shoes,"

I take Matt to the nearest ice cream parlor and we order two big tubs of ice cream. We have to live a little and please ourselves from time to time, life can't always be about strict budgets.

"I love you Becca...you are my best friend," Matt declares. This is not my first time hearing those words from him, a week doesn't go by without him uttering them to me but surprisingly they never lose meaning and they always make my heart melt up.

"Aww...I hope you are not just saying that because I bought you a tub of ice cream," I tease.

"No but the ice cream really did help me remember that you are my best friend," he giggles.

After finishing the delicious creamy ice cream, I take Matt window shopping and we stroll around town for the fun of it, admiring beautiful buildings and the beautiful cars that we come across.

It dawns on my mind that mother demanded that I get home early so as to cook dinner so I take Matt to the bus station, he was reluctant to go but there wasn't any other choice. A long ride later we drop off at the bus stop and make our way home.

Matt takes out one shoe from the shopping bag, "my classmates are going to be so jealous of my expensive running shoes, I'm probably going to be the only who has them in the whole entire school," he beams.

"Just make sure you don't lose them otherwise I will be angry with you," I warn.

A thought suddenly flashes in my mind, what do I tell my parents? They know there is no way I can afford such expensive shoes. Dad will not be happy to learn that Greenfield bought the shoes so I can't tell him.

I stop Matt from walking inside the house, I pull him aside to talk to him. "You can't tell anyone that Greenfield bought the shoes for you,"

"Why not?" he gazes up at me with confusion glimmering in his eyes.

"Because father won't understand," I respond instantly.

"What's there to understand?"

"Listen Mattie...stop asking me questions, you are still a child so you won't understand...just do what I tell you..." I pause to think for a moment.

"We will tell father that the shoes were on sale, 75 percent off," I grin, believing I came up with a convincing lie.

"You are asking me to lie to our parents?" Matt pops his eyes out.

"Just this once and it's for a good reason...If you don't want to tell a lie you better keep quiet and let me do the talking." I sternly say.

"Okay then," Matt nods his head in agreement although he is puzzled by our entire conversation. It will be no good trying to make him understand.

We walk in to the living room and find mom and dad holding each other on the couch like high school sweethearts. I'm not used to seeing my parents so lovey dovey and it changed all so suddenly. Perhaps the thought of almost losing her husband has made mother appreciate him more and not take him for granted or it is father's upcoming job interview that's got her in a good mood.

"Did you guys get what you were looking for?" Father sits up the moment we walk in.

"Yep, we did," I respond. I turn to Matt and signal him to take the shopping bag upstairs before they ask to see the shoes. He obeys and trails away.

There is a look of regret and disappointment in my father's face as I keep observing his expression it later lightens up with hope.

"You should have spent that money getting your hair or nails done instead of being financially responsible for Matt...its not fair on you," he swallows hard.

"Oh come on...Matt is her blood, there is nothing wrong with older siblings taking care of their younger sibling's needs," mother cuts in.

Although I acknowledge the truth in her statement, I do not appreciate the lack of appreciation in her tone.

"I'm going to take a short nap upstairs," I mumble before trailing off.

I take off my shoes and rub my feet, I walked around a lot today and my feet are a bit sore. I lay on top of the covers in bed and sigh deeply. It doesn't take long for the thoughts of doctor Tyrone Greenfield to float in my mind. I am scared of getting my hopes up only to be disappointed, it just feels too good to be true that someone like him would be interested in someone like me. Someone many people are quick to look down upon and treat like a wretched poor girl. How do I even get my father to allow me to go out with him? He is very over protective of me and he has always had a strong dislike of people who are wealthy and rich.I have always thought its because he is jealous of them and they remind me of what he doesn't have. Perhaps they make him feel inferior and insecure were his wife is concerned.

If I want to be happy at some point in life then I will need to control my fears and learn to take risks. I may get disappointed and heartbroken but that's just the way life is, I'm sure that happens to everybody and time takes its course and heals all wounds.

I decide I'm going to call Greenfield right this instance, I roll off my bed and pull out the drawer where I left his card. I use my hand to feel for it but it's not there. I'm pretty sure that's where I left it but I guess it doesn't hurt to look for it elsewhere. I pull open the other drawers and rifle through them but there is nothing. I check under the bed, inside my hand bag, jacket pockets and everywhere possible but the card is not there.

Is this a sign that I shouldn't call him? But was not bumping into him by the mall a sign that I should call him? I pace around the room, my mind flying in all directions but I come to the conclusion that some one got into my room and took the card. If my father knew I had Greenfield's card then he would be my first supsect but the only person who knows about it is my mother and she is the only person who wanted the card for herself.

What is wrong with her, why does she desperately want the card to the extent of breaking into my room to steal it? I can't answer these questions for her, I'm going to have to let her answer them. With furrowed brows and narrowed eyes, I forcefully rush downstairs to confront her.

"Where is it?...Why did you take it?" I bark. Mother and father stare at each other with confusion, neither of them know who I am referring to.

"Where is it, mother! Give it back!" I demand.

"Give back what? I don't know what you are talking about," she blankly answers.

My father gets on his feet and walks over to me with a serious look on his face and I brace myself for being scolded at.

"I don't care what it is that you think your mother took but you will not speak to my wife in that manner...do you understand me?" He huskily scolds.

If only he knew the kind of person his dear wife is and what she is capable of, then he wouldn't be standing up for her.