The Billionaires(#1)

64

Birthdays. That one day of the year that commemorates the day one was born and brought into this world. MJ had not celebrated her birthday in years - thirteen years to be exact. It was as if her life ended the moment she turned fifteen.

Before any of these things happened, she could have sworn that birthdays without Jorge were like thunder without rain and a heart without a heartbeat, but she was not so sure anymore. MJ was furious when she discovered that Jorge’s ‘urgent’ meeting was only a front to get her to come to Johannesburg. He knew that if he had told her, she would not have agreed, and the only way she would talk to him was if it had something to do with Billings Corporations.

The clock had just turned to twelve o’clock midnight and it was the 1st of May; MJ’s birthday, but she felt nothing. It felt like any other autumn evening accompanied by chilly winds.

“Happy birthday, May Jeanette!” Jorge barged into MJ’s hotel suite with a plate, covered with a silver lid.

“Jorge, I can’t believe you went ahead and did this without my permission.” MJ said sternly.

Jorge placed the plate on the bed where MJ was seated and he sat at the edge of the bed. “Open it.” He smiled at her.

“It is chocolate; I can smell it from here.” She said with pure distaste and crossed her arms.

Jorge sighed and stood up from the bed. "Your favourite." He said quietly.

“I am not 15 anymore, Jorge. The sooner you accept that, the better.” MJ said and climbed off the bed, and walked out of the bedroom.

Jorge followed her out of the room to the sitting room and stood at a distance as he watched her pour herself a drink. “It is already past midnight, MJ, just…just go to bed, okay? I’ll send Anita to send out cancelation emails to all of our guests, and then we will fly back to Cape Town in the morning.” He said, anger and sadness detectable in his voice.

MJ scoffed and turned around to face him, a glass of scotch in her hand. “Oh, no, you don’t!” She said and shook her head. “Don’t you dare try to pin this on me, okay?” She shouted and gulped down the drink before slamming the glass down on the stand. “If you think you can insult me and betray me, and then make up for it with some stupid birthday ball, then you don’t know me at all, Jorge Billings.” She said bitterly, and Jorge swallowed hard.

“Am sorry, okay?” Jorge said, exasperated.

MJ looked at him, trying to come up with a good comeback, but all the words she had were stuck at the tip of her tongue, and they dissipated as soon as she realized why Jorge was apologizing. He was not apologizing because he now believed her when she said Sonya was lying; he still believed MJ threatened Sonya and her grandmother. Jorge had still not asked Anita about Sonya, nor had he confronted Sonya.

Jorge was not sorry for the things he said to her, so technically, he meant everything he said to her that night. He was apologizing for failing her; he blamed himself for everything she went through, and he felt responsible for the way she turned out. And this birthday ball was his way of making up for the missed birthdays and lost times.

MJ took in a shaky breath, walked to the door, and opened it. She stepped aside and turned to look at Jorge while holding the door. “Not as sorry as I am.” She said coldly, and Jorge sighed. "I meant everything I said when I told you that you don't have to blame yourself for what happened because it was not your fault. I made a choice and I lived with it. Obviously, you meant everything you said too and you stand by your choice-"

“MJ…” Jorge started, but MJ shook her head, silencing him.

“You made your choice and you are going to live with it, and since you have already gone out of your way to waste money by buying this entire hotel, inviting 200 people I don’t give a shit about, I suggest that you attend that ball because I am not going.” MJ said, and Jorge looked up at her with panicked eyes.

“But, MJ, we can’t have a birthday ball without you there!” He almost yelled.

“Why not? People still celebrate Nelson Mandela even though he is dead, so why can’t they celebrate my birthday without me?” She challenged, and Jorge opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. “I’m not interested in having this conversation, so…” She said and opened the door wider than before.

Jorge looked at her with a blank face and shook his head. He walked to the door and stepped outside, and then he turned to look at her. "I'm sorry." He walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Your dresses, masks, jewellery and shoes are in the spare bedroom if you change your mind." He said before walking away.

Shortly after Jorge left, his partner in crime arrived. “Happy birthday, Miss Billings.” Anita walked into the room and sat on the bed. She took MJ’s hands in hers and smiled at her, but MJ pulled her hands away and gave her a blank look. Anita sighed and put some distance between them. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you and Jorge, or what you went through, but what I do know is that Jorge loves you - he loves you so much that he puts you and you only before everything.” She said, and MJ rolled her eyes.

“Listen, Anita Simmons, don’t get me wrong; I like you.” MJ said smoothly, and Anita smiled. “But you have to stop comparing everyone’s life to your life and looking at my relationship with Jorge and perceiving it the way you hope your relationship with your brother was.” She said coldly, and Anita paled. "I don't know what Jorge told you, and honestly, I couldn't give a fuck; you don't know the first thing about me, so don't come here and act as you do. Now, get out." She sneered and by the time she was done, Anita was trembling and tears were rolling down her face.

“I’m sorry…” She said and got up to leave, but was stopped in her tracks when the door to MJ’s bedroom burst open and a drunk Shannon and a pissed Lola walked in. Anita quickly wiped away her tears and fixed herself before turning around to look at the intruders.

“Happy birthday, Queen Margery!” Shannon yelled and threw herself on the bed, almost landing on MJ. She buried her face in the covers and giggled.

MJ gave Lola a questioning look, and Lola shrugged. “She’s going to be the death of me.” Was all Lola said before plopping down on the love seat beside the bed. She did not even see Anita standing there. Anita cleared her throat and Lola looked up with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, my sister completely wore me out.” Lola said and gestured at Shannon who was already passed out. “I’m Lola.” She said and shook Anita’s hand.

“Anita, Miss Billings’ PA.” Anita smiled and shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Anita.” Lola smiled warmly.

“Pleased to meet you too, goodnight.” Anita smiled back and nodded at MJ before she left.

“What are you guys doing here at this time?” MJ asked and rolled Shannon to the side and pushed away her blankets.

Lola shifted towards where Jorge had placed the chocolate and she crossed her legs, and then she opened the plate while watching MJ from the corner of her eye.

She was still thinking about what MJ had just asked. “Uhm...I got an invitation to your party and Shannon asked to tag along, and well, I decided to come now because I was tired of being Carmen’s puppet for the day since Logan asked me to help her find a dress for the ball. On top of that, it was an excuse to get away from my husband, my mother-in-law, and the kids for the day. So, Shannon and I arrived this afternoon and we went shopping and clubbing…” Lola rambled on, but MJ was no longer listening.

Clearly, Shannon was not drinking alone, so now MJ was stuck with two drunkards, but that was the least of her worries. Logan Parker was coming to her birthday ball with Carmen, and that fact alone erased any chances of her attending her own birthday party. Logan knew her; she was May Smith. She had been May Smith to him since the day she walked into his office; how the hell was she supposed to be MJ Billings now?

Logan knew her eyes, he knew her voice, he knew her hair texture and colour; he practically knew everything. But the fact remained that he did not know her true identity. She sighed as reality came knocking home hard as she realized that Alastair Cooper was right; secrets and lies did not build up relationships, and her secret held no hopes for a happy ending.