A Billionaire's Regret

CHAPTER 1

November 16, 2010.

Sara sat down in her bedroom, staring at the mirror by her bedside and thinking as she prepared for school, a 16 year old orphan currently at a shelter in the neighborhood of New Orleans.

Right from age 6(six) when she lost her mum to cancer, and not knowing who her father was, Sara led a lonely life.

No family ever wanted to adopt her, cause they always saw her as the recluse, shy and quiet black kid always sitting at the shelter's auditorium whenever it was adoption day.

Not knowing the cause of her quietness, or why she wasn't as bubbly and lively as other kids in the shelter, Sara was all by herself, that even the matrons at the orphanage referred to her as a dull child.

Now grown up, Sara knew her time at the shelter was coming to an end, at age 18 it was required of all grown up kids to vacate the premises, leave the shelter and go fend for themselves.

Having no relatives she knew off, Sara knew that time was going to be a hard one for her.

Piling her curly brunnete mane into a heavy bun atop her head, Sara picked up her bag and set out for school.

Strolling through the streets in her worn out canvas, given to her by her only friend Ariel at the shelter, singing Miley Cyrus's "Adore you" in her head, she didn't know when she bumped into an oncoming bicycle by the roadside.

Coming to an abrupt halt, she looked up to see who had hit her, staring up she was met with the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen.

With a pair of sunglasses, daisy vintage brown long sleeved shirt and dark jeans, Sara came face to face with the most handsome boy she had ever come across.

Turning crimson red all over, her light caramel skin glowing, Sara was lost in the moment.

"Hey young girl, I'm so sorry for bumping into you with my bike, but next time watch where you going, okay love".

"Love?" She thought out loud oblivious to the fact that he could hear her.

"What did you just say?" he asked.

Sara straightened up, picked up her bag that had fallen off her hands, and brushed her skirt.

"Um sorry, twas a mistake, was thinking of something, well like you said next time, I'll put in mind I have to watch the road, Thanks for your concern".

With that Sara moved to go, she had not gone much longer than a step when he spoke up abruptly,

"Wait!'

********

Christian couldn't believe he had asked the cute little girl to wait, what was he even going to say, where would he start from, he was short of words, but ever since seeing the pretty black American girl he'd hit, a protective instinct to guard her and remove the frown currently brewing across her face arose within him.

Now face to face with her, he was at a loss for words.

"Hello, Yes? You asked me to wait, and I am."

Her pretty full pink rosebud lips puckered up, as the full attention of her large brown eyes were fixated on him.

"Yes, I'm, I'm Christian by the way" he said stammering while extending his hands for a handshake.

Crossing her elbows, Christian could see that she was not liking this conversation one bit.

He quickly brought down his hands and stood waiting for a response from her.

Clearing her throat and flashing a smile at him, Christian's heart immediately constricted.

Was this love at first sight 'he thought? How could a 19 year old guy like him fall in love with someone he had never met before, he doubted the scenario and shook his head twice to make sure he wasn't dreaming, looking up at her, he crossed his arms and waited as she spoke-

"Hmmmmmmmn, Christian right, well I am thinking you misunderstood me, considering you brought down your offered hands, am late for school and I am already becoming impatient, am Sara anyways, I think I can repay the formal introductory gesture, have a nice day love".

Winking at him, she arranged her bag neatly and efficiently and before he could reply, she was already on her heels running.

"God" he thought out loud as he looked at her long slim legs, skimping away, he was truly and sorely doomed.

CHAPTER 2

"Mom, I'm home." Christian dropped his work bag and sat down on the comfy sofa in the living room.

Stressed out and tired from the day's work, he was also famished.

A high school dropout, and labourer for a big construction firm in the city, Christian was frustrated.

After his father's untimely death late last year, and not being able to finish high school due to lack of sufficient funds, he was already the bread winner of the house.

His mom owned a provision store at the market just by the roadside, but the meagre earnings she made daily could not take care of him and his siblings, so he had decided to man up, drop schooling and assume the fatherly role at home.

Closing his eyes, he quickly remembered the pretty but quirky little girl he had met today on his way to work, and he smiled at the thought fondly.

