Chapter 3 Gold Digger

A loud slap resounded inside the VIP room of the Le Grand Restaurant, a private establishment where the common folk is barred from entering. The golden ornate pillars and elegant high ceilings designed with fancy chandeliers were in contrast with the graceless commotion within.

“You ungrateful bitch,” Laura fumed. The countless accessories on her head and hands clinked as she shook in anger. “First, you hide your relationship with Sebastian Adams from me, and now-” She raised her hand for the second time, aiming to hit her daughter’s already reddened cheek. “Now, we’re not invited to the wedding?”

“Mom,” a shrill voice whined beside her. “Relax. Your skin will get more wrinkly.” Laura was led back to her chair and offered a glass of iced water. “I’m sure Andrea here just made a BIG mistake, right, sister?”

Andrea’s eyes teared up from the sting on her cheek. She caressed her face, soothing the pain to no avail. Despite all the abuse she endured from her mother, her heart never numbed from it. And she hated it, she hated how much it still hurt inside.

Taking a sniff, Andrea tenderly dabbed her handkerchief on her lower eyelids to dry them off. If there’s one thing her mother taught her, it’s to never take shit from others. But it was something she never learned. “I’m sorry Becca, but there’s no mistake.” She faced her step-sister, whose fake smile turned into a snarl.

“How dare you? You never would’ve met him if it weren’t for mom and you know that.” Becca repeatedly pressed her index finger on Andrea, pushing her back. If anyone were to compare them, her step-sister would be deemed the older one. The way she wore skimpy, tacky clothes and heavy makeup aged her by ten years despite being only twenty years old. “You really are ungrateful!”

“We’ll be having a small wedding,” was all she could say. Would it be better to throw shade their way instead? Maybe if it were a different person, they would have said, “Only close family and friends are allowed. Seeing as how all you ever do is extort money from me, I’d say you’re not my family, you’re my bullies.” But she’s Andrea the pushover, so she could never articulate any of those words.

“Aw, all the fame got into Andy’s head. Now she thinks she can just shove people away.” Laura let out a bitter laugh. Andrea realized a long time ago that her laugh was similar to that of the Wicked Witch of the West, and she used to cower in fear whenever Laura did it. She was sure the next thing to come out of her mother’s mouth would be a threat.

And she was right. “I don’t know how you were able to tempt that billionaire, but he would be sad if he discovers that his sweet fiancée is a gold digger.” The way Laura proudly emphasized her statement ticked Andrea off.

She did consider herself one. Something that Sebastian had discouraged right from the start. “The fifty million is payment for your act of being with me. Remember that you’re using me just as much as I’m using you. What we have here is a well-balanced business arrangement. As long as we keep it that way, business.”

Somehow, his blunt explanation comforted Andrea. She did plan on never getting married and just focusing on paying off her mother’s debt and taking care of that fool in the hospital. So even if she was technically married, it’s all just an acting project for both of them. And that kind of gave her a bit of confidence to confront her family.

Placing a few hundred dollars next to the silverware on the table, Andrea proceeded to check her reflection on the full-length mirrored wall. A pinkish silhouette of her mother’s hand was still pretty evident on her fair cheek. “You can take it up with him if you want. As I said, we’ll be having a small wedding and it’s the chairman who chooses who's invited.”

Her rehearsed smile made its way into her mouth after putting on light powder to cover for her abuser. “Please enjoy your dinner. I’ll pass on your best wishes to Sebastian.”

Andrea opened the door to be met by Robert. His usual cheerful demeanor turned into an air of frigid seriousness, just like his boss’s. He heard everything.

Not noticing the assistant, Laura taunted once more as she counted the dollar bills, “We’re not done here, Andrea. If you think you could get away this easy, then that lawyer raised a stupid woman.” Both she and Becca laugh as if she just made the funniest joke.

Andrea turned her head sideways to avoid Robert’s gaze, embarrassed at her family’s attitude. The assistant quietly said, “Sir Adams is waiting for you in the car, Miss Scout.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“I have a message from him to deliver to your mother. So you’ll have to head out first.” His empty grin and sarcastic tone informed her that she can’t be in the room with them when the word was relayed.

“Guess I’ll go back by myself then.” Andrea held her purse close to her chest and went ahead, feeling a sort of dread about whatever her family’s fate would be in the hands of the assistant.

“What is Robert saying to my mother?” Andrea didn’t miss a beat after getting inside the heavily-tinted Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Sebastian leaned his face on his hand, looking out the window. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

“I thought we are supposed to stay out of each other’s personal business.” It was one of the highlighted parts of their contract. Sebastian made certain that Andrea understood that.

