Fated to the Crippled Mr Billionaire

"So....." Mrs Bailey turned to her husband after breakfast, a smile plastered across her face.

His brows furrowed.

"So, are you ready to call him now?" She asked him, but she noticed that it seemed like he didn't really entertain the idea.

"I'm not sure." He replied with a hesitant expression on his face.

"What is it?" She inquired, impatiently. "Don't tell me you want to back out now." She gave him a stern look.

"No, that's not it. It's just that I've been thinking about it, but I don't think I have the number anymore." Mr Bailey said, sadly and his wife sighed.

"You know it's been a little over a year now, and my previous phone got lost, or stolen maybe. I don't even know which one it is, but all I'm trying to say is that I have no access to that phone." He explained further, his expression calm, but calculated.

"Oh no. I totally forgot." Mrs Bailey remembered, sounding disappointed.

She bit her lip as she tried to think about a way out, but got none.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked, searching his eyes for answers.

"I don't really know. I think I might have to check my journal to see if I wrote it there, but I highly doubt it." He said to her, and she nodded slowly.

"Okay, let me help you with that. Where is the said journal?" She asked, her eyes fixated on him.

"It's in the room, I guess." He answered, wiping his hands with the napkin.

Surprised, she said, "You guess? You're not even sure?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I'm sure I said so before." He answered, shrugging.

"Come on, Andrew. You're not helping matters here." She complained, getting a bit upset.

"But I'm just being honest. I'm not sure where I kept it exactly." He repeated, and his wife shook her head in displeasure.

"You know what? Since you're not sure of where you kept it, let's go and search for it then." She got up swiftly, but he was reluctant to get up.

"Hurry up, honey. Time is money." She said, grabbing his arm as she tried to pull him up from the chair, but he refused to get up.

Now completely offended, she yelled. "Why do I feel like I'm the only one in this? 'Cause you're making it feel like I'm the only one who will benefit from this if it works out."

"No, that's not it. I just feel unsettled about this whole arrangement." He said, gently.

She hissed loudly. "I just knew that you were already having second thoughts!"

"Look, I don't care if you want to end up on the streets by the end of this month when the bank requests for the loan repayment, but my daughter and I won't! I won't let it happen!" She wagged a disapproving finger as she spoke angrily.

"So the earlier you get up and let's start searching for that journal, the better it will be for us all!" She snapped at him.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, and she just stared at him.

"I don't even know why you're trying to be sentimental about this whole thing. After all, we're not selling her off. We're only using her to save ourselves, better our future, and maybe hers too in the process." She said, in a more calmer tone, and he began to think about it for a while.

"Fine. Let's go, and search for it." He finally succumbed, and she broke into a smile.

"Now, you're talking. Let's go." She pulled him by the arm, and this time, he got up immediately.

As they got to the room, he sat on the sofa, and she stood beside him.

"I think it should be there." He said, pointing to the bottom of his bedside drawer.

She then immediately began to search for his journal.

While she was still searching, his phone began to ring. He checked the caller ID, and seeing that it was an unsaved number, he frowned.

Noticing his expression, she asked, "who is it?"

"I don't know." He shrugged, "I don't have the number saved on my phone."

"Okay? Are you going to pick it up, or what?" She asked, with a frown.

"What if it's a call from the bank?" He asked with uncertainty. "I've been avoiding their calls lately."

"You wouldn't know that until you find out." She replied, sharply.

He took a deep breath, and picked the call, "Hello."

"Hello. Is this Mr Andrew Bailey?" The caller asked him.

"Yes, this is him." Mr Bailey replied, his tone unreceptive, because he thought it was a call from the bank.

"Oh, thank goodness." The caller sounded pleased, making Mr Bailey confused. "I am Lawyer Clark, representing the Late Mr Dan Gibson."

Hearing this, Mr Bailey sprung to his feet, "Mr Da... Dan Gibson?" He stuttered, not sure of what he heard.

Hearing the name, his wife left what she was doing, and raced to her husband's side.

