The Billionaire & I by Dami241

"Move out the way you deranged cocksucker!"

The taxi driver singlehandedly manoeuvred his way through the morning New York rush hour traffic. My fingers gripped the rough leather of the passenger seat as the car swerved to the right again. I was overwhelmed but grateful.

"Sorry miss!" He yelled.

"It's no problem," I assured him, then checked my watch for the fifth or maybe fiftieth time since entering the taxi. I was officially ten minutes to my first day of work. Great.

"Dieter & Leona, miss," the driver announced as the vehicle came to a screeching stop outside the tinted skyscraper.

"Thank you so much," I checked the meter and handed him a twenty-dollar bill, "keep the change."

I couldn't afford to act in the role of a philanthropist and give away my change to taxi drivers but it didn't matter much right now. I was too late and thankful to be concerned about my financial strains. I half-heartedly watched as the cab sped off before turning to face the large building behind me. It was as high as all the other skyscrapers in the vicinity, yet more daunting.

Dieter & Leona was a large technology marketing company that started from nearly nothing in the 1980s and grew to be the corporate giant it now was decades later. It was owned by the Russian couple, Dieter and Leona Lukas, who came to New York in the early 2000s with nothing but a dream and a whole load of luck.

This was why I was lucky to have received the 'congratulations!' email two weeks ago. It had been another day of unsuccessful interviews and zero callbacks when I saw the mail congratulating me on my new employment as a sales analyst in their secondary sales department. I'd been ecstatic and shocked.

Staring up at the sleek building felt surreal-this was truly happening. Several other skyscrapers lined the streets; this avenue was known for quite a good number of vivacious billionaires and businesses. Apple Inc. was just down the street. People of different ages and races moved about in their numbers while I stood frozen in the middle of the sidewalk. It was a miracle no one had bumped into me yet. Snapping out of it, I checked my watch again and groaned. I had no time to fret. It was now or never. My feet quickly carried me up the stairs that led to the entrance of the building.

Was I terrified? Yes.

Nonetheless, I carried myself with the amount of confidence only a latecomer could muster and walked past the revolving doors. The cool air instantly engulfed me and I welcomed the temperature difference with a sigh. I'd been running since I woke up twenty minutes late this morning. Looking around, the lobby was also filled with people of different calibre, carrying papers, files, laptops and earpieces around. Everyone looked busy.

"Good morning," I greeted one of the ladies behind the long reception desk.

"Good morning, welcome to the Dieter & Leona mega tower. I'm Ishanel, how may I help you today?" She sounded like a robot from a sci-fi movie and I couldn't shake off the feeling she'd likely fail a ReCaptcha test.

"I'm Ophelia Duhamels, I was interviewed for the sales analyst job about a month ago and received the email that I could start work today two weeks ago," I said all under a single breath.

"What department please?" She asked.

"The sales department, the secondary department," I replied and she nodded then pressed a few keys on her keyboard.

"I'll call Mary and she will be here to assist you in a bit," she finally smiled and I nodded. I took the time to observe my surroundings. Two ladies both in black pantsuits passed by talking about their respective weekends. Their weekends sounded awesome.

I crossed my feet and looked away. My weekend was spent mostly in anticipation of today. When I wasn't losing my shit over the start of my new job, I thought about how my rent would be due soon. Then I remembered my new job and anticipated it even more. It was a depressing cycle but I'd seen worse days. Today finally came and as though my plight wasn't hard enough, the universe snoozed my alarm. The universe, not me.

"Miss Duhamels! For a second I thought you weren't going to show."

Looking up, my eyes met the pretty red-haired woman who approached me with a wide smile. I immediately remembered her as the lady who'd interviewed me nearly a month ago. She was smiling, maybe there was still hope.

"I'm so sorry for being late, alarm and traffic issues," I explained and internally prayed my spot hadn't been given to someone else already.

"It's alright, I understand," she waved her hand dismissively then steered me in the direction of the elevators, "I've been pretty busy, trying to sort out some other company issues."

