Victory Collection-Book Two

The Billionaire

The Billionaire

They say he's smart ... yeah, too smart to be fooled by others, or so he thought. Raymond had just won a billion dollars in a sweepstakes contest! It was the happiest day of his life!

People said: "No one really wins those things", but he did! He thought about all of the things he could buy: a 115 foot super yacht and a Bed and Breakfast Inn at a resort area in Vermont; a cottage in Maine and a bungalow in the Bahamas. He bought many new cars, a Lamborghini, 3 Rolls-Royces, 2 Mercedes and a Bentley and Ferrari.

He bought expensive jewelry and clothes for lady-friends. He had friends and distant relatives coming from every direction. His parents were gone and he had no brothers or sisters. He thought all of his new friends would make up for that.

He ate so much chocolate and rich food that he started to gain weight. He also started other bad habits like smoking and drinking and gambling. His life became empty and shallow. Many sweepstakes winners are sorry they ever won a lot of money. Several of them have been killed by family members or their in-laws!

People just seemed to like him only for his money and fame. He felt all alone. His "friends" were just using him to get something they wanted. He was famous alright, because he owned hotels, restaurants, stores and casinos. But none of that could buy happiness.

One day, Raymond met a special young woman named Kathy in one of his restaurants. She didn't know he was the owner or that he was rich.

He decided to keep it from her, so he could meet someone without his money. He wanted to see if she liked him for himself. The started going to church together and to the museums, the zoo, the planetarium and ice cream shops.

After a while, their relationship became more serious and the fell in love. They talked about the future and Kathy said her plan was to become a nurse.

They began talking about marriage and having a family. That's when Kathy told Raymond a secret. She had an illness, Cystic Fibrosis, that would be passed down to any children she might have. She was what was called a "carrier" of the disease and would give it to her children. Raymond loved Kathy so much that he wanted to marry her anyway. He was in favor of adopting a child if necessary.

He felt, at that moment, he should tell her "his" secret, that he was a extremely rich man; now that he knew she loved him, thinking he was a restaurant assistant manager. It was actually one of the many restaurants that he owned.

When he said he was a billionaire, Kathy was shocked, but said she would love him, rich or poor. He vowed to find the best doctors to treat her disease. He thought his money could buy anything, including good health. But her illness kept getting worse and she was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

Raymond went to see her every day. She grew worse and continued to get weaker. She had developed a lung infection that the hospital staff was having trouble controlling. She stayed in a coma most of the time but responded a little to his voice.

Poor Raymond prayed that she would live, but the infection was too severe. The nurses watched her constantly and the doctors checked her too. But she finally died from the infection. God might or might not decide when someone dies, but He knows the future. So, he knows if it is the right time.

Still, it was so hard for Raymond to accept. He felt his life was over too and he wanted to die. But God didn't want that for him. He knew that Raymond had a purpose in life and that his money could do a great deal of good in the world.

Kathy's father, a pastor, was at the hospital almost as often as Raymond. So, of course, he was mourning his daughter too. First his wife died the year before and now Kathy.