I sit gently in the car and glue myself to the door with a racing heart. He hasn't said a word for the past five minutes now yet it feels like we've been in here for hours.
We're still in the parking lot, not going anywhere-- at least that's a good thing, right? Is this one of those scenes in movies where the girlfriend is threatened? I've been expecting it for three years now but Grandfather-- as I've come to start calling him-- has been awfully quiet. Oliver has invited me for dinner with him three times and each of those times, he hasn't said a word directly to me. I wonder... What he wants now. The bodyguard at the front suddenly turns to me, handing over a thin envelope. I stare at him and then stare at what he's giving me. Is this a gift? I turn to grandfather who has his eyes closed and his head straight. I'm not even worth the attention, am I? "Take it." I jolt at the two words and quickly accept it with trembling hands. His voice is cold as ice and they hold a fierceness that commands my obedience, I'd rather not disobey. "I'm sure you've seen the news," he continues to speak and with each word, my ears are ringing and I can't take my eyes off the envelope. It's a cheque, isn't it? Which news exactly? I gulp, unable to ask my question or say a word in his presence. "Your relationship with my son has gone on long enough," his voice is levelled and calm but there's a scoff somewhere in there that's to my shame. "Oliver has only been with you to spite me and now that he's back to his senses, your time together is over. Unless you have plans to become a mistress, Miss. Rebecca Hoffman?" Oliver was with me... To spite him? He never mentioned something like that. What am I saying? He also never mentioned an engagement. "Never," I blink past the tears, willing myself not to cry, at least not in front of him. "Good. You're a young woman, you'll have many options. I'm surprised you could keep on going blindly with everything the news has to say about you." It's practically impossible to ignore when I'm always at the cover of every newspaper but the fact that he's seen them, I feel so exposed and ashamed. "Did you fall in love with him, Miss Hoffman?" The smirk in his tone cuts through me like a knife, mocking my foolishness. That tone of disdain and sarcasm makes my face feel hot in embarrassment and when he chuckles, I release a shuddering breath with my tears dropping onto the envelope. I can almost see his arched brow in my imagination. "That's unprofessional and unethical and..." A long pause. "A breach of the contract on your path." Beads of sweat break out on my forehead and I'm slowly turning to meet his judging eyes. He has a smirk on his lips, as if amused by the situation. How did he know that? "I see the funds that go into your mother's treatment and I raised Oliver from day one. He wouldn't move without a motive. How do you think the media would react if they knew you really were as they've labelled you? 'A gold digger'." My chest heaved with each harsh and heavy breath as my lips quivered from the shock. I read his threats loud and clear. Tears roll down my cheek and I'm unable to stop them. "I try not to concern myself with his business but he has always been engaged to Annie Quinn. Don't blame yourself. You two just belong to two very different worlds, Miss. Hoffman. I don't want to have to be the one to lecture you." And here I thought the engagement was sudden. My heart is crumbling like a wrinkled paper and each breath feels like a dagger poking my chest. This new discovery only leaves me in a devastated pit of endless turmoil. "That's a cheque to help you get your life together. You didn't finish college, did you? How do you expect to keep your job?" He's throwing shades at me, lining up my sins one after the other. I see where Oliver gets his cruelty from. His grandfather is no less of a cruel man. "Say, you return all the money my son has lavished on you, you owe him nothing but then there's your mother still lying in the hospital. I hear from the doctor that she's not getting any better." How did he get that information? Isn't a patient's report supposed to be confidential? Once again, he's showing me the power he holds. He can pull any string and my life will be a living hell. "Why waste good money on her when you can live your life abroad and resume school-" "I'm not wasting money!" I don't know when I scream, pouring out my frustration. "D-Don't refer to her as... A lost cause. She's the only family I have left." I squeeze the end of the envelope as more tears drop on it. The car is covered in thick silence. Oh shit! I finally snap out of it. The cheque is suddenly taken from me and I lift my head to the bodyguard and watch as he rips it apart. A little ray of hope shines in my heart. Is he giving me his permission to be with his son- "You got tears on it. You have to be careful. That was good money," he said, throwing my chances out the window. "Add another billion," he instructs as the guard rewrites the cheque and takes out another envelope from the armrest of the car. He's handing it over again and this time I hesitate, since I now know what it's for. "The date hasn't been decided yet but I trust you'll find yourself out of his life as soon as possible?" I've always imagined this scene and laughed over it. What would I do if his grandfather handed me a sum to leave him? Of course I'd say no but with my heart in shambles and Oliver's cruel words playing in the back of my mind, his evil smirk dangling from his face, I find myself reaching for the cheque. I've made up my mind to start my life away from him. "Yes," I need help getting away from Oliver. It's no use fighting for a love that was never mine to begin with.I can't lift my head from the steering wheel, ashamed at what just happened. Oliver's grandfather is long gone and I'm sitting in my own car with the weight of the cheque heavy on my consciousness."God!" I sigh with heavy breath. I just displayed what I've been labelled all these years.A freaking gold digger. I just picked that good sum over a human being! In my defence, I'll need to pay back what he's burnt on me and I'll need all the money I can get but taking it from Oliver's grandfather-- he must be having a good laugh.I don't know how I feel. A part of me wants to feel bad about my actions but a much bigger part worries if this is a blessing from God to help me save myself.Why didn't he use someone else? Why Oliver's grandfather? That man gives me the chills and the creeps. He looks like he can go at any length to make sure he has his way.His words from earlier flash in my thoughts and I grip the wheels. Betrothed from birth? Well now that's a huge shame on me. I understand
I open my eyes, frowning at the bright lights from the unfamiliar looking window.Where am I? The question comes as I jerk to sit, looking around the small room with wide eyes. I hear noise from outside and I step out, feeling thankful and a bit relieved that I'm still wearing my outfit from last night.My head bangs from the hangover as I quite remember little things from last night but I can't seem to remember past seeing Oliver. The shock was something else and I still shiver just remembering it."Stop it," I pause when I hear a giggle and a man's soft whisper, feeling a bit nervous as I step into the kitchen to see a man hugging a woman from behind. He's swaying her gently and pestering kisses on her neck.The sight warms my heart as I get flashes of Oliver hugging me from behind once in a while. The deal was not to fall in love but to pretend to be in love."Fake it till it looks real, Miss. Hoffman," he would often say whenever I get startled by his sudden hugs, kisses and PDA.
