THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 26: HEARTSTOPPER

Chapter 26: HEARTSTOPPER

Their eyes went to the door at the same time.

"Hello Mrs Fay, it’s Cam," he said.

She didn’t say a word, afraid if she moved her head, she’d stumble on Ace’s face. Patiently, she waited for him to speak first, but he didn’t.

"If this is a bad time, I can just come later."

"Are you not going to tell him to come in? What are you waiting for?" She heard his questioning voice, and involuntarily raised her head up.

"Should I tell him to come in?" She asked cautiously.

"Fay, tell the man to come in." He sighed in exasperation.

"Come in," she said.

Cam opened the door, and as he walked in, the first person he saw was his boss. Momentarily startled by his presence, he paused on the spot.

The other workers told him Ace had called for a meeting, and they were currently all waiting for him at the lounge. He wasn’t expecting to see him in the madams room.

"Are you going to stand there forever?" Ace asked when he didn’t move.

"Sorry," he muttered under his breath, and began transferring the bags into the room.

With every bag he brought in, Ace counted. By the time he was done, Ace had counted about ten bags. Ten bags, and the money spent was just slightly over a hundred dollars.

Fay had some explanation to do. It probably explained why her eyes went everywhere but on him. It didn’t matter though. She was going to give an account of everything that happened today. He refused to be outsmarted by a crying girl, who projected naivety every chance she got.

"That’s all." He bowed slightly, and walked away.

"That’s a whole lot of shopping for the money used," Ace didn’t waste any time to circle back to the conversation they were having, before Cam interrupted.

"Uhmm," her fingers twisted like a pretzel, as she bit her lip nervously.

"Uhhmmm?" He willed her to look at him with his piercing gaze, but he could see the floor was a more interesting scenery.

"It’s kinda complicated."

"I’m not simpleminded. I’ll manage," he insisted firmly.

She sighed, resigned to fate. If only she found Alexander, and returned his money, she could have been saved from this inevitable burn by Ace.

Gathering every bit of courage she could muster, she raised her head. He ignored her quivering lip, waiting patiently for her to spill whatever had her all bent out of shape.

"So— I was–" she began when his phone rang.

"Your phone." She quickly pointed out.

"I have ears, Fay. I don’t think a ringing phone should stop your explanation. Go ahead." He nudged his head.

Her face fell again. She could feel the faintest hint of tears. Internally, she screamed at herself to hold it in.

’You should totally cry right now. If you don’t, he’s going to find out about the Brit, and you’ll not only be in trouble for not telling him sooner, but he may never let you out of the house again. What would happen then? You’d never see the Brit again," one of the voices she had successfully expelled before, suddenly reared its ugly head.

’That’s manipulation. All she needs to do is fess up. After all, it’s not her fault a man decided to pay for her shopping. She wasn’t even there when it happened,’ the other voice came in clutch.

’Miss goody two shoes. Do you always pray to see her get in trouble? She has such a weapon that she can cry at any time. God wouldn’t give her that if he didn’t want her to use it in times of trouble.’

’Don’t listen to her Fay. Just tell the truth.’

"No Fay, cry.’

’Tell the truth.’

’Cry!’

’Just stop!’ She screamed, and closed her ears.

Standing before her, Ace brow slightly lifted, as he folded his arms across his chest, and watched.

Ten seconds after the strange scream, one eye popped open. When it fell on his hawking gaze, the other shot opened.

"Oh god!" She gasped, and covered her mouth.

"Are you done acting strange?" The already lifted brow rose some more.

His phone rang again. With a sigh, he pulled it out of his pockets. He blinked a little when he saw who the caller was.

"I’ll go answer this," he said, and without as much as a final glance, turned around, and strode away.

She expelled a loud breath the second the door closed behind her. Walking to the edge of the bed, she plopped on it, her unblinking eyes resting on the wall.

’You’re going to have to tell him about it soon,’ the stubborn voice returned.

’Or just lie?’

"Why won’t you two leave me alone? He heard me, you know? I’m acting like a freak because you two just can’t take a hint."

’Were just trying to help.’

’That I can agree with.’

"Well none of these is helping me." Sniffling, she rose to her feet and moved to the spot Cam had left the bags.

Crouching, she picked some of it, and transported it to her closet. She continued, until the ground was empty.

"I can’t look through you today. I’d just have to do it some other day," she spoke to the bags in the closet as if they could hear her, before closing it.

Heading back to her bed, she stopped just before it, and turned towards the direction of the door.

’Fay, he’s going to freak out when he comes back and the door is locked.’

’Do it! It’s your room.’

She shook her head, but went with the second voice, anyway. After securing the locks on the door, she walked back to the center of the room, and came to a stop. Directly facing the mirror, she began to shed off her clothes.

First the gown came off, and the panties followed. She loosened her hair from the band holding it up all day, and it cascaded down the lengths of her body.

"There’s a demon in you Fay Landon," that was her aunt’s voice, somehow conjoined with Ace’s aunt’s voice.

’No, there isn’t. Stop listening to those witches,’ one voice counters.

’So what, if she is? I’m only mad she hasn’t plucked out their eyes or something,’ the other voice says, and cackled.

"Please, leave me alone," Fay muttered, as the tears she had been holding in, fell down her face.

"It’s just too-much," her voice broke, as she stared at her reflection.

"Do I need to cut off my hair? Dye it another color? Would it make me not a demon anymore? And even if I succeed in changing the color, what of my eyes? Would I require a surgical procedure to change the color of my eyes? I didn’t make myself right? Why do they think I’m so evil?" She was completely broken, as her body shuddered from the force of her tears.

"I can’t do this anymore," she declared. Swirling, she walked to the door of her bathroom, and pushed it open.

She went straight to the bathtub.

"Fay is a demon."

She stepped into the tub, and laid down.

"Fay is a witch."

She didn’t pin her hair up, rather allowed it to fall.

"Fay is grotesque. No one can love Fay."

She opened the tap, and the water began to fill the tub.

"Fay killed her parents. If she wasn’t such an unfortunate child, her parents would still be alive."

The voices haunted, as the water filled up the tub.

"An exorcism should be done on her. She’s a golddigger. Behind those innocent eyes is an evil girl."

"I’m an evil girl," she echoed aloud.

"I’m horrible, and a demon. I killed my parents. I’m the reason my aunt couldn’t live the life she deserved. Ace better run, or I’ll probably drag him down with me," she confessed aloud.

If two people were saying it, it had to be true.

’Stop it Fay!’

’Everyone else calls you beautiful. Stop internalizing what those two evil witches say about you."

’Death is probably a better option. If I die, everyone’s life would be better. No Fay to deal with. Misfortune over. Yeah, I should die," she said, ignoring the two voices.

’No Fay!’

’This is not right, Fay.’

The bathtub filled to the brim, overflowed, and began pouring to the ground. She smiled hauntingly, as she heard the sputtering sound.

"Water. Water is life, but it can also be death."

Holding her breath, she immersed herself into the water.

’Fay!’

’Fay!’

Her name echoed in her head, but all she could see beside it was an obituary. She wondered what would be written on her tombstone.

"Fay Landon. The girl who’s birth marked the beginning of misfortune. Who loved, but was never deserving of love. With long locks from demons, and green eyes carved from Lucifer’s envy. The mark of the beast littered in both cheeks. Fay Landon, the girl who will be forgotten."

Her eyes closed, as she took one last breath.