The Billionaire's Masked Heir

Jason did not realize how much time he had spent under the drizzling shower as he turned it off and proceeded to dry his body with a rag-like brownish white towel abandoned for his own personal usage.

‘Beggars ain't choosers’, he thought as he recalled the fast-paced episode he was casted in few minutes earlier. His wife was the female lead, the villain in his story since 3 years ago.

It began at exactly 6:54 AM when Diane couldn't hold it in any longer.

Her ‘uplifting’ early morning monologues of his extent of uselessness which had replaced his cup of iced Americano coffee served cold were enacted just like he hated them. He should have gotten used to it by now but his mind is set on the notion that she'll change for good.

‘Once I get my promotion as the head deliverer. More money, more time for Dee and my Ria Thered be enough for a trip to Miami Beach for Dee's birthday She'd be happy. We'll be happy. One big happy family again I should take a loan to get a house in her name. That should make us work again.’ He thought while smiling wearily

He was suddenly brought back to life by a furious knock on the bathrooms door

‘Jason! Some of us have well-paying jobs to go to for Petes sake!’ Danny half screamed from the other side of the door.

Danny was his sister in-law's 36 years old husband, a total opposite of what he is. 6 feet pale skin Adonis with frizzled blond hair and icy blue eyes. He was the head product and project manager at Fickle Minds and Arty.

Danny had been in town for a couple of weeks supervising a huge project under the franchise of his employers company. Most days, he was mostly out of the house but on days when he has less to do, he finds pleasure in just two things, ‘Watching soccer and broke-shaming Jason.

‘Maybe if you pay more attention to your job like you do to your scrawny skin, you'd have bought the whole city by now, fool! ‘ Danny said with disgust.

Jason hurriedly wore his faded pajamas and opened the door to the sight of a half-dressed Danny with a disdainful smirk on his face as he watched Jason walked towards his bedroom before he entered the bathroom to carry out his own daily routine.

‘Technically’, he thought, ‘i'ts my wife's bedroom.’

He hurriedly picked out a grey t-shirt and a pair of black trouser from his section of the wardrobe which was shoved into one of the four corners of the room. His section was more like next to the heap of used clothes dumped in the lowest section of the wardrobe. He often tried his best to straighten out his clothes in folds every time he does his laundry but they always manage to end up under the piles of dirty clothes used by his wife and daughter. As he pulled his shoes from beneath the bed, he noticed that the soles had flattened out badly and he needed to buy another one.

As he sat on the edge of the bed to put on his trousers, his eyes met with the face of the clock.

7:30 AM?!, he screamed as he saw the time.

‘I'm late for work!', he thought frantically as he hurriedly put on his clothes and shoes.

He quickly made his way to the dining table to eat his breakfast but he met nothing on the table.

‘She must have gotten so busy in the kitchen Ria is already a handful for a 5 years old child.’, he thought.

'Dee!', He called out with a sultry tone 'Is my breakfast ready?', he asked and listened for a response which he did not get. 'Dee...', he called out again

‘Stop calling me that annoying name for goodness sake!' She yelled from the kitchen.

‘I'm so sorry. I just wanted to ask about my breakfast', He said

‘Sit down dear. I'll bring it to you', she said with a sweet voice which surprised Jason.

‘Thank Goodness… She’s no longer in a foul mood.', he thought

As he made to sit on one of the intricately designed vintage dining chairs, Danny emerged from his bedroom to the dining table. Immediately Danny saw Jason, he looked at him scornfully, as he sat on one of the chairs.

Emerging from the kitchen with two plates, Diane placed one in front of Danny and the other in Jasons front. She hurried back to the kitchen as her husband made to open the covered plate as Danny had already opened his. Diane suddenly halted and turned back to look at Jason. With a sinister smile emerging on her face, she watched as he picked up the spoon and removed the cover. Again for the second time Nothing stared into his face.

What jolted him to reality was his wife's evil cackling laughter which was complemented by Danny's equally menacing devilish laughter.

'No food for a lazy man', Danny mouthed as he continued with his meal of fried bacon and corn.

Still holding the spoon in his left hand, he watched as his wife continued to laugh at him.

‘I just need to earn more. I'm not lazy. I'm trying my best.’, he thought with tears stinging his eyes

‘Lazy, clueless man! Who in her right senses would waste her time, money and energy to cook for you?', She said as she stopped laughing. 'You are not even ashamed that you want to eat out of your wife's parent's food.', She hissed.

Emerging from her grandparent's bedroom, Ria who was obviously still halfway in dreamland while still wearing cute pyjamas with Minnie mouse pictures plastered in different part of the fabric, staggered to where her Father was and proceeded to sit on his thighs. The sight of his daughter relieved him of the ‘energy draining vampires' for a moment.

'Hey sweetheart, good morning.' He said staring at her lovingly.

‘I did not watch Cocomelon before I slept off', Ria replied with an innocent voice.

‘Don't worry, you'll watch it today', he assured her.

'Daddy', she called

'Yes, Cupcake', Jason replied while smoothing out her scattered blonde hair.

‘Where is your food?’, She asked while playing with his fingers

'Dad is done eating', Sweetheart, Diane replied before Jason could

‘Yes and I have to go to work now. Daddy should not be late.’, he said as he lifted her off his laps.

Obviously feeding off his innocent daughter's bubbly energy, Jason rose and picked up his scooter's key and proceeded to walk his daughter while holding her hand to the kitchen.

'Remember Cupcake, Daddy loves you so much Dee, I'm off to work... I love you’

Totally ignoring his presence, she looked at her daughter and held out her arms for a big ‘wakey bear hug’ like they called it.

‘Good morning, Love. Your munchy fruity milky pop is ready. Go bring your chair and I'll feed you.’, Dee said lovingly

‘Okay mummy!’, Ria said excitedly as she ran towards the sitting room.

Seeing as he is being ignored, Jason made to leave for work. ‘Daddy!’ Ria called as he opened the door

‘When am I going back to school like Amelia and Owen?’ She asked with a sad tone

‘Very soon, Ria. Very soon.’ He answered as though he was reassuring himself. ‘Very soon. Head deliverer. More time. More money. One big happy family.', he thought

‘Okay daddy. I love you so much’, Ria replied as she dragged her small chair on the wooden floor towards the kitchen

‘I love you too, Ria. Be a good girl’, Jason said as he exited the house and turned right towards the garage. He knew that he was already late and trouble was hovering ahead because his boss had suddenly turned a new leave, a very bad one, he thought.

‘Not good for a Thursday morning. But I'll be fine... Surely.’ He reassured himself as he hopped on his scooter and rode out of the courtyard out onto the street to Xavi's Cafe and fillings, his worst nightmare and right now, his only saving grace.