THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 65: REMINISCE

Chapter 65: REMINISCE

Fay left Ace’s room as quietly as she had come in. Only this time, on her own two feet.

With the tray containing the now empty plate held firmly in her hands, she made her way down the stairs.

She had just walked down the last stairs when Alice, who was passing through the living room, hurried over to her.

"Mrs Fay, let me get that," she said, stretching her hand to collect the tray.

"That’s okay. I wanted to take this to the kitchen myself. It was really delicious, Alice."

"I’m just glad you were able to eat. I thought you wouldn’t be."

A little laugh escaped Fay’s throat. "If I’m refusing food, then I’m very weak. Other than that, I’d never say no to food. Especially one as delicious as yours," Fay buttered her up, making her cheese with gratitude.

"Thank you Mrs Fay."

A maid walked into the living room at that moment. On seeing her, Alice quickly beckoned on her.

She bowed when she saw Fay, and didn’t straighten up right after.

Confused, Fay’s eyes darted towards Alice, its lashes lifting a little.

"Hey Grace, it’s okay. You can raise your head up," she said.

The girl who couldn’t be much younger, or older than Fay was, slowly lifted her head.

Fay passed over the tray to the ready hands of Alice, and faced the girl.

"Grace? I’m Fay." She smiled, and projected her hand.

Grace stared at her projected hand with a blank stare on her face. But her slight tremble gave her emotions away.

"It’s okay to shake me. We could even hug if you’ll be more comfortable with that. We’re both humans, aren’t we?" She added a little humor in her voice when she sensed her hesitation.

Shyly, she stretched out her own hands, and shook the boss’s wife.

"See? It’s not that bad, right? We’re made of the same flesh."

"Thank you Mrs Fay," she stubbled slightly.

Alice, seeing how uncomfortable she still was, gave her the tray with instructions to take it to the kitchen.

"Can you take me to the garden?" Fay quickly asked, when Grace left.

"Are you sure, Mrs Fay? Don’t you want to go rest in your room?"

"Why?" She swiftly slipped in. "All I’ll end up doing is overthinking myself into a headache. Things were better when I worked. I could just drown myself in my job whenever I was in a difficult situation."

Alice smiled, feeling her legs already drifting forward. Subconsciously, she started to move outside, as Fay followed beside her.

"You worked?" She asked, interested in hearing about her life before marrying Ace.

It seemed so sudden. One minute, the staff were all praying Ace never had to reunite with Reign, and the next, he was introducing them to his wife. A woman they had never caught sight of, but was in awe ever since they perceived her scent, and saw her beauty.

"Of course I did," Fay giggled. "A whole lot of job experience for a twenty-four year old. I’ve worked on a farm, at a beauty spa, in a vet’s office, at a fast food joint, and most recently, at a five star restaurant. That’s where I met Ace," her voice lightened as the memory of that day streaked into her brain.

"Were you serving him?" Alice asked, picturing their love story in her head as she spoke.

"Not exactly. I was serving another couple. It’s a pretty long story. The gist of it is that he saved me from a difficult situation. Carried me in his arms, far away from it. Just like he did today." Her breath caught against her chest as she remembered.

He was always carrying her out of difficult situations. Then kissing her just to make the situation even more complicated.

The lines were blurred in her head. She didn’t know which to trust; her head or heart.

Both couldn’t be all that different, right? That was the problem.

She was scared of what she’d find if she searched deeper. Because it might spur the defining decision of her life. For once, she just wanted to float without fear of sinking.

Just once.

"My dream was to own a restaurant," Alice blurted.

"Really? Why did you never?"

Alice looked at her, offering her a smile filled with wisdom that could only be gotten from experience. "Child, sometimes our dreams are a little too far-fetched. We have to make do with the life we find ourselves in, and not get greedy."

"I live like that too," she announced, and it broke Alice’s heart. "I’ve never had the luxury of ambition, after all. I started working as soon as I clocked thirteen. Saw myself through highschool, and community college," she chortled nervously. "I’ve worked my whole life just to live like I never worked. That kind of life cannot see beyond a next meal, and immediate comfort." She shrugged.

Alice’s heart hurt for her. For her own self, she realized time passed her by. But for someone as young as Fay to have that kind of frame of mind hurt her really bad.

She could say all the words she thought of to convince her otherwise, but it would be to no end. She was confident enough that with time, and especially mingling with the rich, she would have a change of heart.

Her feet came to a halt when they walked into the garden. "Oh my God, we’re already here."

Fay raised her head. "It’s so beautiful. I saw it this morning when everything was still peaceful," her eyes took a stroll to the fountain in the middle. "So beautiful."

"I know, right? It’s one of the most peaceful places in the entire house. Makes me wish I was a gardener myself," she chuckled.

"I would like to come here with Ace. Where is he?" She suddenly asked.

"Marilyn said he stepped out in a hurry. Perhaps a meeting came up. He’ll be back soon."

The sun was starting to set. Fay realized she wouldn’t be able to do much today. But just standing here was enough.

She will commence her perfume production by tomorrow. For now, she was content with just feeling.

"You know what I wish for, Alice?" She asked, spreading her hands, and raising her head to the sky.

"What?"

"I remembered anything about my childhood. No matter how hard I try, I can’t remember my parents. Not their faces, or their scents. Not even their voices. I come up with a blank whenever I think of them."

Alice was thoughtful for a while, before she finally responded. "Have you ever had your brain checked? It could be a trauma response blocking you from remembering."

"I know," she chortled. "But when you’ve lived a life as— well not exactly rosy," she chuckled as she took a step forward, and sighted a rose. "As my life was, you tend to prioritize certain things at the detriment of others." Gently, she picked the rose, carefully avoiding its thorns, and sniffed.

Alice watched her with a sad expression on her face. She had suffered a lot. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell her there wouldn’t be any more suffering in her future.

Quite on the contrary.

She was better off remaining single or marrying a lower class.

If she was going to marry high, perhaps a man with less enemies than Ace Atticus.

Things were going to get even more difficult. Hopefully, whatever they had between them was enough to shield her. Maybe not from hurt, but eternal damnation.

"Do you smell that, Alice?" Fay screamed behind her shoulder.

"What? The rose?"

"No, rain." The second she said it, the weather changed.

She turned around, and her eyes locked with Alice’s. "Let’s go!"

They suddenly dashed forward, as the rain which didn’t give prior warning, began to drizzle.

Marilyn was holding the landline in her hands, when Alice dashed in holding Fay in her hands.

"Oh my God! That was awesome!" Fay laughed.

The sound made her turn around, and her heart warmed at what she saw.

They were only a little bit wet, but it didn’t seem like a bother. Instead, the mistress was happy, and laughing.

"Mar!" Her eyes further lit up when she looked forward and saw her.

"Mrs Fay, someone wants to talk to you," she said, stretching the phone.

"Me?" She touched her chest. "Who could that be?"

With an encouraging nod from Marilyn, she made her way forward.

No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t think of anyone who could possibly want to speak with her though the landline.

It was definitely not Ace. Wouldn’t he just call her phone if he wanted to talk?

She stopped in front of Marilyn, and with a brow lifted by curiosity, she accepted the telephone.

Bringing it to her ears, she held her breath in anticipation of the voice she was going to hear.

"My fairy!" She eventually heard, and her face reflexively broke into a smile.

"My princess. My Sophie!" She clutched her chest with her free hand, as a wave of emotions hit her harder than the thunder that just struck.