Chapter 5: The Troubled Kid

Tomorrow came early for Therese. 

She could not believe it was already Sunday, the day when she would finally move in with Raven Desmond and his son. Technically, “moving in” wasn’t the right term. She convinced herself that what she was about to do was nothing but work. She had to maintain professionalism even if her guts would be rearranged every night. 

Her heartbeat rose when she thought about what was to come. 

“Good morning, Ms. Barlow. Please, let me help you with that.” The cheerful voice of a man wearing a neat bun greeted him the moment she stepped out of her house. He was wearing a smile so wide that it made his eyes disappear. 

The sun was shining brightly and the wind was kind enough to dry her lightly wet hair from the shower. After their meeting yesterday, Raven told her that he would make an arrangement for her. Someone would pick her up and drive her to his place where everything was prepared for her. She couldn’t sleep then. 

“Uhm, thank you.” Therese handed him her luggages as the two headed towards a parked silver Lexus LS. Her jaw almost dropped at the sight of the expensive car. When she made herself comfortable inside, reality suddenly sank in. She turned to the window to watch the moving trees. She couldn't believe was about to live in one of the Desmond mansions! 

“I’m Jayce Perez. Raven’s best bro. Don’t tell him though, he would never admit to that.” He winked playfully towards her direction through the rearview mirror. Something about this man made her feel comfortable. He had a certain beauty that resembled the sun on a beautiful day. She helped him ease her nervousness without even trying. 

“You can call me Therese. I’m uh…the newly hired babysitter.” 

“Oh, I already know you. I also know about your spicy babysitter deal.” He said plainly.

She blushed in embarrassment and looked away. She couldn’t think of an appropriate response for that. But Jayce just chuckled at her reaction like it was no big deal. “Don’t worry, I don’t judge you for that or anything. I’m actually excited for you to meet our little Keith already.” 

Right. The 5-year old toddler that she was about to babysit. Therese remembered asking Raven about his son but he told her that it was better for her to just meet him in person. He just gave her vague details about his personality like him being shy and slowly warming up to strangers. It was one of the reasons why no babysitters or attendants were lasting long in the job. 

Not for long, though. Because Keith piqued Therese’s curiosity and if things went well, she was planning to stay for a while there. 

“What was he like, by the way?” She asked. 

Jayce gazed over to her in the mirror then back to the road. He saw the sparkle in his eyes at her question. “He is lovely and quiet. He looks so much like his father. I hope it stays that way until he grows up cause I don’t wanna see the face of his bitch mother in him.” 

At the mention of Keith’s mother, Therese stopped breathing. If she noticed how Jayce's voice was suddenly glazed with a deep anger, she didn’t say a word. Therese knew that it was a topic for a different place and a different time. And if she was being honest, she saw Raven as the type to abandon fatherhood and live his life drowning in sex and money alone. She thought that Keith was just a byproduct of him sleeping around. But, maybe she was wrong. Maybe she would ask him later. 

For now, she continued listening to Jayce. Therese decided she would approach things with an open mind.  

“Keith was the opposite of his father in everything and it’s funny. I always tell Raven that Keith was all the good things plucked out of him and molded to a little boy and he wouldn’t believe me anytime.” A nostalgic smile creeped up his face. 

Therese returned the smile and nodded. “I can’t wait to finally meet him.” 

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It revealed a text message from her best friend: I told you this was a bad idea. 

She closed her eyes and put it away. 

Jayce stepped on the breaks and finally, they arrived at the mansion. “We’re here!” He was the first to step out of the car and open the door for her. She gasped audibly the moment her eyes met the Desmond mansion. Once again, she felt like she was a character in some fantasy book witnessing magic for the first time. “Wow, is this…am I really going to live here?” 

The house was magnificent. She could tell by the shiny black and silver columns of the modern foyer that it was done exquisitely. Everything was surrounded by glass – from the huge window panes and parts of the ceiling. Therese felt like everything she was about to touch would fall apart. She was scared to step foot inside. 

