The Billionaire's Secret Regret

by Brent, Tara

  Chapter One

  Samantha

  Three Years Later

  I couldn’t believe that I was going back. It had been so long. To some people, three years might not feel like a long time but to me, it was a lifetime. I was a different person now, so many things had changed for the better for me and I was proud of who I had become.

  My life hadn’t gone to plan. After all, my plan had changed so drastically when I was eighteen and that I broke up with the man who I thought was the guy of my dreams: Rick Carson. Looking back, I now knew that I was so stupid. I was young and living with my head in the clouds. Since giving up on Rick, I had moved on to do so many things that I had never thought possible. I had managed to get a job and had found my own apartment; I’d made some amazing friends. I was now so focused when previously all I could think about was Rick. I had been so obsessed with him. Rick had been all I had known. I hadn’t been able to imagine a life without him, yet here I was, I’d managed to do everything and more, and I hadn’t needed a man. I had done it all by myself. All I had needed was me.

  Now I was coming back home and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I was having a lot of mixed feelings. I was happy and of course excited to start a new chapter of my life. There was no point me staying in Connecticut when all my family was in Boston, Massachusetts. I had graduated at the top of my class from Yale so there was nothing keeping me there anymore. I had done what I had gone there to do and I had made some fantastic memories along the way. Now I would be going home to help my parents with the family business.

  The only problem with that was that I’d inevitably run into Rick - he did hold fifty percent of my brother’s company after all. But I could handle it, I wasn’t the silly little girl that I used to be. I was stronger than I’d ever been and I had proved to myself that I could do anything that I put my mind to. I wasn’t going to let him get to me. I was going to show him that I had made the right decision by leaving everything behind and starting a new life that hadn’t involved him. I had nothing to be embarrassed about.

  So now I was driving home in my SUV, my entire life packed into the back of it in a few boxes. It was actually cheaper for me to buy everything new than to get everything shipped. I didn’t mind so much, it felt good to start fresh again.

  My parents had been kind enough to give me a small property to settle in. They’d been in property renovation for years and had bought a cheap house for me as a gift. The place had apparently been a mess when they got it, but it was perfect for them as a cheap project to do in their free time. They’d spent the last few years doing it up for me as a graduation present. I hadn’t seen it yet, but I was so grateful. I’d never be able to afford to buy a place any time soon. I was only twenty-one and though I was going to work with my dad for a modest wage, it would probably take a long time to save for a deposit. I knew that I had the best parents in the world, they had been nothing but supportive in the last few years and the fact they had done this for me had set me up for life. I'd been given the security that most people would die for. I was very lucky and I could never thank them enough for that.

  The drive wasn’t too bad as most of it was on the highway, and as I found myself heading onto the familiar roads, I found myself actually growing excited at the chance to see my new home and to start the next chapter of my life.

  Once I passed the familiar sign that told me I was finally home, I turned off my GPS and made my way to where I knew my new home was ready and waiting for me.

  I took a second to quickly send a text to my best friend Andrew.

  I’ve just arrived safely. I’ll text you tonight. Love you.

  I didn’t want him to worry about me. Andrew and I were a little co-dependent with each other. We’d met at Yale in our first year and had been inseparable since. We’d mostly had the same classes which had helped and at one point he had even slept on my bedroom floor after his boyfriend kicked him out of their shared accommodation. It was awful at the time but now we could laugh about it.

  The reply was instant, I’m glad! Say hi to everyone for me! :) I’ll text you before I go to bed. Have a good day!

  I back-pocketed my phone and then I stepped out of the car. I felt like crying as emotion welled up inside of me. My parents had really outdone themselves. The house itself was detached and had its own gated drive, and a nice flower bed had been fitted at the front which I just knew was courtesy of my mom. She had always had a green thumb and I could tell that she had put a lot of time into the small garden at the front. The trees were nicely pruned and there were colorful flowers and bushes placed thoughtfully around.

  I took the key from where it was hiding under the giant flowerpot by the door and stepped inside for the first time.

  I’d seen pictures and videos that mom and dad had sent me, but they hadn’t done it justice. It wasn’t a large house, it was only a small two-bed detached but it was perfect. I kicked my shoes off and felt my feet sink into the brand-new plush carpet.

  Walking through the house for the first time I felt like a child at Christmas. There were so many things that I wanted to do and to see all at once. My eyes were everywhere, admiring the freshly painted walls and the pristine ceilings. This was nothing like my apartment that I had in Connecticut which was tiny and completely not worth the monthly rent.

  I immediately pulled my phone out and dialed my parent’s house number as both of them were useless with their cell phones at the best of times and there was a chance that they would miss my attempts at contacting them.

  “Hello?” It was my dad who answered the phone and it was a welcome sound. Though I had only spoken to him a few hours ago, it felt different now just knowing that I could get in my car and see him within minutes if I wanted to.

  “Hi, daddy, it's me! I just got here and it’s amazing,” I instantly gushed, wanting to share my appreciation and joy at the wonderful gift my parents had bestowed on me. “Oh, God, dad, it’s so much. Are you sure that I can just have it? I can pay you rent, or we can sort something out, or... I don't know, just something. You can't just give this to me.”

