BILLIONAIRE'S WIFE OF DOOM 2: Far To Catch

Deeper you

When Gina Collen stepped into her compound, it was as if she'd not been there for a week despite the visiting the previous month. The little garden her mother tendered was still at its place, showing the berries and foreign crops she chose to adopt. With her steps into the house came a feeling of resentment towards her father. She wasn't ready to see his face but could his situation be that serious?

Gina pushed the door handle with a strong grip on the door knob and flung it open.

"Mum!" She called out, gazing around to be sure where her mum was. Her blonde hair ponytail dangled down her shoulder as she turned her eyes like a child, constantly waiting to be filled in.

One of the doors on the first floor opened. Her mum walked towards the balcony railing.

"It's good you came, Gina. Your dad wishes to speak to you about something."

Gina walked up the stairs, clinging to her bag tightly. Her throat felt tight but she tried to keep to her cool. It's fine Gina. He is sick. Forget all he has caused and move on.

Gina walked into the room thinking this. The sight of her pale lean father bedridden on their enormous bed, caused her to move with tears. Her hatred for him mellowed since he was still her father, she couldn't put up ignoring the fact he birthed her after all. Her childhood memory with him flooded her mind as held his shaky weak hands, and his lean head turned to look at her. His mouth drooped with saliva and his eyes looked pale. He seemed to have cataract form around his eyes after years of neglecting and not getting rid of it. Her once lovely dad who tucked her in every night and sang her mum's crimes, was right before them both, depending on both mother and daughter to tend to him.

"Gina…." He took a deep breath after he'd said this statement. She hinted it as a challenge since he couldn't speak audibly.

"It's fine daddy. I am not upset anymore…."

"Gina…." He repeated and moved to his side holding her with his second hand. Gina was a bit surprised and tensed that he would make his condition worse with his constant movements.

"Daddy, you need to take it easy," she warned.

"What is it you are doing now, this old man?" Her mum's voice overshadowed hers as she frowned at her dad's stubbornness.

"Gina, I am sorry. " He said words Gina hadn't expected. She gazed down at the grip for a while and turned away from him, having no clue what to say.

"My old man, you do not have to use all your strength…."

Gina's mum was snubbed instantly, as her Mr Collen chose to focus more on his conversation with Gina.

"I am truly sorry. I wasted 30 years of your life, just to earn money that can barely save me from not approaching death…."

"You didn't have to learn this way. " Gina wiped her tears with her back palm.

"I had to. I deserve what's happening to me now. I saw the smile on your lips. I saw how happy your 9 year old self was, but I wasn't satisfied with it. I thought you would be happier with a family with affluence. A family which holds secrets and wealth and could support generations…."

Gina scoffed.

"Just as you thought, they do have all you imagined; the wealth, the security. But I was never happy, because of the vengeance in me. My husband sees me as a leach now ...."

"Dear girl, why will you say that?" Her mum asked with surprise.

"He said so yesterday, in our bedroom. He hasn't touched me for 10 years and this was all my fault. I distanced myself from him. Maureen is happily married with kids and here I am, repeating the same old story. Her marriage must have been really sensitive to her, she'd refused to tell me who she got married to. My marriage has turned into a complete failure…."

"Your marriage was never a failure, Gina." Her dad said, before taking a hiss of breath.

"Why don't you just tell her what you want to tell her now? The secret you've kept from her for years."

Gina was greatly surprised. They kept a secret from her now?

"You've got to be kidding me…." Gina groaned.

"My dear, all those years I neglected you and went off to start a new business, I had done them all for you. I invested in a musical school so that you could start your own music career…." He announced.

Gina's jaws dropped in shock. She couldn't believe what she had heard.

"You invested the money of 20 years, on a musical school

…."

"Not all the money obviously, but I helped set up for you a musical studio and a musical school. Unfortunately, I have been drawn into debt and since the musical school hasn't been started without your signature, the investors are insisting their money is paid back to them."

Gina removed her grip from her dad with a frown.

"Are you telling me to pay back all the debt you're owing? Is that what this meeting is about? "

"No. I am not telling you to pay back anything. All I am telling you now, is to revive that musical site, since it's all I could ever do for you. I still remember how much you loved music in secondary school. Do you still have that guitar I gifted you before you went into that home?"

Gina felt her heart break apart. It's been so many years since she last saw that guitar. She was certain that wherever the guitar was, it would be rusting away infested by moths or dust. She could barely remember where she'd even kept it at Aurora's home.

"I haven't played it in a very long time. I didn't even realize you would still remember that…."

"I purchased that guitar for you for a reason. I remember you played it when you felt down as a kid…."

"Dad, this is a sensitive part of me I never want anyone to know. Drake hasn't even seen me hold a guitar before…."

"Revive that person in you, and revive the musical studio. Promise me, Gina? "

Gina thought deeply for a while.

"Won't that involve paying all your debt to them? How much do you owe exactly? "

"500 million…."

Gina hadn't heard of such a sum in her life. Her face went cold.

"But…." Her dad continued, "you won't need to pay such a sum if you regain their trust and make their investment worthwhile. Start that musical site running."

Gina watched her dad cough hard and struggled for his breath and he held onto his bedding sheet.

"O! Goodness! Enough with this conversation now. Honey, you have to rest." She watched her mum, pour out some amount of water for her dad and try to seat him up. With her mum's facial expression, she had hoped he stopped coughing but he didn't. He coughed harder and harder until his hands went to his heart and he'd yelped in pain.

"Dad! Dad…. What's wrong with dad?" I asked, holding onto his legs.

"I don't know… I… "

I hurried to get my phone to call the doctor. Before the phone rang, I heard my mum scream in the room and her high pitched voice calling my dad repeatedly. My phone dropped from my hands. My face couldn't stay straight anymore as I sat on the floor speechless realizing it was too late.