I nodded in understanding. Relief instantly filled me. I couldn't afford to lose this job.

The red numbers of the digital counter on the elevator slowly decreased from twenty-five till it showed 'L'. About half a dozen people exited the elevator before Mary and I, alongside other employees, were able to enter. Her phone rang but she pressed the button for the fourteenth floor and smiled at me again before answering her call. We stood at the front so my reflection was visible to me through the reflective surface of the doors.

My pink top was still neatly tucked into my grey knee-length skirt. I'd had this outfit ready since Friday, and paired it with my trusty black pumps.

I unnecessarily adjusted my pale blonde hair and fumbled with my fingers. The elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor and I breathed out before following Mary--who was still on her call--out.

"I'll call you back in a few minutes," she said and ended the call then turned to me, "I'm sorry, we're busier than normal today," she sighed.

"It's no problem," I reassured her. As long as I still had the job, I was good with anything. She smiled and clasped her hands together. It was time.

"Okay! So in the department, we're a total of twenty-five and the fourteenth floor is all ours. The offices are to the left side and meeting rooms and staff kitchen on the right and the restrooms are kinda middle left." She informed me as we walked down the wide hallway. We stopped in front of a glass wall and from what I could see beyond it, four large desks were joined together but separated by dividers.

"Are you nervous, confident or shaky?" She asked and I laughed.

"All except confident."

"You'll do well, good luck." She smiled, "oh and I'm the head of our little department. I'll see you later."

I bobbed my head, we shook hands then she left.

The walls of the office were a monotone grey and tables holding files, printers and probably other important documents lined some parts of the wall while board holders and shelves lined the opposite wall. I tilted my head and saw only two people occupied the desks. Now or never, P.

"You entering anytime soon?"

I turned around, half startled to find a beautiful olive-skinned woman behind me. Her dark hair framed her face in light waves and her light brown eyes scrutinised me deeply.

"Yes, soon." I cleared my throat wondering why it was so dry. She propped one of her hands on her waist.

"You new?" She asked and I answered in the affirmative.

"I'm Isabella, you can call me Bella or Isa but never Belle, si?"

"Uh, si." I grinned immediately liking her. "I'm Ophelia by the way." I introduced.

"Hmm, pretty name."

Turning again, I was faced with yet another beautiful woman, cocoa in complexion and also scrutinising me with her dark eyes. It felt like high-school all over again. She leaned against the door frame and behind her was a tall fair-haired man.

"Very pretty indeed," the man said.

"Is that you trying to flirt?" The dark-skinned woman laughed.

"I'll tell your girlfriend John." Isabella who was now beside me, tsked.

"I'm John which Belle over here already said," he stopped as Isabella hit his shoulder. "Ow," he rubbed the spot, "anyway, I wasn't flirting-"

"If he was, his girlfriend would have sensed it from her workplace downtown and flown in on her shiny broom ready to murder him." The dark-skinned woman said and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Becky is not that scary." John glared at her.

"Keep telling yourself that," she laughed then turned back to me, "and I'm Joanne, Jo for short or Anne, whichever is good." She shrugged. It had barely been five minutes but it seemed my first day would go well.

"So tell us about you," Joanne said as they ushered me into the office, Isabella pointed to the only empty desk available for me to occupy. "Basic things, like school, where you graduated from and all that."

"NYU, nearly five years ago," I sat down on the rather comfortable office chair. It had been a while since I sat on an office chair this comfortable. It had been a while since I sat on any office chair.

"Lifetime New Yorker?" John asked and I shook my head.

"I'm from Seattle, went back after college and came back here at the start of the year," I said giving them only the details I didn't mind sharing.

"Nice, I'm from Texas, graduated from the University of Houston, six, seven, years ago and damn does it feel long ago and yet like it was just yesterday." Joanne laughed.

"I have to go get some chocolate cookies from the kitchen, I'll tell you the story of my life as soon as I'm back pretty Ophelia." Isabella stood up from her seat and left the office.

