The Regretful Billionaire: Give Me One More Chance

“Ana, do you know? Rebecca is coming back!” My best friend Sasha's text popped up just as I was about to leave work. “Rebecca who?” I replied, puzzled. “Rebecca Colas! Our alumna, three years ahead of us, the most charming girl from our college days!” My heart fluttered as a graceful image of Rebecca filled my mind. Tall and slender, with blond hair cascading effortlessly over her shoulders, silky and lustrous. The best part were her eyes, deep blue, like Kashmir sapphires in a crown. The most sought-after girl in our university, with countless admirers, including Nathan Lacoste. Nathan Lacoste, the famous CEO of a leading fashion company in London, my boss and my, secret boyfriend. “What? Didn’t she go to Hollywood and marry the head of a top movie firm?” I texted back. “Divorced. Her husband had an affair with his assistant. It's been all over the news. Don’t you read the papers?” I was about to explain that I was too busy with my work, too busy taking care of Nathan, another text from Sasha appeared. “Several alumni are planning a welcome party for her. Maybe your Nathan will be there.” “I don’t think so. He’s on a business trip and said he’d be back tonight for dinner.” Despite a flicker of apprehension, I chose to believe him. After all, today was my birthday. “I’ll talk to you later. I have to head to the supermarket.” Rush hour had turned the streets into a chaotic sea of cars, made worse by the pouring rain. It was only a ten-minute walk from my office to our apartment, conveniently located next to a Waitrose supermarket where I usually shopped. But today, I needed to drive 30 minutes to Whole Foods Market because Nathan only eats organic food from there. Nathan was a very fussy eater. For beef, only shoulder cuts; for sausages, only Lincolnshire sausages flavoured with the sage herb, and absolutely no garlic or onions. He didn't like any non-essential personnel in his house, so after we got together he dismissed his personal chef and I took over the cooking. This hearty meal took me a lot of time. Foie gras mousse for appetizer, grilled lobster with butter and herbs for side dish, Beef Wellington for main dish, along with a vegetable salad, and lemon pudding for dessert. Once everything was ready, I messaged Nathan, “Dear, when are you getting home?” Fifteen minutes passed without a reply. I called, but there was no answer, so I sent another message. Still nothing. The carefully selected music played in solitude. I sat quietly on the sofa, gazing out through the diamond-shaped window at the splendor of Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the London Eye. The scenery outside the window was as beautiful as a painting, but why a mood of melancholy descended on me? I don't know how long I sat there, but eventually, I fell asleep. When I woke up, the apartment was dark, and I heard a noise coming from the bedroom. Was Nathan coming back? I walked quietly towards our bedroom. When I realized what was happening, I stiffened. Waves of flirtatious laughter drifted from the bedroom. Perhaps they were in such a hurry that they left the door ajar, creating a wide gap. Through this gap, I could see clothes carelessly thrown across the floor. There was a man and a woman on the bed. Woman was on top, and Nathan below her. He held her tightly in his arms and kissed her, so I couldn't see the woman's face, only the long, waterfall-like hair, blond, silky and lustrous. “Oh, my god, you are so tight.” Nathan spoke in a husky whisper. “Oh dear, please slow, I can’t stand it.” The woman laughed. He continued to screw her, while I had already collapsed to the floor, feeling my world turn upside down. As if there was a giant hand grasping my heart, the pain was so intense that I could hardly breathe. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. After a low growl of contentment, they finally stopped. “It's just fantastic! I knew you were still in love with me, it's me you love isn't it? You don't love Ana at all.” “Of course I love you. Ana? Who’s Ana? You're the only one I love in this life.” Hearing the voice, I looked up, and this time I could finally see the woman's face, it was Re-be-cca! “No!!!” I shouted, and then I rolled off the couch and onto the floor. I looked around, the dining room was brightly lit and the carefully prepared dinner was still on the table. Oh thanks, it was just a dream. I looked up at the clock, it was 12:30am, Nathan hadn't come back yet, and there were no calls or messages from him on my phone. Still distracted by the nightmare I just had, and bored, I opened a laptop to search for Rebecca's information. After graduating from our university, Rebecca went to the United States to become an actress. With her beautiful appearance and charming charisma, she quickly gained a firm foothold in Hollywood, serving as the star of several popular films and taking several best actress awards. As she was a celebrity, it was easy to gain her information. Of course, lately, the