"Eh, son what's the source of your smile late this night." his mom inquired suggestively, winking at her son and raising her eyebrows in a funny way.

Looking up to see his mom, he smiled and waved her off with his hands.

"No Mom, it's nothing important okay."

"Nothing important! But it has you smiling like a love sick puppy, if you don't tell me if you have met a girl or not, and satisfy my curiosity, you are not getting a damn meal from me this night."

Christian knew he had no choice but to open up and spill up everything to his mother who was very inquisitive, even when his dad was alive, she always had her way.

A beautiful young woman in her late forties, Christian was the absolute carbon copy of his mom, the bluish eyes, the straight nose, even some of her attitudes he had also inherited.

The only trait from his Father's side was his height, muscular build and hairy skin.

"Ok fine, mom you totally got me on this one, yeah I actually met a beautiful girl today." he replied grinning.

Clasping a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming, Mrs Smith, laughed so hard she nearly toppled over from where she was sitting.

"What's funny mom?" he asked.

"Nothing, you just look so much like your dad when saying something serious, and I couldn't stop myself from bursting into fits, but anyways tell me more about this girl, you know this beautiful girl, who has given my son this lovey-dovey look."

"Mom I just came back from work, and I am so stressed out, I could pass out sitting on this sofa right now, can you please serve me my food and then we will continue this conversation later." he replied as he stood up to go take his shower.

"My son is in love, Hallelujah." Mrs Smith smiled at his back as he walked away.

"Mom, just stop it already please." Christian replied while hissing.

"Mmmmmmmhhhhhh" Mrs Smith bellowed as she went to get her son's dinner.

Having never had this kind of feeling before, Sara was so bothered as to what it meant, she couldn't explain it all.

She had never felt this way before, her heart beating rapidly, all the frequent smiles, closing her eyes and picturing someone she had never met before, imagining him so many times, she was so lost.

Even though today had been somewhat bad for her, (she missed her class test cause of her late morning, and her job search today had been uneventful), Sara did not even put it in mind, as she kept the goofy grin all over her face.

"And what is wrong with this one now ehhh?"

Looking up Sara saw her best and only friend at the shelter Ariel, staring down at her, from her bed above.

Bunk and agemates, Ariel was like the sister she never had, a lively personality, full of love, so caring and like the sibling she never had, Sara was grateful for the day she had met Ariel at the shelter.

"I am still waiting for my answer?" Ariel said once again snapping impatiently.

"Oh please, Ariel,can you just stop disturbing me."

Sara pleaded with her best friend as she turned to face the other side of her bunk.

"Is this about the mysterious boy whose name I don't know about yet, the one you met on your way to school, that made you miss that important test?" She asked while raising her eyebrows questioningly.

"Don't disturb me please, I beg you!"

Sara replied and rolled her eyes out of frustration.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Ariel laughed at her friend.

"Ok fine, you're right, you are." Sara replied and burst out laughing too.

"Like I don't know what's wrong with me now, I just can't get thoughts of him out of my head, when I close my eyes all I see is his handsome face, how he smiled when we met, someone I don't even know, is slowly and suddenly becoming a distraction, ugggghhhh I just don't understand."

She said, while placing one of her hands on her forehead in frustration.

"Huh?" Ariel sat up on the bed, crossed her elbows and mimicked a suggestive posture as she looked at her friend.

"What's with the look now?" Sara asked.

"Can't you see it babe, it's very obvious, you're in love, damn my best friend is in love, hot damn!" Ariel exclaimed laughing.

"Love, you are not serious, nah I can't just possibly be in love." replied Sara.

"I, fall in love with someone I just met once, is this how it feels like? 'She thought to herself.'

"Hey!" Ariel shouted waving her hands over her friend's face.

"Snap out of your love trance immediately, and let's sleep, tommorow we have exams and I don't want Mr-I-Dont-Know-His-Name distracting my girl."

Sara smiled at her friend as a shy look crossed her face.

"Goodnight Ariel, and his name is Christian, Christian yeah that's his name."

She said slowly before dosing off.

