The Billionaire's Unwanted Bride novel Chapter 51

Anna's POV

AFTER THREE WEEKS

I used to think rich people have it all and the poor are the unfortunate ones meant to have one problem or the other that they are to solve every single day of their lives, most of which has to do with their finances.

My thinking now has changed, ever since the day I visited Aidan's parents and I got to meet his mother and his father. Aidan is a billionaire but he has his unfair share of life challenges.

Despite his wealth, his mother is crippled and bedridden and I can sense that all is not well in their home. I am quick-witted, it was easy to detect that Aidan is not on good terms with his father and his father is one of the reasons why he wants us to be married.

They say the rich have it all but that is not true. I have lived all my life in a poor home with little or no food but I find happiness in being with the people I love. I feel rich people lack this. I also feel sympathy for Aidan and his mother.

The woman is sweet and pretty. Even if I don't want to marry Aidan for being a jerk sometimes, I will gladly do this for his mother. I love her and I want her to be happy.

It's been three weeks already and today is the day of the award. Mother woke me up this morning when she was going to work to tell me she will be working out late. After she left, I could no longer go back to sleep.

I called Pamela to see if she would be available to help me pick a dress and help me with my makeover but she said she was going out to an event too with her boyfriend, Richard.

I am sad and at the same time damn nervous about the whole thing. I know I won't be feeling this way if only my mother is around to calm me and tell me everything will be fine.

Aidan and I saw each other just twice after meeting his mother and he is still that cold jerk. I have stopped going to school and I have started attending lectures online. I spend most of the day at home now and I don't like going out because of my small baby bump.

I went shopping for dresses a week before with Chloe, Aidan's secretary, and Pamela. I got five different dresses for today's event, amongst other casual wears but I am indecisive on which to wear among the dresses to the party.

I sigh, feeling lonely. I turn to the other side of the bed to hug my pillow to myself. My eyes are on the wall clock and I realize it is past 9 am already.

"Shit!" I curse and scramble out of bed. Mom left home around 7 am and I can't believe I have spent two hours, thinking without doing anything. I need to get a new hairdo and visit the spa also.

I also want to do my pedicure and manicure before evening. I know Aidan is a disciplined man and I don't want to keep him waiting tonight. The time of the event is 7 pm and he called the day before to tell me he was coming to get me by 6:30 pm.

I have a feeling somethings will unfold today and Aidan might want to introduce me to some people. I have no idea what is going to happen but I want to be prepared.

Also, I want to look beautiful for Aidan. I want to make him proud and confident to introduce me to his colleagues from work and clients. I want to feel alive for once in my life so I have decided to come out of my shell today. I want to be different today.

I want to look sophisticated, rich, and classic. And lastly, I want to look beautiful.

I freshen up, pick up my purse that has Aidan's credit card in it, my phone, and a cardigan before going out of the house. I need to visit a beauty salon first before anything else.

****

Aidan's POV

I am confident and excited about tonight. I can't wait to see the glint of disappointment on my father's face, then on Julian and Tessa's face too. The thought of this alone gives me joy.

I am not relying on Julian, I have sought Madeline and Alexander's help and they are willing to mention my name to their acquaintances who will have a say on who the winner will be.

Madeline kept assuring me that I am a winner already until I told her about my fears and she mentioned something about making sure that the result will be transparent.

I bless Damien in my heart for sending me the camera. For once in over 10 years, I feel something for Damien again, pity and affection. I missed those years we spent together hating each other.

I have been avoiding Tessa for the past three weeks. She called me the night after meeting my father and I figured out that father must have called to inform her of the good news.

She wanted to come to visit but I told her I was busy and I promised to make it up to her. I want to keep up with the pretense until everything is over and I know it will be over soon. It will be over in a few hours.

I call Tessa regularly now and we talk randomly but I always avoid seeing her. I am doing this because I know I won't be able to stop myself from having sex with her, she is a f****** seductress.

I don't want her to use anything against me. She is desperate to have me and I know she can peg another man's pregnancy on me. I want to play safe.

I am also going to get my mother out today because Doctor Amar from India is coming to New York on a visiting permit. I am hoping he will help me check on mom before his stay is over. I hope mom won't prove stubborn this time.

I haven't seen Anna for almost a week now. We fought after leaving my parent's home. On our way to the hospital, she kept asking me questions I don't want to answer and when I got tired of the numerous questions, I shout at her and ask her to shut the f**k up.

I have just finished the meeting with another client this morning. I don't usually come to work on Sundays but I do once in a while when I have an important meeting.

The client is Roland and I am glad he called me after three weeks to fix another appointment for him. I kept wondering why he called back and after thinking about it, I figure it must be because of the award. He knows he will be at a loss if I win the award. I feel more than confident about my plans.

I am supposed to go out with Richard for a new hairdo this morning before I got Roland's call. I had to postpone it. Richard now has a girlfriend and she is coming to the party with him. I am hoping Richard will also be among the first ten billionaires in New York this year. Last two years, he was the fifth while I was the second.

After Roland has left, I begin to pack my things to go home. No one is around, even Chloe. She doesn't work on Sundays. I finish putting my files into the briefcase when an idea formed in my head.

To make this facade more real, there is one more thing I am supposed to do that I haven't done. Tessa needs to think we are going to the event together tonight. I want to do this till the end.

For me to make her anticipate having me as her date for tonight, I need to do one thing.

I pick up my mobile phone and dial her number. It rings for a few minutes before she picks. She sounds sleepy and I guess the call woke her up.

"Hi, baby."

I smile. She is relaxed. They are all relaxed that their plan has worked but they have no idea what I have in stock for them.

They have no idea what I am capable of doing and how much I want to ruin them all, including my father. But I need to exercise a little more patience. I don't want to raise any suspicion yet so everything can go the way I planned it.

I just wish my mother will be there to watch the drama.

"Tessa, I want to make my relationship official today", I begin.

"Ok?" I am imagining her wide eyes. I can also hear the eagerness in her voice.

"I will ask my secretary to send you the pictures of dresses and I want you to choose the one you would love to wear to the party."

"Can't I go shopping instead? There is still enough time to....."

"No", I cut her short. "Pick a dress and I will have someone deliver it to your doorstep."

I didn't wait for her reply before hanging up. Tessa has been extremely careful with her dates and outings. I am sure father has warned her to be cool so I won't use anything against her till the announcement has been made. They have no idea I have my evidence already.

The show has began already.