A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 94: RICHARD

Chapter 94: RICHARD

Swallowing a mouthful of whiskey from Chad’s flask, I said, receptive to the burn that warmed my chest.

"Before I tell you guys this, I need you to swear that you would never tell anyone this and it’s not that I don’t trust you. I just have a lot hanging on this and it can never be public knowledge"

"The fuck Rich! If you don’t want to tell us just hold it to yourself rather than questioning our loyalty and reliability" Aaron said, splashing the water hard, a reaction to how pissed he was.

His anger was justifiable, were any of them to question my trustworthiness and credibility, I would surely be vexed beyond measure.

"Yeah Rich, we’ve been friends long enough for you to know that we would never tell on each other or spill another’s secret" Chad concurred.

"Tell that to the person you almost told my ass to your mother" I countered.

"I think you are being too dramatic, you know he was just teasing you. Aaron would never do that and you know it" Chad said, mixing the contents of the flask to his champagne.

He raised the flask as even questioning if any of us wanted it.

Pissed Aaron snatched the flask and almost emptied the entire contents to his flute,

"Hey, don’t finish the whole thing. And I’m not the one who made you pissed, snatching my fingers like you want to break them. Don’t forget, the prick questioned my credibility as well" Chad complained.

"Does that mean I don’t get even a drop?" I teased, even when I knew I was getting on their last nerves.

"Most times, I wonder why I even love you at all. You’re insufferable."

"Not to mention, a level ten jerk" Aaron quickly added to Chad’s comment.

"But what matters is that you love me all the same, jerk and all, right?" I chipped.

"God, you are a narcissist," Chad began, then almost in a whisper, he finished, "but yeah we love your proud ass"

"Yeah, we do." Aaron agreed, as if shaking off the sentiment, he went on,

"Now, are you going to be less of a prick and tell us what Claire has gotten you roped in"

I never thought about how weird it would be telling them about the selection. They were going to laugh their hearts out.

We used to have this fantasy that none of us would get married until we were in our mid thirties. And of the three of us, Chad was thought to be the first that would stand at the altar. How ironic that at a score and quad years, I, the one who they thought would be the last to wed if I ever, was now about to be married.

Life can be one cruel son of a bitch.

I stood up from where I sat with them and paced.

"Whatever this is, Chad, it seems Claire did a number on our untouchable boy. Just look at him, he’s going nuts"

"My point exactly, but it would be better if he just spilled it out. I can’t stand him when he’s like this, it’s nerv..."

"Just shut up! Can you stop talking about me like I’m not fucking here?!" I yelled.

"Sorry, it’s just that we hardly see you this stressful and it’s worse with you not talking to us about it" Chad apologized.

I wasn’t really angry at them, I was pissed at myself, at the miserable life I called mine. At my parents who can’t love me more than their fucking name and stupid reputation. But I think it’s more about the power, the respect they get from my being the head. By staying on top.

Power is indeed addictive. They were willing to do anything to remain the head family, including getting me married and siring heirs like a thing, a product with a designated purpose. A robot with a specified function.

My shitty excuse of a life is nothing like most people would think. People like Sofia, who thinks I’m living the best life, a glamorous life, a life with more than everything I could possibly want. But they don’t know that I lack the essential things, I lack happiness and truly, what’s living if you are dying in the process?

"Rich, man, could you talk to us? You are scaring the shit outta me" Chad said, when I kept mute.

"For real, bro, this shit is not funny. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can handle it, oh, wait," Aaron paused, as if struck by an idea, "did you get someone pregnant and your mom is forcing you to take responsibility?"

"Damn, Aaron you might be just about right, he’s going to be a dad, oh shit, he has every right to be scared, that shit is scary as fuck" Chad agreed.

"Will you guys chill already, it’s not like that," as if to myself, I murmured, "but isn’t it kinda like that?"

Of their assumptions and the real news, I didn’t know which was more terrifying, forced to be a dad, or forced to dabble with 15 ladies for the purpose of choosing one for a wife and siring a child as soon as possible?

After that mental check, it was obvious, the second and reality was far more worse. At least if I got a girl pregnant, I would be privy to having only one option. Accepting the responsibility of being a father. I won’t even have to love the mother of the child and I won’t need to do much, Edward and Claire will make sure the child lacks nothing.

I could actually still live my life free, but with this selection there’s a chance I will never be able to do the things I used to do. More eyes would be on me, to know if I would be faithful or scandalous like other billionaire figures.