Ariel smiled at her friend, and lay on her bed too.

CHAPTER 3

"Ariel Peterson"

"Sara Parker"

"Yes ma'am."

Sara stood up from her seat in the shelter's large auditorium and went to collect her breakfast from the head chef who was sharing this morning.

Every weekend, breakfast was served as early as 8:00 clock am, and then the kids from the shelter were allowed to go out for any important daily activity they had and return before 4:00 clock pm.

............

Sara had a very busy day ahead of her today, after failing to look for a stable part-time job these past few days, she and Ariel had decided to scout through the city today, being Saturday they had enough spare time, and look for other stable jobs.

Carrying her tray to her table, she was approached by Dinah and her gang.

Labelled as the mean trio group of the shelter, they never ceased to stop bothering children and collecting their little things, most especially food items mainly snacks, and other finger licking appetizers.

Having just two months to leave the shelter as the leader of the group Dinah was clocking 18, she and her friends had stepped up a notch in their bullying habits.

Everyday reports kept circling, in the shelter of their mean tricks and wicked antics, that Sara was surprised as to why she had not been approached yet.

Now it seemed today was her D-Day and in as much as she didn't want to start the weekend with bad things or troubles, it seemed trouble had come to look for her already.

"Hey little bitch, watch your fucking step!? Dinah shouted.

"Oh hello, morning to you too, as you can see I'm just trying to take my breakfast to my table." Sara said calmly and patiently, trying not to invoke trouble,

"And can't you see you are on our path, or are you blind, you don't have any shades on so?" said Miranda.

Another part of the gang and Dinah's best friend in the shelter home, Miranda was a chubby, average heighted girl, who loved eating so much and derived joy from collecting kids snacks also and so on.

"I wasn't blocking your path, I was just heading to my table to eat my breakfast, anyways sorry." Sara replied.

"Anyways sorry, oh my, you really have some nerves now, talking to me like this, you are so lucky thet I'm just in a good mood today, I would have collected this your so called garbage breakfast, you are so bent on eating and dump the contents all over your smelly ugly face, hmmmpph girls lets go, I don't have time to waste here any longer." Dinah snickered as she made her way past the hall.

"You're so lucky today." Miranda and Tessa gloated as they walked past her.

Sara quietly took her food down to her seat, and immediately she got there, Ariel gave her a questioning stare as she asked, "And what were those useless bunch of humans talking to you about?"

Sara knew that if she did not clear the doubt or whatever Ariel was thinking now, she knew her friend would take it up.upon herself to.go confront them. Sitting down on the chair and arranging her meal she looked at her friend and said, "Oh please, it's nothing of importance."

Raising her hands in mockery, Ariel inquired....

"Nothing of importance, oh spare me all those damn selfless talks girl."

"You know how troublesome and attention seeking those girls always are, they just began their normal silly tantrums, that's all, let's just eat our breakfast and set out for the day, we have a long long day ahead of us and we can't waste our time here okay." Sara said and stopped talking, silencing her best friend with a wave of her hand.

*********

"Damn bro, get over here." Daniel called out to Christian.

Working at a supermarket during the weekends and at the construction site on weekdays, Christian really was the jack of all trades.

Collecting a meagre pay of 20 dollars per hour, Christian through the help of his close friend had gotten this job just last month, and had been promoted already to being the store's manager due to his selflessness, hard-working spirit and competence.

"What's the matter, man, I'm damn busy!" He replied while going over to meet his friend at the store's reception desk to collect the inventory book he normally used for record keeping.

"You need to see this two gorgeous girls, damn bro, they really pretty, God!" Daniel exclaimed.

Christian laughed it off not minding his friend, he turned to resume his duty, when he caught sight of a familiar curly brunnete tress packed into a signature bun.

Trying not to believe his eyes, blinking twice and turning to get a proper look, he was met with the utmost shock of his life.

Lo and behold, she was here, he stopped short at the sight of her, the beautiful caramel skinned girl he had met that day on his way to work, the girl he couldn't stop thinking about, the girl who had been the cause of his sleepless nights, these past few days.

"Fuck me!" He cursed and couldn't take his eyes of her.