Deadly Romance with a Billionaire

Chapter Three

Veronica Chiu, the envy of all women in the modelling industry, exchanges eye glaze with my fiancée. Her coffee small eyes are glued to his deep set grey ones. I take a step back when she thrusts her legs forward. The longer I look at them, the faster my insecurity beefs up. I try to ignore the unwanted feelings that’s crippling my chest by roaming my sight to different directions and shifting it back to them from time to time.

“How have you been?” Veronica asks while tucking some strands of her hair behind her ear.

“I’m doing well,” Chaz replies.

“Good to hear that.” She says then takes one more step closer to Chaz. “By the way…I was wondering if you and I could…”

She isn’t able to finish her statement when Chaz suddenly reaches for my hand then softly pulls me to his side.

“Why are you hiding at my back?” he whispers but it’s loud enough for his mother and Veronica to hear.

I wet my lips before pursing them while trying to answer his question as best as I could. Unfortunately, my head couldn’t formulate a single word to say.

“Anyways,” he says, turning his face back to Mrs. Montenegro and Veronica. “This is Nichelle, Nichelle Lopez. And she’s my fiancé.”

His confession brings upward curl at the corners of my lips which doesn’t last long when I glance at the two ladies in front of us. Mrs. Montenegro has her usual deadpan expression, I ‘m not sure if it’s because of excessive face-lifting surgeries she's undergone to that she can no longer move her face or maybe she just doesn’t care about Chaz’s announcement at all. Then I slowly turn my attention to Veronica who’s apparently stunned but still manages to fake a smile.

“Congratulations!" Veronica says in a much lower tone. Much to my surprise, she looks at me for the first time and tilts her head slightly as if she’s willing to acknowledge me as Chaz’s future wife.

I rely on Chaz to bail me out from this situation. It’s not that I don’t wanna engage with her but I’m intimidated by her presence. I wait for Chaz to say something but he remains quiet so I open my mouth then close it again when words betray me. My hands grip Chaz’s arm tightly causing him to look at me.

“Let’s take a seat. The program is about to start,” he says before giving his mother a kiss on her forehead. “We’ll head first.”

The tension in my body loosens up a bit the instant I take the first step away from them. As we amble towards the seats nearest to the platform, my stomach contracts as daunting eyes stare at me from head to toe.

'Guess this is what I have to take in for being a tycoon’s fiancée.'

The program is short and simple. Mrs. Montenegro delivers her speech, extends her gratitude to her fellow elites, champions her cosmetic brand and introduces Veronica Chiu as her primary endorser. During the ribbon cutting ceremony where the medias are relentlessly taking photos and videos, I try so hard to be socially compatible with Chaz’s family and friends by mimicking how they act and speak with each other. It’s not easy but humiliating Chaz isn’t an option so I got to do a good job in pretending that I fit in. When one reporter walks in front of us, asking for a short interview, Chaz looks at and examines me first. Perhaps he could sense that I’m uncomfortable so he declines the reporter’s request.

After a few more flashings of the cameras' lights and chitchattings with the guests, we are lead by the program’s organizers to a huge room next to the lobby and directed to sit down on the chairs with dark wood ornate carvings. At the center of the white marbled long rectangular table are pink and purple flowers on golden vases which produce a burst of sweet scent. One by one, the guests start occupying the chairs which again brings uneasiness in me. The good thing about being here is that there are no mainstream medias allowed in this room so it’s quite a relief.

While the service crews pop bottles of wine and lay luxurious-looking plates of food on the table, high-pitched clinking sounds catch everyone’s attention. Mrs. Montenegro is tapping the golden fork against an empty glass of wine.

“There’s something that I forgot to mention earlier and I would like to take this chance to tell you that my unico hijo is getting married.”

My eyes widen with my mouth and so do the others around the table. Anxiousness crawls in every fiber of my body while I rub my palms against my dress. I hold my breath when she slants her gaze at me then gives me a nod, urging me to say something.

'I should be happy about this, right? But for some reasons, I am not.'

I look at Chaz to see what he has to say but he doesn’t speak, he just smiles at me and just like his mother, he gestures for me to say something.

