The Ugly Billionaire

Episode 7

Rayden

I let Zoey rest because she had a fever. I felt guilty when she ate the spoiled rice and the soup she made for me last time. It’s good that she’s already feeling okay. I couldn't explain what I felt when she said that she could love me despite my ugly face. But I don't listen to her sweet words because, no matter how good she shows, I know she's just pretending to win our hearts. She can't take me with her lies and drama.

Earlier, while I was hugging her, she suddenly mentioned "babe." That’s her endearment for my twin brother, Rainier.

I know Rainier loves her and is ready to marry her. My brother is so proud of Zoey.

''You know, Bro? If I were to marry anyone, it would be none other than Zoey,'' he told me when he was still alive. We were in Holland at our mansion.

''Of the many rich people who have been your girlfriends, you are still there with your secretary,'' I told him.

''Because Zoey is different, Bro. If I ever die, I want to leave Zoey with you. I want to leave her with you if I ever disappear from this world," he said to me repeatedly and seriously.

''You're really crazy, Bro. What are you saying again? I might even die before you because of my racing,'' I joked with him.

''Hahahaha... You're a bad weed, so even Satan won't accept you in hell!'' he told me.

''You’re crazy! What do you like about your secretary? You have so many women, but you seem to be crazy with her.'' I asked him in surprise.

''When Cupid hits you, you can't deny your heart, Bro. That feeling is not different for you because you have experienced love. The only difference is that she just cheated you and used your money for her own benefit,'' Raynier said to me.

''I'm sure your girlfriend is the same. I'm sure she's only after your money, so don't be confident, Bro,'' I advised him.

''Tsss... Just in case I disappear from this world, I want you to marry Zoey,'' he told me seriously.

''Don't give me what you’ve become weary of. I have many women, and I have no intention of getting married," I answered him.

''Rayden, do you want some tea?'' asked a melodious voice next to me.

My flashback was interrupted when Zoey asked me. I'm in the living room, and my laptop is in front of me as I reminisce about the moment when my twin was still alive.

''Why did you get up? Didn't I tell you to rest first?" I scolded her.

''My body hurts from lying down. I'm feeling okay now,'' she answered me.

''I just drank tea. How about you, what snack do you want?'' I asked her.

She sat next to me and leaned on the sofa. ''Later. I'm still a little full because of the porridge I ate this afternoon.''

''We'd better order food online,'' I said, and I researched a restaurant that delivers food. ''What do you want to order, Zoey? '' I asked her.

I stopped her from standing up and said, "Don't worry about the clothes. I already took care of them. I brought them to the laundry shop outside. How's your hand feeling?" I asked, gently holding her wounded hand.

Her hand was still red from the injury caused by my clothes.

"It's still a bit sore, but it'll heal soon. I'm used to it from doing laundry. I wash Aunt Hilda's and my clothes," she explained.

"Is it just you and Aunt living in San Francisco?" I inquired.

"Yes, my mom passed away when I was young, and my father died from an illness. Aunt Hilda said we owe a lot to your family for my father's medical bills. That's why I agreed to marry you to repay the debt. Aunt took care of me all these years and never got married because of me," she revealed.

"Why are you so unsure about what you're saying, Zoey? Are you experiencing memory loss?" I snapped at her, frustrated by her obliviousness to the situation.

She looked back at me with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"I'll just go make some milk," she said quietly.

I simply let her go and watched as she headed to the kitchen to prepare her drink. Meanwhile, I had already placed an online order for fried chicken and fruit salad.

I closed my laptop, giving my eyes a break from the constant screen time. I had a lot of work to do in Holland, so I quickly emailed the tasks to my personal assistant, Rod.

Rod was the person I trusted the most when it came to my personal matters.

After a while, my sister Hannah called, and I answered the phone.

"How are you, Hannah?" I asked, concerned for her well-being.

"Brother, I have to marry Reynold Johnson, that's what mom and dad said," Hannah's voice sounded strained on the other end of the line.

"Don't marry him if you don't love him," I advised her.

"But Aunt Matilda and Uncle Rafael have agreed that Reynold and I must get married. You know that the Johnsons have a significant stake in the construction company. Plus, Reynold won't receive his inheritance from his grandmother until he's married," Hannah explained to me over the phone.

"Hannah, you already know what's right and wrong. Whatever decision you make, I'll be there to support you," I reassured my youngest sister.

"Brother, I've decided to marry Reynold, but we have an agreement that once we're married and the company is named after him, we'll get a divorce. Plus, we don't love each other and only treat each other like siblings," she explained over the phone.

"Hannah, it's your choice. Just don't let our parents dictate your life. I've been through the same thing. I married someone I didn't like because of a promise to our brother," I shared with Hannah. He knows why I married Zoey.

"I'm sorry, brother, for not being able to attend your wedding with Zoey. I miss her, too. Ever since Raynier passed away, Zoey and I haven't seen each other. Please say hello to her for me," Hannah requested.

"No worries, I still have some things to take care of here. We'll visit when everything is settled with the real estate deal I'm working on," I replied, ending the call.

As I put my cellphone down, I turned around and saw Zoey standing at the kitchen door. She had brought two cups of tea and placed them on the table.

