CHAPTER 4

Scarlett's mouth dropped, and her eyes widened. She needed no one to tell her, her eyes were reddened, and her tear watered.

She felt as though her feet froze and she was struck right in the chest with a dagger.

"Lucas!" Daphne admonished.

"I said I do not want her, and that's final!" Lucas blurted and turned towards the door for an exit with both hands In his pocket.

Followed by a sigh, Daphne shot Scarlett an apologetic look. "Please Scarlett, I'll be back."

Right there in the study, Scarlett was still frozen, she felt as though life had been taken out of her. Above all her rejections, she could tell this is the first time she felt lifeless after being rejected.

Instantly, Scarlett prayed the ground splits and she falls into it. 

She had her fist tightened as she thought. The jerk didn't bother taking a second glance at her, before the dismissal.

Who the hell did he think he was? She howled inwardly. From the study room where she was, she could hear the muffling sound of Lucas's argument with Daphne down the hallway.

The study was just close to the hallway, so Scarlett could easily tell what was being spoken about her.

"What the hell is wrong with you Lucas? It took me such a long time before I got somebody perfect for the kids, but now Lucas… you are about screwing that up." Daphne yelled at her brother, as her tone dripped with frustration and anger.

"I don't care, Daphne, there are thousands of people out there waiting to get this opportunity, find them!" He paused and spoke softly. "You see, I don't like her, Daphne. Read my lips, I don't like her."

"Lucas!" Daphne scolded. "It took me days to find a perfect nanny like her."

"I don't care, Daphne, you will get another. Just get that piece of shit out of my house, I can't stand her." Lucas growled.

"What! Piece of shit?" Just that word stood right in Scarlett's head. She needed to take a second glance at herself to be sure there was no shit on her.

The more the word rang In her head, the angrier she got. "This is the height of it, that jerk knew me from nowhere, and he has the gut to spill such terrific words towards me."

Hurriedly, Scarlett picked up her bag and headed towards the door. It only pained her that she wouldn't meet the kids once more before she left.

She dashed out of the study and walked past all rooms until she did reach where they stood arguing.

"I'm serious Daphne, nothing you say would make me retreat on my words. Go in there and show her the way out." Lucas insisted.

"Never mind, I gladly would leave without being shown the way," Scarlett said to startle both of them.

Daphne was startled and felt sorry, but Lucas had no remorseful reaction, he merely tilted his gaze sideways with a deepened frown.

Daphne's apologetic expression was soon replaced by embarrassment, while Lucas felt nothing out of being remorseful.

She was prompted to tell him how much of an asshole he was, but she didn't. Adjusted her bag on her shoulders, squared the shoulders, and walked towards the door.

 "Scarlett, please wait." Daphne cried from where she stood.

"Let her go, Daphne." That was the last thing Scarlett caught before she pulled the door and walked out.

***

Scarlett spent the whole evening sulking, that job was the least she banked on right now before the loan sharks would come after her.

This was one awful experience she had gone through in a while. 

For the next week, Scarlett spent her time searching for jobs online, yet all those she could find were either unfavorable, too far, or the employers were just like the arrogant Lucas.

She returned to the firm through which she got approval for the nanny's job at Lucas's place. However, she met another rejection.

She was told to exercise some patience as the jobs available have been taken.

As such, Scarlett spent more time brooding over her current situation.

Her phone chimed again after the hundredth time that same day, it was just the caller who she was avoiding.

'Daphne.' For the past week, she had sent her apology emails, including that which stated Lucas accepting her on the excuse that the kids were not giving him breathing space.

All along Daphne expected a response which Scarlett refused to.

One thing Scarlett thought each time she felt like returning, the sound of the incriminating word he used to describe her was still fresh in her memory, such that even if she wanted to go, she found it difficult to.

There was nothing as bad as getting your pride hurt. Scarlett had thought on one of those times she received such mail.

Not just that alone, Daphne had bugged her with calls, yet Scarlett wasn't responding.

This evening she called severally hoping that she would pick up like the other days, but she was wrong Scarlett didn't. Not until now, Scarlett peeked at the caller ID, and the next, she did cut the call.

She prepared to sleep, then heard her phone beep. Reluctantly, she checked the content of the message as it read.

"Can we have lunch together tomorrow?" 

Scarlett sighed and said. "Perhaps it's preferable to talk physically."

***

"I'm so glad you agreed to lunch with me." Daphne greeted with a hug and a smile curved across her lips. 

Whereas Scarlett couldn't wait to tell her the way she felt, she convinced herself that regardless of how sweet or how persuasive Daphne's words were, she would never give in.

She waited till their meals were ordered and they started eating. 

"Scarlett, I'm so sorry about my brother's unruly behavior the previous day." She apologized, breaking the silence.

"Is he?" Scarlett blustered as she hoped to get a positive response about Lucas being sorry.

Daphne held tight to her cutlery in a brief silence then changed her stance. "Scarlett, you know what, I never expected this but the kids are always asking after you every day."

Daphne's attitude spoke it all, she could tell that Lucas never felt sorry. A more reason she never would return there, even if she's offered diamonds as pay. Scarlett vowed inwardly.