John, Joanne and I were well along in our conversation when Isabella returned. I noticed her mood was more sombre than before she left.

"Why do you look like Brad Pitt just got remarried?" Joanne asked her as she sat down.

"He may as well have," she sighed, "I just heard something."

"What?" John folded his arms.

"I think the company is going to be sold or has been sold." She said and both John and Joanne gasped. I, on the other hand, wasn't sure how to feel except wonder if my job was going to be taken away from me so soon. Could they at least let me work for a month?

"What?" John asked and Isabella continued.

"I didn't hear much at all but from what I did hear from Mary, who was on the phone, by the way, it seems Dieter and Leona took out loans and now they can't pay them back so the company is being sold before the bank gets it."

"Did you hear to who?" Joanne asked and she nodded.

"We've mentioned his name before, last month I think, that handsome young billionaire, owner of a rising tech company. That one who entered Forbes list. What was his name again, Chilton, Hilton? Illston?"

My ears perked up and a few memories from years ago, long submerged became almost vivid in my mind again.

"Illston!" Joanne exclaimed, "he's the one I said started young and was lucky to get so rich young too, made his first billion at like 26 or 28? I can't remember his first name though. So he's bought the company? That's crazy girl."

"I had no idea Dieter and Leona were knee-deep in shit to this extent. I knew sales had fallen but not this badly." John's face became contemplative and the others nodded.

I remained silent.

But my mind was in a buzz.

It couldn't be the Illston I was thinking about, no way in hell or heaven. There was no way karma would have skipped that bastard and let fate hand him such a good deal. As they murmured, I decided to test fate.

I cleared my throat again then asked Joanne almost painfully, "Is his first name, William?"

"Yea! that's it." She smiled and clapped but I didn't smile back. My chest tightened and everything around me seemed to collapse. It couldn't possibly be.

That bastard was now my boss?

"You've heard of him as well?" Isabella asked and I staved off.

"Kind of," my throat felt tight and my hands were clammy, "I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back." I stood and they all nodded.

I circled the floor twice before locating the restroom. I washed my sweaty hands clean and then stared at my reflection in the mirror. It could be a different person, I deceived myself. It was a fairly common name, so I tried again. I remembered him as smart and determined but he couldn't have made it. He shouldn't have made it. He was an asshole and assholes didn't deserve to get big breaks.

I washed my hands again and walked out of the restroom on shaky feet. Getting back to the office, my composure was significantly better but to my dismay, my new coworkers were gathered around Joanne's computer screen and staring intently at whatever it was they were looking at.

"Come take a look at him." Isabella beckoned. Left without much of a choice, I joined them.

I stifled a breath as the little fragments of hope I held slipped away. It was him. My mouth promptly went bitter. I could feel the negative effects of seeing him seep through my veins till they corroded everywhere.

"He's hot, swoon-worthy." Joanne complimented the picture of him standing next to a podium with one of his hands in his pocket and the other resting against the podium. He looked smart and aristocratic. A world of difference from how I remembered him.

"He's okay." John shrugged.

"Typical lesser guy." Isabella rolled her eyes.

"They bully me, do you see how they do?" John pouted and my lips lightly lifted into a smile.

"I totally agree with you John, he's not that swoon-worthy."

"You two must have buttons for eyes." Isabella tutted before walking back to her seat. I'd barely sat on mine when someone entered the office.

"What's up Kells?" Joanne asked the woman.

"Orders from above, everyone to tune into the info channel now, the CEOs have news for us." She said and they all exchanged concerned looks. The flat screen came alive with colour and a couple who looked well into their seventies appeared.

"That's Dieter and Leona," Joanne said from beside me.

"Good morning everyone." The grey-haired man greeted. His voice was a deep baritone yet it seemed to have weathered with age. "I'm not sure where to begin but Leona and I thought it better you hear the news from us before anyone else."

His wife, equally grey-haired like him but a tad more stylish stepped forward and held his hand.