internet had been full of s*x scandals related to her ex-husband. It was reported that although her ex-husband cheated on her, he was not willing to divorce her. Rebecca paid a huge amount of legal fees for the divorce. Plus the man was very powerful in Hollywood and ordered a ban on her, so Rebecca had to return to the UK to pursue her career. I continued to browse the internet and then found Rebecca's Twitter account. Out of curiosity, I clicked on it. Oh, guess what I found? She posted several photos of the welcome party held by alumni today. The photos showed her smiling brightly and a man sitting next to her, staring at her passionately. The man was wearing a dark business suit and a blue and black striped tie I knew well. Who was it if not Nathan? Was this why Nathan hadn't come home yet? Was this why he wasn't answering my phone nor responding to my messages? In a flash moment I heard my heart break, this time it wasn't a dream, it was real. There were a lot of comments below this tweet. “Congrats Rebecca on walking out of her misery! New country, new life.” “Hugs. You are my goddess, you are so charming, you will definitely meet your own happiness.” “Who is the gentleman sitting right in the middle in the photos? Look at his affectionate look, as if he loves her very much. He is handsome too, a good match for Rebecca.” “You guys actually don't know who he is? He is Nathan Lacoste, the CEO of fashion giant MY Group in London, Rebecca's alumni.” “What? Rebecca and Nathan partied? Our Romeo and Juliet are together again.” This comment in particular sparked interest, with people catching up on the story of Rebecca and Nathan, and reminded me of our time in Edinburgh. Me, Rebecca, and Nathan all went to university in Edinburgh. My major was Fashion, Nathan’s was Business and Law, and Rebecca’s was Film and Television. When I was a freshman, they were both seniors. I was supposed to have no interaction with them, but a student society named Drama Club brought us together. “Hello, are you interested in joining our Drama Club?” This was the first thing Nathan ever said to me. “Our Drama Club was founded one hundred years ago, is one of the oldest drama societies in the UK. We produce numerous shows every year. We have opportunities to perform at other universities, as well as to perform abroad at festivals.” “Besides acting, we also have directing, lighting design, stage and set design. You can get involved in all aspects of theatre.” As the evening approached, the rays of the sun glimmered through the sparse tree, casting its light on his face. His strong handsome features were like a perfect sculpture, half bathed in sunlight and half cloaked in shadow, adding a romantic, artistic touch. I stared at him, forgetting to breathe and completely unaware of how I filled out the application form to join the Drama Club. Oh, I even made mistakes—I marked my gender as male and wrote my major as my phone number. Yeah, I fell in love with him at first sight. Nathan was handsome and tall, with a great sense of acting. All of them made him the male lead in our drama. Rebecca, who majored in Film and Television, was naturally the female lead. They frequently performed Shakespeare’s classic romantic tragedy, “Romeo and Juliet,” which had won the Gold Medal at the British University Drama Competition and had been staged at multiple arts festivals. To everyone else, they seemed like a perfect match, the ideal couple. As for me, I was a nobody, mainly responsible for costume design and stage set, and occasionally being the understudy for Rebecca. However, I rarely got the chance to perform; the only time I did was during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe when Rebecca was sick. But I didn’t mind. For me, just being able to see Nathan was enough to make me happy. Everyone thought Nathan and Rebecca would always be together. However, after graduating, Rebecca left for the United States and soon after, news of her marriage reached us. Nathan remained despondent for a long time. I thought I could only keep my love for Nathan in my heart forever, but Rebecca's departure reignited my hopes. I started to spend more time with Nathan. Nathan came from the Lacoste family, a fashion powerhouse in London. To be closer to him, I applied for an internship at this company and, after graduation, became his secretary. Nathan and I remained friends until one night when he got drunk, he put his arm around my neck and kissed me. We ended up sleeping together. From then on, I became his girlfriend. I still remembered that night vividly. As Nathan gently caressed my face, he whispered “Rebecca.” Many people said I looked a lot like Rebecca, although our temperaments were quite different. She was bold and flamboyant, like a proud peacock, while I was gentle and compliant, like a well-behaved kitten. I used to believe that as long as I stayed by Nathan's side, he would eventually forget Rebecca and fall in love with me. But now, I wonder if that dream can ever come true.