A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 139: RICHARD

Chapter 139: RICHARD

"Good" I affirmed with a genuine smile.

I had won and she didn’t even know. She had no idea just how much I had taken from her. I wonder what will be the price tag for a dream, a dream such as hers which I had duped her of?

I was going to pay her accordingly as the contract stipulated, while sending the allocated percentage to her greedy stepmother, that way, she won’t suspect a thing.

Oh! the look on her face when she realizes that there was a loophole in the contract all along, that I never intended to grant her her brand, that look will be glorious. Totally worth putting up with her ass for however long, hopefully it will be less than 6 months.

I watched her take another look at the corner I had told her she would set up her desk. She scowled at it.

"You can stop killing your cells, it’s over" I said.

"What?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the corner.

"Well, the way you’ve been frowning at that corner, as if you want to obliterate it with your eyes"

"And what does that have to do with me killing my cells?" she faced me now.

"You don’t know, like really you don’t know?"

From her blank expression, it was certain she didn’t know. She was clueless as to what I was saying. I guess I shouldn’t blame her, after all it wasn’t public knowledge. But people often joked about it, "Frowning makes you ugly, smiling makes you beautiful"

I don’t think I got that quite right, well, at least as right as it was sung in nursery rhymes. But that was the problem, they got it wrong. I have no doubt Sofia had heard that rhyme or saying, or whatever it was people called it, but the part about it killing our cells, they don’t know that.

I even find that saying absurd, someone beautiful will always be beautiful even when angry, like Sofia. She certainly looks more beautiful when she’s pouting like a child sulking. And someone ugly can only be less ugly with a smile, and more uglier with a frown, that’s just the truth. The hard truth in fact, too bad, people can’t handle hard truths.

"Wow, that’s rich" I said, clapping, "You really don’t know, I can’t really say I’m surprised. Of course you don’t know. Well let me tell you, when you are angry as you now, you squeeze and kill 75 out of your hundreds of trillions cells, so imagine how many you’ve killed since you walked in here"

The foolish girl didn’t seem at all bothered by what I said, if anything her scowled deepened.

"Didn’t take you for a science nerd? And what good is you telling me this when you yourself is hardly any different?"

I wasn’t a science nerd. In fact, I really don’t like science that much, especially since it’s somehow related to my ailment. I doubt I would have known about that fact if it wasn’t for my heart condition, it was on that blasted day I found out about it that I browsed and browsed until I saw that information. I think I was searching for possible ways of not hastening the countdown. I found out then that holding in a sneeze could actually make my heart stop and the frowning part could count down my rather limited time of longevity.

"In case, you haven’t noticed," I told her, "I always strive to keep my expression neutral. Smooth and neutral, of course that’s when I’m not smiling. And I’m not a science nerd, I just like knowing things"

"Of course you do," she said, "but I don’t really care about any of that. Why am I here, don’t tell me it’s only because you want my signature and to throw... that to my face" she grimaced, glancing at that corner again.

So I was just rambling. She didn’t seem to take the fact I just shared with her seriously. And I hated that she was quick to dismiss it.

"Stand" I commanded as she made to speak.

I was certain she wasn’t going to, but surprisingly, yet reluctantly, she did.

"Now, come out of there, stand where I can properly see you"

Again without protest, though her face showed it all. She hated it all and yet, she did it.

"And what are you wearing?" I asked, taking in her appearance, yet again.

"It wasn’t my choice, believe me" she said, unflexing her fingers.

"Let me guess, your stepmom made the choice, didn’t she?" I asked, not able to take my eyes off her.

The blue shirt and black plain skirt and then the flat shoes. Not even heeled! It was clear she didn’t pick out any of her attire. And she won’t even admit it. I just don’t get why she kept protecting the same woman that treats her like trash.

"And this is what I don’t understand." I declared, not a care if my tone rose, "Why are you protecting her? Why were you so pathetic last night, following orders and scurrying around like a fucking puppy? What am I missing?"

"Nothing" she immediately answered, "It’s really not your business, please just leave it alone, I have..."

"Leave it alone, you say" I interrupted, "how can I do that and allow you to dress like a fucking 70 year old, don’t you know that as my personal assistant, you now represent me and you are privy to follow me anywhere I go and how can you do that when you’re looking like that?"

"I... um... I" she stuttered. She had almost said something, I could tell it wasn’t in defense of her stepmom, but she seemed to have realized herself and stopped.

