THE REMORSEFUL BILLIONAIRE

Judith’s POV

“Mommy!!!” The twins ran up to me in the parking lot of their school.

“How was school today?” I caught both of them in my arms and they held me tighter.

“Mommy, Oliver ate my pancakes” Olivia pouted and pointed at Oliver.

“That’s only because you were going to give it to another person” Oliver clutched to my hands and defended himself.

“Whoa, why don’t we talk about all of this when we get to home? We can’t turn this place to a therapy session, can we?” I smiled at both of them.

“Yes, mommy” They both replied simultaneously and hopped into the back seat of the car. After I fastened their seat belts, we were on our way home.

Oliver and Olivia have been my true source of joy and happiness since the tragedy that befell me three years ago. After taking the decision my mother prompted me to take, I’ve never been happier and more grateful to her.

After their birth, my mother thought it would be a very good idea to change the environment and restart on a fresh and clean slate. Rome was a very homely place to remain, but the crumbs of the horrific past haunted me. I thought and agreed to it being a good idea.

**************

“Judith, don’t you think you need a change of scenery? you’re looking rather off these days, and it seems to affect your whole being” Maggie, my mom stared at with a serene yet troubled gaze.

“I’m just so glad I have my babies with me, even though they were unexpected, they are the best things that happens to me”

“Which is why you should not let them be subjected to shadows brewing from your past. I mean, letting them grow up here will not only destroy their chances of getting to know who their mother really is, it also might not let them grow at all. All because she can’t focus on raising them right” I watched my mother’s eyes light up. “Mum, what are you saying?” I looked at her in confusion.

“I’m saying,” Mom took my hands into hers “You fly off to Paris or anywhere else, start a new life with your children, forget the past and let new thoughts flow through you. Fresh new thoughts. Thoughts only you have control over. Thoughts that will build a good bridge for you and your children. You’ll be fine, Judith, you have my blessings”.

**************

I snapped out of my thoughts when we arrived at the garage of the small house I managed to acquire after working my tirelessly as a cleaner in three different companies.

I would say I was living comfortably but being a single mother of two is not exactly fun.

I watched Olivia and Oliver excitedly run inside the house and all I could think of was to take care of them, even if it means I die in the process. I followed them in and headed to the kitchen to make dinner. It wasn’t too much work because I left some macaroni and cheese, and I just had to microwave it for them to eat.

It didn’t take thirty minutes before they both ran to me at the dining table, waiting for dinner to be served. They looked really hungry, and a slight delay might make them go crazy.

They ate till they were fully satisfied. Oliver helped clear the plates after eating, and assisted in loading them into the dishwasher. Olivia wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about helping out.

After making sure they’ve finished doing homework, it was already late and they had school the next day.

“Mom, can you read us a bedtime story?” Oliver called my attention as I was about to leave the room.

“Yes, sure I can”.

They both crawled up to me as I read to them about the knight in shining armor and the damsel in distress. It ended with them living happily forever.

“Thank you mommy,” They said sleepily, looking peaceful.

I sat on their bed for a while. To me, I didn’t believe there could be happy endings, I watched one crash before my eyes and it would be a waste believing in it again.

‘Once bitten, twice shy’, I thought to myself.

I placed a goodnight on their foreheads, turned off the lamp and left the room. I walked down the stairs lazily and was heading to the fridge for a cold drink when my phone started beeping. It was Vanessa.

“Hi girl!!” She screamed over the phone.

It’s been a long time since we saw each other, but we were also on video call all the time, not a moment was missed in my journey through motherhood.

“Hey Vanessa, long time, hasn’t it been like ten years?” I said sarcastically.

“Hm, says the girl who face timed me, wasn’t it last week” Vanessa retorted.

“Girl, or mother?” I snapped back at her.

“You’re really enjoying motherhood, aren’t you, Jud?”

“I mean, it has its ups and downs but I couldn’t be happier to tend to my babies” I really enjoy being their mother.

“Are they asleep now?”

“Yes, they are, I just tucked them in some minutes ago”

“They couldn’t wait to say hello to their aunty”.

We chatted for a while, and then we discussed about getting jobs.

“How’s work life there?” Vanessa asked me and I couldn’t tell her exactly what I did.

“Well, I’m making ends meet”

“Are you watching the news?”

“No, what’s going on?” I asked with concern as I searched for the remote on the couch and table. I found it.

“Check channel 9”.

“Okay?”

“The new Everton Medicals are delighted to inform the public of its assignment of the new head of the hospital. Mr. Everton stated in the last interview that the Hospital needs new employees and one of which is crucial is the role of PA for the just appointed head of the Hospital. Entries have been…..”

I switched off the TV.

“So, what do you say?”

“I don’t know, Van”

“You’re smart, you can do it” Vanessa cheered.

“Yes, I will do it”.

Vanessa will forever be my personal cheerleader.

“That’s what I’m talking about. Tell me how it goes tomorrow. Goodnight”

“Goodnight”.

What I didn’t know was that, the interview was going to bring me the unexpected that will change my life forever…..