CHAPTER 3: FAMILY PICTURE

Lauren stood in front of the bathroom sink, rubbing honey off her face. She sighed, annoyed at the little Casper who had poured it on her. She glanced at herself in the mirror and shook her head, knowing that she looked ridiculous.

As she turned to leave the bathroom, she bumped into the eldest child, Amethyst. "Oh, sorry, Amy," she said, trying to move past her.

But Amethyst blocked her way, her arms folded across her chest, "Cook me something," she said, a hint of challenge in her voice.

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "What would you like me to cook?"

"I want something delicious. Something that will make my taste buds sing," Amethyst said, with a small smile.

Lauren wasn't sure what to make, but she decided to give it a try. She's not a good cook but can learn some dishes but she knew that Amethyst was a picky eater.

As she began to prepare the food, she heard Amethyst muttering under her breath. "She better not mess this up," Amethyst said to herself.

Lauren could feel the pressure building as she tried to create something that would satisfy Amethyst's taste buds. She was so focused that she didn't realize she had burnt the food until she saw the smoke rising from the pan.

Amethyst stood up from her seat at the table. "What is that smell?" she asked, her nose wrinkling.

Lauren felt her cheeks flush as she tried to salvage the food. "I'm sorry, I burnt it. I'll try again," she said.

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Why are you even working here if you can't even cook?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

Lauren felt a pang of hurt and embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I'll try again," she repeated.

Amethyst shook her head. "Don't bother. You'll never get it right," she said, as she walked away.

Lauren was left standing alone, feeling defeated. She wondered if she was really cut out for this job. She had been trying so hard to get close to the family, but it seemed like they were always finding fault with her.

As she was lost in thought, she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. She looked up to see Damien, the cold CEO and father of the children, walking towards her.

He looked at her, his eyes assessing. "What's the matter, Lauren?" he asked.

Lauren felt a lump form in her throat. "I'm sorry, Mr. Damien. I burnt the food that Amethyst wanted me to cook, and she was upset," she said, her voice low.

Damien looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "It's difficult to get close to my children. They can be... demanding," he said, with a small smile.

Lauren nodded, feeling a bit better. She appreciated that Damien was trying to understand her struggles.

But then he looked at her sternly. "But if you can't take care of them, then you need to pack your things and leave," he warned.

Lauren felt the pressure building again. She knew that she had to step up her game if she wanted to keep this job. She vowed to do her best, no matter what.

As Damien walked away, Lauren took a deep breath. She knew that this job wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to make it work. She just hoped that she was up to the challenge.

A day passed by in a flurry of activities. Lauren found herself spending most of her time in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes and trying to come up with dishes that the spoiled children would like.

She consulted with Ms. Rosales most of the time for advice and guidance, and the head maid was always there to help her.

Ms. Rosales, the head maid, had taken her under her wing, showing her the ropes, and giving her all the tips and tricks she needed to know to keep the house running smoothly.

Today, Ms. Rosales was teaching Lauren about the foods that the spoiled children, Amethyst, Carson and Casper, liked. "They're very picky eaters," Ms. Rosales warned. "So you have to be careful what you serve them."

Lauren listened intently, eager to learn all she could about pleasing the finicky kids. "What about Mr. Burlington?" she asked. "What does he like?"

Ms. Rosales frowned. "Don't bother about him. He is rarely ever home. And even when he is, he's a picky eater too."

But Lauren was determined. She wanted to impress the boss, even if it was just with food. So, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She spent her day off researching and testing out recipes that she thought would appeal to Mr. Burlington's taste buds.

One afternoon, Damien Burlington unexpectedly returned home early from work. Lauren saw this as her chance to test out her food on the notoriously picky CEO. She approached him confidently with a plate of Beef Wellington.

"Sir, I've made a special dish for you to try," she said, her heart pounding in her chest.

Damien eyed the dish skeptically. "I don't have time for this," he said curtly. But before he could turn away, Lauren insisted.

"Please, sir. Just take a bite. I promise you won't regret it."

Feeling somewhat intrigued, Damien relented and took a small bite.

As he chewed, he felt a sudden jolt of memory. It was like he had tasted this dish before, but he couldn't remember where or when.

"Lauren," he said, his voice shaking. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

Lauren looked at Damien in surprise. "I learned from my mom, sir. She loved to cook. Are you okay?"

Damien looked lost in thought, his mind spinning with memories. "Never mind, Lauren."

Lauren felt confused. She had seen Damien's reaction to the beef Wellington, but she didn't understand what was going on. She watched in silence as Damien left the room without saying another word.

Lauren also walk away outside the CEO office, carrying the plate of beef Wellington. She couldn't help but notice the large wedding frame attached to the wall.

It was a beautiful picture of the CEO Damien with his wife, both with happy faces and their three kids standing by their side.

As Lauren admired the picture, she was suddenly startled by a voice behind her.

"I see you've noticed the wedding picture," said Ms. Rosales, the head maid, "Beautiful isn't it?"

Lauren turned around, surprised to see her superior in the hallway.

"Yes, it's quite lovely," she said, looking back at the picture.

Ms. Rosales nodded in agreement. "They were a happy family," she said.

Lauren smiled, not realizing that the CEO had a wife and she haven't seen her. "It's nice to see Damien so happy with her beautiful wife but where is she?" she said.

Ms. Rosales looked at Lauren strangely. "Don't you know what happened to his wife?" she asked.

"No, I don't," Lauren said, confused.

Ms. Rosales sighed and led Lauren to a quiet corner. "Three years ago," she whispered, "the CEO's wife died in a car accident. It was a terrible tragedy, and Damien has never been the same since."

Lauren was stunned. She had no idea that Damien had been through such a loss. "I had no idea," she said.

"That's understandable," Ms. Rosales said. "We try to keep things like this private. But you should know that Damien is a sensitive man. He loves his family deeply, and he's still grieving the loss of his wife."

Lauren felt guilty for not knowing about Damien's wife and realized that she needed to be more sensitive to his emotions. "Thank you for telling me," she said.