THE REMORSEFUL BILLIONAIRE

Judith’s POV

“It was really awkward Vanessa,” I said on a call with Vanessa, explaining how awkward and strange today was. I already bought the children back from school, and they were sound asleep.

“Scale of one to ten?”

“Vanessa, it breaks that scale! He was sweet and even had a conversation with me,”

“The same man that people were scared of?”

“The same man Vanessa, it was like a dream,” “He was really handsome too, but the face seemed familiar, but then, who do I know in London? It’s in a whole different continent. I couldn’t possibly know him,” I was munching crackers “You want some crackers, Vanessa?”

“Are you teasing me on purpose?” She asked me in an off tone, “So about him, from what you have said so far, I think I grasped one or two things”.

“Oh tell me,” I said with glee.

“I think he likes you, Judith”

Vanessa always had something to say. It was either about love or about hatred. One of those two things. And now she goes with the ‘Love’.

“Oh Vanessa, stop it,” I admit to blushing, but then how true could it be? It was very easy to not believe.

“Judith, can’t you see? He was nice to you, even after the side talks you heard about him, he offered you the job, without a proper interview, what else could that mean?”

“I don’t know, Vanessa” I said, setting the crackers aside.

“Look, Judith, what was your reason for leaving Rome?” She asked me, trying to sound reasonable.

“To start a new life?” I was confused by the question at first.

“Well, then see this as an opportunity for a new life. Do not reject the chemistry if you find any. You deserve to be happy, forget what happened three years ago and I also have this feeling that he will make you forget it. Don’t waste this opportunity, who knows what awaits you ahead? Use it to your advantage, but do not abuse it”

“Wow, you sounded reasonable for a moment there”. I chuckled and took the crackers up again.

“Haha, very funny”.

“But I understand what you mean, and I’ll try my best to accept and embrace the new life I’ve chosen to live”. I assured Vanessa and I could feel her smile over the phone.

“Tomorrow’s a big day for you. Don’t screw it up,” Vanessa said enthusiastically.

I smiled back at her “I won’t, Vanessa”.

“No, really, Judith, you ne…”

“Goodnight Vanessa,” I slowly talked and interrupted her sentence. Vanessa never believes in my will to take things by the horn, she believed that I needed to be talked to over and over again, but I know I need to level up too, and I was going to do just that.

“Goodnight, Judith”

The line went dead and I smiled to myself. I drank some water and headed up to sleep.

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

“Oliver, Olivia” I hurried down the staircase trying to put them in order before they headed to school. “We’re leaving in ten minutes, if you’re not ready by then, I’ll have to lock you guys in the house, understand me?” I threatened.

Taking care of this children and doing my non-white-collar job was easier, because then I could go to work anytime and not be queried. Now I have a white-collar job, I need to learn to adjust into it.

“Mum, I can’t find my shoe,” Olivia screamed from her room.

“It’s under your bed Olivia” I was in the kitchen packing their lunch for them.

“Mum, my socks are missing!” Oliver yelled.

“They are in the drawers Oliver” “I’m counting to twenty and I’ll be out in the car. if you don’t meet me outside in twenty seconds, I’ll drive off and you’ll stay home alone” I was already running out of breathe and sweating a little bit as I walked out the door to the car and placed their lunch there.

They were ready in ten minutes, and we were off to their school.

“Mum, why did we have to rush today? It was so pressurizing” Olivia whined at me from the back seat

I tried to sign her from the front mirror, she was pouting and I had to pacify her.

“You see, Oli, mum has a new job, this one’s different from the other ones”.

“How different, mum?” Oliver asked “I don’t like this new job of yours”.

“Wow, you haven’t known what I do yet and you already hate my job?”

“We know it disrupts our peaceful sleep, and that’s enough we need to know, right, Oliver?” Olivia turned to face Oliver.

“Yes, Olivia,” they both high-fived each other in a bid to make me jealous. I liked the fact that they were getting along recently.

“Well, this job is far better than the other ones I’ve had, you should be grateful for this one, now you’ll be the earliest kids in school”

“Nope, thank you,” Oliver and Olivia both said it simultaneously.

“Jinx, you owe me a coconut” They said it again, and burst into laughter.

I smiled at the both of them. We got to their school and they hurried in before I drove off.

They make me happy, and I promised myself to make them happy too.

The reality of life set in after dropping them. I was starting work today, and I was late. My first day of work, and I’m already making a bad impression. Then I remembered I was also late for my interview that day.

“Maybe the universe is mad at me for some reasons”, I thought within myself as I parked my car in the parking lot, carried my bag hurriedly and headed straight to my desk.