Chapter 4. Meeting the Billionaire

Jasmine*

"Yes at Caravan Park," Hart said happily over the phone.

Hart, my boyfriend just spoke with me over the phone asking that I meet him at our favorite rendezvous.

Four days ago when I met him at his house, I stumbled on a pack inside his drawer.

Out of curiosity, I opened it and found a diamond ring inside of it.

"Jasmine, he wants to propose." Lilian, my step-sister said joyfully.

She was the only one in my family who cared about me. I've been through a lot of trauma after my mom passed, Mrs. Smith took me to and fro hell.

However, it's a thing of happiness that she was listed amongst those who must spend two weeks away from home, a conference held for the most experienced staff at work.

"Oh my God, I'm blushing, we have been doing this for three years and I can't wait for it," I told Lilian.

"What will you wear? You need to look stunning you know." Lilian smiled.

"Yeah... But you know, I don't have cute dresses. Well, I think I will love to wear this one, it's my favorite."

I pulled out a box of clothes to pick out my so-called best dress but Lilian snatched it from me and wrapped it up, she dumped it somewhere.

"Do you get paid each time you try to disgrace me?" Lilian asked teasingly and I chuckled.

"Yes, I'm starting to think you earn from it. Now come to my room let me find you a dress and a shoe."

I anxiously followed Lillian silently as I didn't want to get her upset.

In her room, there was a lot of furniture compared to mine, an empty room with just a wooden table almost destroyed by termites, a stupid box, and a bunk bed not forgetting a heap of useless shoes.

"Will you wear this one? It has a rope here," she pointed to the waist region. " You tie it right behind you and then there's a detachable rose flower, you just have to clip it at this point."

"This is beautiful."

"It is and here are my shoes, you are free to choose the one you will love to wear."

"The red suede shoes."

"Have it then. Hey, you are going to wear light makeup, come on, it's your happy day and you need to shine tonight."

I blushed and held my hand up to my face, I wonder why I did that.

The thought of being engaged to someone, the feeling of being married and tending to children was divine.

Here, I was faced with marriage and family. Woah, I didn't plan for this but then, I was so eager to have it.

I watched as Lilian went about trying to put things in place for me so I could look more beautiful.

"Once it's 3 pm I want you to wake me up so I can prepare you for your date. There's food for you in the kitchen, I made dinner earlier today. Enjoy."

She left me.

I can't wait to leave Mrs. Smith's house for her and start leaving with Hart, my sweetheart.

On her return from the conference, she would feel defeated and I can't wait to find that wicked witch in such a condition; sad and jealous. Yeah, it will excite me.

Once I'm married, I looked forward to getting employed somewhere even if it's serving as a maid as I do not have papers to qualify me for a better job.

I lost track of time when the loud humming of a singer from a cd player broke my concentration, I realized I was almost late meeting with Hart.

"Lilian."

I began to call Lilian from my room as I headed to hers. She was still asleep, I tapped on her lap and she sprang to her feet.

"Wait for me in the dressing parlor." She said and I walked out in anxiety. I was thinking about how it will go with Hart out there.

Was he going to get on his knees? Or would he put the ring in my food or drink? Or will he leave it on my seat?

I watched several romantic proposals from video clips on my phone, from the cinema, news, and some others I witnessed personally.

"Hey, smile don't give me that look. It should be your best day." Lilian teased. "Look up, a little, no not your eyes, raise your face."

She instructed me noticing that I had become stiff and tensed.

I did. Lilian put some makeup on my face and when I stood before the mirror I smiled with great satisfaction.

"Thank you, Lilian, I owe you."

"It's a pleasure, my love."

I walked into the gown, it was a pretty gown. I slipped my feet into the shoe easily. Oh my fucking, it was not fitting well.

"It goes with the dress, you will have to manage it, Jasmine ." Lilian pleaded.

"How do I walk with this?"

"It's simple, be confident and don't slouch. People won't take their eyes down there if you don't give them reasons to."

It was so easy to say, it was only I who understood what I would be experiencing; Difficulty, not ease.

I watched Lilian rush into a gown, she ran lipstick over her lip, picked up her tiny purse, wore perfume, and equally poured a minimal quantity on my dress.

Sometimes she acted like a sister I never had.

"Up, up, up, shall we?" She snapped her fingers. "We're running late."

Within a few minutes, we arrived at Caravan but there was no sight of Hart.

We waited for almost forty minutes before my cell phone rang.

"I'm sorry Jasmine I'll be there soon, I got delayed by traffic." He said casually in a low voice.

I took a sigh of relief and bent backward leaning on the chair.

My eyes were busy scanning the park. Lilian brought me a glass of wine and left to meet with a friend still at the park.

Out of desperation, I left with my drink to wait on the walkway for Hart, so I could scare him out by jumping out of my hiding.

Everything was going well until it was time to jump out.

"Haarrt!" I screamed and then, I bumped into a big man. My drink spilled on his coat, a coat I can't afford even if I had to sell everything I owned.

"Oops! I didn't mean to be this crazy..."

I call him 'big' because just after I did that shit, his bodyguards bundled me up, tied my hands to my back, and made me follow behind him like a common slave.

"Take her." He had said. My pleadings were void, I angered him. I couldn't see his face when I looked from behind for the mask he wore.

Instead of feeling pity for myself, for once, I felt a sense of relief having to follow a big man in the custody of his guards.

Everything happened so quickly as though it was acted out from a script.

He got seated at the VIP's lounge and beckoned on his guards to take me to him.

"Are you insane?" He asked, my face was down, of course, I didn't dare to raise my shameful face at him so he doesn't recognize me if ever he would see me again.

Neither was I interested in knowing him, it would make no sense else it will make my knees even weaker each time I remember the experience.

His voice alone caused me to quiver, why would this be happening today?

I was starting to feel very hot encompassed by four hefty guys as though I stole their diamonds then I suddenly remembered that it was a command from their boss.

"Look up." He commanded me.

I did though slightly, I was glad that my curly hair covered a greater part of my face.

He abruptly pulled at his mask revealing his face. I watched him through my hair strands, gosh my legs wobbled at the thought of ravishing him perhaps not that, I just felt different. How different? I can't explain it in words.

That's not all, the big man had so much beauty that I could hardly look away from him, and surprisingly, he too was staring.

The only visible thing was my eyes, my face was covered with my hair as I was still smart enough to hide my shame by hanging my head althrough.

A young man, his angular face was smooth, his eyes slanted at the edge.

He was like a gold figurine placed in a glass and reserved untainted for tourists where they would pay to have a look.

I found myself to be lucky as I had a look at him free of charge.

For a moment, we stole glances and I reluctantly blinked, making myself break off from the eye contact competition.

God! What was that? I asked myself noticing what I felt, well, this is not what I should be thinking about.

"Hey, I've been searching everywhere for you. Your would-be husband is here, he's been waiting for a while now."

The big man's eyes turned to Lilian with hate and I begged without words that she should just run away and never come back, I was ready to bear his wrath alone.

"Take her too." He said in an evil manner but the men hesitated. "I said, take her!" He raised his voice.