The family

RIX's P.O.V

We continue running, even though we're already exhausted, it didn't stop us from keeping our legs moving. 

Harley runs faster than me but I can tell that he is running slower so I could catch up to him.

"You…hah…can…" I was about to say that he can leave me and run faster instead but I am having a hard time catching my breath. 

When we got to the 3rd block, Harley held my hand and pulled me somewhere.

What is he doing?!

He pulled me to a dark alley and covered my mouth with his left hand.

I stood there shocked by what he did. What if that man in a tuxedo sees us here? 

I looked around and my anxiety grew when I saw that we're in a dead end. 

How could we escape that man if this is already a dead end?!

Oh no, what should we do? A few more steps… he's getting nearer… and nearer… AHHHCK!

I knelt and progressed into rapping. "Please kill us! I mean, no! Don't kill us! You won’t get anything good from our bodies!”

The old man ruffles his brow. Oh my god, am I not that convincing?!

“We— don't have money. We have a bad liver because we always drink alcohol until we pass out! I have a bad lungs because we're so engaged in smoking, even the illegal ones? You know? Okay, we even smoke cocaine, ecstasy, and we're like jamming because it's funny to have a comrade doing the same thing as you like no matter how illegal it is, you know? And… I have a brother to support. Please… not us?"

I closed my eyes as I waited for him to talk. This is so embarrassing! Really! Because I never did any of those.

I was a bad drinker. Only one to three shots, and I pass out. I can't even take the smokes I smell, how could I smoke on my own? Cripes, I'm dead. How could I even say we're doing “that” together?

"But… you said you were a decent woman?" asked Harley. 

I grunted almost above a whisper. "Stop crapping about shits, Harley, I'm trying to save us here!"

The old man laughed. 

What's funny?

Am I funny?

Shoot! What if he proceeds into not believing me and ends up killing me? Or us? Oh, please.

"I'm serious! Don't laugh like that."

He cleared his throat in the middle of the struggle to keep out his chortles. 

Is it really that funny when I deliver those words?

"Uhm, actually,I came here because of Mr. Apollo. and he would like to make you presentable. This is your first day. Congratulations, you're hired. But… that was a situation. Did you just confess all your sins to me?"

F—Fuck. 

Is this for real?

My shoulder dropped. 

"REALLY? But what kind of job is that exactly, Rix?" asked Harley.

"Don't try to ask, you might have stolen me the job that almost ate me alive in embarrassment the moment I asked for it," I said with a smile on my face.

"Psh, I just want to know! what if it's dangerous?" he asked, now his voice subsided. "What if there's no one there to protect you?"

"You saying what?" I asked. He waved his hand and refused anything I heard.

Well, to finish this unnecessary conversation with him, I nodded. 

The old man offered his hand to me in a form of assistance. 

"May I?" he asked. 

"No! I'm better this way!" I said and laughed to throw away the embarrassment I felt.  

"l shall escort you to the salon first, Ms. Rix."

“Salon? for what? I'm already dressed up, it's fine, actually. I can do the maid's job this way," I said. 

There was a trace of misunderstanding in his face. He furrowed his brows, and now stopped from walking. "Uhm, this is not a maid job. It's a high paying rare job you will never find again. It's kind of offensive if you mistake it over a maid's job."

What? So am I wrong? But his cousins told me I just have to stay with him in his home? 

Don't tell me..

"You'll be his pretend wife. And now, you're gonna meet and greet his family."

I'm fuck up!

***

This man should've come to me personally and told me everything about the fucking job he's offering. 

How dare he send me multiple couriers to bring me to him?

Is his cousin and the old man who is the driver enough or there'll be another more? Darn. 

The old man escorted me to a high storey building, we used an elevator, and I'm guessing we were heading to the penthouse because that's the button the old man pushed.

It's so chilly already on the way here, but why do I feel myself in a hot temperature? I feel like I'm burning!

Ahck, this dress I'm wearing is silk, I could feel it tearing apart in two. Fine, I have a good curve, but I'm also a little plump so it's disturbing. 

The hair and makeup is weighty, and I can't lift it on my own. I should've asked for more assistance,should I? I mean, to carry all of what’s applied to my face.

Scratch that. 

I'm now in front of the lads, in a formal room, on a formal occasion, that I'd never attended my whole life. 

So this is a suite? This is what it looks like? 

Just wow. 

He looked at me, smiling. I mean, that darn Apollo.

"Hey darling!you're here!" Apollo said, waving his hand.

Darling your foot!

But in return, I smiled at him, sarcastically, and just walked to where he's heading.

"Don't try to say anything. I will do the job. Just act like your teeth are hurting so bad because of the wisdom tooth so you wouldn't have to speak," he whispered. 

I smiled bitterly and nodded. 

As if I had a choice? Tch. 

They looked at me gravely. Darn, I can't tell what their faces are saying, it's all serious. All I feel is I’m being interrogated from the physical features whether I passed the family’s kind of faces or not. 

