Chapter 2
*Shit, I lost my job!*
Vanessa's POV.
It had been an hour since they left and I continued to face queries.
I winced in pain as Madam Taylor dragged me by my ear into the kitchen. The hot coffee still stung my face, but the pain in my ear was even worse. I tried to pull away, but her grip was too strong.
"Madam Taylor, please, let go," I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. "I didn't mean to insult your son, I thought he was just some jerk trying to prank me."
She finally released my ear, but her eyes were filled with anger and disappointment. "You thought my own son was a jerk? How dare you? He is the most important person in my life, and you had the audacity to slap him!" I turned mute, and maybe I began to regret my decision for slapping him.
"What is wrong with you?! I told you my son was at the table and you purposely targeted him, now he would never want to visit me." She cried, hitting me again, not caring if her palm landed on my nose or eyes. I was unsure if I would get to sleep well tonight because my face was swollen from receiving tremendous amounts of slaps from her in the last hour.
"You're a clumsy fool!" She yelled. I stood frozen on the spot and continued to let her rain insults and beatings on me. I tried to explain myself a lot of times but she didn't listen. I consoled myself with the fact that I would apologize to her once her mind settles, as far as I don't get to lose my job...
"You're fired," she said and it came at a shock to me, I'd never expect something like this. I felt sweat trickled from my face. "Take your filthy things, and don't bother to resume tomorrow."
"Madam," I fell on my knees, "Please forgive me, it was my fault, I wouldn't make the same mistake again."
"There's no need to test if you would do it again, Get out of here!" She roared.
"Forgive me, where does he live? I will go there personally to apologize to him. I'm sorry." I begged but she didn't listen.
I cannot lose this job, I just can't. I know how much it took me to get a spot here. This was the most decent job for someone like myself with only a high school diploma.
My brother is unable to get a decent job because of his criminal record, my mother doesn't have the energy to look for a job, and cleaning the nightclub at night couldn't earn me half the wages I got as a waitress here.
"Samuel!" She called and the chef came running, not wanting to get on her bad side too, "Take the miserable girl out of my sight. You want to beg for mercy when you couldn't behave yourself for a short while. Don't let me find you around this vicinity for any reason." She warned, stomping out of the kitchen.
It wasn't my fault truly, how would I know that Jerk was her son? He was the one without character.
Samuel squats to my level, patting my shoulder, "I'm sorry Vanessa, you should leave now before she comes back and meet you here, don't anger her more than she already is. You know how she can be," He said.
He helped me up, leading me to the entrance door. I held his hand firmly while we were outside, "Samuel, you're my friend, please ask her to forgive me, pls-"
"I will, you- just go for now," he interrupted. He went back inside quickly, bringing out my tote bag and handing it to me, "I'm sorry," he apologized before leaving me all alone.
Seeing the chef wasn't there anymore, my other co-workers also left for their respective duties.
I sighed hard before turning in the opposite direction of the road. I strolled on foot, the afternoon sun was burning in full blast like a million furnace and it felt like the heat was pouring on my head, I dipped my hand in my bag, bringing out my handkerchief and wiping my face with it. I must have been so stupid to overreact, what will I tell my mother? I lost the best job I've had ever since I graduated from high school and it was all my fault.
I saw a stone in front of me and kicked it away, it didn't go far, just settled two to three steps away from my feet. I walked up to the stone, this time kicking it harder than the first and it hurt my toenail and it made me more frustrated, "shit! I lost my job, what do I do?" I complained when I noticed this golden shiny, pretty polished ring still on my finger.
This stupid ring was one of the causes of my trouble today, I'd have to get rid of it.
I forced the ring out of my finger, throwing it as far away as I could and not caring where it landed.
I couldn't go back home like, what will I tell them? Victor is still struggling to get a job and the whole family depended on the little I earned. I was about to cross the road when I heard a faint call on my name, Vanessa. I looked to see who it was, it was Samuel, he looked like he had been chasing after me for a while, "Shit, Vanessa, did you lose your hearing? I was calling you for so long." He said, panting hard.
"Sorry, I was just so lost in thought-"
"Take this." He brought out an envelope from his pocket.
"Your paycheck for this month, Madam Taylor was serious when she said you shouldn't bother coming back." He said with a pitiful face.
"I'm sorry once again," he turned and left. I was curious to know how much I got, even though I lost my job, I was lucky to get the something at least, and it isn't even month's end. I opened the envelope, about to bring the cash out when someone snatched the envelope from me in a swift. I couldn't see the face clearly, just the outfit he wore, I began chasing after him
"Thief! Thief!" I yelled for attention while running after the shabby-looking boy across the street.
