Page 8 of Faking it With A Grumpy Billionaire

Re-reading the email that was sent to my inbox, I tried to contain my excitement as I picked up my phone to call Lydia.

Who knew they were going to pick me for the second stage? This meant my chances of getting the loan now were higher.

“Oh, thank you, God!” I said as I placed the phone to my ear, awaiting Lydia to pick it up.

“Girl! I got the mail to come in for a meeting with the financial director.”

“Yay! I told you! There is no way you wouldn’t have been selected.”

At that moment, something occurred to me—what if Lydia had put in a word for her with her brother to ensure I got the loan? It was not beyond Lydia to do.

“Lydia?”

“Yes? What’s up?”

“Did you, by chance, speak with your brother or anyone on my behalf?”

“Well . . .”

“What do you mean well?” I asked as I felt my emotions begin to well up.

“Calm down, Liz. I didn’t.”

I heard her laughing from the other end of the phone, knowing she was just joking.

“Oh, thank God!”

“I know you wouldn’t want me to do that. So, as hard as it was, I didn’t do anything or pull any strings. Your proposal did all of the work, girl!”

Letting out a sigh of relief, I felt joy in my heart, hearing those words. “Thank you very much, Lydia.”

“Come on! You’re welcome! So now I hope you finally get the loan. Girl, this is becoming a reality!”

Lydia’s words got me thinking immediately. There was a chance of me getting the loan, and this meant one thing—it was all coming together.

The thought of everything coming together and my brand becoming a reality stirred up a whirlwind of mixed emotions.

I felt happy because, finally, I was close to getting the money. At the same time, I was anxious because now I no longer had an excuse for not putting myself out there.

All this time, I had convinced myself that the lack of money to fund the business was what held me back. But now, there was no room for excuses anymore. It was time to implement all of the courses of action I had set out for the brand. Nevertheless, there was a part of me that still worried about the growth of the brand. What if things went south? What if I didn’t get the customers I hoped to get? What if the brand ended up being a flop, and all of my hard work and money went to waste?

Various thoughts of potential mishaps kept running through my head, making me wonder if I was still on the right track.

As I let out a breath, I could feel my head beginning to ache from the flood of simultaneous thoughts.

“Elizabeth!” I suddenly heard my name, reminding me that I was still on the call with Lydia.

Oh my!

“Oh yes, yes, I’m here. Why are you shouting so much?”

“Well, you can’t blame me. You weren’t responding.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I just blanked out on my thoughts for a minute.”

“Is everything okay?” The question she asked was one I didn’t even have an answer to, but of course, I wasn’t about to burden Lydia with my insecurities.

“Couldn’t be better. I guess it just hit me that it is all becoming a reality right in front of me,” I said with a forced smile on my face as though she could see me.

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