I tried hard to hide the awkwardness in my face but I couldn't hide it. I laughed awkwardly while waving my hand, and saying, “H-Hi?”

A long silence prevailed.

Apollo saved my ashamed ass from the crowds. 

"This is my wife, Beatrix Fernando."

He proceeded to introduce me to his family, one by one. His father, mother, two sisters, a brother, a grandmother, a grandfather, his aunt, and uncle. 

We kept exchanging fake smiles as our eyes met.

I feel my feet are getting numb because I've been standing for a couple of minutes and Apollo the Great is not insisting. 

He still makes my blood boil. 

But to think he saved my bankrupt ass, my anger instantly subsided. 

Apollo whispered. "Don't you dare speak again. I'll do the rest, just sit there."

I nodded. 

He's so manly, he makes some people scared with that little chirping he just made. 

If I acted my gums hurt, then I wouldn't be able to eat all of this delicious food? Aww… But I like this!

No, I love all of these!

The topic for today is seafood. so all the food I see is seafood. And I'm drooling, dying to taste all of them!

I gulped.

I looked around.

No one was eating. They acted so sophisticated and elegant.

A waiter came in, and he served a little food, one by one. 

A waiter in a suite? Yeah, I know this is a hotel, but we're not really in the restaurant. This is an exclusive dinner.

Is it necessary to hire a waiter? Are they lazy?

People with money will put your body at rest. You will never be able to walk again to exercise and make your blood circulate regularly.

Yes, that was disappointing, but… but… it's envious.

I wish I could get a life like that. 

Now, back to the food!

I ate the appetizer. but before that, I made sure that I'm making it right. I looked at Apollo and how good he was doing this. 

I looked at his sister, and wow! I finally got a role model.

I was looking at her while eating. 

Then a waiter came in again, and again, and at last! We're down to the main course.

"So Beatrix, correct?" her mother, Jade, said. I gulped, trying to hide my boiling stomach. 

Darn, I'm hungry. I want to eat like a pig now, AS IN NOW!

"Yes, mom, that was correct." Apollo said. 

"Stop, I wasn't talking to you."

"Mom, her gums are swelling because of her growing wisdom teeth. They were growing at the same time. So she's having a hard time speaking."

I nodded and squinted my eyes just to complement my fake smile. 

But his mother just won't listen. 

Darn, this is making me nervous, so I drink the water. 

"What do you do for a living?" her sister Jayra, asked.

In nervousness, I accidentally cough. 

"Are you okay dar?" 

Dar? Dar as in what? Is that a short of darling?

Shit he was hot when we're having s*x but now he's so corny and out of character!

But I nodded. 

"Well, Beatrix's parents owned a taxi company, and now that they died in a car accident, she was the new owner," answered Apollo. 

I CAN'T TAKE IT! I HAVE TO EAT THE FOOD THAT THEY WERE ALL IGNORING!

Since Apollo is busy reasoning out about me, I ate the king crab. It was so big but luckily they had scissors. 

Slurp! Slurp! yummy!

I can't believe I'm eating this with a tasty sauce!

I was too busy, but I noticed something off. 

The silence became noticeable, so I looked around.

"W-What?" I asked. 

"Apollo, have you informed your wife that you were gonna eat the main course once grandmother did?" asked his mom, Jayra. 

Aish… I can feel the sauce all over my face. Now, I'm embarrassed. 

Apollo facepalm.

"I know, I know! I'm sorry!" I whispered. 

"It's okay, here's the tissue.," said the grandmother. Also, she's cute. she's new to this family so I hope you choose kindness over that face."

They were all making a face of disgust while laughing. Except for Apollo. Because he was ashamed of me. 

Do I look like a hungry pig to them? Aish, this is all my fault. I should've eaten before coming here.

But maybe I should be partially happy because I'm getting back at him?

**

"Here's the cake," said his dad. 

Cake for what? Hmm, does every family dinner require cake? 

"Beatrix."

Everyone looked shocked when their mother announced my name. 

What was that for?

Apollo whispered, "That means you'll do the cake cutting. Please, don't embarrass me."

"Me?" I asked. Her mom smiled at me.

I can't feel any fake in those smiles. I just did as I asked. 

"Here I go!" I shouted. 

Apollo's face palmed again. And as I do the cake cutting, it's getting hard.

Wait, why is the soft cake this difficult to cut?

"Hehe," came out of my mouth.

I don't know what to do anymore as well!

I forcibly cut the cake, just to find out that it was a piece of carton. 

Yes, a  two layer cake, but they never told me about it.

My body is covered in icing. 

I can't take the embarrassment anymore.

Apollo pulled my hand, and he excused us. 

He brought in his room that was still inside the hotel, but not inside the suite. 

Maids cleaned me up, they insisted. They even brought me a new pair of clothes, more comfortable than the last one. 

But I told them I'm fine, 'cause I had to stream down these tears I've been keeping all day long. 

I'm so embarrassed. 

***

"Leave this room."

It was Apollo. All the maid's went out. 

His voice is authoritative, no one can get past him. Including me. 

"You're dead."