"Speaker, please." She mouthed to her husband, and he placed the call on loudspeaker.

"Yes, sir. I have actually been trying to reach you. I was going through the will that Mr Gibson left behind, and I saw that it was in writing in which both parties have signed, for you to give your daughter to him in marriage." Lawyer Clark explained.

"Yes, that's very correct." Mr Bailey answered quickly.

"I'd like to ask you if you'd still like to proceed with the deal, because the deal still stands, but only if you're still interested." He stated, and Mr Bailey was lost for words.

"Are you still there, sir?" Lawyer Clark asked as the silence prolonged.

"Ye... Yes, I am." Mr Bailey stuttered.

"So, what do you say? Are you still interested?" Lawyer Clark asked again.

"I have a question though." Mr Bailey said, and his wife stared questionably at him.

"You can ask your question, Mr Bailey." Lawyer Clark urged him.

"Who will she... I mean who will my daughter be-"

He was about to ask who Ella was going to be getting married to since Mr Dan was already dead, but his wife, knowing what he was about to say, tugged on his arm, and shook her head.

Mr Bailey paused.

"Are you still there, sir?" The lawyer asked, seeing as he suddenly went quiet.

"Oh yes, I am." Mr Bailey replied quickly.

"You said you had a question-"

"Oh no, it's fine. Never mind." He quickly changed his mind. "We are still very much interested in the deal." He said, excitedly.

"That's perfect then. The wedding will come up next weekend." He informed him.

"Whoa! That quick?" He asked, quite surprised.

"Yes, it was delayed because of the chairman's sudden death." Lawyer Clark explained.

"Oh, I understand."

"With your agreement, the deal is sealed and stamped. We'll meet at the wedding next weekend. Kindly inform your daughter." Lawyer Clark said, on a final note.

"Thank you so much, Lawyer Clark. We'll be there. We really appreciate this news." Mr Bailey replied happily, and the call ended.

"Yeeesss!!!" Mrs Bailey screamed in extreme joy. "We'll finally be out of this mess. Oh, I'm so glad. Finally."

Ella knelt on the ground in front of Mr Bailey, her father, sobbing. His head remained buried in his newspaper, flipping it as he kept reading without lifting his eyes to look at his crying daughter.

She had just gotten back from her workplace, where she worked as an office assistant in a very small office and was yet to change her clothes, when he broke the shocking news.

"Be prepared, you're getting married next weekend." Her father's words kept replaying in her ears as she remained on her knees, weeping profusely.

"Father, please. Don't do this to me. This is not part of my plan right now. I beg you." She begged him, wiping her tears but it kept pouring out uncontrollably.

Mr Bailey hissed, closed the newspaper and angrily placed it on his lap. He glared at Ella, who was still in front of him.

"Do I look like I care about any of your useless plans? Huh? Don't get me mad, young lady!" He snapped at her.

At that moment Mrs Bailey walked in with a weird smile on her face.

Feigning ignorance, she asked, "Honey, what is going on here?"

"Why is she crying?" She asked again, pointing towards Ella as she took a seat beside her husband.

"I have no idea." He shrugged and picked up his newspaper, and continued to read it.

"I just told her about the marriage arrangement and she has been crying ever since as if someone died." He said, flipping his newspaper yet again.

Irritated, Mrs Bailey replied, "Oh! It's because of that?" She hissed.

Ella then turned to her, falling on her face, and grabbing her mother's legs, "Mum, please plead with dad for me. I don't want to get married to someone I do not know. I don't even want to get married yet."

"You don't have to know him. You will get to know each other once you're married and staying together." Mrs Bailey replied, with no iota of empathy.

Ella shook her head in disagreement, "No! I don't want to, mum." She cried.

Mrs Bailey Scoffed, "Oh dear. Such a poor child."

"You still don't know your place in this household, do you?" She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, but Ella heard it.

Confused, she wiped her tears, "What do you mean, mum?"