"Just fucking spit it out already" I exasperated.

"Do you think I want to look like this?" She snapped, "Do you think I want this life? That I want to look like a senile secretary? That if I had a choice I wouldn’t leave already?" she walked back to her seat and sat down, and finished, "I don’t have that luxury, I can’t leave. I can’t disobey, I’m not just a puppy, I’m one with a leash"

Something about her tone reached my stone cold heart. So I wasn’t surprised when I blurted,

"But now you can, the contract makes provision for accommodations, you can come and live in my house- I’m not finished, hold your tongue" why can’t she just be quiet?, "and then Millicent can take care of your wardrobe"

"You can’t possibly mean that you want me to come live with you, in your own house by the way. You best be careful, one might start thinking that you like me, first, you make me your PA and now, you are offering accommodations, in your own house, no less" she said, reclining on her seat.

"Don’t kid yourself, I still can’t stand you. I’m merely following the terms of the contract and all I do, I do for me. The proximity would help to accelerate the end result and have you out of my life faster" I said, scrambling for anything that won’t make me sound any kinder than I already let slip. I don’t know how she does it, my defenses are hardly ever tight with her near.

"I can’t, I’m..."

"You can’t or you won’t?" I interrupted her yet again.

I had started it, I might as well finish it. Backing away would let slip that I was offering her accommodations, not because of the contract, but because I kinda wanted her close to me.

"You really ought to let me finish my sentences, and as for your question, it really doesn’t matter, I’m not living with you"

Too bad the bitch was too damn proud and stubborn. I was about to push the issue, when the idea struck me. If she didn’t want to come live with me by choice, then I was going to render her choiceless.

"Fine" I said, as if in concord with my mind.

Her face and shift in her seat showed her doubts. She didn’t think I would easily drop it, but she had no idea what I was planning. She was about to voice out her doubts, when I asked,

"With the way you behaved last night, I take you didn’t call Anna as I instructed?"

"Behaved? Is that what we are going for? How juvenile." So typical of her to make fun of what she did last night, my face must’ve showed my view on it, cause she added, "Yes, I didn’t call her. Would you like me to call her now?"

That wasn’t really as important, after all Bogue’s Weekly issues were always released on Mondays. And if we contact Anna, I have no doubt she would reprint every issue after we share our news.

"I suppose I can have Dan or Michael call her later, but that’s not really as pressing as having 15 ladies to mingle with and choose a wife from, your sisters including"

"Stepsisters," she corrected, "which reminds me, did you know before you offered the contract?"

I was wondering when she would ask that.

"Of course, you knew." She spat as if she read the answer from my face. "How pleasing it must’ve been for you to throw that one, wasn’t it? The shock on my face must’ve been worth it all, even the bottle of wine I almost spilled, right?"

"That’s irrelevant now, besides I caught the bottle, didn’t I? Which reminds me, you are yet to thank me for that. But that’s by the way, I don’t expect an ungrateful soul like you to ever say thank you. Now I will forward everything I have on the ladies to you via email, go and study each and every single one of them. Their strengths and weaknesses, and then puzzle out a way for me to meet them all in one place at about the same duration of time."

"Is that even possible?" she asked, as I sorted through my files.

"That’s why I hired you, isn’t it? To find a way to make the impossible, possible. But don’t worry about that now, we still have to go to Hong Kong tomorrow. Perhaps during the course of the trip, you can do that, but now go to Vera, tell her to take you to Millicent Covey. When you meet Millicent, tell her that I sent you for a change of wardrobe, and I will suggest you allow her pick out things for you. Over our meets, you haven’t really showed me that you have any fashion sense"

"No need, I can pick out my own clothes, just fine and besides, I have already met Millie."

"Of course you can and have. Just don’t show up like this tomorrow, I will be picking you up by 6am, don’t keep me waiting. And one more thing, you will be coming with me to somewhere this evening, I will be introducing you to my friends."

I was most certain she was going to protest and bad mouth my good intentions, I expected her to, but time enough for a response passed and yet she said nothing. Disappointed, I dismissed,

"If you don’t mind, I have already wasted enough time with you. I have other meetings and appointments lined up for today"

"Are you going to hint me the dress code?" She asked as she rose.

"Recreate what you wore on the first day. Now go."

Her face creased with confusion and before she could ask for a better explanation, I added,

"Something slutty, Millicent can help with that."

Her lips parted as she made to speak, but I beat her to it, "Vera!" I called, officially dismissing her.