The Ugly Billionaire

Episode 3

ZOEY

''What else do you want, Rayden? Why did you fire Divina? And why don't you let Zoey sleep in your room? You're married, so you should be responsible for your wife!''

I heard Mommy Rose's voice outside my room scolding her son.

''Mom, I agreed to marry the woman you want for me even though I don't want her! I hope you won't do to my sister what you just did to me! Don't force her to marry someone she doesn’t love, just like what you did to me and what happened to you and Daddy, whom your parents just forced to get married!'' Rayden replied to his mother.

''You will love each other just like your dad and I learned to love each other. We, as your parents, know what and who will be good for you! She is not just an ordinary woman you can pick up on the streets! ''Mommy scolded Rayden.

''Why? Do you really know the kind of woman you and Daddy forcedly married to me? Aside from you and Hannah, all women are the same! They are only after money. If I don't have money, do you think someone will marry me with my face like this?'' Rayden answered his mother.

I was just listening to their bantering, and I had no intention of interfering with their conversation.

"She left you, went to London, and never came back to you!''

''I know she had a reason why she did that to me, Mom,'' Rayden replied to his mother.

''Son, don't expect Shiela to come back to you anymore. She just used you for her dream. Just move on and face the truth.''

''I've moved on a long time ago, Mom. Do you think that marrying that woman will be good for me? If it wasn't for my brother, I wouldn't have married that girl. Don't be blind, Mom, because I know that girl is just pretending. And are you expecting me to love her? If she loves anyone here, it's no one but our money. But I won't let a woman make a fool out of me anymore, so don't expect me to love that girl!" I heard Rayden say angrily to his mother.

He is quick to judge my character. How can I love him if he behaves like that? Why? Does he know everything about me and judge me like that?

''Son, open your heart for Zoey. Zoey is different, she's not like the girl you think she is. Why don't you get to know her well before you judge her?'' Mommy Rose defended me.

''Mom, if you want me and that girl to last, don't bother me anymore. If you interfere with us, I will immediately divorce that woman!'' Rayden threatened his mother.

''Okay, fine. But son, I hope you give your wife a helper so she can have someone to help her with the chores around here,'' Mommy almost pleaded.

"Mom, I don't need an assistant, okay? Also, I don't stay in just one place. When the subdivision I'm building is finished, I'll move to Holland so I can focus on our other businesses there.''

''All right, as long as you don't fight with Zoey, son. I also hope you learn to love her in the future so you can make a child right away so that there will be a baby in our family,'' his mother said.

''I'm not ready to be a father yet, Mom. And even if I become a father, it won't be to that girl!" he said sternly to his mother.

He really thinks that I wanted to have a child with him. If my child would look like a monkey because he or she will inherit his ugliness, my future child will be miserable.

''I don't know with you, child. You’re really stubborn. And will you please stop your motorcycle racing, huh? You always make me worry about that game of yours,'' Mommy Rose scolded him.

''Don't worry, Mom. I will stop playing that game as long as you don't care about me anymore and also don't care about Hanah's love life,'' Rayden said to his mother.

'It's up to you! Go ahead and do what you want. I give up! Anyway, your dad and I will return to Holland tomorrow.''

After a while, I just heard the door close outside. Mommy must have left.

I felt hungry and sleepy, but I didn't want to leave the room because I didn't want to see that ugly man.

But, just a few minutes later, Rayden knocked on my door.

''Get out of there and cook some food for yourself! I'm leaving, and maybe I'll be back in the morning! Then, before you go to sleep, clean the whole house,'' he said outside my room.

I didn't say a word, and I just felt that I was already alone inside the unit.

My hunger had passed, so I just got up and went to the kitchen. I just drank water and went back to the room to fix my clothes that Rayden removed from his room.

I folded them and put them in the cabinet. After I folded my clothes, I showered and dried my hair and went to sleep. I didn't eat anymore because I lost my appetite, and I didn't follow his order. But in the early hours of the morning, I woke up because I felt hungry again. I left the room and went to the kitchen. I opened the fridge to see what could be eaten there. I saw an egg and boiled it to eat, just to make my stomach feel better.

After I ate the egg, I sat down in the living room to watch TV. After a while, someone opened the main door, and it was Rayden

He saw me, gave me a bad look, and slammed the door shut. ''Why are you still awake?'' He asked me seriously, but with a slur as if he were drunk.

''I just woke up. Where have you been? Have you eaten yet?'' I asked him.

He sat down on one of the sofas and leaned his back against the backrest. ''I came from my friend's birthday in Holland. I just took a plane to get home quickly,'' he answered, looking very tired.

I wouldn't be surprised if he came from Holland and arrived here in Los Angeles right away because he has his own private plane. He reeks of alcohol, so he must be drunk. I hope he just fell out of the plane so that his crooked brain would straighten out.