"Look, this household has been facing a lot of financial hiccups which I believe you know about. Except you want to pretend, and that's fine." She responded, while Ella just listened, wiping her face with her hands.

"Anyway, you already know how our family has been rolling from one debt into another. The bank is going to throw us out, and seize the house if we don't repay the loan by the end of this month. The only solution is for you to marry this billionaire, and voila! we'll get back on our feet again." She continued, leaving Ella, staring at her in disbelief.

"Is that all I am to you? Just a tool? A tool to be used to get back on your feet? Why can't we find another way, mum? Dad? Huh?" She asked, her eyes darting between both parents.

"You have any idea of any other way to get out of this financial mess?" Mrs Bailey asked her but Ella became quiet.

She truly didn't have any idea of how to help them financially. Her salary was barely enough to sustain her for a month, not to talk of the whole family.

Mrs Bailey sucked her teeth, "Exactly! That's what I thought."

"Or do you think that measly salary of yours can do anything?" She asked Ella, her face twisted in disgust.

"But I can get a better job." Ella insisted. "I'll work hard. I'll-"

"And with what qualifications do you plan to do that? Huh?" She asked, cutting Ella off, rudely.

"And in what year exactly will that happen? Is it after we've been thrown out into the streets and we have become a laughing stock? Is that it?"

Ella sniffled, "But what about my sister? Why can't Bella get married to him? It's not like she will hate the idea of marrying a billionaire anyway."

Truly, if it was under another circumstance, Bella would have happily jumped at the offer without thinking twice, and their parents would have happily supported.

Disgusted by what Ella had just said, Mrs Bailey yelled at her, "Will you SHUT your mouth before I shut it for you right now! You idiot!"

"Have you lost your mind? You really have some nerve." Mr Bailey barked, angrily.

"You're lucky I'm not selling you off to the highest bidder." He added.

"But there's no difference." She retorted. "It's just like you're selling me off to-"

She hadn't completed her statement when Mr Bailey arose from his chair and slapped her hard across the face.

"You ingrate! How dare you talk back at me in such a manner! You should be lucky I'm not in a terrible mood this evening." He hissed, glaring at Ella who held her hunting cheek.

"Look, you'll get married to that man and the wedding will be held next weekend!" He commanded, raising his voice. "That's final!"

Paying her no mind, he walked out angrily, while his wife followed closely behind, leaving Ella, devastated.

Left to wallow alone in her misery, Ella remained on the floor in silence, until Bella, her younger sister, suddenly popped out of a corner. She had been hiding, eavesdropping on the whole conversation all along.

As she peeped and saw Ella in the living room, sitting on the floor, lost in her thoughts, and staring at nothing in particular, she let out a quiet mocking laughter, and walked into the living room.

She then burst into a loud hysterical laughter, snapping Ella out of her thoughts.

Still laughing, and with a mocking tone, Bella said, "Hi 'ABOUT TO BE MRS ANONYMOUS'."

Ella remained quiet, and paid her no attention, but Bella continued to taunt her.

"How is the preparation for your wedding going? I hear you're about to be married." She continued, her tone still filled with mockery, and Ella couldn't control her tears.

"Oh! My Poor sister. I must say, I'm gonna miss you." Bella continued.

Ella sniffled, "Can you help me beg them to reconsider? Please Bella, I'm going to do anything you want me to do. Please." She pleaded with Bella, who kept walking round in circles around her.

"Anything? You're sure?" Bella asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, I promise, I'll do anything." Ella assured her. "Please help me just this one time."

Bella suddenly scoffed, "As enticing as that sounds, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it for you."

"But why? Please."

Bella shrugged, "Well, someone has to do it and that someone is definitely not me. As you already know, the family's finance is already hanging on a thin thread, and we can't afford to go broke. It can't happen. I'd rather die than go broke.

"I heard the billionaire is an old man. So that way, you can save us from this mess before he dies." She chuckled mockingly.

Shocked, Ella exclaimed, "Wait, what? An old man?"