Everyone who looked at me must have probably thought I was a crazy woman who was finally running wild because no one moved to help me. I continued to chase after him all by myself and he was damn fast, jumping on two steps at a time when I met with a car that almost ran over me. I stopped in the middle of the road, shutting my eyes and ears with fear that I was going to die in an accident. The car narrowly stopped. The driver cursed loudly, "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Are you blind?"
"If you want to die, you should go stand in front of a truck, I can't kill a worthless person." He said. My eyes were still shut in shock and yet he continued to curse at me Instead of apologizing for almost running over me.
The car tires screeched in the rainwater which had come to settle on one part of the road as he revised splashing the dirty water on me before driving off.
I couldn't take this, first, he didn't apologize and now he poured water on me, I picked the widest stone I could find on the ground, throwing it with so much energy at the yellow fancy-looking car. Surprisingly, it landed on the back window, breaking almost half of it with a clattering sound.
What the fuck did I do??? I was about to run away when the car revised at full speed this time, almost running me over for real. The driver pulled out of the car, capturing my hand before I could run away.
I hid my face as he held my hand, if I could manage to run away from here without him marking my face, he'd never know who did it and I won't have to pay for the damage as I had no money anyway,
"Don't hide your face from me." He said. The voice sounded so familiar that I had to take a peek at his face, I lifted my head to the unexpected, "You?!" We both said almost at the same time. He was the same Jerk who made me lose my job at Taylor's kitchen.
"It's you again? When did I become so unlucky?!" He complained. He wasn't the only unlucky one, I was also unlucky by meeting him for the second time.
"Get away from me," I struggled but he didn't let me go.
"Where do you think you're going? Want to run away? Not without settlement. You broke my car bitch!" I looked around to catch no sight of thief who ran away with my money, I had lost him.
"It was your fault for not caring if a human was close by when you splashed the water, after almost running me over with your car."
"That's because you deserve it for coming in front of my car," so he did that intentionally?
"Do you know how much my car is worth? You're paying to get the glass fixed!"
"No, I will not give you a dime!" I raised my other hand to hit him in his face since he wouldn't free my right hand. Just like he knew my next move, he caught my hand in mid-air. "You're so stupid that the only thing you know how to do is hit people with these small fingers of yours. I'll make sure you never use them again."
He pinned my fingers in his, twisting both my hands behind my back without mercy. I stomped on my feet countlessly if he would stop but no, he planned on popping out my arms. He pushed me over to the front of his car, making me lie on my chest with my hands still behind my back, "Stop, you're hurting me!!!" I yelled so loud that it drew a lot of attention, people came over this time. Before anyone could ask anything, he shunned them, "Go back to your Fuckin' business everyone, nothing concerns you here."
"You're hurting the lady," one woman said.
"She's my girl, do you have a problem with it? Now run off, don't be nosey." He said in an intimating tone.
Some of the people murmured within themselves before leaving.
He continued to twirl my wrist, leaning close to me to say, "I promised to roast you the next time I meet you, I'm already in a very bad mood, don't waste my time and just tell me if you want to pay or if I should separate your limbs."
"Please stop..." I managed to voice out amidst the pain.
"What? Speak clearly. I can't hear you." He said
This man was trouble and I had to swallow my pride if I wanted to get rid of him. I was supposed to apologize to him and beg him to not let our feud affect his relationship with Madam Taylor if I wanted my job back.
"I said please, forgive me. I'm sorry for getting in your way." I managed to utter.
He let go of my hand after I apologized. I massaged my arms to relieve the pain.
"Saying sorry will not get you out of this, you have to pay for the damage." He looked around for something, not finding it he spoke, Where is my ring?"
"Ring..." My mind flashed back to the time I threw it away in fury.
"Did you sell it?" He asked. I had no answer to give.
"Fuck, do you know how much that ring is worth???!"
"I-I did not sell it," I stuttered.
"Don't lie to me, I don't find it with you. You cheap slate, you sold my ring?"
"I said I did not sell it!" I yelled, but he didn't listen. He stretched out his hand to me, "Pay me now. You owe me my ring, my glass window, and for humiliating me by laying hands on me in presence of all those people. It will cost you $50,000..."
"What the!" I sneered at him.
