The Ugly Billionaire

Episode 5

RAYDEN

''Stop drinking, will you?! You won't get anything from getting drunk!'' I said.

''She left me. I did everything so she would come back to me, but after four years, she suddenly gave up on our love,'' he cried and said to me and downed the wine again.

''Just move on, Bro. There are many other women out there. Rich, beautiful, and sexy. Besides, we’re good looking so why would you drown yourself in drinking just because of that girl?'' I said to him.

''She's different from everyone I've ever met, Bro. Also, I have already invested a lot in her. I gave her a lot of money and then she just left me like that? I won't let her be free from me,'' he said, and took a bottle of wine again.

''Raynier, stop that madness of yours with the woman. Why don’t you realize that she just used you? She just wants your money so it’s easy for her to leave you. Let that secretary of yours go,'' I said to Raynier and took the wine from his hand and set it aside.

''Don't worry, Bro. I would move on from this,'' he said to me and stood up.

''Just sleep here in my condo,'' I stopped him because he was already drunk.

''It's okay, Bro. Don’t worry. I just want to go home,'' he said and left my condo unit.

I didn't stop him because he his body guard and his own driver.

After he left, I just went to sleep and when morning came I woke up to Mommy's call.

''Good morning, Mom. Why did you call so early?" I asked mommy on the other line.

"Rayden, your twin had an accident. He's now at the hospital in Saint Bernard," Mommy wailed on the other line.

I didn't waste any more time and quickly left my unit and went to the hospital where my twin was. When I got there, I immediately saw Mommy outside the emergency room crying. When I went to her, she gave me a tight hug and cried on my shoulder.

''Mom, what happened to my twin, huh?'' I worriedly asked her.

''Your brother is in a bad condition, son. The doctor said that only a miracle could save him,'' Mommy said then wailed again. My heart almost broke when I heard what Mom said. My twin is Raynier and we can hardly live without each other.

Raynier stayed in the ICU for several days. Between us, I'm the happy go lucky guy and the womanizer while Raynier takes care of our properties because my passion is in motor racing. Hanah, our younger sister, was studying in Holland at that time.

When she found out what happened to Raynier, she immediately sent for a plane in Holland to bring her here to Los Angeles right away.

Days and weeks passed but Raynier didn't wake up. Until one day when I was coming from his office, Mommy suddenly called to tell me that my twin had woken up, so I quickly went to the hospital. When I entered his room, he was awake, but he was whispering something to our mom and dad. Hanah was there too, crying beside him. I came closer, and when he saw me, he held my hand.

I put my ear close to him, and he whispered something to me.

''My twin… ppp… promise… me,'' he stuttered because it was difficult for him to speak.

''Bro, fight for your life, please. Whatever you’d ask me to do, I will do it,'' I replied, unable to control myself from crying.

''Pro--promise me… you… marry… Zoey,'' he said, almost whispering each word.

After saying that woman's name, he was already out of breath. The room was filled with cries and wails as my twin breathed his last. I can hardly accept what happened to my brother.

….

''Rayden! What the hell?! It's like we're flying! Can you slow down!?'' Zoey shouted while I was busy reminiscing about what had happened to my twin.

My thoughts returned to Zoey's screams for her and the extreme fear that we might collide. I smirked at how weak she is compared to me as I slowed down the motorcycle. I'm used to driving fast because I've won races several times.

If I hadn't promised my brother, I would have tortured this woman, who was the cause of Raynier's death.

I also remembered the time I asked Mommy about my brother’s accident. Mommy said that Raynier chased his girlfriend, who came from Mommy and Daddy's condo unit. And because my brother was drunk, he blocked Zoey's ride, which is why he crashed. He was hit hard, so it's a miracle that he didn’t die on the spot. And I don't fully understand why this woman is deaf and blind, as if what happened to my brother was nothing to her. After all, she was the cause of my twin's death.

We stopped at a restaurant that my brother and I always go to, and I invited her to eat there.

''What do you want to order?'' I asked her when we were already inside the restaurant.

''Just pasta,'' she replied. And that's all I ordered.

"Is it your first time to eat at this place?" I asked to test her to see if she remembered this restaurant where she and my brother used to go. But instead of answering me, I only got a shrug from her.

How can this girl sleep so well? After my brother gave her an attaché case of money in the office, she just left him and broke up with him after taking the money that was given to her.

After a while, the waiter brought our ordered pasta with some drinks.

I stared at her hard. I can't blame my brother for becoming so crazy about this girl, and he doesn't want to let her go because she's so beautiful that you can't fault her with anything. You will get lost in her bright eyes when you look at them. She has a pointed nose that is small, and her lips are thin and red. Her body is slender. I just don't know if my brother has already taken her to bed.

But maybe she had seduced my brother during their relationship; that’s why Raynier got addicted to her. She might have even sold herself to my twin for money.

I noticed that she was staring at the pasta. I then saw the sadness that passed through her face. Maybe she remembered my twin but didn’t just want to show it. She looks so innocent, but inside, she’s an evil woman.

''You won’t be able to eat that pasta if you just watch it,'' I said to her when I noticed that she didn't want to touch the pasta.

