The Billionaire’s Playmate

My heart beats fast. I could hardly breathe when I heard his voice.

“R-Rozzean?”

I looked at Thes. I’m standing now, and she’s holding onto me.

“Is that Rozzean?! Is it true?” she whispered.

I nodded at her, but all my attention is on the other line. Rozzean is on the phone, something I didn’t expect. I hold Thes’s hand tightly because of nervousness.

He called me! He called me, and I’m not dreaming! This is his voice! I can’t be wrong! I know his voice so well, even a whisper, I’d recognize it.

And he said Thaliana! Not Tali, but Thaliana! Has he forgiven me? Is he not mad at me anymore?

“R-Rozzean? Hello–”

“Thaliana… are you… okay?”

I gasped again when I heard his voice. It’s really Rozzean! My eyes widened as I looked at Thes. I covered my mouth because I can’t believe I’m talking to him now.

“I-I am okay, thank you. Thank you for saving me earlier. A-are you okay? Where are you? Are you home?”

“I am–”

When he was cut off, my eyebrows furrowed. I looked at my cellphone because of that. I pressed the screen. My eyes widened at what I saw.

“Haaa!!!” I shouted and quickly searched for my charger in the drawer.

“W-Why?! Why?!” Thes followed me. She looked worried as she stared at me.

“My battery is dead! Oh my gosh! Why now?!”

Thes slapped her forehead because of what I said. It was one of the unfortunate moments of my life! Why did my phone have to run out of battery now?! Just when I was talking to Rozzean again?!ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Come on, come back… please… please!”

I long-pressed my phone, but it wouldn’t turn on.

“Why won’t it work?” I asked, teary-eyed, looking at Thes. She approached me and sat beside the bed while I held my phone. Thes also tried to revive it, but my phone wouldn’t come back to life.

“I think it’s because it’s completely drained, so it won’t turn on. Let the battery charge for a while, and maybe it’ll come back later. Oh no! Just when your baby boy called! Such wrong timing!”

But I can’t fckng wait! It’s Rozzean who called me, and that’s the first time after I told him that I would stop chasing him. That I wouldn’t try to make amends anymore. I took a deep breath because of holding back earlier. It happened suddenly, and I didn’t expect it. He’s asking me if I’m okay!

And he called me by my name! Thaliana!

His voice is calm!

Damn…

I miss Rozzean so much… I miss my baby.

“Thes…” I gazed into the distance as I called my friend’s name. I saw Thes looking at me. She extended her hand towards me and waved.

“Don’t lose your sanity just because your baby boy called you, my friend. I don’t want to have a crazy friend just because she loved a guy with a jumbo hotdog too much.”

I took her hand that she was waving in front of me and held it tightly. She seemed surprised by what I did, her eyes slightly widened. I looked at Thes, biting my lower lip. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at her.

“Tangi, you are creeping me out! Speak! Please!” she said.

“I am so happy…” I cried.

I sniffed while looking at her.

“Rozzean called me and asked me if I am okay. Because of what happened earlier. Thes… he called me.”

I felt another hope because of that call. It was brief, but hope for fixing our relationship blossomed again.

My friend approached me, nodded, and tightly held my hand. Then she nodded repeatedly in agreement with me.

“This is a good sign, I think. Also, I sensed something fishy in your father’s words. Let’s see what would happen next, Tangi. Follow what Tito George said, let Rozzean take the initiative, and maybe this time, he’ll be the one to make things right between you two. He’ll be the one to come to you.”

She wiped the tears on both my cheeks.

“You deserve to be happy, Tangi. You are one of the greatest blessings that happened to me and, of course, to your family. One of the kindest and most generous people I know. One mistake cannot overshadow all the goodness in you.”

“T-Thes…”

Thes smiled at me and held my cheeks.

“Maybe, Rozzean now realizes that you are more than the mistake you made. And his love for you is still there. It’s just that his anger took over. He acted foolishly, but what matters is if he understands what’s more important.”

“And that’s you, Tangi.”

I nodded repeatedly, hugged Thes, and thanked her.

That night, when my cellphone finally turned on, I tried calling Rozzean. But the number was unreachable. I attempted multiple times, even using my mother’s cellphone, but the result was the same. I felt sad because I couldn’t talk to him again.

I blamed myself for not checking my phone’s battery that night. It’s not something I usually do, but I regretted it so much. Maybe if it didn’t die so soon, Rozzean and I could have talked for a longer time.

My cellphone took a while to come back to life due to the severe battery drain.

It’s been 2 days, and Rozzean’s number is still unreachable. Out of frustration from what happened that night, when my phone died due to low battery and took so long to turn back on, I decided to buy a new one. I also made sure not to let my phone run out of battery again. I even bought a power bank, something I never thought of using before.

“Ma’am Tangi, are the flowers you chose for the event in Pangasinan okay?”

I looked at Alma. With Tita Cynthia, Rozzean, and Luther’s mom’s birthday just around the corner, I was nervous. Even though I’m professional in my job, I worried that she might not like what I’ll do or the flowers I selected.

I felt more pressured when Luther didn’t choose any flowers. What if their mom doesn’t like my choices? Besides, she also knows about flowers.

“Yes, Alma, thank you.”

I was busy that day with the numerous orders. My cellphone suddenly rang, and I saw Thes calling via video.

I put down my pen and answered immediately.

“I’m a bit busy right now, Thes, what–”

Instead of Thes’s face, I saw Rozzean and Klari on the screen.

My lips parted in shock, and mere surprise couldn’t capture my expression. I even stood up from my seat.

“W-What the hell?”

“Tangi!”

The camera moved, and Thes’s face appeared. She was walking and seemed to be outside the restaurant. I can see it. I was still incredibly shocked. Why are they together?

Why is Klari with him?!

“I am here at Mazanto Restaurant in Batangas, and look what I saw?! Haven’t you talked to Rozzean after he called you?! What is he doing here with a woman? And who is that woman?”

I was still in awe, holding my chest. My heartbeat fastened, and my hands went cold.

I clearly saw Rozzean and Klari. They were eating together. He was in a suit, and Klari was in a pink dress. The woman was smiling, looking at Rozzean while he focused on his food.

“Thes… Klari is the woman.”

“What?! Klari?! That demon you told me about? What the fck? What are these two doing here?”

I shook my head several times. My breathing got heavier. I bit my lower lip as I felt the pain in my chest again.

“I was really surprised, Tangi! I thought I might be mistaken. When they faced me, I saw it was indeed Rozzean. The woman called him by his name. Rozzean at first, then suddenly became Rozz! The crazy woman even used endearments! Oh, Tangi! I want to slap Rozzean’s face! Even that woman with him! What is happening?!”

I didn’t know either. Why is he with Klari? In Batangas?

M-Maybe Dad was right that Rozzean just saved me that night to clear his image and for the sake of his company.

That he only called me that night to make sure I’m okay because George Dela Vezca’s one of the major investors in his company, not because of me.

Daddy knows that Rozzean saved me. He said that Rozzean just saved me to clear his image because of what happened to me. I, on the other hand, interpreted his actions in the bar differently, hoping that it was all for me.

That he was genuinely concerned.

But really not.