"Girl, you better not be thinking about his ass," Tania yanks the phone from my grip before I can do something stupid. "Let him have a taste of what it's like to be hated so hard," Tania growls before breaking out into a smile, "On the bright side, look at all those positive comments, yo! No more 'pet' or 'gold digger' , it's just you.'I stop worrying about Oliver for a while and I open my eyes to see my own life. For the first time in three years, the world is in my favour. They even called me a girlfriend not a pet anymore.It brings tears to my eyes and I'm suddenly crying. Why do I feel so justified and relieved? Everyone has been against me for so long that I've forgotten what it's like to have supporters.I used to think it was okay that the world was against me for him but, I've been so burdened. I didn't know I craved relief so bad."It's okay," she's patting my pack as she puts my phone down. "Now let the world see how much of a scumbag he is. Getting engaged in your face--
- Billionaire's Ex-girlfriend Rebecca Hoffman takes to the Mall by storm'.- 'Rebecca Hoffman not bothered by her ex- boyfriends pestering'."Oh my God," I freeze at Tania's flat exclamation as she frowns at me peeking at her phone from where she's sitting beside me."No," she warns sternly. "No phones."I sit my ass down, pouting a little as I reach for my doughnuts. Those headlines don't seem so bad. I've always tried to ignore the news. Now I find myself wanting to look at them, wanting to see what they have to say about me."That's not so bad," at least they make it seem like I don't give a shit anymore. I wish that were truly the case."No shit," Chloe, one of my colleagues at work said while patting her blonde hair. Tania had called her over since they were very close after I had decided we would go to the mall and do a little shopping.We were sitting at a restaurant in the mall with every eye turning to our table, secretly taking pictures like we can't see them."How's Oliver
I can't let her out of my sight again. It's been three years since I last saw Molly.After Oliver made our relationship public and the news wouldn't stop coming at me, Molly and I slowly fell apart. It was my fault anyways.I was getting so carried away by Oliver that I let other parts of my life die. She hated it when my grades dropped and screamed at me when I said I was moving out.The moment I moved out was the day our relationship took another turn. According to her, I was losing myself in him and she wasn't going to stand there and let me lose myself.I'm not going to stand there and let some idiot drag her around like he fucking owns her!I approach the VIP room but I'm quickly stopped by the bouncer by the thick red curtain, dividing us from the VIP section."It's full," the man says and folds his arms. "You can try the others-""Oh no, I have to go in. My friend-"He cast his terrifying gaze on me, "I said it's full." His voice is deep and bold, just like his thick body in th
**TRIGGER WARNING**I hand the phone over to him after deleting Oliver's number and the bouncer has his brow arched in silent question. He's observing my face a lot harder this time like he's trying to remember.I pay him no mind, instead, I'm worrying about the hole I've just dug myself in. Another favour. In the past, he wouldn't hesitate to do anything for me, we were still bound by the contract.But now that I made it clear that I was done, I can only imagine what he'd request for.'Don't ever mention leaving again!' I can hear him yell in my head, maybe he'll pin me down on the bed and stuff dick inside me to drill the information deep into my mind and my body."You look familiar," the bouncer says in a loud voice and proceeds to say, "But even a phone call won't get you past this-" he tenses up and places his hand over his ears, receiving instructions from the intercom.His brows jerk as he stares at me and he replies his boss or whoever it is, "Yes, sir. She's with me... Okay,
I stagger out of the club with Molly's weight on my shoulders as she's leaning against me and one side, Chloe has her arm wrapped around her."I'll go bring the car around," Tania says before she hurries off."Who is this chica?" Chloe wonders as Molly starts to struggle. "I don't want to be arrested for kidnapping. We said go wild, not this wild."I roll my eyes, "She's a friend." It pains me to say but there's nothing else that can make her feel rest assured.Molly is wiggling in our hand, staggering from the cocaine and saying gibberish. I doubt she even knows where she is nor who I am right now."Fuck! She's lost it. Completely drugged. Who knows what the fuck would have happened if you haven't rescued her."I can guess and I swear I want to get the image of my fucking head. Seeing her in that state still plagues my mind.Molly suddenly throws both arms around me, caressing my face as she breathes on me and slurs in her words, "You look oddly familiar." She giggles, her smile weak
Molly's words slam into me like a wall and I stagger as the air whooshes out of my lungs with a force. She's keeping a blank gaze on me, relaxing her clenched jaw as if waiting for me to say something; to try and deny it. I gulped as my emotions swirl inside of me and my heart clenches painfully. "I did what I had to do-" "Ha!" She scoffs mockingly, rolling her eyes as she falls back on the bed. "So did I, love. Don't try to question me-" "Molly, you got sold-" "And you didn't?" She bites harshly and the annoyance in her words make me realise she must have hatred for me stored somewhere. She's sitting up again, staring at me in disbelief like I am one to talk. I've had my moments and I'm still going through my moment but she has no idea how much I'm determined to fix my life. "You know why I accepted that contract in the first place," I say in a broken whisper. "And I had my own damn reason. Not like I should even be explaining myself to a dickmatised, broke ass fake girlfriend