Page 11 of A Billionaire's Secret

I waited in the stall until I heard her shut her locker, and her footsteps vanished down the hall. I peeked out of the stall to ensure my ears weren’t playing tricks on me and exhaled. I decided to go home for lunch instead of lingering here, around the lion’s den. I smoothed out my hair, wiped off the sweat from my face and neck, and once I felt somewhat presentable, I started the walk of shame to my car.

"Still mad at me for winning the race? Can't handle the fact that someone outperformed you?" Victoria popped up from behind me just I exited the building.

"Oh, please! Winning the race is the least of my concerns." I blurted out before I could censor my words and immediately regretted it.

“What isthatsupposed to mean?” She leaned in, shoved her face a little too close to mine, and raised her voice a few notches. “I greeted you earlier, but you completely ignored me. Well, whatisyour problem?”

“Diana, watch your tone,” I fired back at the entitled, arrogant girl. “Do you go around your horses with that negative energy? It’s not good for them, you know.”

“Oh! Who do you think you are? The horse whisperer?” Diana yelled louder. “The nerve you have!”

Her yell broke me out of shock, and I realized I was at the center of a petty scene. I looked around frantically, hoping that no one saw us, and exhaled when I didn’t see anyone around. I kept my mouth tight-lipped, gave Diana an honest look of concern, and walked away.

I kept my head down as I walked to my truck, hoping to avoid any more encounters. I saw Christian in his car with just the peripheral of my left eye. He was on the phone and didn’t notice me. I jumped in my truck, locked the doors, and sped away.

For the first time ever, the only place that had always been a haven for me had now begun to feel like a trap. If I didn’t owe Barrington Downs a ton of back dues, I’d be in the market for a new club. But at this point, no one would be as generous as James Barrington had been with me.

***

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling with a suffocating feeling in my throat. With each passing minute, I felt worse and worse about myself and the turn my life had taken. I reached around my neck to locate my pendant and massage it for comfort. Sheer panic washed over me when I realized it wasn’t there. The chain remained intact, but my white daisy pendant was gone. Somehow, to add to the catastrophic events of the last few days, the gold charm that had been inseparable from me for over ten years had now also decided to leave me.

I glanced at the picture of my Grandfather, Jimmy, and my eyes teared up.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa,” I whispered through an escalating sob.

He had given me the daisy charm for my sixteenth birthday to commemorate my first horse—Daisy, who had passed just a few weeks before. My heart was broken over her loss, and I swore never to take the chain off.

My Grandfather was my idol. I worshipped the ground he walked on. And galloped on. He was my first mentor and the most dedicated trainer I’d ever have. Jimmy Hampton was a local celebrity and the consecutive winner of two Kentucky Derby races.

My Grandfather had fought long and hard with my father, who wanted nothing to do with horse racing to keep me interested and engaged in the sport. And until his last breath, he prepared me for the life of a jockey. It wasn’t an easy life, but it was the only one I wanted.

My tears dried out slowly, and I reached for my phone. I had six missed calls and a message from Sahara’s owner.

“Hi John, sorry I missed your call,” I cleared my throat and waited for his response.

"Victoria," he said in a deep, raspy voice, "can you race Serenity for me on Friday? Her jockey fell sick, and we’re scheduled for a State Competition. I know it’s last minute, and you probably need a little rest now—”

“I’d love to,” I cut him off. “I’ll be at your ranch in an hour to see her and practice a little.”

“You’re a lifesaver!” John rejoiced.

No, you and Serenity are.

I got up from the bed and left all my self-pity in the bedroom when I shut the door behind me. My mother was watering a plant near the coffee nook while my father was fighting with the computer mouse, trying to decipher how this new technology worked.

“Vicky, we haven’t seen your face in days. What’s going on? How are you feeling after that loss?” My mother asked as I bit into an apple.

“I’m fine. I’m racing again on Friday—a small State competition, nothing big.” I explained.

“So soon?” My father chimed in and peered at me from under his glasses. “Are you ready? Is your horse ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I stared into thin air. “I’m riding Serenity, John’s other horse. I’ll head over there now.”

“Vicky,” my sister yelled from her room. “Are you leaving again? Come here for a second.”

Reluctant to be bombarded with questions, I walked slowly to her room and stood under the doorframe, ready to bounce back and away if she had too many questions.

“So, where were you last night? I heard the door when you came back. At three in the morning!” Elizabeth squinted her eyes and positioned her hands on her hips.

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