THE BILLIONAIRE'S CINDERELLA WIFE

Episode 10

EPISODE 10

I can’t believe my mother is making moves on Greenfield whom I’m sure is a few years younger than her, what is wrong with this woman? I’m tempted to rush over there to tell her to buzz off; I clench my teeth as I restrain myself from going there. There is an obvious look on Greenfield’s face, it’s like he is trying to come up with an excuse not to give her his number. “Don’t worry...I won’t call unless it’s an emergency,” she says after sensing that he was hesitant to give her his contact details. “Alright then,” he paces over to his car and pulls out a card which he then hands to my mother. “I really have to go now,” he says while walking back to his car. Vivian waves at him as he reverses his car and takes off. As soon as Greenfield’s car is out of sight, I come out of hiding and bolt towards my mother who is still happily staring at Greenfield’s card. I snatch the card from her hand while scowling at her, “what do you think you are doing? Busy flirting with another man while your husband is waiting for you inside?”

“You better watch your mouth young lady before I smack you,” she warns, a finger pointed at me. “Now give me back the card,” she barks. “No!”

“I said give me back the card right now!”she yells louder than before. “I said no!” I take the card and shove it in between my breasts. She tries to grab me so as to take it out but I block her every move. She keeps yelling and threatening me but I still fight her off.

“What the hell is going on with the two of you?” Father’s husky voice shouts from behind us. Mother immediately stops trying to grab me, she looks at me with a warning eye, silently instructing me to keep my mouth shut. “Oh nothing, we were just playing tickles....isn’t that right Becky?” she simpers, her eyes fixated on me.

“Yes...you know how mother loves playing games,” I grin.

“How are you my darling,” Vivian runs into her husband’s arms and embraces him. “I think I’m doing great...I’m so sorry for worrying you, I heard you never wanted to leave the hospital waiting for me to wake up,” he gently strokes her cheek with his thumb. Vivian glances at Becca, realising the lie she had to tell her father. “You heard right, I was very worried and scared of losing the love of my life,” she kisses him softly on the lips and a chuffed smile appears on David’s lips.

The three of us get back inside the house and Vivian prepares breakfast after changing out of her active clothes. We sit huddled together around our small round kitchen table and I keep throwing disapproving glances at my mom which she keeps ignoring. “How is Matt doing?” father asks and that is when I realise that I haven’t asked where he is since I did not manage to get him to school. “Matt is a strong little boy, he is doing just fine,” Vivian answers.

“Where is he?” I ask

“He is at school,” she answers and I’m stunned to hear that, mother reads the surprise on my face and adds on to her words, “he got himself ready for school, I always knew he was capable of doing it that’s why I never troubled myself waking up early to help him,” she smirks.

Sounds like she is trying to say I have been wasting my time getting Matt ready for school every morning and I deserve no appreciation for that because it wasn’t necessary. I decide I’m not going to comment on that. Maybe she is right but I don’t mind waking up early every morning to help Matt, it’s those little things we do together that keep us connected.

Father stares down thoughtfully at his food before reluctantly picking up the spoon which he later drops back into his plate without taking it into his mouth. I see the worry glimmering in his dark eyes, his eyes flicker from my mother to mine. It’s like he is troubled about something he has done that will hurt or disappoint us. My mind begins to wander far away as I try to imagine what it is that could be troubling my father so much. Did he get another woman pregnant and is perhaps now worrying about his family never forgiving him. I quickly brush the thought away because I refuse to believe that my father is the kind of man who would cheat on his wife.

“Darling....are you feeling okay?” Vivian bends forward with a lowered head so as to see her husband’s face close up. David leans back against the chair and takes a deep breath, “there is something that I need to tell you,” he announces.

My mother and I exchange anxious glances before staring at father with unease, “I lost my job,” he discloses, keeping his head bowed down, he cannot bear to see the looks on our faces.

A lot of questions are running through my mind, how did this happen, did he do something wrong, if so what? How are we going to survive now that he has lost the job that was giving him a salary that covers seventy percent of our monthly expenses? What does that mean for our family? A pit forms in my stomach at the fear, uncertainty and anxiety of what my tomorrow holds, seems like things are only going to get worse.

“What do you mean you lost your job...how could you let that happen?” Vivian snarls as she suddenly gets on her feet, her fingers pressing on the table. I’m alarmed by my mother’s reaction, how could she snap at him like that before hearing the whole story. She doesn’t even seem to care how all this is making him feel, he is troubled and dejected and what he needs is people who can comfort him and understand what he is going through and not someone to make the situation worse than it already is.