Doyenne

As I looked out of my house from my window with a tear stained face, I kept on wandering how it would have been if we weren't suffering any financial problems. We weren't like this from the beginning. We belonged to an Higher middle class family with fixed salary and lived in a good society.

If it wasn't for the death of my mother we still would have been in a good society dealing with every difficulties of life with ease. She was gorgeous, strong and most importantly brilliant. She used her brain rather than her heart to make my father stand in his feet in this society. Everything we had was her possession. She used her brain and my father just followed her commands to establish in his business. An absolutely brilliant but strong minded woman who would suffer no fools and wouldn't dare to take a step to the world of business. She knew that she had no chance against the men in this world hence she used her brain. It was like she was puppet player. Though my father and mother were married to each other since fifteen years and to her death she used her brain to control my father.

It was as if my father played his part of the role in the stage as a magician but in reality she was the one who remain hidden behind those curtains in the stage and kept doing all the tricks which was magic to the people. No one ever knew.

We were groomed from our childhood to live full of enjoyment until her death.

It was like every penny she gave us she took it away with her because of her death. We had to face the financial problems, relatives tantrums who suddenly came crawling into our life invading our space after her death because they disliked my mother when she was alive. Not because of going against them and marrying a high caste woman but because she dominated them. They felt themselves as a low creep before her. She had this power over them. So after her marriage, my father and she decided to leave everyone and start a new world where it was only her, father, me and my sister.

Now we are only three. My father, me and my younger sister.

Today we are no longer living that awesome life but living a life where we are facing problem dealing with our bills, facing problem with sleeping empty stomach, even facing problem to live a life far from others, in a village away from all those lights and prosperity.

It's been four years to her death yet my father is doing his best to give us a good life. Though not the same one but still he is trying. Sometimes feel like crying when I see my school friends studying in greater universities than mine. While I am studying near my house in an isolated area with maybe lower rated university. I feel jealousy building inside of me when I see them hanging out in a bar, or club and they put a post of it in the social media site tagging me. Though they are oblivious about my livings I still do not let them flow over me.

To deal with it I never reply to any messages of my friends about "Hey! How are you and where are you studying." I tend to ignore them and their posts because they are oblivious to the fact that though I am living a difficult life but I am still a strong and grooming Sequoia tree who is busy building up it's capability to stand strong and higher from all those other and is preparing to lead.

It is in my blood to lead.

People often tells me that I look similar to my mother but little do they know that I am even more cunning, Intelligent and determined and most importantly charismatic than her.

I despise them who ever tried to stop my independence. I loved being independent. I hated living a life like a bird in a cage. I would rather free the bird and let it deal with all the difficulties like hunger and being prey to another hungry animal than to let it live a life caged in a cage.

As I saw my rich neighbor happily packing their bags into the trunk of their car and merrily driving off probably for vacation I stood with tear strained face as we can't even afford to eat three times in a day and let alone go out for a vacation. That moment, I promised myself that no matter what I am no longer going to live this life. I am going to live a life which I deserve and in order to reach the sky I will go to any extent even to the extents of staying in the shadows.

Just like her.

"The list! The list! Can you hear me?" I yelled into my phone because of the crowd in the station.

"Yeah! Wait I will just text you the list" she yelled back in my ear.

"Yeah! That will do it" I said and disconnected the call.

The door of the train switched open and people came out of the train pushing me out of their way. Finally with utter difficulties I managed to slip into the train and tool a seat near the window. It was cold outside, so I put on the last button of my coat and wrapped the scarf more properly around my neck.

I plunged my earphones into my ear and closed my eyes leaning my head against the glass window. Soon I felt my phone vibrating and opened my eyes and saw the caller ID to find my sister calling me.

"Hey! What's up sis?" my younger sister said in a cheery tone to which I raised an eyebrow.

"Someone sounds cheery today. What's up with you?" I asked and watched as the train pulled up and soon the station was out of sight.

"Oh! You will be cheery too if you hear this trending news" she said and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"News? What news?" I asked.

I remember not getting any notification of any trending news in my mobile. I would have got if there was one.

"It's about Unity" she chirped and then I heard her throaty laugh.

"What did she do now?" I asked in confusion.

"Oh God! Wait! I just can't stop laughing. It's so funny!" she laughed and hearing her laugh a smile too broke into my face.

"Okay! So yesterday she went to this club and sh-" I heard a oomph sound in the background and then I heard Unity yelling.

"I dare you to tell that to her. I am warning you" Unity yelled.

"What the hell? You can't just hit someone on face with a pillow like that!" I heard Sonia yelling back at her.

"Oh yeah? And you can do that?" Unity snapped

"Sera listen to me what she di-" and soon I found the call getting disconnected.

I rolled my eyes on them. Always fighting and quarreling with each other. Sonia Hughes was my younger sister and she was only two years younger than me while Unity Hughes was our cousin sister with same age gap. Unity lived with her mother and father by only One kilometer away from our house while Sonia and me lived together with our dad.

We three sisters are everything to each other. Most of the time we are always with each other.

I plunged the earphone back into my ear and looked out of the window to see that we were crossing a label crossing.

