Rise of the Billionaire actress

“She isn’t picking up,” Esther groaned, having called Karen a total hundred times. “She was my ride here, how could she do this?”

“Maybe she had a little bit of an emergency.” Daniel suggested,

“How do I get home? It’s already late, I can’t believe she did this.”

“If it’s any consolation, I was abandoned here too.” he shrugged, “Let’s get a taxi and we’ll go from there.”

Esther nodded and he got to work on it. Within thirty minutes, they were behind a taxi headed to her place. Throughout the ride, Esther’s mind was all over the place. She couldn’t un-see how broken Elvis seemed when his wife walked away.

How Karen bowed her head in shame, looking like a deer in headlights. She ached to know the story behind it but with miles separating them, she couldn’t get home fast enough.

Weird sounds erupted from the engine and the car slowed to a stop.

“Not again..” she muttered, and they watched the driver walk out the car to check his vehicle. All said and done, they were stranded with nowhere to go.

“I’ll quickly book another-”

Esther saw his phone go off mid-sentence and almost lost her shit.

With her phone dead too, she figured they wouldn’t be getting home anytime soon. They watched the cars whoosh past them in silence. Everyone, too busy with their lives to care.

“What do we do now? How do we get home?” She asked after a while, “It’s getting late.”

Daniel stepped out of the car and she followed. The icy wind spotted her translucent skin with goosebumps, “We’ll have to stay the night somewhere. Let’s pray there’s a decent hotel nearby.”

The duo walked down the road, and Daniel made an effort to keep his face out of sight until they got to a decent hotel. However, there was only one room available.

Daniel managed to go unrecognized by an older woman receptionist who ogled him so much Esther tethered at the brink of clawing her eyes out.

“That shouldn’t be a problem for you and your sister, right?” The woman slurred, showing off her sunken tits.

“I am not his sister, but I guess you knew that already.” Esther snapped, “Let’s get out of here, there’s no place for us anyway.” she said to Daniel, pulling him as she went.

“There’s nothing for miles, but thugs and rapists.” The woman announced, “Unless you want to be walking till dawn or get ambushed by the gentlemen out there, I suggest you take it.”

Esther may be mad, but she wasn’t stupid. It was late and she wasn’t about to risk her life out there. At the same time, she didn’t like the idea of rooming alone with him or even staying in the darned hotel.

“This is it.” Daniel said, revealing the little room and closing the door behind them.

They took the room. They didn’t have a choice.

“Are you bathing first?” He asked, “I need a shower from all that walking.”

“You go first.” Esther gave her consent,

Why did this feel so familiar? Almost natural.

She couldn’t remove her eyes from the bed as she listened to him shower, her shoulders tensed as the water went off.

She heard him come out, and chose to wonder what he was wearing. She immediately shut off the thought and swallowed nervously.

Without a word, Esther headed into the shower, feeling his gaze on her but refusing to acknowledge it. Soon enough, she was showered and ready to retire for the night. But she didn’t.

“Did you know they had something to do with each other?” she asked with an accusing tone.

“I didn’t even know her before you.” Daniel said, “I’m as shocked as you are. Elvis never told me anything. I’m aching to know the details as much as you are, if not more.”

Esther couldn’t help but feel he was lying, “Did you really not know? He was your childhood friend, how could you not know Karen?”

“He is my friend.” He corrected her, “The fact that he may or may not have hidden something personal from me changes nothing.”

“And his wife? How do you think his wife feels hearing someone else lay claim on her husband?” She huffed, “Men are unbelievable.”NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Daniel let out a humourless laugh. “Did you ever think maybe he wasn’t aware? Maybe Karen kept it a secret? You didn’t even know and you are her best friend, for crying out loud. Don’t be in a haste to judge when you don’t know the full story.”

That shut her mouth.

They were in the same situation and he didn’t even know. Her eyes connected to his and for a moment, she contemplated telling him the truth.

“Why didn’t you choose me?”

Daniel stilled at her words. The air was riddled with unspoken words.

“I did. I was willing to give up everything for you, I chose you but it was too late.” he explained, holding her gaze.

“Don’t sell me that bullshit. Do you know what you cost me? Do you know what I had to give up?” her anger built as she continued, “I left everything for you, Daniel, and I forever regret that foolishness.”

“I came back. I came back and you were gone! You overthought the situation without giving me the benefit of doubt!” Daniel moved closer, filled with anger, “You have no right to say that because you didn’t even trust that I loved you enough to choose you. You didn’t trust me…”

“I didn’t trust you? You open your mouth to say I didn’t trust you?!” she got in his face, “My parents disowned me because of you! I was left with nothing because of that selfish dream of yours!” she took a deep breath then whispered distastefully, “I don’t want anything to do with you.”

The hate in her eyes was raw and threatening to eat him alive.

Daniel sucked in a breath. “I never stopped loving you, Esther.” her breath caught at his declaration. “And I never will.”

*******

Deloise returned to work the next day, happy to be done with Chicago and its shadows. A smile lit up her face as Doris shared the news.

“You got the job! I knew you could do it, I’ll get back to you on the details, and you have the rest of the day off.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Have a great day, take yourself out. You deserve it.” The call ended on a light note and Deloise couldn’t be happier.

She thought on how to spend the rest of her day, and turned up blank. With her roommate going about her day, there posed a threat of living an uneventful day if she returned home.

Just when she decided to go, her phone rang. It was Aaron.

“Hello boyfriend.” she teased, they were a lot more comfortable and understanding with each other.

“Hey girlfriend, what are you up to?” he replied, and she smiled,

“Nothing, just thinking on how to spend the rest of my day.”

“Hold that thought, where are you?”

“Outside.” she replied with her eyes narrowed.

“Where?”

“Close to the main gates.”

“Give me a second.”

Deloise waited for some seconds, unsure of what she was expecting. Her thoughts were silenced by the revv of a familiar black vehicle that halted in front of her.

“That was quick,” she remarked and he shrugged,

“Get in already, we’re running late.” Aaron said, and she joined him in the car.

“Okay… where are we headed?”

“Don’t you trust me?” he stepped on the pedal, “Since you are my girlfriend, it’s only right you meet the relative I actually give a shit about, don’t you think?”

Deloise couldn’t believe her eyes, this guy was actually smiling. Not a smug, not a smirk, but an actual smile. “If you put it that way,” she shrugged, “Let’s hope the third time’s the charm.”

They continued their journey chuckling about anything and everything. Somehow, she didn’t feel pressured to see this new and significant relative in his life. She figured if he liked the said person enough to be this happy to see them, they were definitely one hell of a person.

Best believe, she wasn’t wrong on her assumptions, and boy was she glad.