He had just come up with the right plan. Raymond held the rails of the roof and thought of how he was going to handle things. Everyone deserved second chances and so did Roselle. Maybe, she hadn't planned on divorcing him and was probably drunk. Pete may have gotten into her head.
It was morning, her birthday. He took him bath and tried on one of his old clothes. He had gotten a change of wardrobe so he wasn't going to activate it, yet. He pulled out a fading pair of tuxedo and threw on his body. He slid his old, cracking phone into his pocket and called a driver.
His father sent a Lamborghini to come pick him, but he returned it and requested for a Honda Civic. So, he waited till he saw a blue car pulling up at the driveway.
"Mr. Kane," the man greeted. "Where do you want to go?"
"Take me to any jewel shop you know." Raymond said.
From the driver's face at the rearview mirror, he was stunned at how Raymond dressed regardless of his wealth. "Got a girl?" he asked.
"I'm trying to win her back."
The driver chuckled. "Women like money. She'll swoon at your feet when she finds out you're a billionaire."
"Well, we are going to see what happens if she doesn't know." Raymond said and looked out of the window.
He entered a jewelry store. Roselle had a liking for jewelry, so he wanted to get her that. There was cheaper jewelry he could get that was still going to look expensive.
His eyes caught a diamond ring. It glittered in his eyes and he was particularly drawn to it. He brought it out and took it to the jewelry dealer.
"How much for this?" Raymond asked.
"Ten grand." She smiled at him, pushing him to go with the price.
"Shit," he cursed under his breath. "Shamefully, I have like two thousand dollars with me," he whispered so that others could not hear. "Can I get something close to this with this amount?" he didn't want to reveal himself yet.
She smiled. She was kind. "We have some cubic zirconia that you could buy. It looks a whole lot like diamonds. Only a few can tell them apart."
He nodded desperately. "Can I see them?"
She walked into a store and brought out a box. Inside was a diamond (well, if she hadn't said it was a cubic zirconia, he wouldn't have known it was one) ring that glittered like the real diamond.
"This is it. You see, you can't really tell the difference." She placed it in my hands and it looked so real.
"How much is it?"
"One five hundred."
He brought out cash and got out some money with it. Outside, he carried the ring in his pocket, heavy with pride that he was going to please his wife walked back home with a light heart and planned for the moment in his head.
He turned into the party in the tuxedo he had. The color had faded due to the numerous times it had been washed. It was what he used during his wedding, and since then, he had been wearing it.
A lot of elite men and women were present at the ceremony. He looked different from everybody. He was not in their class. He brushed that aside and focused on the price which was his wife.
She walked in hand in hand with Pete with a microphone in hand. "I want to say thank you to everyone present. Thank you for respecting my invitation and showing up." It wasn't that a lot of people wanted to come, but they thought that favoring this invite would strengthen their ties with her father.
A fancy dinner was placed at the table but he was too queasy to dig in. He was anxious to show his wife what he got her and how much he loved her.
Slowly, he got out of his table. He stood to his feet and looked at all the people there. He considered if it was worth trying it out because Roselle was unpredictable and could turn everything upside down.
He pressed his pants pocket and felt the box, smiled and gathered more courage. He walked down to the stage where the microphone was planted and he wielded it to use.
"Good evening, everyone," you said, "I hope you're having a great time." All eyes were on him at this point, wondering who he was and what he wanted to say. Roselle and her father looked at him with keen interest. He didn't mind.
The whole room was silent, so he continued. "As you all know, today is the birthday of my wife, Roselle. She is all I have and all I think I would ever have."
His throat thickened and he cleared it. "You mean the whole world to me, my love, and nothing is going to keep us apart. I'd loved you desperately from the day I set my eyes on you and I can tell you that it isn't because of your status. Happy birthday, my love." He smiled at her but she didn't smile back. Her face was filled with fury and embarrassment. That didn't relinquish what he had in mind to do. He still pressed further.
"I was thinking of what to get you. I thought of getting a necklace but decided a ring was better because it is proof that I want to be married to you again and again. Once isn't enough to get married to you, so I got another ring. Will you marry me once again?"
On the stage, he got on one knee and dug out the box from his pocket. The crowd cheered him on and clapped, waiting for Roselle's presence. To your surprise, she smiled and stood up, graciously walking down to you. His heart beamed with joy. He was right—things were going to be well with the both of them.
He cleared his throat, this time, only she could hear him. "Will you remarry me for the second time, Roselle?"
She looked the ring he held in his hands and immediately, she realized it was a cubic zirconia and not a real diamond. His chest beat hard.
"What is this, Raymond?" She looked at the ring, over and over again, wishing that it was as real as a diamond. It wasn't.
"The ring I got you shows the love I have for you." He gulped hard, wishing she would appreciate it.
"It isn't diamond," she said through clenched teeth.
"I know, but that is what I can afford." He whispered.
"Oh, you know. You know!" her voice increased and she pulled off the ring on her finger. "For a second, Raymond, I thought you were going to be sensible. I was ready to see if we could try this thing again, but you've shown me otherwise. That you'll never change and continue to be a loser."
She flung the ring in his direction and the edge of the ring cut his lip. He picked it up, still on one knee. A waste of two thousand dollars.
"Roselle, please, I got it because that's what I could afford and I wanted to make you happy."
She folded her hands in akimbo. "That's always what you said. The same thing over and over again. 'Roselle, I would have done better if I had the money,' 'That was all I could do.'"
Raymond stood up and the men in black walked in. "Mr. Kane, do you need any help?"
"I'm good," Raymond reassured.
Everyone's face was squeezed in surprise, including Pete and Roselle. Roselle cleared her throat. "Did I hear them say Kane? The billionaire Kane?"
Raymond nodded his head. "I am Raymond Kane. I only had glitches with my memory that I forgot who I was, Rose, making you treat me like trash. Up until now, have suffered under the tyranny of you and your family because I didn't live up to your standards. What happened to accepting me just the way I am?"
"I love you, Raymond. It was all a mistake. My parents were messing up with my head. Please, understand."
Raymond shook his head. "You're in love with Raymond Kane the billionaire because few seconds, you threw a proposal ring at me. Rose, it doesn't end here."
He brought out the divorce papers and handed it to her. "Happy married life to my supposed best friend. This is only the beginning. Pete, I know what you did and am right behind your back."
"Raymond, please,"Roselle begged. "I am sorry."
"Sorry for what exactly?" Raymond asked.
"Everything," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Well, my love, that 'everything' isn't just going to go away like that. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
He turned back and walked away from the program, his men assembling behind him. Roselle screeched his name at the background, but she was dead to him. The only business they had together was the lesson he was about to teach her and her family.