Later he stood up and ran to the bathroom. I heard him vomiting. I stood up and got some warm water from the kitchen and poured it into a glass. I went to the bathroom and handed him a glass of warm water.

''Drink that to warm your stomach,'' I told him.

He followed what I said and drained the water. "Thank you!" he said and handed me the glass. He turned around and didn't even flash the vomit on the toilet bowl. So, I did it.

I returned to the living room and saw that he was already lying on the long sofa.

I approached him to ask, ''Would you like some soup?''

''Is there soup? Even just instant noodles,'' he told me.

''Just a moment and I'll cook for you,'' I said and went to the kitchen.

I rummaged through the fridge and found some noodles. I took it, and luckily there was meat and vegetables in the fridge, so I took the meat and some cabbage and sliced them. I made a soup for my ugly husband to wash off his drunkenness. I remembered what Aunt Esmeralda said: When Dad is drunk, this is what I must cook for him, so Aunt taught me how to cook soup to sober him up whenever he had a drink.

After I finished cooking, I put some soup in a bowl and brought it to the living room for Rayden to eat. I put down the tray on the table because, when I arrived at where he was, I saw that he’s already sleeping. I also saw that his clothes and hands were stained with vomit. I can only shake my head at this ugly creature. As I was looking at him, I suddenly remembered the conversation he and his mom had about his ex-girlfriend.

Maybe he loves her so much and she cheated on him; that's why he thinks that I'm the same as his ex-girlfriend.

I left him to get a towel and warm water. I put them in a small basin and started cleaning him up. I wiped his hand, and I would have wiped his face to freshen him up, but when I touched his face, he held my hand, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

''Don’t ever touch my face!'' he said to me and let go of my hand that was holding the wet towel.

He got up from the sofa and sat down. ''Next time, don't try to touch my face. Do you understand?'' he said to me angrily.

''I just wanted to clean you up to make you feel refreshed. Eat this soup to warm your stomach,'' I just said to his anger.

I moved the table in front of him so he could eat the soup. When I was in front of him, I caught him staring at me. He averted his eyes from me when our eyes met.

''It might be poisoned,'' he said, holding up the spoon.

''If I'm going to poison you, it's better to ask a witch to curse you so it won’t be obvious. I already cooked for you, and you still doubt me!'' I said to him with a frown.

''Just making sure because I know you hate me,'' he said, taking a sip of the soup.

He closed his eyes when he tasted it. I smirked. Fortunately, he knows that I hate him.

''I'm just angry with your attitude, Rayden Zayn. But not with your whole personality.''

''Wow! This is good. What is it called? Noodles with cabbage and beef?'' he said.

''Yes. Finish that, and I'll go to sleep,'' I said to him, and I was about to turn away when he stopped me.

''Sleep later. Wait for me to finish and wash what I used. Then wash what I'm wearing,'' he ordered.

I gasped at what he said. He quickly finished the soup and put the bowl back on the table.

He leaned on the sofa and looked at me. “Clean everything because I don't want anything scattered in my kitchen,'' he ordered me like a slave. It would be nice to kick his ugly face to make him look uglier so that I can at least get some revenge for his treatment of me.

''Yes, Sir!'' I mockingly answered him and took the bowl to the kitchen.

When I returned to him, he spoke again. ''After you’ve cleaned, come right back here.''

I didn't say anything and just went back to the kitchen. I washed the bowl and even the towel I used on him.

Then I went back to the living room. He was sitting there and holding his shoulder as if he were in pain.

"Do you know how to massage?" he asked me.

"I only know a little about massage," I answered.

"Can you massage my back? Especially here on my shoulder. It's been hurting since yesterday," he said to me.

"I thought I was going to wash your clothes?" I asked him, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Ssss... I was just joking. Massage my back," he ordered me. He fell on the sofa, and I did nothing but massage his back.

I started with his shoulder. I only gave him a dry massage because he was still wearing his clothes.

Until a few minutes ago, I noticed that he had fallen asleep.

I left him asleep on the sofa and returned to my room. I let him reek of his vomit. He deserves it.

I laid in bed and thought about what my life would be like now that I was married. I think I'm the unluckiest girl in the whole world. To this day, I still can't fully imagine that my husband is not only the richest person in the country but also the ugliest.

How can my world turn around if I am living with an ugly husband? I am quite open-minded, so I also understand what he's going through because he's really ugly and because his girlfriend left him and even cheated on him. Deep inside of me, I really want to prove to him that even if he is ugly, he can still be loved, and that money is not the basis for loving a person. I also know that it is possible for me to love him if only he is kind to me. I have no choice but to love him because he is already my husband. I also want to prove to him that even if he is ugly, aside from learning to love him, I could also be proud of him. Real love is not based on what one does, especially if he is already a part of your life. I want him to know that not all women are after him just for his money. I am Zoey Anderson, 29 years old, and my husband is Mr. Harris, The Ugly Billionaire.