My Unwanted Billionaire

I run out of the car once we arrive at the hospital. I walk into the lobby and quickly walk to the front desk to ask about Uncle Jack.

“Please, I am here to see Jackson James,” I say to the woman at the front desk wearing a nurse uniform.

“He is still in surgery. You can wait in there,” She says, pointing to the door by her left.

“Why is he in surgery? What happened to him?”

“He was shot,” The nurse says,

I feel my legs suddenly give out that I have to use the desk to stop myself from falling. I don’t want to believe her words.

“Shot, He was shot? How? Why? How” I ask the nurse multiple times because I don’t understand why my Uncle was shot.

“I don’t know why my dear, but the doctors are doing everything they can to save him.”

“Why would someone shoot my Uncle? Why?” I ask no one, in particular, this time. I feel someone wrap their arms around me. I know it’s Mr. Jason because I can scent his cologne. “Mr. Jason, please tell me why someone would shoot my Uncle. Please tell me why,” I say, with tears rolling down my face.

“I don’t know why Eleanor, but don’t worry. The nurse said they are doing everything they can to save him so he will be fine,” Mr. Jason says, walking us into the waiting room.

“Or is it a lie? I think the nurse made a mistake,” I say, standing up, but Mr. Jason sits me back down. “Why are you pulling me back? I need to ask the nurse again because I don’t think she heard me well when I said his name. I think she made a mistake because there is no reason why someone would shoot my uncle” Mr. Jason does not say anything and pulls me into his arms. I cry harder into Mr. Jason’s chest as I realize the little glimpse of hope I gave myself was wrong.

I don’t know how long I cried, but by the time I stopped. Mr. Jason’s shirt was soaked with my tears and makeup. I only stopped because my body did not have any more tears to offer. I don’t move in Mr. Jason’s arms, and neither does he let go of me even though I have stopped crying. I only let go the second a doctor walks out asking for the family of Jackson James.

“Here,” I say, walking towards the doctor dressed in a scrub. He must be the doctor who operated on Uncle Jack.

“Mr. James suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and was brought to the hospital in a critical condition we los…………….”

“Please don’t tell me I lost him. Please don’t tell me that,” I say, cutting the doctor before he can say the words I don’t wish to hear.

“I was going to say we lost him once while under the table, but we were able to bring him back. He is stable for now, but he will be in the ICU for the time being. If you want to see him speak to the nurses, they will take you to the ICU center. You can’t go in, but you can see him through the window,” The doctor says, walking away, but I stop him before he can go far.

“Thank you so much for saving his life, thank you so much.”

“You are welcome, Miss,” He says and walks away.

“Let’s go and find a nurse to take us to the ICU center,” Mr. Jason says, linking our hands together. I totally forgot he was here for a minute. I can’t believe he is still here. I hope he knows he does not have to stay with me, but I won’t lie; I am more than grateful he is here. I don’t know how I would have been able to cope alone while waiting for the surgery to be done.

At the front desk, the nurse gives us directions to where the ICU center is. We follow her instructions and find the place with ease. The second I see Uncle Jack through the glass windows, I burst out in tears. His whole upper body is bandaged, and he has an oxygen mask on his face. Why would someone shoot my Uncle? Why are people wicked in this world? Uncle Jack has done nothing wrong to deserve what is happening to him right now.

I don’t know how long I stood by the window watching Uncle Jack’s chest rise and fall. It was the only way I could assure myself he was alive. I only turn away from him when I hear Amber’s voice.

“Eleanor,” Amber says, running towards me. I don’t know how she knew I was in the hospital, but I am happy she is here.

“Amber, Uncle Jack,” I say, as Amber pulls me into a hugContent rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

“Don’t worry, he is going to be fine,” Amber says, rubbing my back to calm me down.

I am so happy she is here, and I am forever grateful to whoever told her what happened. Mr. Jason is a nice support system, but there is nothing like your best friend helping you through a difficult time.

Two weeks have passed since Uncle Jack was shot. He was shot four times, and luckily for us, he was not shot in any vital areas. He is awake and doing well in recovery. He was shot while trying to help a store owner that was being robbed. I was so happy the day I saw his eyes open. I took two weeks off work to take care of him.

