Billionaire’s Side Attraction

Javier Lorenzo

I pulled out my drawer filled with old pieces of paper, thank God my mom didn’t throw them away. I took out some of the papers and stared at the first lyrics I ever wrote as a ten-year-old. My mom tells me I have always been a music lover. Even in tough times, my music saw me through. I cannot imagine myself without these lyrics written in bad handwriting and on frailly browning papers.

True to his word, my friend Chris dropped me off in La Vista Nebraska where my family lives. It had been long since I laid my eyes on them in five years. Being swamped up in my job, and realizing that I had to work twice as hard to keep my record label barely afloat. My only joy is that I managed to put my younger siblings through school on time, although our last two borns have got scholarships. My mom is living a better life, and my Abuela refused to leave Mexico, but she is doing well back there as well. Sometimes, when you’re too busy filling up other people’s lives, you eventually realize that you have almost nothing remaining in yours. With nothing but a high school degree, I’m proud of the things I have achieved so far in my life.

I bought another phone and got in touch with my social media manager. She informed me that my account was hacked a few days ago and the post was made, but they had retrieved it back. The weird thing was the last bit of what she said… “The post went viral and millions of people have been streaming our songs in the last few days. Javier, we’re back on top!”

I bet when Rosa hacked my account and made that post, she didn’t see this coming. Remembering Rosa brought back bitter memories with Lula. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and ignored it.

Carlos Martinez had been saying all kinds of trash about me on social media. My team told me he has been trying to contact me, but I wasn’t ready to listen to his nonsense. The only person I was worried about was Lula. I hope she made it to Houston safe and sound despite traveling with that snake. Maybe I shouldn’t have left her there alone. I will never forgive myself if something bad happens to her.

I picked up the phone and dialed her number. Switched off for the thousandth time. Something is wrong, I can feel it. I dialed Rosa’s number and she picked up almost immediately. “I see you’re back home.” She mocked.

“Where is Lula?”

She burst into a peel of laughter. “Really? You call your girlfriend after so long and you wanna talk about another girl?”

“You ain’t my girlfriend, Rosa! Get that into your thick skull. Now, where is Lula?!”

She humphed. “First, you get our engagement back on… or else you will never find her!”

I was in total disbelief, is this the girl I had spent so much time with and was planning to marry? “Are you crazy, Rosa? All this because of our darn engagement?”

“I’ve stated my price. And don’t you dare call the police or you’ll have yourself to blame for her death! Tell all our friends that you were wrong about breaking up with me, tell them you regret it, and that you want to get back together with me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me, but okay, I’ll do that. Where are you, Rosa, please tell me.”

“Somewhere in Alaska, now, get it done!” She hung up.

I did as she asked and called everyone. People like Rosa care more about their image than the reality of things, and that made it hard to relate with her. Little did she know that whilst we were on call, I had traced her number down to Dallas, Texas.

I dashed out of the house, hopped into my truck, and drove straight to the airport. You don’t know who you’re messing with, Rosa.

I arrived in Dallas and rented a car. I drove down to the place where I traced her number, praying in my heart that she is still there. Knowing Rosa, she will never be satisfied with her threats. Today she wants me to tell everyone how sorry I am, tomorrow, she’ll want me to take her to the altar and get married to her. Next, she’ll want me to impregnate her first. It will never stop if I don’t put a stop to it, for Lula’s sake. I owe her that much for bringing Rosa’s problems with me into her life. She is caught in the crossfire between me and my psychotic ex-girlfriend.

I parked some distance away from the building Rosa called me from. For some weird reason, Dallas was super cold today, there must be some kinda glitch in the matrix or something.

I looked down at my hand and pulled out the magazine to confirm that my gun is fully loaded, then I pushed it back in, satisfied with my finding. If Rosa refuses to understand normal human language, then maybe she will understand the language of this pistol…

I got out of the car and snuck into the abandoned warehouse from behind. The air inside the warehouse was misty with dust. Cobwebs hung at every nook and cranny like some haunted house saga. I tiptoed down the single hallway leading to the main area. A noise caught my notice, a noise from upstairs. I continued in stealth mode until I made it to the bottom of the stairs. From the sound of it, there isn’t just one person inside.

I continued up the stairs until I came to the top floor. Heavy footsteps echoed from the distance, I avoided that area and went to hide behind a pile of old cartons. I waited patiently as the footsteps proceeded down the stairs. When the sound was now distant, I got out of my hiding spot and continued.

Suddenly, my sight was blocked when a pair of hands wrapped itself around my head, trying its hardest to press my nerve points to make me unconscious. I never wanted to make a sound, but it may be a little too late for that!

I pointed the gun at the person behind me and pulled the trigger. The suppressor muffled the sound of the gunshot, but as the man dropped dead on the floor, it caused a loud thump.

Just then, I heard footsteps approaching…

I am so fucked!