5: REALITY

Alvira sat on the small couch in the corridor behind the mansion replaying all that had happened earlier in her head. No matter how many times she replayed it. she just couldn't understand where she went wrong.  It wasn't like they've met before.  I mean if she had met him before, there was no way she could forget. He had such a strikingly handsome appearance. Then what was it?

Alvira asked herself lost in her own thoughts, she had been brought down here after the encounter with Simon and practically all the maids in the mansion had gathered around her. The maids who now surrounded her gossiped about Simon, everyone telling their own version of how ruthless Simon had been to the previous care givers.

Alvira looked at them and then finally understood why they were all acting weird that morning, they saw her as the next victim of Simon Walker and they all shared in the pity.

The maid who had not only led her into the house but had also taken her to Simon’s room looked at her with distress.

"Why didn't you obey what I told you when you arrived? Do you think I have no idea what I was saying? You are lucky Sir Simon didn't punish you immediately!"  The maid said and Alvira looked at her.

Alvira knew that by punish, she meant fire. From the discussions of the maids, Alvira deduced that this woman was called Lara, she had a long brown hair which was packed in a neat bun like that of the others but she was older and from the look of things, she seemed to be the longest serving maid here but Alvira couldn’t be sure about that as there were many elderly maids there too after all.

"You already told her the rules?" The maid who had dragged Alvira out of Simon's room asked Lara with surprise.

"Every single one of them. I thought Miss Alvira here even though young really needed the job, but it obviously seem that she came here to play. You would be fired without a second thought and no one would help you. No one can help you against Mr. Simon, Miss Alvira." Lara immediately scolded and all the maid followed suit.

"That’s true. Even the other caregiver, what was her name..... I don't remember, number fifteen, that girl loved Sir Simon, really loved him. He treated her like trash. That is someone who loved him. Do you think he would spear someone like you?" Another maid asked angrily.

Since there have been so many caregivers than they could count, they all addressed them by their number. And number fifteen was the one who gave birth to the rule, ‘Don't fall in love with him.’

The maid who had brought Alvira downstairs looked at her with distress and sighed. "What do I do now? Since you already heard all the rules and chose to blatantly ignore them, how do I save my job now that you have involved me?"

Alvira who only halfheartedly heard all the maid had been saying came to two conclusions;

One she wasn't going to be fired. Her father's life depended on this so she would be damned if she allowed herself to fail.

Two, if Mr. Simon was as much of an asshole as she had heard, then she was going to treat him like one.

She stood up and the gossiping maids gave her a questioning look while she returned her beautiful smile, "I think I should go back to Mr. Simon’s room." She said and began to leave but the maid who had dragged her out drew her back.

"Have you gone mad? If Mr. Simon said he wants you to be lectured. It means he doesn't want to see your face today at all." The maid said frantically but Alvira smiled.

"Jane right?" Alvira asked and the maid who was about her age nodded with a frown.

"Jane, if I sit around all day and avoid my duty post because of a little difficulty how can I earn my salary with pride? Since you have already told me what to do, I understand. I w…ould follow the rules." Alvira said with a fake smile.

She knew in her heart that if her father was here he would know she was lying. She was the only one who gave such a fake smile when she lied but this people never met her, they didn't know her well so that was okay.

"Even if you want to go back to your Sir Simon, go tomorrow when he has cooled off and have probably forgotten about Jane’s involvement in this. If you go back now, not only you but Jane might be fired as well." Lara explained and the others agreed.

"How can he fire Jane? Was Jane employed by him?" Alvira asked with wide innocent eyes, even though her heart were making plans on how to deal with Simon.

"No. He doesn't employ people, but that doesn't mean Sir Simon doesn't have an authority in this house. He is the heir." Jane explained in frustration.

Of all the caregivers they have encountered they have never met one who had a problem understanding things like this Alvira girl. She was going to get them all in trouble.