Chapter 3*Settle Your Debt*Vanessa's POV:"That's ridiculous! I don't have that kind of money!""Well, then I guess you'll have to find a way to get it, won't you?" he smirked.I felt a surge of anger rise within me. This guy was impossible. Not only did he get me fired from my job, but now he was demanding an outrageous amount of money from me. I couldn't let him get away with this."I'm not paying you a dime," I said defiantly. "You can take your demands and shove them up your ass."He looked taken aback for a moment, clearly not expecting such a response. But then his expression hardened and he grabbed my arm again, this time with even more force and I struggled to break free."You bitch, I said you're paying, and you will. I will make you.""I already to you I won't give you a dime, quite stressing, I lost my pay check because of you." I accused him."You're giving me the $50,000 and I want it settled from now till the next two months, everything."Andre POV:"$50,000!!! I can't
Chapter 4Andre POV:Who's getting married?!" My sister's excited voice broke through the quiet of the room, startling everyone. I hadn't heard her come in.She must have greeted our Father before now because She hurried to where our stepmother was sitting, and wrapped her in a hug. "Mother, you're back from shopping?" My sister asked, a smile on her face, and then turned to me and my father, "You guys finally found a match for Andre? That's great! What's her last name?" Was the first thing my sister was concerned with. She was like everyone else in my family who only cared about the status of the people we should be associated with."We fixed your marriage, Louisa." I taunted."You're lying, I heard Father talk about your marriage, and by the way, you're the one old enough to get married here, you're thirty, remember? And I'm just twenty-four, why will I get married before you?" She reasoned."I don't mind, Louisa," I turned to my father, "Dad, we should get Louisa married soon, do
Vanessa's POV:My days started pretty early with my brother, Victor, waking me from my sleep. "Vanessa, aren't you going to work today?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern. I rubbed my eyes and tried to shake off the remnants of sleep. He was wearing an apron and I could perceive burnt food in the air. Did he cook? I asked myself and wondered why he went to the kitchen again as I remembered, he was an awful cook.Seeing his stern look, I realized that he asked a question earlier. "Work? I lost-" My tongue slipped, almost revealing my secret. Panic surged through me, and I quickly recovered, "I mean, I'm on off."Victor raised an eyebrow, giving me a suspicious look. "You lost what?""N-nothing," I stammered, my heart racing. "I mean, I didn't say lost. I said I'm on off." I corrected.He stared at me for a moment longer before letting out a sigh. "You're getting so many days off recently. Did you do something wrong?"I swallowed hard, my mind racing to come up with a plausible ex
Chapter 6Andre's POV:The harsh knock on the door woke me up, only to find out that it was 11 am and I was late for work."Shit," I mumbled. My head was still swiveling from the event of last night. I soothed it with my fingers to relieve the pain. I looked down at myself, I was nude with all my clothes off, and all over the place. How and when did I take them off? I had no idea.It took enough effort to get up from the floor and the first thing I did was to put on fresh clothes before coming back to the mess. I made sure to stay clear of the broken bottles. There was a repeated knock on the door and this time it was accompanied by Stanley's voice."Good morning Sir." He greeted.I didn't bother to respond and went ahead to open the door for him.The moment I opened the door, I flooded him with questions."Did you just arrive now? It's 11 am, Stan, how do you expect to get paid if you want to work for me like this?""Uhmm... Boss, I've been here since 7:30," he stuttered, startled by
Chapter 7Vanessa's POV:The memory of my last conversation with Claire echoed in my mind as I waited for her to return from work. I desperately needed help to deal with the financial mess I was in. The burden of my mother's medication expenses and the threat looming over the stupid car were pushing me to a breaking point. I knew Claire was the only person who could possibly help me out of this mess, but I had to be careful not to push her too hard.I waited for her to come back from work before going to see her.Finally, Claire burst into the room, in a rush to get changed, preparing to head out. "Babe, you're here. I'm going out, we'll see later," she hurriedly said without sparing me a glance, clearly preoccupied."Don't leave, I need your help, Claire,"Her expression shifted slightly, and she asked with a hint of annoyance, "What do you want?"I took a deep breath, summoning all the courage I had left. "Borrow me some money."She looked at me skeptically, "Huh, for what?"I hesit
Chapter 8Andre's POV:The sun's soft rays filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the room. With a sense of purpose, I readied myself for the day's challenges, my mind already focused on the responsibilities awaiting me at work. I held my necktie loose, going out to find one of the maids to help me knot it when I heard faint sounds of commotion coming from the main gate and I went to the balcony to see who it was. Seeing my mother with the guard, I asked myself why she came here, did she lose all her shame and decide to come so she could be roasted by the Garcias'?"Please, let me see him," she pleaded with the guard at the entrance, desperation evident in her eyes. The guard's stern expression remained unchanged."Madam, my job's on the line if I let you in," he firmly responded. I stood in front of the balcony the whole time, perplexed by how she managed to pass through the estate gate.Watching her plead to see me, a strange sense of satisfaction unfurled. I