"I made some tea for you. Give it a try and let me know if you like it," she offered, smiling.

"Thank you," I said, taking a cup of tea and sipping it. "Hmm... Your tea is delicious. What did you put in here?" I asked curiously.

"Just honey and lemon. I often make this at my aunt's house," she explained.

I recalled Raynier mentioning that Zoey enjoyed tea with lemon and honey. It appears that my brother and I have similar tastes.

"Are you only doing this for your aunt, Zoey?" I inquired.

"Yes, if I ever mixed it with other things, it was probably when dad was still alive," she replied.

I want to be frustrated with her because why did she forget about my brother? Why did she seem to disregard me when I mentioned Raynier's name yesterday and when I took her to his grave? Did she truly ignore my brother?

"Are you truly indifferent, Zoey? And it's as if you don't care about someone who has passed away?" I asked her with anger.

"What are you talking about, Rayden? Why is it that when you look at me, it feels like I'm fading away?" she questioned me with a furrowed brow.

''Go ahead, Zoey. You're going to be numb and pretend in front of me like you don't know anything,'' I said angrily to her.

She stared and seemed confused by what I said. "What do you want to say to me, Rayden? If you want to say something, tell me so I can understand what you want me to say!" she said to me angrily.

'Why are you completely disregarding Raynier's loss? Are you truly emotionless, or are you just pretending to be? I asked teasingly.

Her frown deepened upon hearing Raynier's name.

"Raynier? Why should I care about Raynier? Isn't he your grandfather? What does he have to do with me? And if you're giving me that look, it's as if I'm responsible for his death," she sarcastically questioned.

I was puzzled by her words. Is this really my brother's girlfriend? Maybe Mom made a mistake, and this person isn't Zoey, Raynier's girlfriend. Even though my brother always talks about his girlfriend, Zoey, I've never actually met her because I don't visit Los Angeles. I'm only in Holland, and my twin and I only see each other when he comes back home to the mansion.

"Raynier isn't my grandfather; he's my brother," I clarified to Zoey.

"You mean the grave we visited belongs to your brother?"

It was clear that she didn't even know who Raynier was. I have a strong feeling that this Zoey isn't my brother's girlfriend because she seems completely clueless about everything.

"Never mind, Zoey. That's probably our order," I reassured her as someone rang the doorbell.

I stood up, went there, and opened the door.

''Tom and Jerry delivery, sir. This is your order,'' said the man who delivered what I ordered online.

"Thank you, keep the change." I handed him the payment and took the food I ordered.

''Thank you, Sir.''

He turned back, and I closed the door. I put the plastic bag on the table and opened it.

''Eat up, Zoey. You only ate porridge this morning. This is our snack and lunch,'' I said to her, opening the bucket of fried chicken.

But instead of taking the fried chicken, she stared at me sadly.

''Who is Raynier, Rayden?'' Zoey asked me seriously, as if confused.

''Eat now, and maybe it will get colder. Forget what I said. After you eat, take the medicine again to get rid of your fever,'' I told her and ignored her question.

Good thing she ate and didn't ask any more questions. I want to be sure if Zoey is really my brother's girlfriend. So, after Zoey and I finished eating, I went out of the unit and strolled outside. I called mommy, and she answered it in just three rings.

''Why are you calling me?'' asked mom on the other line.

''Mom, are you sure that the Zoey I married is my twin's girlfriend?'' I immediately asked mom.

''Of course, son. Because your twin already introduced Zoey, and we always meet at the Zeun Real Estate office. Why do you ask?''

''I took her to Raynier's grave yesterday, and she just ignored that my brother was gone,'' I told mommy.

''Son, why did you bring Zoey to your brother's grave? You shouldn't have done that,'' Mom asked me worriedly. Her concern for Zoey was very obvious.

"And what do you want me to do, mom? My twin died because of her. And she acts like she didn't know Raynier!" I exclaimed angrily to Mommy.

"Son, you don't get it. But we can't let Zoey know what happened to your brother first." Mommy's words surprised me.

"Mom, it's been two years since my twin passed away, and you don't want to tell that girl what happened to him?" I questioned.

"Rayden, it's been two years since Zoey lost her memory. She can't even remember her own name, age, or family," Mommy explained.

I was taken aback by Mommy's revelation.

"What do you mean, Mom?" I asked, confused.

"When your brother's car collided with the one Zoey was in, they both suffered serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital. While your twin was fighting for his life, he asked us not to leave Zoey alone. He wanted us to make sure Zoey married you. Zoey's father doesn't owe us anything, to be honest. He's been gone for a long time, and we have no idea where her mother is," Mommy revealed.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing from my mother.

"We provided medical assistance to Zoey, son. Until she regained consciousness, she had no recollection of anything. She woke up with a blank mind. We took care of her with the help of Raynier's nanny's aunt, Aunt Hilda. We lied about her parents because your dad and I didn't know what else to do. So, please, don't torment the girl your twin loved because she was entrusted to you," Mommy pleaded.

I felt a wave of sadness wash over me as I realized the truth, and I had no idea that my wife was actually suffering from amnesia. She wasn't pretending; all memories of my twin, Raynier, had been wiped from her mind.