Pregnant and Abandoned but the Billionaire to the Rescue

Phoebe had thought that what she would have with the stranger was going to be a one night stand and what a night that had been.

She was glad when she found him gone the next morning but later started missing him. He really had so much stamina.

He reminded her of her ex lover Richard, she thought again. She did not know why she could not seem to stop thinking about Richard.

She got up and washed up. Then as she prepared to go out, she found a note under her door.

She picked the note and read it.

It read:

Phoebe love,

I have wondered what became of you since the last time we saw.

The manner in which we parted did not please me at all. Afterall, we have known since forever.

If we were no longer going to be lovers, at least we could be friends.

Meet me at the pub behind the Catholic church.

And before you refuse, I have information that you would not want me to leak. I saw you in the celebrity column of a popular magazine with a renowned personality. Your name was linked to his. I just have a few questions I would like to ask.

See you there at 7pm.

Your love,

Rich.

Richard! How had he traced her to this place? She had thought that she would never hear from him again. Now this. She knew that all his talk of being friends was just superficial. He just wanted to blackmail her. Now that he knew that she was having a thing with Jason, the billionaire, he would want to blackmail her.

Why had she not thought about the possibil of Richard seeing her photo in a magazine when she had decided to go out with Jason but for how long was she going to keep hiding? Afterall,she had not done any evil or something to be ashamed of.

If anything, it was Richard who should be ashamed. He had committed so many atrocities but the society would not frown too much at his behaviour but would at hers.

How was she going to see him now and how would she respond to his demands if he was there for blackmail as she was suspecting.

She left at the appointed time to meet with Richard.

'Hello, pretty!'

'Richard, I do not have time for any pleasantries. Say what you have to say and let me leave', she responded cutting Richard's greeting short.

'Ho oh, not so fast. You have not seen me for a while and you say it isn't ideal for us to exchange pleasantries? Where are you learning this? From the company you have been keeping?'

'You are not fit to buckle the sandals of the company I have been keeping lately. So let's not go there. What information do you say you have for me?'

'I thought that perhaps you will take me to your house and shoe me some hospitality before we say anything. You know that I have missed you terribly'.

Phoebe felt that Richard must have totally lost it. How did he think that she would want to have anything intimate to do with him?

As though reading her thoughts, He said, 'I know that I hurt you terribly and you may not want to forgive me but I have never forgotten about you. No woman is quite like you, you know. None of them could take care of me the way you did. Do you suppose we could get back together?'

Phoebe was sure now that he had gone totally berserk.

It must have shown in her eyes for he laughed hysterically.

'Oh don't worry. You cannot blame a guy for trying, you know. I know that you are now moving in higher circles. So you might not want to give the likes of us the time of day. But you will have to pay for the luxury you are enjoying now. How serious is this Campbell man? Do you foresee marriage in the picture in the future?' he asked looking at her seriously.

,'What has all this got to do with anything?'

'A lot. A lot my dear Phoebe. You have climbed high in life and your circle of friends have changed but you have forgotten all about me and by the way, do you still remember Carol your friend who was instrumental to breaking us apart? She is now married to one young man's.

'Yes I know. She got married to Palmer. Palmer is one of the men who rescued her from your evil plot to degrade her. I was present at the wedding and Carol and I have kept in touch. You need not bother yourself about that's, she said impatiently.

'Lets get back to this Campbell guy. I learnt that his wife left him but that she is back now and your competition is higher now, isn't that right?'

'You seem so we'll informed. So why do you need any confirmation from me?'

'You know it is because I know what your intentions are. And if my guess is wrong, then you are foolish not to set your cap on him'. Richard said smiling.

She looked at him in surprise, not knowing what to make of his statement. He was confusing her. First he said something about her going to pay for riding in high circles and now he was telling her that she would be a fool not to do just that.

Richard looked at her and found that her confusion was bringing him great merriment.

But time for business.

'Since you would want nothing to exist between us anymore, You will have to pay me off. Whether you end up marrying the Jason guy or not is your business. But you will have to give me two million dollars to keep my mouth shut about what I know of you and another two hundred to say goodbye to me and all that we shared'.

Phoebe could not believe her ears. The guy has lost it totally it would seem. How was she going to get such an amount of money?

She knew she could raise it if she decided to task her wealthy lovers but she liked doing her things in a subtle manner. This would seem like enforcing her demands.

'And what exactly is it you know about me that is worth such an amount of money?'

'Oh, you don't want to know. I assure you.

Have you forgotten how we lived together and you decided that I was not rich enough and you started dating your married boss because of his money and when I found out about you, you decided to jilt me but unfortunately for you, your boss' wife hot wind of your affair and it caused so much of a scandal that if you had not run away to Lake District, it would have made headlines and once the wife knows you are here, it is possible she would bring the fight here to you and it would spoil the image of those you are currently having an affair with. And if they happen to be married men, I can assure you that they would not want to be exposed and invite the wrath of their wives'.

Phoebe's mouth hung open. How had he twisted what had happened between them this way? And the way he said it, if it had not happened to her, she would have believed him. He sounded so convincing.

'You know that was not what happened!' she exclaimed.

'Yes, but who else but you know what the real truth is and I can assure you that I would be believed. The women will look at you as a threat and the men would not want anything that would endanger their marriage or reputation. So darling Phoebe, you had better make your choice.The money or I squeal what I know'.

Phoebe knew that he was speaking the truth and that no one would believe her especially with the way she had carried on since she came to this town. The women would want to protect their husbands from her and alot of them are married as Richard had rightly guessed. And the men would no longer hold her in high regard anymore if they had before and they would start avoiding her. And if that happened,where would she be?

She knew she could raise the money but raising to pay a villain like Richard for what she was innocent of was what was infuriating her. But she knew that she had to be wise about this and find a way to do away with him.

'You and I know that your claim is false but like you said,nobody else knows it. I do not have a commitment relationship with the man you want me to set my cap on or on any other, not that it is any of your business but that does not mean that I would want to be painted in a bad light before them.

I also do not have that kind of money and do not know how to go about raising it. Could you bring it down a bit? say like a million each? It would still be high but two million would be a bit easier raising than four million' she said,her brain running riot.

'That is the amount I want. I know Jason is not the only person you are having an affair with and he alone can afford to give you that amount and though it does not concern me how you raise the money, you can ask all the other men for money and come up with more than the amount I am demanding'.

'Okay. But you will have to give me time to raise the money. But how sure am I that you will not come back and blackmail me for more money?' she asked. She knew that that was exactly what he would do. He could not be trusted. Someone who could stoop as low as this to blackmail another for what she was innocent of and even before then, who had deceived gullible ladies who were desperate for love and attention, to having a relationship with him where he fed off them and depleted their resources. That kind of person was capable of alot of things and she had to be careful where he was concerned.

'What is going on in that little head of yours? Are you thinking of double crossing me? You better not think about it. Because it will spell doom for you' he threatened.

'I was racking my brains on how to raise such a huge sum of money. It is not easy you know and I have to devise means to that'. she said.

'That had better be the case, my darling because I shall be watching you and any wrong step, I shall not think twice about doing away with you. But in the meantime, we could have a good time together. Remember how it had always been between us?'

Phoebe had had enough. She felt nauseated.

'Richard, one thing at a time. Let me see how I can raise the money. You already have many female friends that satisfy your basic need and If I tell you that I am in the mood for such rubbish, I would be the liar of the century'. she said walking off.

'I give you four days. We shall meet here at same time after four days. Be ready by then'. he said and winked at her.

She just kept walking away because she felt so furious and bitter that she could have said or done what she would have regretted.