The Russian Billionaire

“It’s my birthday, Konstantin. Please have just one drink with me,” she pleads looking flirtatiously up at him.

He frowns.

“Please. For old times sake?” she pleads.

“How is Bella?” he asks.

The question infuriates her so much her eyes flash and her jaw clenches, as she fights to control herself.

“Well, you always were more interested in her than me,” she states bitterly. “Maybe that is what is wrong in our relationship.”

Konstantin freezes, and his face fills with disgust. “You’ve become ridiculous, Chloe.”

“Ridiculous? What is ridiculous is the way you are lusting after my six-year old daughter.”

“I’m not lusting after your daughter,” he grates tightly. “The only reason I ask about your daughter is because you fucking neglect her, and she is a lost little soul.”

“Are you trying to imply I’m not a good mother to my daughter?” she huffs incredulously.

“Good mother? You wouldn’t know how to be a good mother if your beautician slapped it onto your face and left it there for an hour. You’re a lousy mother, Chloe. Absolutely the worst I’ve seen.”

“How dare you? You arrogant, rude, conceited Russian dog,” she snarls.

He shakes his head as if he is bored and turns to me. “Let’s go.”

“You think she’s better than me?” she shrieks, throwing a furious look in my direction.

I’m aware that people around us are starting to stare at us.

“I know you get off on making scenes, but you’re now wasting my time.”

“Damn you, Konstantin. I give you everything. Everything,” she cries dramatically.

“Whatever. Enjoy the party.” He takes my hand in his, but as we start to walk away, a shrill female voice from the edges of the party screams, “Konstantin.”

Both Konstantin and I turn towards the voice. To my shock, I see a young woman in a long white dress has climbed onto the wall at the edge of the rooftop, and is standing very still on it. The night sky is full of stars and she cuts a dramatic figure. The wind blows her flaming red hair across her face. When she lifts her hand to sweep it away from her eyes, her body sways dangerously. A collective gasp of shock rises from the crowd around us. Konstantin’s grip around my arm tightens and I feel his whole body tensing next to me.

“Konstantin,” she calls again, looking directly at him. Her face is very white and there is a strange, deadened quality to her voice. As if she is high on drugs or something. I’ve seen video montages of people on fentanyl who seem oblivious to danger or pain.

“For fuck’s sake,” I hear Konstantin mutter under his breath. “Wait here,” he says to me.

I stand rooted to the spot as he starts to walk towards the woman. The crowd parts to let him through. As he gets a few feet away from her, she calmly lifts her hand in a halting gesture. “Don’t come any closer,” she warns in that dead voice. Then she reveals her other hand. There is a small knife in it.

Konstantin immediately stops and asks, “What are you doing, Alicia?”

“Why did you leave me?” she asks.

“Come down and we can talk about it,” he suggests gently.

“No. Once I come down you’ll just walk away. Just like you always do.”

“No, I won’t. We’ll talk. I promise.”

She shakes her head, making her red hair tumble around her shoulders. “No,” she sobs pitifully. “I don’t want to talk. I want you to want me again. Like how it was at the beginning. You said I’m beautiful. Am I not beautiful anymore?”

“Of course, you’re beautiful.”

“You’re lying,” she mewls.

“I’m not lying. You are beautiful, very beautiful.” His voice rings out with sincerity.

Tears begin to pour down her face. “Then why don’t you want me anymore, Konstantin?”

“Come down and we’ll talk. We can go and get a drink together and talk.”

“Can we go back to your place?”

“Sure.”

She starts shaking her head. “You’re lying. I can see you’re lying. You came in with a woman. You’re going back with her, aren’t you? She’s getting the Princess treatment tonight, isn’t she?”

“Get off that ledge, Alicia. I’m not worth taking your life for. You’re young and beautiful. You have your whole life in front of you.”

“No,” she screams suddenly, and slashes her forearm with the knife, the metal is like a hot knife through butter, her flesh rips open and blood squirts out of her arm like a fountain. Some of the women in the crowd scream at the gory sight. I stare in shock at what happens next.

Raine

Quick as a flash, in the chaos that ensues, Konstantin lunges forward, grabs Alicia’s hand and pulls her off the ledge. She wraps her arms tightly around him and begins to emit a strange high-pitched wail. Quickly, he unwraps her arms from around him and lays her limp body on the ground. He pulls his necktie from around his neck and ties it securely around the gaping wound.