Mr. Jason did something I never saw him doing for me. He paid Uncle Jack’s hospital bills. I was so shocked when the receptionist told me Uncle Jack’s bill had been cleared when I wanted to pay. I did not have all the money to pay and already decided not to quit working at Crawford enterprise to raise funds to pay the bills. I don’t have to anymore because of what Mr. Jason did.

I am on my way to work right now after making sure Uncle Jack has all the things he needs while I am at work. He is getting better, so I don’t have to be by his side 24/7.

Once I get to work, I quickly take the elevator up. I walk to Mr. Jason’s office to thank him for what he did. I felt it would be better to thank him in person.

“Mr. Jason, thank you for what you did,” I say once I am in front of him.

“What did I do, Eleanor?”

“You paid my Uncle’s Hospital bills.”

“Oh, that. It was nothing you don’t have to thank me,” He says; waving it off like paying the hospital bills is not something I should thank him for.

“It is something I should thank you for. I am super grateful for your help with the bills. If there is anything I could do to pay you back, I will do it. Even if you want me to pay you back the money, I will. I might just take a while, but I will surely pay you back.”

“Eleanor, you don’t have to pay me back.”

“Really,” I thought he was going to ask me to pay him back because the amount of money he spent was not small.

“Yes, you don’t have to.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Jason. If there is anything you want me to do, I will do it as a way of showing my appreciation,” I say, smiling.

“You’re welcome, Eleanor.”

“Thank you once again, Mr. Jason,” I say, walking out of his office.

I am out at a restaurant close to the office having lunch with Amber. I asked Mr. Jason if I could miss lunch with him today, and he said yes. I was shocked but happy he agreed.

“You are sure you want to stay?” Amber asks while eating her food. She is asking about my decision to stay back in the company. Amber knows about the spanking. She was so furious I had to beg her not to do anything to him.

“I think it’s the safest option because if Mr. Jason wakes up one day and says he wants his money back. I need to be able to pay it back. I know I can get another job, but what if I don’t. I can’t risk that happening.”

“What if he hits you again? Will you let him because you are trying to raise money to pay back your Uncle’s hospital bills?”

“I won’t let him.”

“I didn’t see you stopping him last time.”

“That’s because I didn’t think he would actually go through with it, but now I know what he is capable of. I plan to stand my ground and fight him if I have too” That day, I actually hoped or thought Mr. Jason was just bluffing and would stop once I started crying, but I know better now.

“And how do you plan to fight him because you know you can’t hit him. He will sue you for the money you don’t have”

“Of course, I can’t fight him, but I will try my best to avoid what happened to repeat itself.”

“I hope you do because I don’t want you to be in pain like last time.”

“I will try my best to make sure it never happens.”

“That’s good, and if he tries it again. I won’t hold back again from giving him a beating of my own”

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that and enough about me. How are things with Evan?”

“The same,” She says, sounding sad.

“Did something happen?” I ask, worried he might have hurt her.

“No,”

“I don’t believe you. Tell me what happened”

“I hate you,” She says because I can read her well

“I love you too. Tell me what happened”

“I took up your advice and allowed myself to have feelings for him.”

“That’s great news, and have you told him you like him back,” I say, excited to hear if she has.

“I didn’t”

“Why,” I say, as the expression on my face changes from happiness to confusion.

“I went over to his place to tell him about it but found him with another woman.”

“Oh”

“Yes, and I can’t believe I actually thought Evan was different,” Amber says, sounding hurt by the fact that Evan is dating another woman. It seems she really likes him. I feel bad for my friend.

“What if he is not dating her? What if she was just a one-night stand?”

“It doesn’t matter if he is dating or not. He slept with another woman when he claims to have feelings for me.”

“I don’t think because he slept with another woman that means he does not like you. If anything, it makes me believe he does.”

“How”

“I think she was just a rebound.”

“How do you know that?”

“I am just guessing because I know Evan, and he is not one of those types of guys that lie when they say they like you.”

“Even if he is not, it does not matter again because I am going to stop liking him.”

“I feel you should talk to him first before you do that.”

“I don’t want too and can we drop it. I don’t like talking about him”

“Sure, no problem.”