Currently, I am miles away from my family. I am in Britain right now and I am going to stay here for some months for some works.

I felt the seat next to me shuffling and I guessed it to as some passenger taking the seat next to me. I didn't even bother to look at him or her. So I closed my eyes and leaned against the window listening to some songs in my playlist by Bryan Adams.

I felt my phone again vibrating and I checked it to find a text message from Sonia.

I read it and couldn't control myself from laughing. It read "Yesterday Unity went to this club and she got so drunk that she stood up on the table and began to dance like a mad woman. But it wasn't enough because the next moment she puked on a guy. Oh! What a scene. When the guy yelled at her for puking do you know what she did? She bit down on his nipple right from over his shirt. So funny. The crowd in that club even named her Sexy Nipple Biter !"

I laughed imagining what and how Unity must have been looked at that time.

"Damn! I missed it" I thought and chuckled.

"Excuse me!" I heard a husky voice beside me.

I turned my head towards the voice to find an absolutely handsome man sitting next to me and glaring at me.

"What did I do?" I thought.

The man was absolutely attractive with brown eyes and little stubble on his face. He had sharp nose and striking features.

"Done ogling at me?" he asked with a bored expression.

"How dare he?" I thought.

"What did you just say?" I asked in a calm tone though I was anything but calm.

"Did no one ever teach you that eavesdropping is bad?" He sneered at me.

I gave him a confused look to which he just rolled his eyes.

"I was talking in my phone and you were eavesdropping and laughing at me" he said gritting his teeth.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just because my day is not going according to me I have to take this stupid train and now I have to deal with cheap Middle class people like you" he snapped at me.

I was ready to slap him but then looked at his attire. He was wearing a blue Armani business suit and a luxury vintage watch which was really really expensive. It would cost a heavy fortune for a normal people.

"Oh! So a Billionaire!" I thought to myself.

"Excuse me Mr I wasn't laughing at you alright. I didn't even hear any word" I told him and he gave me a bored expression.

"Oh really? So I would take this as a coincidence that when I was talking about my trouble, you chose to laugh at the same time. It was just a coincidence right? Oh please!" He said sarcastically.

"What is your problem?" I snapped

"Well you cheap peoples who doesn't have any work to do rather than gossiping and eavesdropping are my problem" he exclaimed.

I sighed and shook my head at him. There was no way I could handle this man. Absolute jerk of a man he was. I looked out of the window to find that I reached my destination.

I got up from my seat but before I leave I turned around to him and said in a calm way "First of all learn how to talk with people and secondly don't give so much importance to yourself. You are not worth it" I said and left the place without hearing his babbling.

I walked out of the station and sighed.

"What a start of the day" I muttered.

I just can't spoil my day just because of some stupid jerk of a Billionaire.

I looked here and there for directions. I was completely new in here. As I am staying alone in an apartment I have decided that till I am here I would stay alone and that means I have to do all my house chores by myself. And that includes cooking too. So Today I was going for a grocery shopping.

My phone vibrated and I smiled seeing the text message.

"Right in time!"I whispered and checked it to find it the list of things needed to buy.

I used my phone for direction. Just before I could walk I heard the whistle and looked to my left side to see the train going on it's track away from me maybe some Twenty foot away from me. But the most irritating part was that stupid Billionaire who was sitting on my previous place near the window and glaring at me.

"Oh God! What is his problem?" I thought and said out loud. I would have flipped him my middle finger if wasn't the fact that I was surrounded by people.

I rolled my eyes at him and turned my head towards the road and began walking.

"He could go to hell if he want" I thought and used my phone to search for a nearby grocery store.

Minutes later I reached a store and I went in. I brought the usual and some necessities with me and paid the woman in the counter. She gave me a bored smile to which I replied with a sincere smile of mine. Her expression seemed to change seeing me and she smiled back properly with a genuine one.

"I always have this effect on people" I thought.

But not with that jerk of a Billionaire.

No matter how much I tried that stupid man continued invading my mind whenever I saw something blue.

I shrugged him off my shoulder thinking that I wasn't going to meet him ever after all.

I scowled at him and shook my head wanting to erase him from mind. I am sure I am not going to meet him ever. I exhaled a breath and walked out of the store with the bags in my hand back towards the station.

I could take a taxi back home but I enjoyed the train ride more than ever. I was staying for some months for work but I was going to take it as my vacation so that I could enjoy every day I live here.

I smiled at the thought and walked towards the station but then thought why not roam for some while before heading back. I changed my direction and began to walk elsewhere with the bags in my hand.

"Driver will you just hurry? I am already late" I yelled at my driver who continued driving in a steady pace.

"Sir I think there is a problem with the car" he said and soon stopped the car at the roadside.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.

"Why did you stop the car" I snapped at him.

"Sir! The car just broke down" he told me.

"What!" I exclaimed and ran a hand on my hair.

"Why is this happening to me?" I thought as I got out of the car.

My phone began to ring and I groaned seeing the name in the caller ID. Nevertheless, I picked it up only to be bombarded with questions.

"Where are you Ethan? Do you even know how important this meeting is for us?" Alex my younger brother yelled from the phone.