“Relax. You won’t break anything.” Jayce laughed as if he was reading her mind. “Don’t be scared. Just follow me and you’ll be safe.” 

Jayce walked freely on the entryway, as he led Therese inside. When the two of them entered the receiving area, she realized her fascination was endless. 

“Do people really live in houses like this?”

“Uh huh.” 

It was so spacious and minimalist. The whole interior was screaming silent luxury as her eyes were blessed with natural light and accent plants. It was a comfortable atmosphere and the wooden floor was warm. She realized by now that some depictions of rich life in fiction weren't really accurate. In reality, places like this exist. Huge but liveable. 

“Jayce, who is she?” 

An unfamiliar voice from behind caught their attention. It sounded…flat and small like it was coming from a child. 

“Hey, little bro! Nice to see you again!” Jayce ran towards him and enclosed his little body in a tight embrace.

Therese turned to the direction of the voice and lo and behold, she saw a mini version of Raven Desmond looking up at her with a flat expression. He was wearing navy blue sleepwear coordinates while carrying a teddy bear securely. 

So, this was Keith Desmond. 

“Who is she?” Keith repeated to Jayce when he did not return his hug. Therese’s heart shattered into pieces. All she could see was a troubled kid. 

She cleared her throat and kneeled in front of him. “Hi there! I was told your name was Keith?” She made sure to wear the most genuine smile. 

The kid nodded, skeptical eyes studying her face. 

“My name’s Therese. I’ll be with you everyday. Nice to meet you!” 

“You mean…you’re my new attendant?”

“Uh y-yeah. Something like that.” 

“How long will you stay here?” 

Therese’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I’ll stay here everyd–” 

“Will you also leave me when you get tired of me like the rest of ‘em?” 

Did he mean his previous babysitters? Oh god, how many did he have before her?

She opened and closed her mouth before looking at Jayce’s direction. The latter just laughed awkwardly. Therese noticed that Keith was articulate for his age. He was indeed an intelligent kid. But his behavior also indicated that he had too much internal turmoil for his age. She needed to talk to Raven about his poor child. 

“No, of course not! We’ll play and learn and eat together! I’ll make everyday fun for you. Aren’t you excited for that?” Therese gently reached for the child’s hand but he distanced himself from her coldly. 

“Liar. All you grown-ups do is lie. You’ll leave me just like everyone else.” Keith turned and ran with his little legs. He headed towards the stairs which Therese guessed was the path to his room. 

Silence followed afterwards. She couldn’t believe that such simple words could hurt her so much. 

“Give him some time. He’ll warm up to you eventually.” Jayce uttered beside her. 

“I know. Where’s Raven? I need to talk to him.”

When the man stood up, he looked over his wristwatch to check the time. And as if on cue, his phone rang loudly. “Shoot! Sorry Therese, I gotta take this. Just uh…take that stairs and turn left. You’ll find Raven in the last room. Bye!” 

“W-wait!’ 

Jayce didn’t wait. He picked up the call and his voice slowly disappeared down the hallway. Therese took in her surroundings, realizing it was mostly empty. She tried her best to remember Jayce’s instructions until her feet led her to the said room. 

She knocked two, three times but no one answered so she decided to just use her voice. “Hello? Raven, it’s me–” 

“Ahhh…yes! Fuck!” 

Her eyes widened at the sound coming from the other side of the door. Slowly, Therese stepped forward to press her right ear over it. What she heard made her jaw drop. 

“H-haaa, Raven. Yes, right there…”

“Ngh”

This couldn’t possibly be what she was thinking of, right?

With measured carefulness, Therese pushed the door that she thought was locked. It revealed an unbelievable scene that will forever be etched on her mind. It was something she shouldn’t have seen. When Raven turned to look at her in his unbuttoned polo shirt and trousers halfway down, she was like a deer caught in headlights. 

“Oh, you’re finally here.” He teasingly greeted while the naked blonde woman under him clung to his neck and licked a trail of saliva seductively up his ear.