Bella made a mocking face, "Oh, you weren't told? Oh poor Ella, you don't know anything."

"I heard he is a wobbly old man," she continued, "but he is a billionaire, and that's all that matters." She added, intentionally making her sister's life more miserable than it already is.

Ella, realizing that her life was heading towards doom, began to cry again.

"What did I ever do to deserve this? All my life I've done every single thing you all wanted me to do without complaining or grumbling. Can't I at least have a say on just this one thing?"

"How is that any of my business? Am I the one who asked you to marry an old man? Please don't stress me!" Bella snapped at her, and hissed.

An idea popped in Ella's mind and she suddenly stopped crying. "You know what? Why don't you get married to him instead?" She asked Bella, whose eyes widened.

Taken aback, she yelled, "What?! Ewwwww... Are you crazy?"

"We both know how much you love money and since money isn't an issue in this case, you'll be fine. Please, I can't get married to him. Please for once in your life, do this one thing for me." Ella pleaded with her, wholeheartedly.

Ella tried to convince her sister to take her place instead, but unfortunately, it didn't work out.

Bella folded her arms across her chest, "Oh, so you're trying to throw me under the bus?"

She snickered, "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Or wait, Is it because I'm here having a conversation with you? That's why you think you can brainwash me into accepting to marry that ugly stricken old man?"

"No way! It's never going to happen!" Bella spat angrily.

Her expression suddenly changed, and her lips gradually formed into a smirk. "Oh, and there is a HUGE surprise awaiting you."

DEREK GIBSON'S MANSION

"POP!" Derek's eyes snapped open as he was jolted awake by the loud, sharp sound of the party popper.

He slowly sat up with a start, disoriented, as the faint hissing noise gave way to a flurry of colorful confetti that rained down all over his body.

"Happy Birthday, Dee!!!" Sam exclaimed excitedly, but instead of getting excited, Derek hissed and laid back in bed, pulling the duvet over his head.

"Come on, Man. It's your birthday." Sam tried to cheer him up.

"It's just a normal day. A day like every other day. Nothing special. And there's nothing worth celebrating." Derek replied from underneath the duvet.

"Come on, Derek. It's your birthday. You're a year older, and I think that's worth celebrating, if you ask me." Sam pressed on.

Derek pulled the duvet off his face. "Well, no one is asking you, Sam. I just want to be alone." He said sharply.

Sam refused to back down. "No, I won't let that happen. I know what you're trying to do, but I won't let you do it."

"Ever since that incident, you've developed a strong hatred for any kind of celebration. You've refused to celebrate your birthday and even if you're invited to any other celebration, you turn it down immediately or ask me to attend on your behalf. You can't continue like this, man..."

"And who says I can't?!" Derek snapped at Sam, who closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"Tell me, what's there to celebrate when all this day reminds me of, is pain? Nothing but pain."

"Please, I don't want to get angry this morning. I'm already in a bad mood. Don't make it any worse than it already is." He added, and once again, pulled the duvet over his face.

Sam sighed. He understood Derek's pain, but at the same time he wanted him to cheer up, without having to push him too hard.

"I understand, but-"

"There are no 'buts', Sam." Derek cut him off. "Please leave me for now. I don't want to see anyone, including you, unless it's urgent."

"What if it's about work? About the company?" Sam inquired.

Derek pulled off the duvet once again, and shot him a deadly stare.

"I'm sure I didn't speak French. If it's not urgent, I don't want to hear it." He reiterated and Sam nodded.

"Alright, no problem. I'll leave now..." He was still speaking when his phone buzzed.

"Sir, someone is here to see Mr Derek." The caller said to Sam as soon as he picked the call.

Sam's eyes fell on Derek, who looked uninterested in what the caller was saying. He couldn't tell Derek that someone wanted to see him because he knew that the person chose the wrong day to visit, and Derek would not even grant such a person an audience.

"Alright, I'll be down shortly." Sam replied and ended the call.

He bowed and left the room, heading downstairs.

