As he walked out of the ceremony, he could feel a rush of pride swelling in his chest. Finally, people knew who he was. This was only the beginning of his rise to fame, and yes the genesis of mental tormenting for Roselle.
As he got into the car, he noticed people on the street taking pictures of him. He could barely believe what he was seeing. It didn't take long for the pictures to start circulating online, accompanied by captions like "Missing billionaire's son found!" and "Finally, a clue in the mystery."
His ride pulled up to the hotel, and as he stepped out, he was met with the curious stares of people on the street. He could tell they were wondering why a man dressed in what some might call "rags" was walking into such a luxurious hotel. Some of the staff recognized him and gave him a warm smile, while others looked at him with suspicion.
None of their stares seemed to bother him as he made his way into the elevator, where he found himself sharing the space with a man in his forties, dressed in a silver suit. There was an awkward silence between them as they rode up.
Finally, the man spoke. "Hello, I'm Scott. Would you like to be friends?" he asked. He had a slight Spanish accent.
Raymond simply glanced at him and kept his mouth shut.
Just then, the elevator reached its destination and the doors opened. As Raymond stepped out, he turned to Scott and said, "Have a nice day,"
He walked into his suite, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Before he could even process a single one, his phone rang.
He picked it up, noting the cracked screen. He could just about make out the caller ID: Roselle. A smile spreaded across his face.
"Hello, love," Roselle began, but before she could continue, he hung up the phone.
His phone kept buzzing for a while, but eventually it stopped.
"She's so desperate for my attention." a sly smile on his face. "After everything she put me through? They made me feel worthless, like I was nothing. I loved her. I married her. I married her because I was so in love. But she treated me like I was nothing because I wasn't rich enough for her. I'll make them pay for their sins.As for Pete, I'll make him pay greatly. "
Raymond sank down on the bed, his thoughts whirling.
As much as he tried to resent Roselle, he found himself drawn to her once again. He couldn't shake the love he'd once felt for her, no matter how hard he tried. It was a feeling that kept his heart beating, no matter how much he wanted to shut it down.
Memories of their moments together flooded his mind. He could see her hair, damp from the shower, blown about by the wind. He could remember the way she smelled, the way she laughed. Of course, all that happened before her mind was poisoned. He thought.
"The poor can't have intimacy, especially not with women of my social class," Roselle had told him, her tone dismissive. "I can't believe you'd even try. Your nudes are so boring. everything about you glorifies poverty, Raymond.
She had said this when he had tried to be intimate with her. He had decorated the room with roses from the small amount of money he'd saved up.
It wasn't just once or twice that she had rejected his advances. The memory of that particular rejection stayed with him, haunting him.
"My friends are coming over, so I don't want you to be seen," she had told him, her voice cold. "You're more of an embarrassment than a husband to me. Dinner is here. Even if you do come out, try to act like a servant. I don't want this night ruined by you."
These were the words that had echoed in his mind ever since that night. They haunted him, made him feel like a burden to her.
A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Who's there? Come in" he called out, clearing his throat.
The door creaked open and a lady is seen in her white and black attire.
" Sir, I have come to take your orders. What would you love to eat? " she said, biting her lower lips seductively.
" Spanish food, please. Not just Spanish food, the best Spanish food." he replied, his face pale.
" Anything else? " she asked, rolling her eye balls seductively, begging for his attention.
" Yh, I forgot something. I also demand you get out of my room. Please, buy me some piece of mind. " he replied, his voice filled with disgust.
Embarrassed, she moved out slowly.
Do all rich men crave sex all day? Certainly I differ from them. I can't see my self promiscuous. " Never." he mumbled.
Few minutes later, the door bell rang and his dish was served.
Slowly and quietly, he crept into the covers of sleep. His mind finding relaxation.
The sun rose, its rays streaming through the window and falling on his face. He stretched and groaned, rubbing his eyes as he woke up.
His phone started vibrating on the nightstand, and he picked it up, squinting at the screen.
"Good morning, boss," a voice said on the other end. "Roselle's family is having a meeting at noon today." And with that, the line went dead.
He grinned. "A day without drama is a day wasted," he muttered, sitting up in bed.
He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the hot water wash over him.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and picked up his phone, dialing his private investigator's number.
"Hello?" the detective answered.
"It's me, Raymond Kane. Good morning."
"Good morning, Mr. Kane. What can I do for you?"
"Just wanted to check in on the investigation. Any progress?"
"I'm still digging for clues, but I'm hoping to have something for you soon. Have a great day, Mr kane. " with that, the line went dead.
He spent the rest of the morning scrolling through the internet, the hours crawling by as he waited for noon to arrive.
Finally, it was time. He dressed in a sharp suit, tailored to perfection. He put on a watch, its diamond-encrusted face glinting in the sunlight which raced into his room.
He called for one of his father's cars, the most luxurious in the fleet.
Less than an hour later, the car pulled up in front of his hotel. He got in and it whisked him away, winding through the city streets until it finally pulled up in front of Roselle's family house.
He walked through the front door, the weight of his presence heavy in the air. The meeting came to a halt as everyone turned to look at him.
" Am I interupting something?" he said, his voice cutting through the silence.
Roselle rushed to his side. "Raymond, I'm so sorry," she said, tears streaming down her face. "I was poisoned, by my parents and Pete. Please forgive me. I know you love me. Everyone makes mistakes. Raymond, please be the ray of pride in my life."
He watched her wipe her tears on his pants, leaving dark, wet marks on the fabric.
"I'm going to need to dry-clean these, and your taste in poetry is remarkable," he said, rolling his eyes and shifting his weight uncomfortably.
"My son-in-law," Roselle's father began, but before he could finish, Raymond spoke up, his voice shaking with anger.
"Despite your age, your capacity for wickedness is astounding. How could you?" he demanded, pointing an accusing finger at him. Bit by bit, tears dropped through his eyes, damping his shirt. His voice cracking.
"I'm sorry, I was poisoned, and Pete controlled me. I would never have cheated on you," Roselle said, her voice breaking as she spoke.I...I never meant to hurt you. I was being manipulated. Please, come back to me."
The sight of her tears was almost too much for him to bear. His heart ached at the thought of her pain, and he found himself struggling to stay angry.
"Remember when you put that ring on my finger, and you promised to never make me cry? You said you'd be with me forever," she said, tears streaming down her face. "What happened to those memories? What happened to the happiness we shared?"
The pain and anguish in her voice was almost too much for him to bear. He tried to hold on to his anger, but it was slipping away, replaced by sadness and pain.
"Those days are over, Roselle. You weren't worth the trouble," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. "You weren't worth it. Goodbye, Roselle."
With that, he turned and walked towards the door. He paused as he stood at the door. He turned to face her.
"Oh, and one more thing," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small box, and opened it to reveal a diamond ring. "This is a diamond ring, I hope it helps you get better. " he said, tossing it to her. "Have a nice life, Roselle."
She screamed his name as he walked out the door, but he kept walking, his head held high. He got into his car and drove off.