"Claire keeps sulking and asking about you Scarlett, she never allows me a bit of rest."

"Really!" 

"Yes Scarlett, even Callan seems to like you, he does so much in bugging my brother about hiring you back." Daphne squeezed Scarlett's hand in hers and said.

"They need you Scarlett please, the twins need you."

A part of Scarlett felt bad for the kids, yet the least she could do was feel sorry for the kids, her happiness comes first.

"I'm sorry Scarlett, I know how an asshole my brother was to you but please, do reconsider." Daphne pleaded.

Slowly, Scarlett took her hands away from Daphne's. "Why not try another nanny, surely there are several young girls and even married women who would want this, why not go for them?"

Daphne pleaded further. "Scarlett, trust me even if that was possible, I would still come for you, but it's not. You are the first of all to reach the stage of meeting Lucas. Everyone else is not willing  to get committed to the kids."

"It's either the kids are too scared of them or they don't even like them."

Deep down, Scarlett she was sure the kids had nothing to do with her decision. It was just their dumbass father that ignited the whole mess.

To think further, he couldn't at least send a mail stating how sorry he was to have messed her up.

One thing was certain and clear to Scarlett, if she ended up working with them without a sincere apology from Lucas, she would end up facing hell.

To save Daphne from her pleadings, she needed to say something to appease her. "Give me some time to think about it, I need to get through myself first."

"Thanks, Scarlett, you really cannot tell how much this meant to me." Daphne stood up and pulled Scarlett in for a hug as she repeated. "Thanks so much, Scarlett."

Scarlett pulled out and said. "I'll call you when I make up my mind."

It took Scarlett another week to make her decision, asides from having her pride considered, Daphne had been on her throat, informing her about the kids.

Many times, both kids made sure to starve themselves on the account of Scarlett's absence.

This and several other unpleasant news reached Scarlett, and at the height of it all, she decided to return.

***

"Thanks so much for coming Scarlett, you wouldn't know how much this means to me." Daphne pulled her into a tight hug.

Scarlett pulled out and said. "Yes Daphne, I only came for the kids, I hope this turns out well?" Scarlett blustered in uncertainty.

"Trust me, Scarlett, it will, just be reminded you are here for the kids and nothing more…"

"I hope so, that's if he doesn't get in the way." Daphne planted a kiss on Scarlett's forehead to ease off the tension.

Just as she was about to dismiss Scarlett, a maid walked in to relay Lucas's message to see Scarlett.

"So I guess he is unavoidable," Scarlett said after the maid was gone.

"Just calm down, I'm very sure he wouldn't talk rashly to you, perhaps he would want to apologize,"  Daphne said with a smile.

"I hope so," Scarlett deep sighed, after which she proceeded towards the study room. 

With each step she made along the hallway, she found herself trembling within, the closer she got the faster her heart raced.

In a short while, she was before him. He sat on the black leather chair, with his gaze tightly fixed on his laptop.

A different part of Scarlett appreciated his well-defined jaw and curved brows. Deep down she acknowledged how hot he looked, but remembering his previous act, she snapped out of it.

It would have been much better if he weren't a jerk. She thought to herself.

"I'm here, you called for me." She ended up breaking the silence, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"I'm not a fool, and neither I'm I deaf to notice you." Scarlett clutched tight to the edge of her shirt to compose herself before him.

Lucas shifted his gaze from his laptop and stabilized on her. 

She could feel a pair of eyes glued to her, and that gave her the impression of how much he scrutinized her from her head to her toe.

"Do you think a shitty thing like you can touch my kids? The whole of you speaks of the slum…"

"I…," Scarlett proposed to object but he cut her short. "What makes you think a word from a blockhead like you is worth convincing me?"

Lucas stood from his seat and strode towards her, he leaned forward and said. "You stink, but a favor I need from you that's if you want this job…"

Scarlett's eyes were reddened, her bones tightened all she could feel within her was the heat of anger burning through her.

If possible, she wanted to throw a punch into that scandalous mouth of his, and another into his tummy where the stupid words proceeded from.

He ended up breaking her thoughts as he resumed. "If you will be taking the job, I have two important rules which you must abide by."

He didn't allow her to respond before he began.

"Rule One! I don't want to see your filthy hands on my kids, make sure you are clean before touching them."

"Rule Two! I don't want you close to me. People like you are nothing but gold diggers."

"Piece of shit! Daughter of a nobody!" He said softly as he walked back to his seat but Scarlett heard him pretty well.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and as much as she fought back the tears, it was visible beneath her lashes.

No outsider has ever humiliated and trampled upon her pride this way.

"So what's your decision? I've made the most important rule. I assure you, you will never find a job to elevate your status like this I'm offering."

"Are you taking the job?"

It took Scarlett a few moments to get hold of herself, she took in a lot of air into her lungs, pushed down the lump in her throat, and fixed her gaze to that of Lucas.

Within those eyeballs of hers were an iota of pain, and embarrassment.

She let a few minutes slide by before she said

 "Yes, I will."