Secret of My Billionaire Husband

Elora's POV: *Beep beep beep That was the only sound that filled the suffocating silence, it was a beacon of hope that she was still there. That she was still fighting, surviving. The white walls of the room had always made me feel suffocated. It had the pungent odor of disinfectant, but it was something I was already used to. My eyes fixed on her face, waiting for either a twitch of her eyebrow or a quiver of her lips. I stared intensely, keen on not missing the slightest movement. This had always been my routine every time I came. I would hold her pale hand in mine as I recounted the events of my day, not leaving anything out. Even if there was no reply or response, I always had the feeling that she listened and understood. Today I felt extremely disheartened. It was their wedding anniversary. It's meant to be a day of joy and celebration, but not in this case. He didn't even remember and even if he did, he never bothered to come and visit. It was like he never cared and no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, deep down, a part of me knew that it was true. I smiled sadly as I recounted my events of the day. "Hey Mom, it's El." I started as I gently caressed her palm between mine. I was seated on the chair right next to her bed. Nothing much really happened today, but I will still tell you how it went. Firstly, I helped Aunt May with watering the gardens this morning. While we worked, she told me about her son, Caleb. She said he had called the previous night, and they talked for a while. She seemed very happy as it had been a while since he called. He told her that he had a girlfriend and would love for them to meet soon. She was angry as she told me all this and I felt happy for them. You remember I used to have a little crush on him when we were young. Well, now the feelings I have for him are completely platonic. I paused as I took a deep breath, remembering what had happened after that, but it was something I wouldn't tell my mom. It was something I kept from her because I had to endure it by myself. After we talked some more, I bid her goodbye as I left to get ready for work. Work today was less stressful as I had done the more pressing ones yesterday. 'And because the witch wasn't around.' I said the last sentence in my head. I took a glance towards the table at the side and spotted the bouquet of Luminbloom flowers I had brought with me. It was a very rare flower with delicate, petal-soft wings in a radiant shade of iridescent blue. It had a golden center that shone like a tiny sun. Its stem is slender, with leaves that shimmer like moonbeams. It was a flower that represented hope and resilience. I remembered what my mom always said about the flower. When I was little, I always loved helping her water the flowers in the garden and I noticed she always took extra care of the Luminbloom. I asked her why and her response was: You see Elira, the Luminbloom represents the power to overcome adversity, symbolizing hope and resilience. Its ethereal beauty reminds us that even in darkness, light can emerge. Notice the golden center of the Luminbloom, it signifies guidance, illuminating our path through life's challenges. And never forget that it is a rare and precious flower, reminding us to cherish and appreciate the unique beauty in our lives.' I didn't understand what she meant back then, but now I do. I understood why she loved this flower, as I had also grown to love it. I stared at her face and sighed deeply. "Happy anniversary mom, I brought your favorite flower, the Luminbloom." I waited for any reaction, 1....2....3.....4.....5 I counted in my head, but there was nothing, just like always. Not even a twitch of a finger or flutter of the eyelid. I know Dad wishes he had been here, but he's busy. Maybe he might come tomorrow. I couldn't help but lie, not just to her but to myself too. I kept giving myself false hope, hoping that the man I knew as my father when Mom was still with us was somewhere within him. Hoping that one day he would wake up and realize what he had done. The mistakes he made. That maybe just for a whole day he could be my dad and husband to his real wife. But that's all wistful thinking. My father was gone the day he married that vile woman. The day that he proved he had been cheating on my mom by having a daughter my age. My father was gone the day he joined his new family, treating me like a maid more than a daughter. But the fact remained that no matter what he had done to me, a part of me still loves him, and still believes that he will come back. I miss you, mom. I wish you weren't just lying there, silent and still. I miss your warm smile and loving eyes. I wish I could hear your gentle voice, and feel your embrace. I wish you were awake. But I know you will be, soon. We were enveloped once again in silence as I listened to the beep of the machine indicating life. I decided that I had better leave now if I didn't want any problems with them and also if I wanted to catch the bus. I quietly pushed my chair backwards as I got up. I leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead as I whispered Love you mom. I grabbed my bag and headed to the door. Gripping the door handle in my hand, I looked back as I lingered in the doorway. A wave of melancholy washed over me as I left the hospital premises. I was able to get to the bus stop right before the bus left. I paid my fare and sat down on the furthest seat at the back, next to the window. I plugged in my earphones as I put a song to play. The ride was a peaceful one as I headed to my destination. Minutes later, the bus stopped at the next wait. I got down along with some people as this was our stop. Walking along the sidewalk with my earphones still plugged in, I saw cars speeding by as it was evening, the time people mostly came back from work. I kept walking, following the streets that led to a place I called home. I made a final turn as the estate gate came into view. I walked straight through the gate, the security guards not bothering to stop me because they already knew me. I passed two houses before getting to the Jacksons' mansion. I had succeeded in entering unnoticed, and I was grateful as it seemed that luck was on my side tonight. I locked the door to my room quietly, making sure not to alert anyone because it was unlikely that they were asleep unless they were out. I placed my bag on my vanity table as I stripped out of my clothes and got into the shower. Taking a much-needed shower which relaxed my muscles, I went out and wore my pajamas, which consisted of shorts and a white polo. I took my phone out of my bag and fell exhausted onto my bed. I couldn't resist the pull of sleep as my eyelids felt heavy. I finally succumbed to a dreamless, peaceful sleep. ************ Waking up the next morning, I did my usual routine and got ready for work. I worked as a junior at Jackson's Corporation, my father's company. But the truth was that there wouldn't be a company without my mom's ideas. She practically built it. I had already gotten to work and I had just started working on the files assigned to me. I was so concentrated on the work at hand that I failed to notice my phone beeping as a message entered. It was time for our usual lunch break at 1. Picking up my phone, I saw a message from Dad that made my heart skip a beat. Dad never texts or calls me. If he needed to pass across a message, he often did so through someone. I sometimes wondered if he had my contact saved. I felt a wave of apprehension wash over me as I opened the message to read. It was just three words, but only I knew how heavy the words felt. 'Come home now.' Looking at the time, it was delivered two hours ago. And that only meant two things: I was late and in trouble. Without wasting any more time, I left the office and rushed home. Getting home, I was informed that he was in the study. I wasted no time running up the stairs. My head was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts, thinking about why he requested to see me and what he wanted. Standing in front of the study, I hesitated to go in there. I didn't know what awaited me, and I wasn't completely sure I wanted to find out. After a short mental debate, I took a deep breath and knocked twice. A 'come in' came shortly after. I mentally prepared myself as I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Sitting on the chair behind his desk was my father. Seated on the couch were the two witches, as I liked to call them. Margaret, my father's wife, and Hanna, his daughter, sat majestically like they owned the place. All eyes were on my being as I stepped fully into the room, realizing what I had just done. I had just walked into a pack full of wolves, waiting to devour me.