A Year With The Billionaire

Isabella's POV

My eyes flutter open simultaneously with the groan that leaves my mouth. My head is banging and my eyes feel heavy and small.

My body is weak too and I try to raise my hand when someone grabs me.

Grandma's worried-filled expression appears before me. “Isabellat”

I hear gasps from people who move closer. I turn my head slowly to see Safina right beside Grandma, then Gabriel whose arms are entwined with his clingy wife, Sabrina, then Jayden,

Sabrina stares at Jayden and giggles excitedly before turning back to her husband. Jayden throws her a cold glare as a look of embarrassment fills his expression,

Then, he bites his lips.

This is when it all comes rushing. I am in the hospital and I fell unconscious while trying to escape Jayden’s grip.

Jayden and I are no longer together and we are not on good terms.

Why is Sabrina grinning and making him embarrassed? Why is he looking pissed and humiliated? Did Sabrina see me slap him? Or are they taunting him for coming back to me?

What then is he doing here? I don't need his care.

I wrench my hand from Grandma's hold. I don't need anyone's sympathy, definitely not his. I don't want to see him again. Seeing him brings nothing but heartaches and hurt. I don't want to continue wallowing in self-pity. I don't want to leave the rest of the year living his life.

I want my life back. I want to leave everything behind and that won't be easy if I keep seeing him. I want him out of my life. “What is he doing here?” I point towards him, my gaze not leaving Grandma's.

Grandma follows the direction of my hand and she faces me with a heavy sigh. “He is sorry, Isabella”

“Il want him out’, I order calmly, my head still banging.

I don't know why I passed out but I will only be free to ask Grandma what happened if they can excuse me.

sabrina’s giggles are not helping even though she has stopped and there is a serious look on her face. I want them to excuse us. I want to talk to Grandma to be sure I am not ill.

Then, I want to be alone. To plan and re-strategize my life back in shape. I want to think of what to do next with my life and how to get an apartment so I can stop inconveniencing Grandma and Safina.

“Isabella, you should hear him out.”

“Not” My voice comes out hoarse and tears brim in my eyes. “I don't want to see him again. I already told him that I don't want us to ever cross paths again, didn't I2” I am taking all my anger out on Grandma when she isn't even the one responsible for my anger.

She warned me before I ventured into this sham between Jayden and me but I didn't listen. I thought I was doing the right thing for us and I thought I had it all in control.

I had plans.

Plans to do the job I was employed for and get out in I2 months with my fashion house already established but he ruined it all.

I would never accept this silly house he got for me. I'm sure he is doing that out of guilt or to make me feel indebted to him. I won't allow that.

I was living fine, free of heartaches before he came along.

“Isabella..” he calls, approaching me and I sit upright abruptly, the pain sinking deeper into my head and making me hold onto my head with both hands. “Go!”

I hear the shuffling of feet and the door open. Thinking he is gone, I look up but he is still there by the doorway. Sabrina and Gabriel are out already.

“t will be outside till you are ready to talk to me", he says and goes out before I can tell him to go out once more.

Safina also stands up to leave while Grandma holds my two hands, tears spilling down her eyes.

I don't know why she is crying but I don't feel like asking her, even though I am damn curious.

Is she crying because I am in this situation because of her? Is she crying because I am changing? I am changing into someone she can't recognize or talk to. I have shut her out ever since she told me about the fashion house he got for me. Am I ill? My mind goes back to the fact that I am in the hospital.

Is this why she is crying? The last time Grandma cried was when my parents died. I haven't seen her cry ever since.

Am I going to die? Do I have an incurable disease?

What is happening?

The curiosity eating at me won't let me stay calm and quiet. Letting my hands off my head, I lay back on the bed and ask. “What happened?”

She smiles at me, trail kisses all over my knuckles and forehead without responding.

“Did something happen?” I rephrase my question and she shakes her head. “Then why are you crying?"

She doesn't reply. Instead, she wipes her tears with the back of her palm, forcing out a smile. If she wasn't crying, I would have thought she looked really proud of me with this smile but I can't comprehend what this really is; crying and smiling at the same time.

“Am I ll? Did something bad happen to me? Am I going to die?” I bombard her with the questions in my head.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

This should be the only reason why she is crying. Maybe Sabrina doesn't know yet, that's why she was giggling earlier on. She can be so playful just like her husband but I could remember the look on Gabriel's face wasn't naughty, playful, or mischievous.

He doesn't look happy. He looked way more serious than I have ever seen him while Jayden was looking angry and embarrassed.

“What?! Of course not!” Grandma's laughter resounds in my head and I heave a deep sigh of relief at her response.

Thank God, I am not going to die.

After feeling relieved, my mind drifts back to the question of why she is crying.

“Why are you crying, then?"

“Because I am happy’, she replies and pecks my forehead again.

Now I am sure she is indeed proud of me. Proud of something I must have done which she never knew I would do.

Is she talking about how I stood up against Jayden? Did Sabrina see me slap Jayden and she told Grandma and Grandma feels proud that I did that? Is she proud because I am back to my normal self now after locking myself up in the room for days?

I turn away from her, feeling that the reason for her happiness must be one of these.

After giving it a second thought, I realize it isn't. Grandma was beginning to like Jayden. She told me she was beginning to see him in a different light which shows that her opinions about him being a bad person have changed and she likes him.

She was literally begging me to call him after she told me about the Fashion House but my pride didn't let me. I didn’t want to call him because he wants to help me achieve my dream of having a Fashion House. I wasn't even ready to talk to him. just a few minutes ago, she was also pleading with me to hear him out. That means she isn't proud and happy because of what I did to him.

sabrina might not even tell Grandma. Then what is it?

I snap my head towards her to see her smiling again, tears still rolling down her eyes.

“What happened, then? What is this about?”

“Why am I happy?" She demands with a wide smile which isn't stopping her tears.

“Yes.”

“Because I am proud...” she trails off.

I knew it! I knew that look! My parents always had the same look on their faces whenever I made them proud with my academic results

“I can't wait to become a great grandmother’, she adds and I turn away from her, not giving much importance to the statement until it dawns on me that she is talking about the present.

Grandma would never talk about her wish to see my children in this position when I am on the hospital bed and Jayden and I aren't together. What then is she talking about?

I face her and try to sit upright again when the pain shoots through me again stopping me halfway from sitting up in the bed. “What do you mean by having great-grandchildren?” I voice out my curiosity.

“Because you are pregnant’, she announces to my astonishment and my jaws drop.

“What?” I exclaim loudly in disbelief.