ROSE
The corner of his lips twitched a little.
"Working personally for me means you go where I go, do what I say, when and anytime I say it," he paused, letting the words sink in, "You don't take orders from anyone but me. Not even my step mother or brother."
The last part made my heart skip a bit. How was I supposed to work for Mrs Marcelo with all these?
"Yes, sir," I replied. Not because what he said sat well with me, but because I was obligated to agree with him as my boss.
"Take all the rest you need, do not lift a finger if that will make you heal faster. Tomorrow, you resume work. For me," he stretched the last two words. "You may go."
That was it. He was done with me. Dismissed.
I stood up and left his room, fighting the urge to jam the door so hard it pulls out of its frame.
I hadn't descended the stairs when I caught sight of Mrs Marcelo. She locked eyes with me, nodded outside,indicating she wanted to have a word with me.
As soon as we were out of sight, she asked. "Why did he ask to see you?
I took a deep breath and told her everything. She hissed and looked around before handing me something. Small. Black. A listening bug.
"This will make your job a lot easier."
I frowned and handed it back to her. "I'm sorry ma, but ill like to try this on my own first. This is risky."
"Dont be foolish and reck;ess," she spewed. "You think Caelin is easy to break? You don't have any idea who you're dealing with. Its better you get this done and over with." she advised.
My breath hitched. I knew how dangerous Caelin is, but the way she said it made it sound,,,more scary.
"I understand, but ill still have to try this on my own," I insisted.
She looked at me and nodded, "As you wish, but don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, she walked away, leaving me standing alone, thinking if i did the right thing refusing that bug. What if Caelin finds it on me? That would mean more trouble for me, and there's a possibility that Mrs Marcelo would deny hiring me if I'm caught. No matter what feud they had, it didn't change the fact that they were a family. They would come together against an outsider before going back to whatever issues they had. I can't risk being in the midst of their drama. I needed to take revenge for my brother's death and leave alive.
I finally moved and headed back to the quarters. Madam Tovia stood by the door, hands on her hips. I rolled my eyes a little when I saw her. It was faint, but I didn't expect her to see it.
'Wow!' she exclaimed. "You really think you're something. Rolling your eyes at your superior."
I ignored that, "Good mor—,"
"Hold your greetings, I don't need them. Besides, there's nothing good about the morning."
I heaved a sigh of frustration, trying hard not to roll my eyes again.
"The boss has informed me about your new task in this house. Do not think you've escaped me, because I still have the highest say,"
"Yes ma'am," I replied, simply.
Her eyes sparkled with something. Disappointment.
I knew that look. I didn't give her the reaction she wanted to get out of me, thereby, ending her tantrum. She sized me up, hissed, and walked away.
She waited here just to remind me that she was the head maid? Head maid? That wasn't something to brag about, but who cares?
The rest of the day went by in a blur. Everyone went about their duties, and just as Caelin had suggested, I stayed in bed, resting my nerves because I don't know what tomorrow holds. The maids brought in food, and each time, I felt guilty. Making them serve me was uncomfortable for me, but they did it with smiles on their faces, probably happy to take care of me since I was still recovering. I was sure they'd heard about the new development, but none of them said anything about it. Except for Madam Tovia who kept coming in to spew hurtful words and defend her territory as the 'head maid'. Each time she came in, I would always pretend I was asleep. Making her feel like she was a mad person speaking to herself. This fueled her fury,a s she kept returning when she thought she had something more hurtful to say, but each time, I would feign deep sleep.
Frustrated, she decided to take things beyond words. She walked in with a full bucket of cold water. She probably dissolved a big chunk of ice and walked into the room with it. I heard her walk in, I recognized her steps, but I shut my eyes again, pretending to sleep. For a moment she didn't move or make any sound. I wondered if she tiptoed back outside, or if she was just pretending not to be there to see if I'd turn around. I didn't move. I listened to the silence, taking in every sound. Even the sound of the wind filtering into the room through the window. I stayed still. Refusing to move a muscle. Suddenly, SPLASH. She poured the entire content of the bucket on me. I sprang up from my bed with a scream. I was soaked down to my panties, My bed was soaked, the floor was flooded.
Cold sipped through me immediately, eating at my bones quicker than I thought. Two maids rushed in but stopped abruptly when they saw her, bumping into each other.
"You think you can appear from nowhere and make a fool out of me?" she barked. Breathing heavily.
I couldn't speak, I just hugged myself tightly , trying to warm myself up, but the wet cloth clung to my wound so I decided to lift it with two fingers.
"You are a–,' the rest of the sentence got stuck in her throat when a familiar voice spoke at the door, behind the two maids.
"What is going on here?" a deep voice asked,
Everybody's eyes darted to the door.
Caelin.