Owned By Mr Billionaire

“I’m sorry, Ariana I never liked you, I liked another woman.” Phillip said those words while looking at me with his apologetic and regretful gaze. I, who had been nervous for a few minutes and had hoped that today would be my happy day, was instantly crushed like the petals of a wilted and falling rose. I’ve had a crush on Phillip for the past two years. We are under the same music management and have worked on many projects together, starting with commercials. Even recently, Phillip invited me to duet with him on one of his songs in his latest single. However, it turns out that my expectations were challenging and were broken by him. I foolishly thought that all this time, our relationship would continue into a serious relationship, and Phillip would tell me how he felt. I was so sure that he had the same feelings as me. In fact, I was the one who got hurt in the end. “Oh, gosh, Phillip, I’m sorry if you think that, but I really don’t think that’s what our friendship is about.” I had to deny my feelings for him to avoid embarrassment. It felt like I was being torn apart right now. I swallowed dryly, laughed to console myself, and tried to think of the current situation as ridiculous. “Hey, I’m serious, I’m sorry. You’re really more my little sister than my girlfriend.” Phillip’s words only made my mood worse. Tears began to prick at the back of my eyes, and the hot sting began to feel as if my eyeballs were going to explode, but I tried to hold them back. Then, we laughed together with an awkward laugh, I guess. Today was Phillip’s birthday, and I’d surprised him in the hope that I’d get that good news confession of love and feelings. “Come on, blow out the candles and make your wish.” I tried to distract her with my purpose here. “Alright. I wish you happiness with whoever it is, Ariana. You will find your true love in the near future.” Phillip closed his eyes and blew out the 29-year-old candle until the flame went out. A second later, there was a soft popping sound, and several people streamed into the powder room carrying confetti and wearing birthday hats. They sang Happy Birthday again and clapped at the end of the song. “So, are you two lovers?” Rebecca’s question made the embarrassment and hurt that I had forgotten for a few seconds come back. Philip put his arm around my shoulder as I looked down to hide my shame and sadness. “Ariana is more suitable to be my younger sister. I’m sure I’m not fit to be her boyfriend. A man out there, who knows who he is, is her soul mate.” Phillip answered Rebecca’s question, which sounded like he was trying to comfort me. Damn! Even when I was rejected, he sounded very gracious. He was able to encourage me instead of feeling guilty for taking advantage of my kindness all those years. I hated myself for wasting my time with him. “Oh, that’s too bad, we all thought you would live together, you seemed so compatible.” Caroline made my heartache even worse. I looked at her with the expression of someone in pain but tried to smile and be strong, despite the pain. I hoped Caroline could catch my drift. I went home early from Phillip’s birthday celebration at the management studio that afternoon because I was very overwhelmed by what I had just been through. I sat in my car for a few seconds, and the tears I had been holding back would spill out like a flood. I cried as I gripped the steering wheel of my car until my body bent slightly, and my nose hit the surface of the steering wheel in the middle. It felt like my life was leaving my body as I cried over my broken heart. After three years of waiting and giving strong signals to Phillip, in the end, I was just like a little sister to him. Oh, damn it! I really am an i***t who can’t be helped. My ringing cell phone distracted me from my miserable situation. For the first call, I left it unanswered, as I took time to calm myself down before answering the next call. The call was from my mom. “Hello, Mom, what’s up? I’ll be home soon.” I wiped away the remaining tears on my face while trying to speak in a normal tone. “Well, honey, can you come to Logos restaurant? I’m having dinner with an old friend. They’re an old friend of your dad’s, too. They want to meet you, and we can have dinner together.” My mother’s voice sounded excited, and it improved my mood a little. At least, after this painful situation, I will have a pleasant situation. “Okay, I’ll be right there. How do I find your desk, Mom?” I asked as I started the engine of my car. “Tell the concierge that you’re also Mr. Abraham’s entourage.” After my mom gave me instructions about her reservation at the fancy restaurant, we ended the call, and I left for Logos. When I arrived at the restaurant, the man in charge of welcoming guests escorted me to the VVIP room. A fairly thick red velvet curtain bordered the room, and as the man lifted it, I entered. The first thing I saw was a pair of warm, honey-coloured eyes. That gaze locked my body and movements for a few seconds, and I could not look away from the owner of those eyes. Those eyes seemed to be able to see into my soul, and I felt an unfamiliar sensation. My heart was pounding with nerves, and it was as if the center of my world shifted for the first time to the owner of those eyes. “Ariana, come here, sit next to me.” My mother’s voice woke me up from my stunned state. I blinked to break eye contact with those beautiful eyes, then moved to the seat beside my mother. “Oh, Ariana, you’ve grown into a very beautiful woman. I’m not surprised that Sean wants you so much.” A woman with middle-eastern features diverted my gaze with her sentence that confused me. Suddenly, I turned to look at the man with honey-coloured eyes. However, when we made eye contact again, the air in my lungs seemed to be sucked out. Oh, my God. What’s wrong with this guy? Why did he have such an effect on me? I smiled in response to the beautiful and graceful timing. I remembered to thank Mrs. Abraham for her compliment politely. “It would be best if Sean and Ariana’s wedding was held sooner. Our extended family has been waiting for this moment.” The elegant woman spoke again, but this time, her sentence surprised me. “What does this mean? Am I getting married?” I asked as I turned to look at the people currently sitting with me at this expensive table. “That’s right, dear. Your marriage to Sean is something that your dad and I had planned long before he passed away. Mr. And Mrs. Abraham was a good friend of mine and your dad when we were still living in Thailand. Mr. Abraham helped your dad start his restaurant.” At that moment, my mother’s words were like high-voltage lightning striking my body. I felt all my joints stiffen. “But, I was never even told about this. You and dad never told me about this.” I tried to realize my unfortunate situation and defend myself. “Ariana, your father and I tried to tell you, but we didn’t have the right timing. I thought you would just agree to this without arguing. Think of this as your father’s request for the last time.” My mom looked at me with a pleading gaze. I instantly looked at her in disbelief at what I was hearing right now. How dare my mom use my father as an excuse for me to accept this ridiculous marriage? “Mom, please don’t use dad as an excuse for this. I really feel that this is unfair to me. I’m just about to start my career in music, and you’re telling me to get married?! Mom, you’re not kidding, right?” I tried to think that my mom must have just wanted to scare me. “Ana, this marriage won’t interfere with your career.” My mom’s statement made me instantly stand up and look at her angrily. “I really can’t believe this, I won’t marry anyone until I’m really ready to do so.” I got up from my chair and rushed out of this fancy restaurant. By the time I got to the car, I was crying again and ignoring my ringing cell phone. I knew my mom must be trying to persuade me. I took time to cry and win myself over before leaving the parking lot. My cell phone rang again, but luckily, the tone was different from usual. I had deliberately set a different ringtone to distinguish the calls of different people. Caroline called me and asked me to go to the pub for Phillip’s birthday. He was having his birthday party at the Montes pub. I thoughtlessly accepted the invitation and drove my car to get to one of the most famous pubs in the city.