Chapter 9Vanessa's POV:I got another job, again with Claire's influence at a small restaurant about 20km from my house, pretty far right? But I have no choice but to accept it.Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. As I stood in front of the modest-looking restaurant, a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. The sign above the entrance read "Savory Bites," and I took a deep breath before pushing open the door.The interior was cozy and welcoming, with a handful of occupied tables and the clatter of cutlery against plates. The delicious aroma of various dishes wafted through the air, making my stomach grumble."Hey there! You must be Vanessa, right?" a friendly voice called out. I turned to see a woman in her mid-40s with a warm smile. She was wearing an apron and holding a notepad and pen."Yes, that's me," I replied, offering a shy smile."Claire told me about you," she said, stretching her hand for a quick handshake."I'm Emily, the manager here. Welcome to
Chapter 10Three days later.Vanessa's POV:I finished work early, and then Ms. Emily permitted me to go home early.On my way home, I got a quick notification on my phone, knowing who it was, I didn't bother to open it. He made it a habit to text and flash-call me endlessly over the last few days.On getting home, the house was empty and I remembered Victor informed me that he was taking our mother to the hospital for her routine check. I threw my bag on the chair and went to the kitchen to prepare a meal. After preparing the meal, I took mine to my room to eat. My phone flashed twice before I decided to pick it up but he hung up immediately.I stared at the screen, my heart racing with a mix of fear and curiosity. My fingers hovered over the keys as I typed out the message, my pulse quickening with every tap. "Can you provide your account details for the first payment?"The reply came in, swift and unexpected. A shiver ran down my spine as I read the words: ~The Grand Luminary Hote
Chapter 35 On my way outside, I met with Mr. Garcia's brat of a sister. "Look who it is," Louisa's voice cut through the silence. She was flanked by her ever-present entourage, their faces twisted with malicious glee. "The servant who thinks she's too good to follow orders." She added and they all giggled. The laugh gave me chills. I tried to walk past her, but she stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "I asked you to bring drinks to the patio. Did you forget?" "No, I..." I started, but she cut me off. "Save it," she snapped, forcing my bag from me, and dumping its contents onto the floor. "And what do we have here?" she asked while her friends fished out the scattered things from the floor. "Some cheap makeup products, a worn-out wallet, and other nameless things," one of her friends said while the other threatened to rub my makeup on the third girl who scurried away, yelling, "I don't want to get a rash from that thing. Take it away from me," she said. Hurting. "Pathetic,
Chapter 34Vanessa’s POV:My shoulders ached as I finally finished sorting through the endless stack of papers, each one a reminder of Mr. Garcia's relentless demands. The clock read 10:30 PM, and I felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Even in this state of exhaustion, his last words echoed in my head, pushing me to finish everything. I was supposed to see a doctor for my bleeding nose, but there was no way I could leave the work halfway through. I decided to spend the night at the office and finish the work.The next morning, he was so early as always, and I had to give him the work to evaluate. While looking at the papers, the look on his face wasn't encouraging. He had this nonchalant attitude that made me regret spending my night at the office. I should have gone home and waited for him to punish me, I thought.He threw the papers to the sofa, scattering them across the room, and then turned to me."Williams, why do you look so tired?" he asked, making me feel like punch
Chapter 33Vanessa's POV:"Huh?""Do I have to repeat myself?" he asked, rolling his eyes.I remained with him while he ordered some food and ate alone since I refused to eat anything, giving annoying remarks throughout the whole meal which made me feel the urge to strangle him for real this time.After he was done, he took me back home, dropped me in front of my house, and zoomed off after ensuring that I had gone inside.Before leaving, he gave me a paper containing the list of things he wanted me to do before coming to work tomorrow: picking up new clothes he had ordered and then a box of pastries for his girlfriend.Surprisingly, my mother had been peeping from the window all along, and as soon as we met eyes, she smiled tauntingly, a wide ear-to-ear grin that I hadn't seen in a long time."Hmmm... You're now getting a free ride," she teased. I already felt disgusted as I didn't want to think of where she was driving. Me + him? Never!"Stop it, Mom. He just dropped me off," I defe
