A Billionaire Next Door

Ch. 1 - Picture Perfect Morning

KAILYN

The sharp beeping of my alarm clock wakes me. This morning should have felt like any other, but something in the air made it lighter. Calmer. Almost hopeful. The sun casts its rays on me, discomforting me and forcing me out of bed. You would think I would've gotten used to it by now, but I haven't. I twist and turn in my bed, and then finally I get up and dress in my pink sports bra, nude biker shorts, and black workout shoes with my hair packed up in a ponytail for my morning run.

I run around Pinewood Estate until my watch buzzes, notifying me that I've hit my morning goal. The road curves slightly, and the large homes of my neighborhood start to appear from the morning haze. Each one sits back from the street like a preening debutante, eager to be admired but keeping a careful distance. I know each property by heart: the Hendersons with their many lawn ornaments, the Wilsons with their always under-construction pool house, and then-there it is-the sweeping curve of grey stone that marks Miles Howard's driveway.

Miles Howard. Billionaire. New York's Most Eligible Bachelor.And, lucky me, my untouchable neighbour. He's walking out of his house to a black Audi PB18 e-Tron, with his phone like a prisoner in his hands, his eyes meet mine, only for a second before they return to his screen. He has always intrigued me, always so mysterious and puzzling, and something about that excites me.

I'm back in the apartment, and the scent of a familiar vanilla fills my nostrils. "Alexa, play Kill Bill by SZA." "Playing Kill Bill by SZA." she responds while I make my way into the bathroom. Hot water droplets flow down my body, accompanied by the soft net of my soapy loofah. Beep... Beep... Beep... The sound of my phone ringing fills my ears as the music stops, and the screen lights up with Rose Ivanov's contact filling it. "Oh, it's very early. I wonder what she's calling about," I thought. Rose Ivanov, married to Damon Ivanov, a man with so much power, he makes the rest of us seem like green pants in the food chain-no matter how high up you are, and I am HIGH. I slide my fingers in favour of answering the phone call

"Hi Kaitlyn, I loved yesterday's event so much. Honestly, I was a little skeptical about how it would go, but you showed me that my investment in you was worthwhile. Everyone last night wanted to know where I got my dres from." I could feel her smile through the screen that divides us.

"Good morning, Rose, I'm so happy you liked it. It's always a pleasure hearing a good review from a client personally."

"Thank you, Kaitlyn. I'll stay in touch."

"Goodbye!"

I walk into my walk-in closet designed like a boutique with soft blush walls, gold hardware, and crystal chandeliers that spill light across racks. I pull out a wine-red blouse and black work pants which hug my body in the right places, pairing them with my black Louboutin heels and a black Louis Vuitton handbag. I apply minimal makeup, focusing mainly on my lips and eyes.

As I work on my laptop, I hear a knock on the glass door of my office. "Come in." I announce with my eyes still on my laptop. I look up as the doors open

Miss Miller, Head of Sales, stepped in. Her feet tremble as she walks up to me.

"Well? What do you have for me?" I ask her

"I'm afraid it's bad news", she says back in dismay.

"Spit it out!" I exclaim, getting antsy.

She hands me a brown envelope labelled IMPORTANT. I peel open the envelope, revealing the files in it. Reading them, I feel a burst of worry about the company, about everything I've built crashing down. "Why didn't I get a notice of the sales going down? Why wasn't I informed?" I ask calmly, not letting the worry show up on my face, and I crack my knuckles, trying to stop a stream of tears from falling from my face. "We only just noticed the significant drop this morning," She says as she bows her head, not maintaining eye contact. "Then why do you have this job if you don't report something as significant as this?" I ask with my voice thick and my tone leaving no room for negotiation. "You're dismissed." My heartbeat becomes more rushed as I can hear them loudly. I fidget with my necklace as I try to calm myself down from having a panic attack.

I pick up my phone, head to my favourite, and as I dial my best friend's number, she picks up on the third ring.

"Kaitlyn, Hiii," She says bubbly

"..."

"Kaitlyn, are you okay? Are you fine?" Concern paints her voice

"No, Ari, I'm not. Everything's falling apart." Tears roll down my face as my voice cracks up

"What happened?" She asks in a panic

"My sales are dropping drastically, and I have no idea why."

"I may have seen a reason why on TikTok, I didn't send it to you cause I thought it was just another petty rise to fame scheme. I'll send it right now."

"Ping!" The sound echoes through the room, and I open it. Mine and Aria's message fills the screen, and I open the video file she sent. A text appears on the screen: "The Truth About Kaitlyn Rhodes." I listen to what she has to say, finding what she has to say wrong and confusing.

"How could anyone even believe that? None of what she's saying is true. Arghh!" I type into our chat

"I have no idea, and over 24million views and 14million likes. It's honestly crazy."How about we calm down and then look for ways we can solve this, but firstly, we have to get your mind off it." She replies.