"We took out loans and acquired debts we didn't expect to catch up to us so suddenly. The company was at stake and was going to be taken away and everyone inevitably resigned from their jobs," Leona paused, "but someone intervened and well, the company has been sold."

I watched the faces of my coworkers turn sad and confused. I felt sad too, but not at the turn of events. I knew a little about debts and loans and the damages they inflicted.

"This was our best option to ensure no one would be losing their jobs and have the integrity of our company preserved. Dieter & Leona will now be a subsidiary of Illston technologies. Mr Illston will be here in two days when we make the official announcement to the press and world. Till then, we ask for your discretion." Dieter said.

"Thank you," his wife finished and the feed was cut off.

"Wow." Joanne sighed.

"Don't they have children or something that could help?" I asked.

"Too wayward to care," Isabella shrugged.

"That's tragic," I said and looked down at my desk.

The situation at hand wasn't just tragic but laughable. Not Dieter and Leona losing their company to a takeover, which was terrible, but rather my new boss. That bastard was going to my boss. I almost laughed aloud. Why was I constantly playing the losing game with life?

"It is but life goes on. Let's show you the ropes of the job yeah?" Joanne's smile was warm. I spared no more time to think about the new CEO or anything else for the rest of the day. I poured myself into work. It was my first day and I'd been anticipating this day for months now. Nothing was going to ruin this moment for me. Not even him.

"I live that way," It was now past six and my first day had officially come to an end.

"Alright, see you, tomorrow girl." Joanne waved.

"Good night pretty Ophelia." Isabella winked. They took off in the opposite direction and I found my way to the subway. John had left the office about an hour earlier due to a minor home emergency. I took the subway four streets down and walked the rest. It was a cool evening and the breeze was brilliant for clearing my head space. In less than twenty minutes, I was entering the elevator to take me up to the apartment on the second floor. The building was a bit shabby but it had a working elevator. A working elevator always bettered everything.

"I've been waiting for you blondie."

My keys dropped at the intrusion. I faced my landlord. He was a short big-bellied man with thinning copper-coloured hair who loved money and booze probably more than his life.

"Jiggy, good evening." My smile was stiff.

"Hope you ain't gonna delay your rent for next month again?" He eyed me through bloodshot eyes and I shook my head. His breath reeked of alcohol as usual.

"I promise to pay on time, good night, Jiggy." I quickly picked up my keys, unlocked my door and entered.

Leaning against the door, my shoulders fell. It was embarrassing but it was my reality. I'd barely been able to pay rent for my shabby apartment this month. And the truth was, I hadn't. My parents had stepped in last minute to settle my bills.

This job just had to give.

I changed from my work clothes to pyjamas and went straight to bed skipping dinner altogether. That night, I dreamt about the past, the good, the bad and the ugly.

***

"Hey girl, Mary was just in here, she needs you in the blue boardroom."

"Oh okay, did she say why?" I asked and Joanne shook her head.

"Got it," I changed my course from my chair to the blue boardroom. It had been two days since my first day and today marked the official press release of Dieter & Leona signing and handing over their company to Illston tech. The media was on fire at the moment and calls had been coming in all day.

I walked into the boardroom and saw Mary and a pretty blonde I'd seen around in the office. They were both seated and looked to be deep in conversation. They looked up at my entry.

"Ah, Ophelia you are finally here," Mary smiled. One thing I'd learned about Mary so far was her smiles were always reassuring. I bet even if the building caught fire, she'd still be walking around with a wide grin. If only I could be so positive. I took the seat opposite her and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry if I wasted your time."

"It's okay," she waved it off, "I'm not sure if you two have met since I didn't have the opportunity to do a general introduction, but this is Heather Jack, and she's also new to the department." She introduced me to the pretty blonde.

"Nice to meet you, Heather," I smiled at Heather and she reciprocated with a handshake.

"I have news for you two, nothing too alarming, but it seems it'll have to wait. The new CEO is already here," she broke off and stood up, "Good morning, Mr Illston."