Chapter 32Vanessa's POV:As we stepped outside, I edged away from him, maintaining a distance, wanting to create some space between us. "Sir, why are you here? I thought you don't come to places like this?" This restaurant is not a place extravagant, so I doubt he'd come here just for himself."You seem ready for a fight, slow down," he remarked casually with a smirk."Ok. Why are you here?" I asked again, trying to be as subtle as I could."You're right, I don't come to places like this, but as soon as I saw you from the glass window, I couldn't help but wonder what you're up to. Who are those guys, hmm? Tell me." His tone was more inquisitive."Well, it's nothing for you to be concerned with, I'm on my day off, and I can spend the day as I wish." I retorted he was creeping me out by interfering in my personal affairs. Spending so many hours with him throughout"Why was your friend wearing the scarf I gave you? That's stealing, did you know that?" He asked, a frown on his face and
Chapter 31Vanessa's POV:The room seemed more like a fancy store than a personal closet. There were numerous expensive brands, some unfamiliar to me. The colors and varied materials made decision-making tricky.I stood alone in this extravagant place, feeling small beside the tall shelves. Swiftly, I jotted down my needs: a shirt, pants, a vest, a jacket, a tie, socks, and shoes.Most colors were subdued—beige, brown, grey, navy blue, white, and black. Perhaps he disliked bright colors altogether? That might explain why I never saw him wear any.I chose a white shirt with intricate bird patterns and checked off each item. Neatly arranging everything on the sofa, I meticulously matched the ensemble. As I sorted pants and aligned everything, the door opened."Sir, I've readied your clothes," I announced."Ok," came his brief reply.Inspecting the clothes, the next thing I heard was him yelling my name."Vanessa!" I momentarily puzzled over why he'd be calling me and rushed to address h
Chapter 30**Andre's POV:**The room was dimly lit, with a sliver of moonlight seeping through the half-opened window, casting a soft glow on her face.I admired her smooth, milky pale skin as she focused on her work with furrowed brows and a serious face. For the first time since our encounters, I felt something different about this girl, not her typical aura that I disliked.She looked different while working in silence—innocent and with a cute, petite face. Something instantly drew me to her as I noticed her hair flying over her face, must be bothering her, I guessed.Moving closer, softly brushing her face as I removed the hair and tucked it behind her ear, I unintentionally surprised her. She jerked instantly, staring at me with widened eyes."Sir, what are you doing?" she asked.Realizing I had crossed the line, I withdrew my hand quickly, scratching the back of my neck, wondering why I even cared if the hair bothered her in the first place.As I explained, her pouted lips stirr
Chapter 29Vanessa's POV:"What makes you think she's better than Stanley, brother?" She asked but he didn't give a reply. She exhaled deeply,"Anyways, In case you're firing her soon, we should offer her a job at the mansion, she looks like she fits in here more than working as your assistant. I'd like to see her refuse work from me." She was looking down on me."I'll consider it, Lou." He said, put his arms around my shoulder and we left her room. In the lobby, he spoke again, "You're so quick to find odd jobs, I guess that's why you found another one after Taylor's, just before I met you. That's an aside, you should stay away from my sister, she doesn't like you already." What do I care if she doesn't? I don't work under her, not that I enjoy working under Mr. Garcia.We walked down the corridors a bit more till we got to the room at the end of the space.He brought out the key and opened the door, and with a heavy sigh, he went inside first. He didn't take time to remove his suit
Chapter 28Vanessa's POV:Continuation...Upon my return to the office, he had already packed up. I wondered if we were done for the day. Before I could voice my question, he seemed to read my mind."Yes, we're finished. Did you treat your face?" He inquired, and I nodded in response."Pack your things quickly; I'll drop you off at your house." My spirits lifted upon realizing it was only 3:00 pm, giving me a chance to rest today and then the whole day tomorrow. The 8-9 hour workdays throughout the week were taking a toll on me. Traces of dark circles under my eyes were visible in the mirror this morning which meant I needed proper rest."You're smiling?" He quizzed with an amused expression. "Don't get too happy just yet. I'll drop you home, and at 7:00 pm, I'll come to pick you up. Pack your things for the night as well.""Huh? Where are we going?" I asked with a perplexed look; the smile I had earlier vanished."My house," he revealed. "We're working overtime tonight.""Overtime???
Chapter 27***Andre's POV:***Outside, I lit a cigarette, exhaling into the air. Just then, the gate opened with a creak, and a teenage boy stepped in. He was in his school uniform, with his bag slung over one shoulder and an AirPod in his ear. Upon seeing Ethan and me, he paused for a moment, then lowered his gaze to the ground and walked past us without a word.The first time I saw her other son, I thought. Ethan patted my shoulder. "Andre, I asked you nicely not to mess this up. Why are you acting strange?" He inquired."Did you see her son? He must be getting all the love he needs from having a complete family," I commented, changing the subject."Ethan, you know I was younger than him when my mother left me? Just a child who had to deal with things on his own. I had no one to turn to back then; my father was in his world." I took another drag from the cigarette before speaking again."I feel jealous of that young man.""Your brother?"I chuckled. "Says who? Just because he's Tayl