Billionaire's wife by Ashleh Queen (free ebook novel TXT) 📗

The first encounter

“Why aren't you getting a boyfriend already? It’s time Julie...” Here we start. I could only stare at Katelyn’s remarks and smile to only get arched brows from my three high school friends.

“I don’t know…I guess I will get someone too.” I got my focus back to my plate.

“You do realize that you never had a boyfriend. Or you are still hoping that Liam will…” Katelyn continued but I was quick to cut her off.

“He is off the plate. I am sure I am not thinking about him. You guys know Rachael’s condition. And, I can’t leave her or my sisters…”

“But a boyfriend won’t hurt…” Katelyn commented.

“Leave her already. She earns nice now…I am sure her workload will reduce and she will have a lot of time to meet someone special.” I smiled looking at Cecilia who had a two-year-old now and was planning to remarry. I don’t know why getting a boyfriend depended on my income. I mean I know I will have nice clothes to wear or maybe money to offer gifts but shouldn’t such things happen naturally? And, I doubted if any guy was willing to date a caretaker of an eighty-year-old.

“I don’t know. I am still twenty-three girls. It just happens that every other girl in my gang is already settling down.” I replied as the matter of fact and got Katelyn’s eyes on me.

“If you don’t get marry in your early twenties…later you get too used to your single life…this is what stat says.” Katelyn was already married and planning a baby. My other friend Josephine was the one we were gathered here because her boyfriend proposed to her. Her ring was beautiful and was our topic for half an hour before our conversation gets to why I was only the single woman in my high school group now.

“…we are worried about you,” Katelyn said now focused on her plate too. Her new blonde hair was getting my attention more. I wonder how much she would have spent on her hair. Well, the girl never sees money as an issue so I don’t know. Plus, she had an edge of having the silky straight hair while I have brown shade with curls spreading to all over the place.

“I know…but there are other things than getting settled right now. I would love to clear the loan, and then there is apartment rent, Rachael’s surgery or maybe waiting for a little until my sisters get to graduate their school.” Of course, I didn’t tell them about my landlord, Joe who was making it difficult for me. So, changing our apartment was topping the list right now. I wanted to provide my two sisters with all that dad would have given them if he was still alive and that includes their protection too.

They gave me the look that says I am being mean to them and that made me shrug my shoulders. It was after four months that we were seeing each other. And, I don’t know why they had to ask me such questions every time we decide to meet up.

“Fine, if I get a chance to get into a relationship I will, but that guy has to understand that marriage is not anywhere before the next five years.”

“You can come to my club? Dylan has a lot of single friends and their salaries are good too…you are totally going to meet someone.” Josephine got excited.

“And, why it is important? I will find someone when my right time will allow me,” For once I wanted these girls to understand me.

“Or you can talk to Andy. He was interested in you in school. I have heard he got a breakup.” Katelyn said and that got my mouth dry in an instant. I recalled a shady guy from the school. From Katelyn, I heard he was doing better in life but I couldn’t believe it. And, I didn’t have the kind of time to become someone’s rebound.

“Girls, I guess I need to go,” I said getting up and they only looked at me knowing I didn’t feel comfortable staying here now.

Only if these girls knew how hard it was to take a single leave from my work they wouldn’t have been proposing this to me. I have told them that my workload is crazy but I guess they weren’t ready to accept this fact. I was so over this conversation now and didn’t have any appetite left.

“But you…took the leave today. Didn’t you?” Katelyn interrupted while I got my coat back.

“Yea, but I promised Sarah that I will be home soon. She needs some help with her math.” I wasn’t lying. My sister indeed wanted help but it was after two hours. And, I would love to spend this precious time as my time.

I leaned in to share a hug with them before I left the restaurant that wasn’t very far from my neighbourhood. My friends planned to meet here so it could be easy for me. The times when we used to live in the same area were left behind. All of them had real jobs after graduating from colleges and had their own apartments now unlike me who barely got her high school certification and now hopping from one job to another.

I wonder if I wanted to marry this soon. The answer was indeed no but I guess it was a great feeling to have someone to tell whatever I have been through. The one who cares and appreciates whatever I was doing for my family because my best friends didn’t have any interest to hear about my sisters or step-mother. They only remembered Rachael who was very rude to me when I used to depend on the budget that Rachael believed was hers or her daughters. But now when I think about it I guess she wasn’t much wrong. I was ten when my father found me in the foster home. I who was always told that I was not needed…felt the luckiest knowing my father out there was always looking for me and never gave up on me. And, that it was only my mother who got rid of me.

If I was at Rachael’s place maybe I was going to be mad too. But now was not the time to tell her to take care of her girls on her own. I could see my father in my sister’s eyes…they are family and abandoning them for a relationship I haven’t even experienced was the foolishness I didn’t have any nerve to commit.

I walked back home while Sarah’s shoes or Anna’s dress was all my mind can think of. Though I work for a wealthy man and my salary is good too, I was more focused on paying the loans. Changing our apartment was topping the list because our forty years old landlord was such a pain in the ass. He was a freak and married but Anna had been telling me that he often tries to talk to her. Rachael has made sure since that day to limit girls’ outside activity.

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