The Ugly Billionaire

Episode 8

2 years later

Rayden and I got married two years ago. Sometimes we get along well, but sometimes there are days when we don't agree. In our first year, it was okay, and we were still pretty good. We are not even staying in the same room. Sometimes he takes me to Holland. We stay at his condo because he doesn't want to live in their mansion in Holland. Even once, he has not taken me to their mansion. The other day we returned here to the Multi Tower in Los Angeles, but these past few days I have noticed that every morning he comes home. We used to have some talk before, but now we don't have time. He is always at work, and when he comes home, I am already asleep. In the two years Rayden and I were together, I fell in love with him. Even though he’s ugly, I learned to love him because he was kind to me sometimes. Like now, I'm waiting for him because he still hasn't come. At three o'clock in the morning, he has not gone home. I have hardly slept waiting for him. I want to be a good wife to him, even though I feel that he doesn't like me. When he entered our condo unit, he saw me on the sofa.

''Why haven't you slept yet?'' he asked me. I know he drank liquor.

''Why are you coming home late? You often come home at this time. What are you doing?'' I asked him, annoyed.

''I have a lot of work, so if you can, please don't wait for me,'' he replied to me listlessly, taking off his jacket and throwing it on the sofa.

''Are you sure you have a lot of work? Rayden, you are no longer a young man, and no matter what time you want to go home, you will go home. I hope you think you have a wife waiting for you here and are worried about you!'' I said to him.

''Zoey, I'm a busy person. We are all running the family business. I hope you understand that your husband is not an ordinary man!'' He angrily answered me and turned away.

He went to the bathroom and took a shower. I sat down on the sofa and sighed deeply.

Later, I heard his cell phone, which was placed in his jacket, ring. I quickly took it and looked to see who was calling him. When I looked at the screen, I saw that the name was "Babe". My hands were trembling when I answered the call.

''Babe, did you get to your condo yet?'' asked the woman on the other line.

My hair suddenly stood on end when I thought that my husband had another wife. I was about to speak when Rayden suddenly snatched the cellphone from my hand. I was surprised when he grabbed it, but he gave me a painful look and put the cellphone in his ear.

''Hello, Babe?'' he asked on the other line, looking at me with pain. He entered his room, and I was left dumbfounded in disbelief. I just noticed that tears started to flow from my eyes. He has the courage to have another woman, despite his ugly face. I went into my room and cried there. It's like my heart is being torn by so much pain. So, is he becoming infidel because, for two years, I have not been able to meet his needs as a man? I'm disgusted with myself because I feel like this for my ugly husband! I was so upset that I fell asleep. I woke up at eight in the morning. I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and took a shower. When I came out of the bathroom, I found him in the kitchen, making tea. I couldn't bear my anger toward him, so I confronted him.

"Who called you last night, Rayden? Was that your girl? Is that the reason why you're coming home early in the morning?" I asked him hoarsely.

He looked at me while drinking tea with a frown.

"Next time, don't mess with my personal stuff! It doesn’t mean that you’re my wife; you can mess with my stuff!" he said angrily to me.

"You're really the one who's angry? While you're the one who's doing something bad! How could you do that?" I couldn't control my feelings anymore, so I didn't care what I would say to him.

"You're making so much noise in the morning! Why, don't I have the right to please myself? Do you think no one will get interested in me because I’m ugly? he said to me in a high voice.

"I can give you what you need! It's my obligation to make you happy! You don't need to find another woman to meet your needs because I'm your wife! You can sleep with me, but you're the only one who doesn't want to!" I said to him, and tears started to fall from my eyes.

"Stop it, Zoey! If you don't know what you're talking about, shut up. Don't make me do something you'll regret!" he answered me, obviously holding back.

"Rayden, I'm your wife! We've been together as husband and wife for two years. But have you ever considered me as your wife? What do you think of me? Something that was just paid to you and just for display here in house. We've been to Holland three times, but even once you don't bring me to your mansion, is that because of your girl? Do mommy and daddy know this?" I asked him and wiped the tears that flowed from my eyes.

"I'm just your husband on paper, Zoey! I don't like you and I don't love you, you know that! And you don't love me even more, so if you could stop being dramatic!" he said to me in a high voice. I was slapped with the truth that I heard from him. He doesn't love me, and that's the painful truth.

"Am I ugly, so you can't learn to love? Rayden, I love you. I love you even though you're ugly! But why can't you love me?" I cried, confessing to him.

He just stared at me for a moment before speaking. "That's not love you feel for me, Zoey. I don't love you, and I can never love you," he told me.

I was so upset that I left our condo unit and ran to the elevator. I went to the roof. I entered a room there. There is a swimming pool that is exclusive to Rayden and his family. I sat on the edge of the pool and cried and cried. I felt like I didn't matter to him. I called my aunt to ask if she was at our house in San Francisco. But when I looked at my cellphone, it was a call from Ruby Rose. I answered her call.