“We are. I’m just making sure no scandals come out of this union.” Eventually looking at her, a glint of anger passed by his features only to fade to his usual unfeeling expression. “As well as avoiding whatever happened back there.” Andrea swiftly adjusted her hair to cover the left side of her face, seeing where Sebastian’s gaze went.

“I’ve also sent the same message to that loan shark of yours. He was so moved by it that he relocated to another city.” The CEO smirked in satisfaction, picturing Theo fear-stricken after hearing his warnings that others would call grave threats and dumping five vinyl suitcases filled with dollar bills. “Now you have nothing to do with Andrea Scout. If I hear you utter as much as her first name, you know what happens.”

Andrea narrowed her eyes at her fiancé. But before she could inquire further, the restaurant’s rotating doors opened with Robert back to his jovial self. Following him were Laura and her daughter. Andrea observed their trance-like walk and their frozen faces with a mortified look to them. It’s like they just lived through their scariest nightmares in those ten minutes.

“That answers your question.” Sebastian as well watched the duo as they avoid the billionaire’s car and hurriedly got into a cab, disappearing into the traffic. “Where to next?”

>>>

The harsh smell of antiseptic while several machines beeped alternately welcomed the couple and assistant after a nurse opened a private room for them.

“This is where you spend most of your money,” Sebastian stated, looking around the white space. “Well, mostly on my debt. But yes, sort of,” Andrea answered as she approached the lone bed.

The nurse chimed in, “Well, Andy also donates every year to our pediatric ward.  Aside from that, she visits the children to play and read books to them.” A flush crept on Andrea’s face as the woman recounted her many stories of the actress helping out in the hospital for years.

“Miss Scout, that’s incredible! Why haven’t we heard about this before?” Robert was beyond surprised to learn about her philanthropic acts. To be honest, he was against having her as Sebastian’s wife due to her image of being a snob and having a tangled past.

“It’s about the children, not me. I just want them to at least feel a small piece of solace while staying here.” Andrea sat beside the bed where an older lady lay in a comatose. She gently adjusted the blankets and wrinkled her nose. “Because hospitals make me uncomfy.”

Sebastian, watching the whole exchange, tilted his head at her most recent words. He’s suddenly brought back to the time he and Edmond rushed to the hospital to see his father. He didn’t hear much, just that Ryan had an accident in their attic. And while in the waiting room, he recalled his teenage crying self being comforted by a small girl, who was beyond unrecognizable due to cuts and bruises scattered on her skin.

“Hospitals make me uncomfy too,” she said with a playful smile and wrinkled nose while patting him on the back. His young mind wondered how a girl, who looked more beat up than the losing villains in superhero movies, consoled him instead of the other way around. It should be her crying out in pain.

He was brought back to the present when Andrea called out to him, “Sebastian.”

The CEO advanced toward them in apprehension. “This is Madeline King. She was the one who fought for me to get emancipated from my mother. And after that, assumed the role of being my guardian.” Andrea stopped as a stream of tears threatened to roll from her eyes.

Madeline King, one day on her way to court, was attacked by still unknown thugs until unconscious. The criminals were long suspected to be Theo Pratt’s people as the lawyer was getting close to severing the contract that bound Andrea to her mother's debt. But having no evidence or witnesses back then, it turned into a cold case.

Now it’s been around ten years but she stayed in her forty-year-old self. Still, the actress is hopeful that one day the only person who showed her compassion in her youth would one day wake up.

Looking at Andrea desperately attempting to hide her cries, Sebastian instantly felt the same way he did back with the little girl before. What was he supposed to do now? Was there a protocol when you see someone in sorrow?

He peered back to Robert for aid but discovered that both he and the nurse were long gone. Still unsure of how to continue, he awkwardly placed one hand on Andrea’s shoulder.

“Miss Madeline, I’m Sebastian Adams. It’s nice to meet you.”

Andrea’s tears stopped as she heard her partner’s sincere introduction. His velvet voice flowed like sweet poetry blessing her ears. His hand felt like a warm blanket covering her during a harsh winter. A feeling she didn’t often experience.

“Don’t worry, Ma’am. I’ll take care of her from now on.” Sebastian knew his words were too sentimental for his own taste. But it seemed appropriate at that time. And it appeared to soothe his fiancee.

This made Sebastian realize that even though the terms were to pretend, he was still getting into a real relationship. A business relationship, but a real one nonetheless. Something he didn’t think of during his fight with his grandfather.

Andrea simultaneously regretted bringing him here. This was one of the deepest parts of her personal life, a place that even Ren was rarely allowed to get into. And she let Sebastian in, just like that. It’s useless anyway since he won’t be part of it.

Both of them had the same thought as they watched the slow rise and fall of Madeline’s chest, indicating her stable breathing.

“What did I get myself into?”