"Okay. I understand. I would go get my bag and leave for the day." Alvira said again with a fake smile and all the maids let out a sigh of relieve.

But the moment she left them she ran up the stairs to Simon’s room. Knowing now that if she knocked he wouldn't open the door, she walked right in.

Simon who was ready to scold the stupid maid who dared to walk in, looked at her with shock.

"You?" He clearly didn't expect her to come back upstairs after the order he gave those maid. Clearly those maids did not understand a word of what he said.

Fine if they didn't understand he would get people who understood. He reached out for the phone to call up the maid again.

"Don’t bother." Alvira said looking at him with a pleasant smile but he stared at her angrily. He could clearly see the mocking smile on her face and it pissed him off.

"They already told me what I needed to hear about your rules." Alvira said as she began to pace, "And they are very nice rules I must say Mr. Simon. Can I call you Mr. Simon or you prefer your royal highness." Alvira asked as she suddenly turned to him.

Simon’s face twisted with anger. How dare this bitch insult him?

He reached for the phone it doesn't matter if they had lectured her or not. He would make the guards bundle this street urchin and throw her out.

"I said don't bother! The phone won't work. I cut off its connection before coming upstairs." Alvira declared and Simon looked at her shocked. He had never met someone who would dare do such a thing in his life.

What he didn’t know was that Alvira was gambling. She was going for a resort that she hoped could help her keep this job. Since she now knew being submissive and understanding didn’t work with this patient.

"How dare you?!" He growled with a twisted face.

"I’m sorry Mr. Simon but I had no choice, you! gave me no choice. You see the phone beside your bed seem to make you forget something very vital." Alvira stated with shiny eyes and this information she held that Simon hadn't realize drew his attention, he was mad but he wanted to know what this caregiver was playing at.

If she was really bold enough to tamper with his phone connection, she could suffers something worse than getting fired, he could easily frame her and make her end up in jail for a long time.

"You are crippled." Alvira stated as if it meant nothing and anger busted within Simon.

"How dare you!"

"What! It annoys you? Do you feel humiliated Mr. Simon? Well you shouldn't because there are many people who would mind saying that in your face out there where there would be people to laugh at you. You are crippled and the phone beside you makes you forget how much you need a caregiver." Alvira stated silencing the fuming Simon.

“I don’t need anyone.” Simon said through gritted teeth but Alvira ignored him and continued.

"Another thing you don't understand is you don't make the rules, I am your caregiver, I make the rules and my rules are simple, from now on I would be in charge of taking care of you. I don't care what your opinions are.  If it makes you so angry try walking again." Alvira said angrily not thinking about the consequences of the words she said.

This was what she was like. She was a very nice and jovial person and just like every other extrovert, her anger was a pain in the ass.

"You are fired!" Simon said in a low voice that seem like a growl.

"What?" Alvira asked. Pretending not to hear him.

"You are fired!" He thundered but Alvira laughed mockingly.

"You can't fire me Mr. Simon, you didn't employ me, so you have no power over that." She said and Simon’s face twisted like someone who was about to have a convulsion while Alvira smiled sweetly at his helplessness.

"Now that we have discussed the rules, I would go get someone to help you freshen up, then we would get you breakfast." Alvira said with a smile and quickly walked out of the room.

Though she said she had cut off the phone link it was all a lie, she knew it was only a matter of time before Simon found out, so she had to cut it in person before he found out.

Alvira left the fuming Simon speechless. He was so angry he didn't even know how to react, he had never met a person so disrespectful, annoying, and hateful in his life. He wonder how her parents taught her.

How dare she flaunt in his face that he could not fire her. She wanted his grandparents to do the firing?  Fine. He would give her just that. He would tell his grandparent all the nonsense she had done today and have her fired. He thought with a smile.

But in his eagerness he didn't realize how miserable and dependent he would be without the bedside phone. If he had known, he would have probably requested a replacement instead.