It took him a few moments to put some in her mouth, chew, and swallow it. But I noticed that her eyes were clouding.

''Do you have a problem, Zoey?'' I asked her and took a bite of my pasta.

''I don't understand why I felt so sad when I smelled this pasta. Aunt always cooks pasta, but I don't understand why I am feeling this at the moment,'' she said. I don't know if she's just acting or if she really doesn't remember anything.

It had already been two years since my twin died. And I don't know how Mommy and Daddy tracked down this girl just to marry me. I can't refuse either, because it was my brother's last wish to marry this girl. Maybe it wasn't really bad if I married her because I had fulfilled my promise to my twin.

''Finish that so we can go home to the condo. You still have some laundry waiting to be washed,'' I said to her seriously.

''You have automatic washing, so that task is easy,'' she answered and shrugged.

The only thing I liked about this girl was that she didn't complain, even though I was making her a maid. I really don't want to be there in my unit because I want to make this girl suffer with housework. But instead of being annoyed or complaining, she just does what I say.

Just like last night, she massaged me and cooked for me. She cooks and massages well, so I fell asleep on the sofa. She didn't even bother me last night.

Is she being this kind on purpose, or is she just pretending and trying to please me so that she can make me happy? Well, she's making a mistake because I wouldn’t be blind like my brother.

After Zoey and I had lunch, we went home to my condo unit. When we got inside, I took a pile of my laundry and brought it in front of her. Instead of me doing the laundry, I will make her do it for me. I want to torture her because I hate her.

''Wash them using your hands, Zoey. I want my clothes to be super clean, which the washer can’t do. And if you destroy any of my clothes, you have to pay for them,'' I said to her seriously.

''Why don't you just have them cleaned by a laundry shop if you don’t want to use your washing machine? You have a lot of money, don't you?''

''Do you want to be free from me, Zoey?'' I asked her.

''Of course! Who wants to stay with you!? If that's the way you behave, Rayden, I just want to be free from you right now. I can’t really live with your behavior like that!'' she defiantly said to me.

''Then, if you want to be free from our marriage, follow my orders. So, start washing my clothes. Now,'' I said to her.

Frowning, she picked up my bag of dirty clothes and turned around to go to the laundry area.

''Billionaire but stingy,'' she whispered, but it was loud enough for me to hear.

''Are you saying something, Zoey?'' I asked.

''Nothing! I said I'd go ahead! You’re really a monster!" She taunted.

I just frowned at what she said. I just went to the 9th floor. I caught up with Mommy and her maids doing some cleaning.

''Are you going home to Holland, Mom?'' I asked her as I sat on the couch.

''Yes, son. You and Zoey can go too,'' she said.

''Alright, Mom. It's good, and you're going home so Hanah can be with you,'' I said to Mommy.

''Where's Zoey?'' Mommy asked me.

''Downstairs, washing my clothes,'' I said nonchalantly.

"Why didn't you just send your laundry to the shop and spare your wife from doing it?" Daddy, who had just come out of his room with mommy carrying his suitcase, asked.

''Son, Zoey is your wife. So, I hope you will love her as much as you love yourself.'' Mom was full of hope when she told me that. Here she goes again.

"Mom, she is only my wife on paper. Why do you seem to ignore the death of my twin? Have you forgotten that she was the reason why my twin died?" Anger was starting to awaken within me.

''Rayden! You shouldn't blame your wife for the death of your twin! It wasn't Zoey's fault that her boyfriend died. I hope you value your wife the same way Raynier valued her. Zoey was the last thing he mentioned to you, remember? I hope you don't torture the love of your twin. You were used to playing with a lot of girls, and when you got serious with one, she left you and made you a fool. Maybe that’s the reason you don’t value the girl your brother loved!'' Daddy scolded me.

''Dad, I've been taking care of our businesses since my twin died because of that girl. But I hope you don't get blinded by that girl's deceit. Because even though Raynier loved her and gave her everything, she still cheated on him. And do you know what I really want to do with her? I want to bury her next to my twin!'' I told Daddy emphatically.

''You know, Rayden? If there’s anyone who is really cheating between you and Zoey, it's no one but you. Get yourself together and face the mirror, then ask yourself who between you and Zoey is the real cheater. You hide behind that monstrous mask of yours to prove who will love you with that look! Even a female demon won't fall for someone who looks like that!'' Dad said to me sarcastically.

''Dad, why are you bothered by this? If someone will love me even if I have this look, then she will be my forever,'' I said to Daddy.

''You’re a fool, Rayden! Why don’t you show up to your girls wearing that face, and let’s see who will not run away from you? But I'll bet Zoey will be the one who stays by your side if you're only nice to her. And maybe, just maybe, she'd even love that face of yours more than your real face. But knowing you have such a devilish attitude, which girl will stay with you for a long time?"

Dad has a point. At first, I just wanted Zoey to say no to our marriage so I could still be free. But she still agreed to marry me, even though I look like this. I was thinking it's all because of our money and our popularity in this country, so she finally agreed to marry me.

I touched the ugly face I was wearing and smiled in secret. Even before, when I was hiding from a girl, I changed my form so that I could hide from her and wouldn't have a headache.