A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 133: SOFIA

Chapter 133: SOFIA

Five minutes, I waited.

But he didn’t call back. I had been so sure that he would, at least to assert his authority and privilege, but as much as I stared at the dark screen of my phone lying on the worn drawer beside my bed, the screen never waked.

I even took my phone to the bathroom and yet after a long shower, he still hadn’t called. I didn’t know why I had been kinda desperate for him to call, but it was better than the silence. The Richard Wellington I knew, would never have let that slide. He freaks out when I interrupt him, talk more of cutting a phone call when he still had more to say.

As sleep enveloped me, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that whatever made him not call back, that, I should be afraid of. Because surely he was already plotting something and if that was enough for him not to call back, then I’m toast.

Dawn came much earlier than I had wanted, not to mention, Felix coming to wake me up. I still couldn’t address him as ’Sir’ even when everything had worked out well, or kinda. Because I’m not sure working for a prick like Richard could be termed as ’well’.

I drooped and laxed in my duties, not really feeling enthusiastic about the day. That was until Alicia woke up.

It was 6:30am when she came downstairs.

"Good morning Ma’am" I greeted, echoing Felix’s.

"Suspend all that," she said as I was setting the table, "go and get ready, I’ll be dropping you off on my way to work"

The dish I was holding almost dropped from my hands. I stepped on myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, the pain I felt on my big toe was all the reality I needed. And yet I still couldn’t believe it.

"Um... You... say, ma’am?" I stuttered in disbelief.

"I won’t have you ruin this for me, so do as I say or have you forgotten the power I have" she reminded me.

I doubt a day passes without her asserting her power. Without her tugging at the leash.

With heavy steps and confused back glances, I made for the stairs. I walked as if she would change her mind any minute, I expected her to. Because this was unlike Alicia. Even Felix, who took over setting the table, often threw quizzical looks at the mistress.

"Will you hasten up about it, you heard the man, 8am!" She called, noticing the slack in my movements.

I dashed the rest of the way up right into my room. I tried to waste more time, anything to stall my meeting with the billionaire. Lord knows what he had in store for me after last night. But with Alicia waiting for me, that was hardly an option.

After showering, I was ransacking my wardrobe on what to wear when without knocking Alicia waltzed in. In her right hand was a blue shirt neatly ironed and hanged, a transparent nylon shielding it from dust.

"Is anything amiss, ma’am?" I said, hugging my towel.

"Wear this" she commanded, dumping what she held on my bed.

"Thank you, ma" I said as she made for the door.

At first, she ignored me, then she turned.

"Keep your pathetic appreciation to yourself, this new job of yours changes nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing! Don’t ever forget that."

"Yes m..." I tried to say, but with her raised finger, I kept mute.

"Don’t tell me you are planning on wearing your hair like that" she said, walking back into the room. I can count how many times she had ever stepped her foot into my room, and each time, that look of disgust was always a constant.

My hair hung around my shoulders in loose curls. I had just released its bunch from the towel I had wrapped over it seconds before Alicia walked in. I was indeed intending to wear it like that.

"Oh Sofia, I wonder how long you will last. I just hope it’s enough to get me what I want. People of better qualifications and value, didn’t last long, talk more of you. Sit" she commanded.

Without a word, I sat before what made up my vanity table. A few self-made creams from YouTube tutorials, and others I had bought. They were cheap enough for Alicia to ask me to pass her the comb rather than take it up herself.

Combing through my curls, she tied my hair into a tight bun, so tight that at the mere crease of my face, my edges hurt.

She left after that, instructing me to be downstairs in the next ten minutes. Peeling away the nylon, I discovered that the shirt was rather simple, a very basic shirt with no design. And a black straight cut skirt that crossed my knee when I put it on. Only by pulling it up to my waist could I manage to get the combination fashionable. I looked like an old secretary, which was obviously what Alicia intended.

I hated the way I looked and I knew the billionaire was going to have a long laugh about it. I finished before the allocated ten minutes, but I deliberately stayed for an extra ten before making my way downstairs. She was already waiting for me, in a black silky gown with floral designs running down it, flared at the hems and edges. It was beautiful.

"You could have looked better had you pulled down the skirt, but come along now, it’s already 2o minutes past 7 and a good employee always has to beat her allocated time for coming in" she said, heading for the door.

Carlos was waiting with the car by the foot of the stairs. The drive was a silent one, much to my liking. Alicia had surprised me enough already. Enough to last a lifetime.

As I alighted from the car in front of the looming glass façade of the Wellington Fashion Headquarters, my feeling of uneasiness surmounted. Dread washed over me, leaving goosebumps on its wake.

"One last thing, Sofia." Alicia said, halting me from my effort to enter the building. "I’m sure you heard Mr Wellington talk about your sisters yesterday, so if he asks you anything about them, for your sake I hope you offer a positive review. If not I assure you, you will hold the record for the shortest PA to ever work for the billionaire, is that understood?"

I bobbed my head in response. Not sure I could speak, it felt like I was still trapped. Richard may have bought my freedom, but I was sure going to pay for it and after last night, I doubt the payment would be any better than walking the aisle. Then, there was Alicia, who still had me on a leash.

I doubt I would ever be free, but at least I was no longer tied to marriage, which was a relief no matter how imprisoned I still felt.

"Cat got your tongue, a nod is not enough of an assurance. Swear it!"

I found it absurd that people actually think that a swear means one would uphold a promise. It was merely a spoken agreement, it can just as easily be broken. As easily reversed.

"Sorry ma’am, I swear I will only say good things about Anna and Mira when asked by my boss."

"You better. Now go on"

As a parent would watch a child on her first day at school, Alicia waited and watched until I disappeared in the swirl of the rotating glass doors of the Wellington Fashion Headquarters.

"Hey girl," Emily called.

"Hey" I managed as I walked over to her. It wasn’t going to help with my uneasiness, but I couldn’t possibly pretend I didn’t hear her. Besides, all distractions were welcomed.

"So, what are you doing here, again? If I didn’t know any better, I would think you are now one of our VIP customers." Then as if seeing my attire, she exclaimed,

"Girl, have you lost your fashion sense? What are you wearing?"

I shrugged,

"My cruel stepmom picked this" I tugged at the attire, "so, I have no choice but to wear it. As for why I’m here, you will find out soon enough"

She gave me a questioning look, Emily had always been a curious bird like me. Perhaps more, especially when it came to gossip.

"I thought as much, I was beginning to wonder if I was to reciprocate what you did for me at Bogue, but you really ought to leave that house. And girl, isn’t that going to give you a headache?" She pointed at my hair.

It was still painful, but I was sort of oblivious to it, especially with all I had to think about. Tugging at the band holding up my hair, I let my hair fall down my back.

"Come," Emily said as I tried to smoothen my hair. "Ashley, can you cover for me, I need to help this friend of mine"

"Of course, nice to meet you" the one called Ashley said.

"Likewise" I returned following Emily to the side door paces away from their desk.

It opened to a hallway, with dark marble and white ceilings. Fluorescent lights hummed from the ceilings. Leading me to one of the doors lined up in the hallway, we went in. The room was like a closet, with clothes hanging on carts, piled in package bags on shelves. Most of them, I recognized, the tees and shirts Emily and other receptionists wore.

Taking me to one of the mirrors installed on one side of the room, she combed my hair to curls.

"Welcome Sir"

"Good morning Sir"

"How was your night, Sir?"

Even from here, we could hear it all.

"Shit" Emily muttered, "The boss is here"

"Shit" I echoed.