"You called?" I asked her sadly.

"Joseph and I are here in Los Angeles. I heard you live here in Los Angeles with the one you married?" she asked me.

''Yes, I live here in Los Angeles. What are you doing here? Did you date Joseph? "I asked her on the other line.

''I'm looking for a job; you know how hard life now is,'' she answered me.

"Where are you? I want to see you. We haven't seen each other for a long time. I miss you.''

"That, oh! We are here at Enrico's Hotel & Restaurant. The hotel and restaurant just opened here in town."

I hurried down to the 6th floor to get my wallet from my room. Rayden wasn't in the living room; maybe he was in his room or maybe in his library. After I got my wallet, I quickly went down to the ground floor and left the building. I hailed a taxi and drove to Enrico's Hotel & Restaurant. When I got there, I immediately saw Ruby Rose. She and Joseph were sitting near the glass wall, overlooking the park outside. She waved at me when she saw me, so I immediately went to where they were. Ruby Rose and I chatted before ordering food.

"You became even more beautiful, Zoey. How are you?'' Ruby Rose asked me.

''Here, it's fine. How are you doing?" I asked and shook Joseph's hand as well. They are like siblings to me.

"I'm still surviving, sis. I stopped my studies since my dad stopped at his job." Ruby Rose looked at me sadly.

I felt sorry for her. ''What do you want to eat?''

I honestly felt sorry for Ruby Rose. She still dreams of graduating from college.

''Just pizza and special mix-and-match with me, sis? I haven't eaten pizza in a long time,'' she said to me while Joseph remained silent.

"Joseph, what do you want to eat?" I asked Joseph.

''Just pizza, Zoey. You’re the one to treat us for now. If I get a job, I'll be the one to treat you both,'' Joseph said shyly to us.

''Don’t mind it. You used to treat me. Ever since I regained consciousness, you have always brought me food. By the way, where is Hanna?'' I asked.

''Working in a restaurant in Costa Villa. You know that friend of ours is too busy and doesn't know how to take a day off. I thought she was going to Holland to visit her mom," said Ruby Rose.

Hanna and Ruby Rose were far from Aunt Hilda's house. I remembered when they were new to me.

"Hi, you're new here?"

"I’ve been with Aunt Hilda for a long time,‘' I replied.

"Why did I just see you here now?" asked a woman about my age.

"I just got out of the hospital. My aunt said I got sick, so we stayed in Holland," I answered.

"Oh, is that so? I'm Ruby Rose, by the way. You, what's your name?''

"My name is Zoey." I was about to speak when my aunt called me.

"Zoey, come in! Let's eat!"

"Alright, I'll just eat first,'' I say goodbye to Ruby Rose. I was in front of our house because I wanted to get some fresh air.

"When you're not doing anything, join me and Hanna, huh?" I just nodded and went inside the house. When I arrived inside my aunt's house, the food was already served on the table.

"Eat more, Zoey. Mr. and Mrs. Harris will be here later. They will tell you something,'' Aunt Hilda said seriously to me while we are in front of the table.

Mr. and Mrs. Harris were the only ones who always visited me in the hospital when I was sick. I woke up in the hospital with no memory, and I couldn't even remember my name. I still had a bandage on my head. My aunt told me that the Harris couple were close friends of mom and dad. I don't see anyone visiting me in the hospital but the Harris couple. They said they also paid for our hospital expenses and paid all my bills and medications.

"Aunt, how long will we be living here in this house?'' I asked my aunt.

"Of course! You grew up here in this place,'' she answered me, and she put food on my plate.

"Really, why doesn't Ruby Rose know me?'' I asked her in surprise.

"Rose only did that once here. That house is far from here." She answered me and took some rice and put it on her plate.

"Aunt, what's really wrong with me? Why is it a memory from my past that I can't remember?'' I asked Aunt angrily.

"Eat now, Zoey. And don't ask too many questions. The doctor told you that you may not remember because you fell on the floor when you lost consciousness," Aunt answered me irritated.

"Maybe there is a way for me to remember, Aunt. I also want to remember the memories of my parents. I want to remember their faces. They don't even have a picture anymore, Aunt?" I asked her angrily.

"If there was, I would have shown it to you. Go ahead and eat your food so you can take your medicine,'' she ordered me, obviously avoiding my questions.

"This is your order, ma'am." My flashback to the past was interrupted when the waiter placed what we ordered on the table.

"You're thinking too deeply, sis," Ruby commented to me, taking the pizza that was meant for her.

"I just remembered how I met you in San Francisco," I answered with a smile.

"Eat now. Hmmm... I miss this pizza," she said, eating the pizza.

I just smiled at Ruby Rose. We ate what we ordered because I was very hungry, and I'm just going to vent my displeasure about eating pizza here.