The more I think about it, the more it’s clear that this selection has to be handled with the utmost care. I’ll have to find a way to let go of 14 girls delicately or else I will have to do more of what I just went through with Lucy.

Power is intoxicating, but it can only stretch so far. How was I going to make the right choice? I have no idea what to expect from these ladies and though I pride myself as someone very knowledgeable in femininity, but do I really know past their genitals?

I have no idea what goes inside those brains of theirs, how they think or how they react or relate to certain things or

circumstances? Fuck!

Maybe I should have taken Claire up on her offer to help. It’s already late for that now, I’m too damn proud to go back pleading for help, besides she and Edward had made it clear whom they want me to marry, Olivia Fisher. Much help she would do when her mind is already fixed on a candidate.

I would be needing help. Help from someone like them, a female. Help from someone like... pissing Sofia Blake.

Fuck!!!

It’s not a typical choice, but it’s the only rational choice. Whatever that reading of hers was, I would be needing it. I’m already hating where this was going, of all persons, Sofia Blake was not only the available choice, she was the best choice.

Chad and Aaron were still waiting on

me, quickly I texted Vera telling her to send me Sofia’s information. With the fear of almost losing her job still afresh in her mind, she quickly responded with the girl’s info.

Quickly I texted the girl,

"I want to see you at exactly 12 pm tomorrow, don’t be late and you better have made a decision"

After sending it, I came back and sat by the edge of the pool, ready to satisfy my friends’ curiosity. Strangely, it felt like I now have a hand over the situation and that made things sort of easier.

"Spill already, we’ve exercised a lot of patience waiting on your shady ass," Aaron’s impatient ass said.

I knew it had taken a lot of Chad to keep him quiet this long.

"Okay, promise me, you won’t laugh"

"Promise" Aaron was quick to respond.

While Chad said, "it’s kinda hard to make that promise when I don’t know what you are about to say, if I’m being honest, you’re confusing the shit out of me. First, you act all serious and terrified of this thing, and now, it’s funny, like what the hell?"

"That’s fair, I guess. So, um, Claire has selected 15 ladies for me to pick a wife from, and before you ask, Edward is aware of it, in fact they are both trying to get me to choose, Olivia Fisher"

"Wait what?!" Chad shouted.

"She didn’t," Aaron said.

Somehow they didn’t want to believe me, but my serious expression and silence showed that I wasn’t joking.

"That is messed up, really messed up"

"For real, that is bonkers. How can she do something like that and on top of it, they’ve already made a choice, so what’s with the selection if the choice has been made?" Chad lamented.

"Hold up, isn’t Olivia the girl you see as a sister," at my nod, he added, "shit! That is wild bro, like next level"

"And here I was thinking that my own shit matters, how selfish of me. I’m really sorry, bro, I am."

"It’s alright, Chad, you don’t have to apologize. Well, the good news is that I told them that I will never marry Olivia, and I have gotten a grip on things" I said.

"How bro? This is not the time to be fucking optimistic" Aaron pointed out.

"Well for starters, I will be employing a personal assistant, found the perfect candidate already and she can help with the selection as well"

"Wow, bro, you are handling this shit better than I would have thought you would. Knowing you, I would have thought that you would be seriously protesting against it and we, your friends as well, but it seems you’ve already accepted such cruel fate" Aaron said.

"Can’t you see, it doesn’t seem like he has much of a choice and with... um, his heart condition, I think he has to do this"

Silence settled after that. My heart condition was my own never-discussed topic. They knew about it, but we never talked about it.

"But," Aaron began, breaking the silence, "if you will be traveling this weekend, then we have to have a boy’s night before that like next tomorrow Saturday, then you can travel on Sunday"

"I don’t know, Wald, that doesn’t seem like the best idea" Chad noted.

"Oh come on, we need this" Aaron iterated.

"Considering that I might be spending a week in Hong Kong, I think it’s best if we do it," I said.

"A week? That’s too damn long, but I’m game, let’s partyyy!" At our looks of disapproval, Chad lowered his voice, "too much right?"

"And too loud, your mom might be eavesdropping" I pointed out.

"Hey, that’s harsh, my..."

Aaron cut in, "Harsh, but true, after all, it won’t be the first time. Remember that time she caught us talking about how we would like to fuck our celebrity crushes"

"Yeah, she found it absurd that I wanted to fuck Gal Gadot" I added, chuckling.

And just like that, we forgot about Chad’s broken heart, Aaron’s offended and sensitive ass, and my worries, as we chatted and laughed away into the night.