A flipping Life

Morning came. Everything around us looked different, more shinier, fancier but the routine was still the same. Same old cycle I had back in our old apartment. Wake up, get ready for class, go to work, come back home. Rinse and repeat.

Turns out, my boring life didn’t magically disappear even after getting a little taste of the rich life.

Morning gave way to night, nights blended into days, and days turned into weeks. It's been three weeks since my life changed overnight. I'm getting used to the new me, leaving behind the financial struggles of my past, all thanks to my sister's insane luck with love , she's dating a billionaire now, I suppose.

I've got this weird feeling that everything's gonna blow up in our faces, but I try to shut it down and act like everything's cool. I brought it up with my sis, how her new life and love story sounds kinda sketchy, and we almost got into a huge fight. She's all about enjoying the ride, but I'm over here thinking a little to deep

Into everything expecting the worst to happen anytime soon.

Sometimes being pessimistic isn’t always that bad. You will always be on guard and expect the worst at any moment in time, especially when your life starts to feel a little too good to be true. It’s like, when you expect disappointment and you’re never disappointed.

I want to believe everything will be alright, and that living of the wealth of someone we’ve never met doesn’t sound unrealistic or sketchy but I just can’t. And I’m not even trying to be negative about it. It’s a gut feeling , like I’m at the edge of a cliff, waiting for the ground to give away.

And just like that, it didn’t even take a month for everything to come crashing down.

It was just another day in this lavished life of mine. I had closed early from school and luckily, it was my off day from work.

Aria was busy at her salon, she opened it just last weekend. I decided to spend my time at home, as I usually do on my free days. That’s the introvert in me, home is always my comfort zone.

I cooked myself some mashed potatoes and steak. I took a bite, and it tasted like heaven. I could never get enough of how good my cooking skills was. Holding a fork in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, I tried to sip away the feeling of evil knocking on my door.

I had some blues playing in the background, humming along softly, then the doorbell rang and it brought me right back to reality.

I set the wine and fork down on the kitchen counter and climbed down from the chair, heading towards the door that suddenly felt way farther than it actually was. I opened it to find a man dressed in all black, an earpiece clipped to his ear. He looked like some kind of bodyguard.

He looked freakishly tall, with red hair and a matching beard. I starred up at him watching as he spoke into his earpiece. There was this weird sting in my gut, like I already knew who he was before he even said a word. And the second he spoke, I was sure. His English was laced with an accent,different and sharp.He was definitely European.

I figured he was Norwegian,might be the bodyguard of the so called billionaire Aria was dating. I mean, it had to be him. Who else would show up at our door dressed like a bodyguard and speak with a European accent?

These thoughts ran through my head as I stood there ,watching him switch back and forth between English and what I could only assume was Norwegian, his voice low and serious until he ended the call.

“Ma’am, I’m looking for Miss Aria Thompson,” he said, looking straight at me.

“Uhm… she’s not here at the moment,” I replied, trying my best to sound casual, like nothing was off even though my stomach was doing backflips.

“If she’s not here, then I want you to tell me where she is,” he added, his tone turning serious. “She owns this apartment, right? And who are you to her?”

“I’m her sister, Judi. Is there a problem?” I asked, trying not to let my voice shake.

“Okay, I’d like you to show me where she is. And if possible, you’re coming with me right now. Please don’t ask any questions and let’s not make the situation worse. Just take me to her,” he said firmly.

“Excuse me? If there’s any problem, you need to tell me. I can’t just take you to my sister because you insists,” I snapped back, trying to stay calm. “I don’t know you, and I’m sure my sister doesn’t know you either. So you can’t just force me to take you to her when—”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Footsteps. Heavy ones.

Someone else was approaching my door.

Another man appeared ,also dressed in all black, just like the first. He stood beside him and said something in a serious tone, in what I assumed was their language. Norwegian, probably. I couldn’t understand a single word, but I knew it wasn’t good.

The first guy turned back to me, his expression now even more intense.

“You have to follow me to the car. Right now. And don’t ask any questions,” he said, this time colder. “This is a command. Not a request.”

He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of the house just as I tried to turn back inside. I struggled, twisting and trying to pull away from his grip, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Let me go!” I screamed, pushing at him with everything I had.

“Ma’am, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll follow me downstairs and not make your situation worse,” he said through gritted teeth, still pulling me toward the elevator.

I tried to fight again but then I stopped. Just stood there. Letting it all sink in.

And then it hit me. Hard.

This was the reason everything had felt off. The reason that deep knot in my stomach never truly went away. Aria’s mysterious boyfriend, the sudden wealth, the perfect life… it was all too good to be true. And now here we were.

Why should I even act surprised at this point? As if I haven’t been bracing myself for this very moment all along.

He managed to get me into the lift and the other one followed behind. I was still lost in my thought, thinking about how foolish I must’ve been to believe life could just magically flip for the better… just because I happened to be the sister of someone who met a billionaire online? A billionaire she never even met in person, never saw on a video call? Yet he still went ahead and showered her with gifts and riches?

Or maybe… maybe Aria wasn’t being entirely honest with me. Could there be something going on that I was just too innocent or too blind to see?

I let out a small chuckle, trying to piece everything together. They both glanced at me as we descended in the lift. They probably thought I was losing it.

Was I fooled? I asked myself. I mean, I know Aria. I know she can sometimes go overboard to get what she wants. Like how she ended up getting expelled… and disowned by her father.

I chuckled again. This time it almost turned into laughter ,until it didn’t.

I didn’t even notice when the laughter shifted into quiet sobs. I just started crying, right there in the elevator, even though I still had no idea what was actually going on.

We got out of the lift, the two of them shielding me as we walked past the reception and toward two black SUVs parked outside. The one with black hair walked up to the first car, leaned into the passenger seat, and said something to someone inside, someone I assumed had to be Mr. Billionaire.

My face was still slightly red from crying, and through blurry eyes, I could barely make out a figure tilting his head forward from the front seat. He was wearing dark shades, so I couldn’t see much of his face. He made a small gesture, and just like that, the tall one opened the back door and practically shoved me in.

My long, curly hair flew into my face from the motion. They finally let go of me, and I sat up, brushing my messy hair away with my fingers. I adjusted myself, trying to sit properly trying to see him. But there was a thick pane of black glass separating the back from the front seats. I couldn’t see a thing.