"Oh wow. Good morning, Lawyer Clark." He greeted him, extending his hand to him.

"Good morning, Mr Sam. It's been a while." Lawyer Clark replied, taking Sam's hand in a firm handshake.

"I agree. I hope you've been well?" Sam asked, with a slight smile.

"Yes, I have. Thank you for asking."

"You can have your seat, please." Sam offered, and the lawyer took his seat. "I must say, I'm really surprised to see you. What brings you here?"

"Actually, I'm here to see Mr Derek." He replied, and Sam sighed.

He continued, "I know today is his birthday and he probably doesn't want to see anyone, but this is very urgent."

Hearing him say that what he had to say was very urgent, Sam straightened up in his seat.

"Urgent? What is it about?" He inquired, curiously.

"It's about his father's last will." Lawyer Clark stated.

Sam frowned, "What do you mean? Wasn't it the same will which was read after he passed away?"

"Well, the first part of it was read after Mr Gibson passed away, but the other part wasn't read." The lawyer disclosed, and Sam was completely stunned.

"What!" Sam exclaimed. "But why?"

"Mr Gibson ordered me not to read it until Mr Derek's 26th birthday." The lawyer revealed, and Sam just stared at him, not knowing how to react.

Sam sighed once again, and said, "I'll be right back."

He then headed back to Derek's room. As soon as he opened the door and stepped in, Derek grunted.

"I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed. Why are you here?" Derek complained angrily.

"I'm sorry, but there's someone here to see you." Sam replied, walking towards him.

"I thought I made it clear that if it wasn't ur-"

"It's urgent. It's your Father's Lawyer." Sam quickly interrupted him. He then explained what the lawyer told him.

Hearing this, Derek sat up. "Let him in." He instructed Sam, who immediately left to get the lawyer.

Shortly after, Sam came back in with Lawyer Clark.

"Good morning, Mr Derek." He greeted him. "Happy Birth-"

"Don't! Please don't!" Derek swiftly cut him off before he could wish him a Happy Birthday.

"What is going on?" Derek asked him.

"Just like I told Mr Sam, your father instructed that the second half of his will should be read on your 26th birthday." Lawyer Clark began to explain, but Derek frowned.

"Sam told me. What exactly is in this will and why does it have to be read today?" Derek asked impatiently.

"Here it is. It is a handwritten will. The last wish of your father." He handed a file over to Derek, who immediately began to read its contents.

As he read it, his eyes kept widening in disbelief.

"You've gotta be kidding me. What the hell is this?" He yelled as soon as he was done.

"What does he mean by he made an arrangement for me to marry someone? Without my consent? Really? That's preposterous!"

"If you think I'll do this, you must be joking. I don't even plan to ever get married. What nonsense is this?" He hissed angrily, and flung the file away.

Sam immediately picked it up and handed it back to the lawyer, who wasn't quite done with his assignment.

"Your father further instructed that if you refuse to do as he has instructed you in this handwritten will, every single thing he owns, including the ones you're in charge of at the moment, will be handed over to your uncle, Mr Damon Gibson." The lawyer explained further.

"What!!!" Sam and Derek exclaimed in unison, unable to believe their ears.

They knew that Derek's uncle would be more than happy to get everything. He was a selfish, and covetous man, who had always wanted to have the lion's share of all that his brother had even before his demise.

"That can't be possible!" Sam said, still in shock. "It can't happen, right?"

"It actually can. It's all written and signed by Mr Gibson already." The lawyer confirmed.

"The only headway is for you to do as your father has instructed, Mr Derek."

Derek immediately began to think of a way out, and suddenly he remembered something.

"I don't think father can win on this one, because who in their right senses would even agree to marry someone like me?" He laughed scornfully, knowing how impossible it was for anyone to want to marry him.

"Father must have been a comedian in his previous life." He added, still laughing, thinking he was at an advantage.

He was still laughing when the lawyer dropped the bombshell,

"Actually, the lady in question has accepted to marry you."