  I felt like I was in shock as I took in everything around me. It was too much. The house was just beautiful.

  “Of course we can, sweetheart, it’s our gift to you,” he insisted. "Plus, like I said it was a steal. We bought it for basically nothing and a lot of the stuff we used to renovate was stuff we had lying around at the yard. We've been really lucky."

  Still, even knowing that it felt like a lot. I was in disbelief. The house was perfect and had been beautifully, though modestly, furnished throughout. I had expected that I would need to buy more than a few things. As I walked from the hallway and into the kitchen, I noticed the beautiful silver stove, fridge and dishwasher were already plumbed in and there were matching appliances on the counter. The floors instantly felt warm under my feet and I paused, amazed at the feeling. I was so used to the freezing cold of the awful concrete floors in my last place. My heart felt warm.

  “You put in underfloor heating! Daddy, thank you so much,” I said.

  I honestly felt like crying in happiness. The number of times that I had complained to him about my freezing cold apartment was countless. I couldn’t believe that he had done such a wonderful thing for me. I felt like I didn't deserve it.

  “Honey, we just wanted to show you how proud of you we are," he insisted. "You’ve done fantastically with everything that life has thrown at you these past few years.”

  Wow, and you didn't even know the half of it, I thought to myself. I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be getting this treatment if he knew the truth. But even so, it meant a lot to me to hear such praise from my dad. When I’d left for Yale it had put a strain on the relationship that I had with my parents, and it had taken a lot of effort to maintain it due to the distance and my fleeting visits and increased silence.

  “Thank you, but are you sure?” I asked in disbelief. “This is too much. I can pay you back, I can—”

  “It
’s a gift,” he interrupted me. “I know we told you that if you came at the top of your class then we would give you this. But we would have done it regardless. You’re our daughter and we love you.”

  They’d already told me this, of course. They’d been there at my graduation and they’d been so proud when I had spoken as valedictorian. It was just hard to believe that I was here already. It had seemed like such a far off thing when my dad had asked me about this at the beginning of last year. Time passed so quickly this year.

  “I know, dad, I just—” I felt guilty. I felt a lot of things that I knew I would never be able to voice out loud to him. I was ashamed, I was conflicted, but I was so so happy.

  “We gave Josh money to start his company with Rick and you never asked for a handout, you did everything by yourself, so stop being stubborn. It’s yours,” he insisted. Well, that much was true. They'd given Josh a huge loan just as I graduated.

  I looked around me. It was beautifully decorated in neutral colors and a lot fancier than anything I would be able to afford by myself. My savings were very modest, as would my wage be from working in the office. I could see that they had really gone to a lot of effort to make me a comfortable home and that meant the world to me.

  “Thank you,” I said sincerely, but what else could I say? I'd never be able to repay them for their kindness.

  “You’re welcome, honey. Do you want to speak to your mom?”

  “Please,” I said as I made my way upstairs for the first time. The bedrooms and the bathroom were beautifully furnished and though my dad said I deserved it for my hard work, it was hard to accept that they were giving me something so wonderful.

  “Sammy, I’m glad you got there safely. How do you like the house?” my mom greeted me, sounding ecstatic to be talking to me.

  It was hard to put it into words. “Mom, I love it. I can’t believe that you’re just letting me have this.”

  “Well, it’s not like we’re giving it away,” she said. “You are coming to work for dad and it is doing us a huge favor. And honey, it’s so good to have you home and if this is how we get you here, then it’s a small price to pay.”

  It brought a smile to my face because I could feel that this really was going to be my new home. It was perfect for me and for everything that I wanted and so much more.

  “Well, thank you, mom. I really appreciate it. It’s good to be back home,” I said and honestly, I meant it.

  "You're welcome, honey," she replied.

  I said my goodbyes to my parents and then I just stood and breathed for a second, trying to process what had happened and that this was all real. I leaned against the wall and walked into my bedroom, a new double bed was at the center of the room decorated in my favorite colors of a sweet pastel pink and silver. There were so many little touches that were precious - the lamps, the vanity mirror, as well as my old possessions which I had kept at home while I was away at college - it was clear that they had gone to a huge effort to make this house personal to me.

  It didn’t take long to bring my things inside and to settle. As I said, I only had a few things, some clothes and such, everything else I had either donated or sold. I hadn’t had much of a choice.

  I wanted to get everything done and out of the way so I could relax and go over to see my parents this evening. It was late afternoon so I still had a lot of time to get everything done. I unpacked most of my clothes and put in a load of laundry which I hadn’t had time to do at my old place - it had been a chaotic couple of days. I had a shower, savoring the feeling of having some time by myself but I didn’t have any shampoo or conditioner which left me groaning because I had hoped to wash my hair but it was just not possible. I changed into some comfortable clothes - a pair of shorts and a tank top.

