The Cold Billionaire In My House

DANIELA’S POV I was lying on the bed after finally getting granny Emilia to sleep. Her insomnia had kept us both up, and I was really exhausted. After several attempts and processes to make her close her eyes, she finally slept. My phone buzzed, and it was a w******p notification. “Beatriz Hugo weds Emiliano Alejandro.” Tears slipped down my cheeks. “Emiliano is getting married only a month after our divorce?” I let out softly, with a broken voice. “Mummy, I...want...to...eat” Fabian cried out, running to the kitchen. I paid less attention to his cry as I was so engrossed in my phone. However, I was quite aware I had not fed him and it was nearly evening. He wailed louder as he neared the room. I wiped my tears and screen, went to the fridge, and pulled out Granny Emilia’s scrambled eggs and wheat bread for dinner, thinking that we'd figure out her dinner later. “Oh Fabian, stop crying. Eat this, I will make dinner soon”. He took the food, wiped his tears that stopped halfway down his cheek, headed to the sitting room, sat on the floor in front of the TV. The moment his attention was locked to the screen, I sat back on the bed, opened my phone, and stared again at the wedding invite. Beatriz Hugo. Emiliano Alejandro. Beatriz, the daughter of Hugo Javier, Diego Alejandro’s friend. Her father was building a business empire and wanted her to intern under Emiliano to gain experience to transition his father’s empire. I still couldn’t believe Emiliano could do this. He once made me feel like royalty. In two years, he understood me better than anyone. He knew what I needed before I asked. He used to tell me my mood swings had their own weather forecast. “Rainy with a chance of Daniela throwing shoes,” he once joked. I laughed back then. Tonight, no one was laughing. Everything changed after his last business trip. We argued before he left, and when he came back, he was distant. Cold. I couldn’t contain my tears as it soaked my pajamas and trickled down my legs. Then my phone rang, and it was Putella. “Hey, are you there?” she asked. “Yes I am”, I replied softly, trying to steady my voice. “How’s Grandma’s health?” she asked. I glanced through the sitting room and Fabian was already sleeping on the tiled floor after eating the food. “Emilia is finally sleeping after a lot of petting, medication and sleep music,” I replied, trying to help Fabian to the bedroom. “Did you get the message I sent to you?” she said. I muted for a moment, trying to hold my tears. “Hey Daniela, are you there?” she inquired. “Is it true Emiliano is marrying Beatriz already? After only three years of tying the knot with me,” my voice cracked, waiting to burst into tears. “No, you don't need to beat yourself for this, you are a very good person, Daniela.” She consoled. “He changed after that trip. Then he brought Beatriz to our home, flaunting her around every possible space in the mansion….” I couldn't hold my tears again. “That’s okay Daniela, something feels off, but he decided to be a scumbag the moment he decided to marry Beatriz,” Patella snapped. “I’m nearby, let’s take a walk. Meet me at the pizza joint,” she said, then hung up. I checked on Granny. She was still asleep, then I laid Fabian on his bed. I pulled out an oversized top and biker shorts and dropped them on the bed. I stripped myself of my pajamas, and stared at myself in the mirror. I was a shadow of myself, a pale face, slimmer and tired, but the curves were still there. I pulled at my cheeks with both hands. “See, Daniela, instant facelift,” I muttered, laughing bitterly at my reflection. The mirror didn’t laugh back. Typical mirror, always judgmental. “Was I no longer attractive to Emiliano?” I asked quietly, still checking myself in the mirror. Suddenly, the door creaked open, it was Fermin. He froze at the sight of my nakedness. I quickly jumped into the bathroom without a towel, and he shut the door quietly behind him. Inside the bathroom, I pressed my forehead against the cool tiles. “Fantastic. Now my cousin-in-law has seen me naked before even Netflix has,” I muttered. I went out of the bathroom to lock the door from the bedroom. He must’ve come to check on Granny and found the door open. After a quick shower, I dressed in my T-shirt and biker shorts and stepped out. He sat on the sofa, avoiding eye contact. I could not maintain eye contact either because he had already seen it all. “I’m really sorry, Daniela,” he said. “Didn’t mean to walk in on you.” he apologized, still avoiding eye contact. “It’s fine, did you bring the goodies?” I joked, trying to shift attention. “Yeah… and I wanted to see Emilia before I leave tomorrow,” he chipped in. “You’re leaving?” I muttered. “Anyway, I’m off to see a friend. Please watch over Granny and Fabian.” I said with a bit of displeasure, because he'd be leaving soon. Fermin sat on the sofa staring at me, looking confused. He opened his mouth, then closed it again like a fish gasping for air. I almost told him to spit it out before I got a frying pan and cooked it. I left the house. As I neared the pizza joint, I saw Putella approaching me. “What took you so long?” she asked, but I ignored and walked past her. Then I turned. “You won’t believe what happened. After your call, I was checking myself in the mirror when Fermin walked in and saw everything.” I said, sarcastic enough to be funny, blunt enough to be clear. “What the actual f**k. He saw all your secrets” she said, eyes and mouth wide in shock. “Yes,” I scoffed. But then Emiliano’s face flashed in my mind, and the tears came again. “My life is now a bad soap opera. At this point, even the camera person would quit,” I muttered under my breath. Putella almost choked on her gum, laughing. “You’ve got to stop doing this to yourself, Daniela. Your best years are ahead, and I need to forget about Emiliano and move on.” She advised, pulling me aside. “Let’s stay beside this car, because I don’t want a scene at the joint,” I said. She nodded in affirmation. “I was getting over him until I saw the wedding invite and all the memories came back. How did you get it?” I asked, crossing my arms. "Emiliano invited someone to his anniversary event. I went to clean the room as usual and saw the invite." She hugged me tight, “It’ll be over soon.” “I’ll definitely get over him, I promise,” I finally consoled myself. “… But I’m go… going to the…the wedding,” I stuttered. She pulled back, shocked. “What did you just say?” she asked, her eyes locked on me. “Daniela, what did you just say?” Fermin’s voice came from behind us. He was leaning on the car. “I need to return his ring. I thought he’d come back. But his mind is made up. I need closure.” I walked away. Fermin followed. He knew I wouldn’t change my mind. “You don’t have to go to that wedding. It won’t end well!” Putella shouted after me. “Goodnight, Putella. See you later,” I said, not looking back. I want to see him one last time. After that, whatever happens… happens. But as I turned the corner, headlights flashed, and a black car rolled to a stop in front of me. The window slid down slowly. My breath caught when I saw who was inside.