"I know! I know! My car just broke down in the middle of the road" I exclaimed.

"What! Wait I will just sent you another car" he said and I heard some shuffling sound in the background.

"No it's not needed. It will take time to reach here. I will just find some another means" I said and looked around for any taxi but much to my annoyance found none.

"Okay! Please try to reach here in thirty minutes" he said and I disconnected the call.

"Sir! If you don't mind can I say something?" my driver said and I nodded still looking around for any means of transport.

"You can take the train. You will reach faster" he said and I turned around to find a station.

I groaned seeing the station. It was crowded with people and I hated going into a crowded place.

"Damn it!" I cursed but ran towards the station.

"Something is better than nothing" I thought.

"Damn! Now I have to catch a train like some middle class people" I loathed the Idea but took the ticket and got into the train.

The door of the train switched close and I sighed leaning against the wall of the train looking outside if the train as the train began to move.

My phone began to ring and I picked it up seeing it from Alex again.

"Did you get anything for a ride?" He asked.

I sighed and began to walk towards the compartment searching for a seat.

I sat next to a woman who was leaning her head against the window.

"Yes I did. I am in a train" I looked everywhere and saw a woman looking at me. I gave her a fake smile to which she averted her gaze away from me and then I scowled at Alex who was laughing his ass off.

"What? Oh" he laughed and took a breath "You are in a train? I mean You?" he said and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes I am in a train and it's not funny" I gritted out to which he chuckled.

"Relax Bro I think it's not that bad" he said making me scoff.

"Are you serious?" I said.

"First of all I was late for the damn meeting. Secondly my car broke out. Just see my luck and Thirdly I have to take a train. A local train. You know how much I hated travelling like this with" I looked everywhere and whispered "middle class people" as soon as I was finished I heard him scoff at me for the last part but my attention was somewhere.

The woman beside me started to laugh.

"What the hell?" I thought.

"See I told you. This people just don't have any other work rather than gossiping and eavesdropping" I said to Alex.

"What-" I disconnected the call and glared at the woman.

"Excuse me?" I said and she turned towards me.

She stared at me probably because of me glaring at her.

I saw her checking me out to which I gave her a bored expression. Everywhere I went it was the same problem with me. Women always swoon around me.

"Done ogling at me?" I said with a bored expression.

"What did you just say?" she asked in a calm tone which annoyed me even more. She was acting as if she was oblivious to everything.

"Did no one ever teach you that eavesdropping is bad?" I sneered at her to which she gave me a confused look.

"I was talking in my phone and you were eavesdropping and laughing at me" I said through gritted teeth to which she only raised an eyebrow.

"Just because my day is not going according to me I have to take this stupid train and now I have to deal with cheap Middle class people like you" I snapped at her releasing all my frustration on her.

"Excuse me Mr I wasn't laughing at you alright. I didn't even hear any word" she lied to me and I gave her a bored expression.

"Oh really? So I would take this as a coincidence that when I was talking about my trouble you chose to laugh at the same time. It was just a coincidence right? Oh please!" I said sarcastically.

"What is your problem?" she snapped and then only my eyes fell on her green eyes burning with anger. She was trying her best to control her composure but I didn't give a damn to that.

Well you cheap peoples who doesn't have any work to do rather than gossiping and eavesdropping are my problem" I exclaimed.

She shook her head at me and looked out of the window avoiding me. She stood up ready to leave but stopped and turned around towards me and said in a calm tone "First of all learn how to talk with people and secondly don't give so much importance to yourself. You are not worth it" she said and left without even listening to me.

I balled my fist at her and shifted to the window seat looking out of the window and saw her walking out of the station.

"How dare she?" I muttered.

Nobody ever talked to me like that. I guess she doesn't have any idea with whom she was talking to. I have the power to destroy her and look at her being oblivious to that.

"Stupid woman" I gritted.

"She ruined my day even more" I thought and sighed. The train began to move and soon we lost the station. I was scrolling through my email when I looked out of the window and my eyes fell on her. She was walking at the side of the road. I could clearly see her. Immediately she turned towards and our eyes met. I glared at her to which she rolled her eyes and looked the other direction.

"Idiot woman!" I thought.

When we reached the station and I hurried to get out of the station without getting noticed that I was using a local train. I reached my office building just in time. I was huffing and panting badly by the time I reached there.

"Woah! What happened to you?" Alex exclaimed seeing my condition.

I gulped down the water from the bottle and used my handkerchief to wipe out the beats of sweat that was forming on my forehead.

"You look like as if you just ran a marathon" he said with amusement clearly evident in his voice.

"Just don't ask" I said and adjusted my suit.

"Have they arrived yet?" I asked and he nodded.

"They arrived just now don't worry. Let's go" he said and I nodded.

"Let's go then" I said and we walked towards our meeting room.

My day was already ruined but I won't let it ruin even more because of that woman. It's not like I was going to meet her ever again.

I scowled thinking why the hell was I even thinking about her. I put up a smile on to my face and walked into the conference room ready for the meeting.

I am Ethan Rodriguez after all. The most successful businessman and the most eligible bachelor of the country. I can't just let a middle class woman ruin my day.