Heartstrings In the Sun: Falling for the Billionaire

I burst through the front door, suitcase slamming on the porch floor like a punctuation mark at the end of a long journey. Georgia clay caked under my fingernails, a souvenir I didn’t expect to pack.

“Hey guys, I’m back!” I hollered, picturing wide-eyed grins and smothered hugs. Graduation done, diploma in hand, I’d envisioned my return as a triumphant homecoming, a confetti bomb of joy exploding in the living room.

“What the f*ck is this?”

My jaw dropped as I rounded the corner onto Granny’s porch. There, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, sat Terrell and Irene, chummy as peas in a pod. Irene’s belly stretched tight, a baby bump blooming like a sunflower under her sundress.

“Y-you pregnant out of wedlock—”

“Hold your horses, honey,” Grandpa drawled, his voice seasoned like hickory smoke. “Ain’t no need for fireworks. Scootch on over here and lemme pour some molasses in your ears. I’ll spin you the whole dang story, straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“Hold up, what the actual f*ck? Terrell? Word on the street is you’re back, baby in tow. So, who knocked up Irene, huh?”

My jaw dropped. “Chill, honey. We know you and Terrell are thick as thieves, but Irene...”

“Whoa, whoa, what’s going on here?” I cut in, my voice shaky.

My laugh died a bitter death in my throat. Something was off-kilter about this whole afternoon, an acrid scent of bad news clinging to the air like smoke. It solidified the moment they opened their mouths.

“Leslie, sweetheart,” Granny began, her voice laced with regret, “I know this ain’t easy to hear, but we’re at a crossroads. We gotta marry Irene off to Terrell.”

“What?” I whipped my head around, eyes fixed on Granny’s weathered face. “Why in the blue blazes would you do that?”

“There ain’t no other way, honey,” Grandpa chimed in, his voice heavy with sorrow. “It’s gotta be done.”

My gaze ricocheted to Irene, perched on the edge of the sofa like a startled doe. Grandma stepped in, her hand resting protectively on Irene’s shoulder. “Leslie, honey, you’re young and healthy, got your whole life ahead of you. Surely you can find yourself another fella.”

The injustice of it all twisted my insides into knots. “And why’s Irene always the damsel in distress, huh? Why’s it gotta be me who bends over backwards?”

Granny’s eyes softened, her touch on Irene’s shoulder firm. “Honey, you know Irene’s been on her own for ages. She needs a strong man by her side.”

My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms. “And I don’t?” I spat, the bitterness staining my tongue.

The air crackled with tension, thick enough to slice with a butter knife. Grandma sighed, tears glistening in her eyes. “This ain’t about favoritism, Leslie. It’s about survival. It’s about doing what’s gotta be done, even if it rips our hearts out.”

“I yelled, “Irene ain’t an orphan, you jerk! She’s got family in the boonies!”

Grandma smacked me, saying, “I never raised you to talk like that.”

I questioned her, “Did you know Terrel was my guy? Why’d you hook Irene up with him after I’d planned to marry him post-college?”

She responded, “You’ve got plenty of time to find someone.”

I shot back, “A new dude?” Tears streaming, I said, “I’ve been with Terell for five years. Why you always messing with my happiness?”

Grandma argued, “I ain’t ruining your joy. It’s just you and him ain’t a good match.”

I reminded her, “You always put Irene first. Remember who bailed out your company from bankruptcy?”

“I appreciate your concern, but it ain’t about the dough. It’s all about Irene and her happiness,” Grandma declared.

“Can’t I catch a break? Don’t I deserve to be happy?” I shot back.

“Chill, Leslie. No need to shed tears in front of these folks,” Mum said, wrapping her arms around me. “Quit sobbin’ like a beggar in front of ‘em.”

“You never reached out either, Mom! It’s like nobody in this d*mn family gets what I’m going through!” I vented.

Irene glanced down. “My bad. This mess is on me. I’ll bounce once the baby’s born.”

“Nah, Irene. You can’t split from Terrel,” Grandma insisted.

“Grams, why you gotta be so heartless? Why you always putting me aside for someone who ain’t even family? Why y’all treating us so messed up like this? Why, Grandma? Do I gotta vanish completely and not deserve to be happy?”

“Leslie, let’s chat about this first without making it all dramatic and--”

“D*mn you, Grandma. You’re one cheeky kid! How dare you stab someone in the back who’s busting their *ss to put you through school until you graduate! You’ve got no d*mn respect!” I was about to yank Irene’s hair, but Grandma pushed me away. Everything went sideways, especially seeing Terrell stepping in to shield Irene from me.