I clear my throat and offer everyone my brightest smile, hoping it’s enough to make a positive impression. “Hi. I’m Nichelle Lopez, Chaz’s fiancée. I’m very please to meet all of you.”

Not a split second passes by, a middle-age woman who’s wearing a neon green outfit asks a question. “How did you two meet?”

“In my graduation about two years ago. Chaz was a guest speaker. He asked for my number and it begun from there.”

“Where did you study?” another one asks.

“I took up Bachelor of Science in Criminology in Our Lady of Fatima University.”

Chaz teasingly coughs. “She’s a Magna c*m Laude.” His tone and his face display an absolute pride which warms my heart.

“I’ve never heard of that school before, is that a good school?” asks a bloated man who’s sitting next to me.

“It’s a private university if that’s what you’re asking.”

What seems to be a lighthearted conversation becomes disheartening when Mrs. Montenegro, throws a curveball. “Well, Veronica graduated as a Summa c*m Laude from De La Salle University. In fact, she studied Business Management which is perfect since she could help our family, especially Chaz with his businesses.”

Though Veronica smiles at Mrs. Montenegro’s remarks, like me, she looks discomfited.

And just like that, everyone buzzes like irritating bees. The focus immediately changes from Chaz and I to Veronica and I.

“Speaking of business, aside from being a model, you also handles your parents’ business, right?” asks a woman while waving her hands, bragging all the jewelries on her wrists and fingers.

“I do. Modelling is what I’m really passionate about and I’m glad mom and dad allow me to do it,” Veronica responds.

“Where’s your mom and dad anyways? Why aren’t they here?” asks another tycoon who’s sitting at the edge of the table.

“They’re on a business trip.” Veronica answers.

That same person asks me the same question. “How about you Ms. Lopez, what does your parents do for a living?”

Unlike earlier, my voice is a lot less perkier when I answer him. “My father was a police officer. He died when I was fifteen years old so my mother raised me alone by sewing clothes.”

Not a single wimp, they look at each other. Some take a sip on their wines while others pretend they don’t hear what I said.

Finally, Chaz joins in. “Nichelle’s father died while protecting civilians from a mentally unstable guy who was carrying a grenade. The guy threw the grenade and Nichelle’s father covered it with his own body.”

“How did you know that when you never got the chance to meet him?” his mother asks.

“It’s a public record, mom.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. I don’t watch news nor read newspapers if it won’t add money to my bank account.”

Almost everyone around the table laughs. I clutch my fists so hard that my nails leave red marks on my palms. I don’t wanna believe that those words came out of my future mother-in-law’s mouth. Mrs. Montenegro’s last statement hasn’t sunk in yet when another guest asks me another question.

“Since your father’s gone, how much does a sewer and a policewoman earn? I mean, is your combined income enough for the two of you?”

'Is she straightout mocking me? Or is she just genuinely curious?'

Self-control is going to be my best weapon throughout this entire meal. I haven’t have my first bite nor drink yet but I already wanna go home. The air thickens everytime someone says something which makes it hard for me to breath.

“I don’t appreciate that question.” I jerk when Chaz aggressively stands up. “We’re done for today. Enjoy your meals. Please excuse us.”

Before Chaz could make his next move, the man next to me blabbers again. “You’re being sensitive Chaz. Relax, we just wanna know her more.”

Chaz’s face turns red and veins become visible on his forehead. “Relax? You want me to relax when you’re clearly disrespecting my fiancée?!”

The bloated man raises an eyebrow. “Is it our fault that you introduce a non-caliber woman to us?”

'What the hell?! He thinks that I have no quality just because I’m not rich? What a shallow mind he has!'

My vision blurs as waters assemble in my eyes and the next thing I know, glasses are crashing on the floor and people are shouting Chaz’s name. The bloated man’s upper body is reclined on the table while his legs boot, trying to escape Chaz’s grip and punches. Everybody is on their feet with their eyes and mouth are wide open while others are screaming for help. I hurriedly run towards Chaz and attempt to separate him from the other guy.

“Chaz please stop!”