  I was right about this place. I was instantly comfortable in the house. I felt safe and happy being alone here even though it was the first time I'd been here. I thought I would be afraid or something but no. It did feel a little bit big since I was used to such a tiny apartment, but I was sure that I would get used to it. I thought about getting a cat. I’d always wanted one and I couldn’t because of the contract in the last place. I’d had the worst landlord. So at least that was something. I would have a look at the local shelters and see if they had anything. I loved the idea of buying a fluffy old cat to love in the last years of its life.

  Once I was finished, I sat down on the black sofa in the lounge and let myself sink into the cushions as I looked around me. The lounge was just as beautiful as the rest of the house and there was a huge fireplace. It was a strange feeling to know that this was all mine.

  The next few weeks would probably be the hardest. There was going to be a lot to adjust to. It was going to be strange being back here, I’d probably see old friends and have to explain why I’d suddenly disappeared and gave everyone the cold shoulder and why I hadn’t been back in three years. It was a lot to answer to and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to say the same thing over and over. It was going to be tiresome, but it was inevitable.

  Nevertheless, I would just get on with it. I could handle anything that came my way.

  The next thing on my to-do list was to get to the grocery store before it closed which after googling, I found out was at six-thirty. I had plenty of time to get there, but I wanted to be able to look around and I had a million things to buy. I was so tired after such a long day, but I could power through and probably grab a coffee while I was out. I headed towards the Walmart that was not too far from here so I jumped back in my car and made my way over there. Nothing had changed, it looked exactly the same way it had three years ago. It was the same obnoxious building that was packed with people. The car park was chaotic, random people hanging around in it as if it was cool and there were screaming kids hanging off exhausted mums everywhere that I looked.

  I grabbed a trolley and made my way inside and started to grab everything I would need for the next week or so. I walked down each aisle, grabbing the groceries - fresh fruits and vegetables, things from the bakery, but also some other things that I needed and didn’t bring back with me, even though I had them - cutlery and towels, kitchen condiments, some dishes, etc. It was going to cost me a fortune but at least it would be a one-time expense and I needed to do it now, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to find the time.

  I had a lot planned over the next week. I was already being ambitious with my time and there was no way I’d find time to do a return trip.

  It was therapeutic in a way. I’d always enjoyed shopping and it was nice to buy myself things when I had compromised for the last few years. I had to keep telling myself to not worry about the cost and to get everything that I needed right now. After all, I’d put money aside to do this first initial shop so it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford it, I’d just got used to not spending money on myself. So in an almost childlike manner, I headed down each aisle and had fun treating myself to things that would ordinarily be luxuries.

  I wasn’t there too long, it felt like maybe half an hour before I saw the first familiar face.

  Crap! I cursed and I felt as if the color drained from my face. I had to resist ducking down and hiding behind the freezers. You’re an adult, Samantha, act like it, I reminded myself.

  It was someone from my year at school. One of Rick’s friends. His name was Charlie. The two of them had been inseparable and were both on the football team together. I had no idea if they were still friends or not, but I didn’t really want to find out if I was honest. I was tired from my drive and I didn’t want to play twenty questions.

  In order to avoid him, I turned back around and went down another aisle, hoping that I didn’t need anything from that location.

  It was then that I heard a voice that made me freeze where I stood.

  “Samantha?”

  Chapter Two

  Rick

  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. After all these years, there she was, standing there as if she had never left and that it had all been
a dream. As if she hadn’t suddenly just disappeared after going to Yale.

  Samantha Jenkins.

  Everything came back to me at once and it was as if I was young again and standing in her bedroom, telling her to get a freaking abortion. I was such an idiot. I had expected that she would look broken, unhappy even, I felt like I’d ruined her life. But actually, she looked completely normal. She looked fine, if not a little older though that was to be expected, but there was no mistaking her.

  I ended up staring across Walmart with my jaw on the floor and frozen to the spot. I must have looked like an idiot.

  How is this even possible? I asked myself like a fool.

  Charlie stood next to me and raised an eyebrow at me. He seemed to have noticed what I had. “Hey, isn’t that you-know-who?” he asked, looking just as surprised as I felt.

  I glanced away for a moment. I had been fixated looking for so long that I was sure it was all in my head and a mirage. I expected to look back and to see nothing. I was tired. I was distracted. But my heart felt like it stopped because it wasn’t in my head at all.

  “Erm, yeah, I think it is,” I replied, my voice breaking and feeling foreign to my own ears. I didn’t know what to say. I actually felt a little bit in shock.

  She was the same Sam that I had known all those years ago. I watched in disbelief as she saw Charlie pointing at her and then she dashed in the opposite direction and down a different aisle.

  For a moment, I just stared. It had been three years. Longer than three years. But she was still just as beautiful as she had ever been. I had so many questions and so many things that I wanted to say to her. I had rehearsed it a thousand times over in my mind, I had written it in hundreds of texts and messages and emails. But I had never actually had the opportunity to tell her what I wanted to say so badly.

  When she left for Yale, Samantha completely cut me from her life. She changed her number, she deleted her email, she even blocked me on Facebook. It was hard. I’d known her for a long time. I’d grown up with her and she’d always been Josh’s cute little sister. Until she had grown up and shown an interest in me. Then we’d spent so much time together that I’d come to really care about her.