“Leslie, shut up!” my grandma snapped, even angrier this time.

“If I were a girl with a rotten heart, I’d tally up all the cash I’ve dropped taking care of you. But nope, fate threw pancreatic cancer into the mix, and now you’ve swiped my boyfriend. You ever feel like you owe me anything?” I mumbled. “Shame on you, Irene!”

“If you’re just after cash, Leslie, I can pay you back, Grandma insisted.

“This ain’t about the dough, huh? I ain’t discussing money here—I’m laying out how you’ve been straight up mean to me and even to my mom!” I shot back.

The familiar chill of isolation crept in, even within the supposed warmth of my own family. I felt like the real interloper, the shadow stepdaughter whose presence dimmed Irene’s golden glow. Terrel, usually the picture of sunlit ease, met my gaze with a flicker of something unreadable, a storm cloud brewing in his summer-blue eyes.

“My bad, I get it—”

“You ditched me for her? You ghosted for ages just to pick that chick? You’re a two-timer!” I spat out.

Terrell’s hand snaked out for mine, but I snatched it away like a viper dodging a shovel.

“What’s your malfunction, butterfingers?” I spat, tears pricking my eyes again. My fists pounded a futile rhythm against his chest, each hit a desperate plea against the brick wall of reality.

Grandma’s voice boomed through the tense air, shattering the fragile silence. “Cut the melodramatics, drama queen! You’re not five anymore.”

Her words were like gasoline on a dumpster fire, igniting the storm brewing inside me.

“Melodramatic? I’m not the one who—” I choked back a sob, the injustice of it all clawing at my throat. “You think this is some telenovela, some cheap act?”

Terrell flinched, his eyes darting between me and Grandma like a ping-pong ball in a hurricane. He opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn’t done. This wasn’t some playground spat; this was war, and my words were the ammunition.

“I guess you both forgot what real pain feels like,” I hissed, my voice laced with venom. “But don’t worry, I’ll remind you.”

And with that, I spun on my heel and stormed out, leaving them standing there, dumbfounded, in the wreckage of my emotions. The slammed door echoed my final message: this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

“Leslie, we need to talk in private,” Terrell said after he looked like a total idiot.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Terrell. You betrayed me,” I snapped. “You promised we’d get hitched after I graduate. But when I come back, you’re already married to Irene, living the happy life.”

“Leslie, you gotta understand...”

“Come on, Mom, let’s bounce,” I interrupted.

“Leslie, we should hash this out,” Grandpa suggested, trying to hold me back.

“I can’t, Grandpa. I can’t roll with a traitor and a thief,” I shot back.

“Watch your mouth, Leslie!” Grandma chimed in.

A wave of disapproval washed over me as I met Grandma’s gaze. Spinning on my heel, I met Mom’s eyes with steely resolve. “Pack your bags,” I ordered, my voice clipped. “We’re hightailing it to Houston, and pronto.”

“Leslie, honey,” Grandpa began, his grip tightening on my arm. “Let’s just sit down and-”

“Can’t,” I cut him off, my tone leaving no room for argument.

“Just give it some time,” Grandma chimed in, her voice saccharine but laced with an edge.

“Not a chance,” I spat, wrenching my arm free. “You wanna be happy here? Fine. But Mom ain’t part of that equation.”

“You’ll regret this outburst, young lady!” Grandma screeched, her facade crumbling.

“Don’t worry, your precious happiness is safe with me,” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a plane to catch.”

cruelty,” Bianca exclaimed.

“Neither did I,” I replied, taking a sip of my drink.

Bianca ordered a glass of soju and rum for herself and asked, “Are you sure you want to drink soju?”

“I just want to get drunk right now,” I responded.

“I understand you’re devastated. You and Terrel have been dating for a long time,” Bianca said sympathetically.

“I trusted him completely, but people are good at hiding their true nature,” I said, feeling a lump form in my throat.

As if to distract me, Bianca tried to offer me mineral water, but I waved it away and took another gulp of my drink.

“Don’t drink too much,” she cautioned.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to steady my voice.

Bianca sighed and said, “I know they’re evil for conspiring like that. But your mother is still behind you. She would worry if her youngest daughter came home drunk.”

I told Bianca everything that had happened earlier that day, how a five-year relationship had fallen a