Chapter - 8

Mr Martinez's p.o.v;

The ringing of the alarm woke me up. Why didn't I shut it off the previous night? I sighed and moved toward the restroom.

I took a shower and then made my way downstairs to an empty hallway. I went to the kitchen and made myself some breakfast. fried eggs and bacon. A simple breakfast dish that is quick to prepare. Many times, cooking for myself gives me a break from my demanding job.

I ate the fried bacon and eggs with toasted bread while seated at the table.

I completed my meal and then got dressed for work. I exited the house, locking the front door as I did so.

I entered the garden and started to explore. There are so many scattered withered leaves. I let myself through the garden's door and entered. Oh my God. The dried leaves can still be thrown there. Gathered the dead leaves and placed them here.

I grabbed a garden shovel and began gathering the leaves. I saw Isabella as I was raking the garden.

"Why are you in this location?"

"Who is it?" I was re-asked by her. Did she miss me?

"Mr Martinez? Is that you?"

Why does she seem shocked?

'What brings you here?' questioned me when I was cutting the grass.

"Why are you in this place? In these outfits? And where are they all? Why is the entranceway secured?"

"Do you talk a lot all the time?"

"Am I talking too much? Only you are addressing me in that manner. You should listen to people when they ask you "Why are you always speaking less?" or "Why are you being quiet?" or "Do you feel shy?" ".

"I believe they are foolish,"

She knelt down next to me and questioned, "What are you doing here, then? Can I be of assistance?"

I got up and strode off to retrieve the luggage. She was standing like a doll as I turned around.

"Are you not assisting?"

"What are you expecting me to do?"

"Bring these." gave her the large garbage bag and went into the garden. "Follow." "Open and drop it inside," I said while positioned in front of the pit.

"What is this for?"

"Have you never seen a compost pit?"

"Oh, right. That's the one! For our school project, we created one. You're creating compost for the garden, then. That's incredible. Now I see why your garden is so beautiful. Organic fertiliser a wise idea"

She appears to be somewhat intrigued.

"Join me."

"What's our current plan?"

"Is the pit there filled, as you can see?"

"No..."

"We'll fill it," I said.

"What!? Are you serious? We have to dump a lot and a lot of times to fill it."

"Yes. Do you not wish to assist? You are free to go if you choose."

I carried on gathering the garden's dried leaves. Along with me, she started gathering the leaves.

I gave her a shovel and said, "Use this. It will be simpler."

"Okay."

We sat down under the cover after we were done. Her stamina astonished me, to be honest. "You've got some pretty good endurance there."

"Ah! That… I've worked on construction sites, so I wasn't unfamiliar with the practice of throwing trash into a pit."

Construction sites? Do they permit girls in high school to work there?

"Your body doesn't appear like you do hard work," I said.

She chuckled and went on, "I often hear that, Mr. Martinez. There is a proverb that states, "Don't judge a book by its cover." That quote is perfect for me. And… Mr. Martinez, I do a lot of things."

"When nobody is around, you can call me Alex."

"A-Alright, Alex. What are you going to do after this?"

"You may depart."

"Where are others before that?""

"Both maids and butlers are off on the weekends."

"Ohhh."

"Why don't you go?"

"Why are you trying to chase me away from this place so quickly? When I'm not around, are you going to do something wrong?"

Do whatever appeals to you.

I approached the front door, unlocked it, and went inside. Make something for lunch now.

"Mr Martinez, er…"

Why is she shouting my name?

"In the kitchen."

"What do you want for lunch?" I asked her when she entered the kitchen.

"Will you prepare meals? You're a capable cook."

I nodded and awaited her response.

"Why not try veggie soup?"

"Is soup sufficient for you?"

"Actually, I'm at a loss for words. When it comes to work, I can lift and carry heavy stuff. In cooking, I'm terrible at it."

"I'll just prepare pho since I've already prepared a pho dish in the past."

"I'll prepare pho. Do you eat pho?"

"I don't have a particular favourite type of vegetable, so as long as it is edible, you can cook it for me."

I let out a little chuckle since she made me remember when I was little and made fun of my mother like she said.

"Mr Martinez, Do you mean to smile?"

"No." continued preparing the items for cooking.

"I simply noticed that you were grinning. I'm willing to bet that you'll look fantastic when you smile given your physique, outlook, and facial features. All the girls will be after you for sure if you visit my school. And Sophia, a friend of mine, was already a fan when you visited for that speech. Do you still recall that? You caught me in the restroom at that point."

"Don't make me sound perverted."

She chuckled and went on, "When you're like this, I'm surprised that you're still single. Why don't you speak up more? It seems like I'm speaking to a blank wall here."

"Then you ought to leave a pause so that someone can talk."

She really talks a lot. Doesn't her mouth hurt? gives work for a High-Schooler?

"Oops! Hahaha. By the way, I've never been this chatty before."

"Prior to what?"

"Before arriving here, meeting you, and signing the deal. Hahaha. Do you want my cooking assistance?"

"It's okay. I can manage it."

Actually, I worked as a garbage girl in restaurants, so I'm used to cleaning vegetables.

I believe she accepted a lot of jobs.

She arranged the produce on the kitchen counter and questioned, "How do you envision them? Chopped? Sliced? Minced?"

"Chopped"

"Got it!"

"How much money do you make as a trash girl?"

"It varies from restaurant to restaurant, but often costs between $20 and $30."

"For one month?"

"No! I only put in long hours. Do you remember that I'm a high school student?"

"Oh."

"Wait, I'll do that." She offered a hand when I was about to lift the pot.

"No. It'll be hot."

"You're going to sit with me?"

Where does she want me to sit then?

"You don't want me to sit here?"

"It's not like that. You're the owner of this house and I'm someone who works here. Is it okay for us to sit together like this?"

"Why do you sound like others all of a sudden?"

"I... I..."

I started eating the food while saying, "The food won't taste good if it's cold."

I started eating the food I prepared.

She said, "Wow! It's delicious. Believe it or not, I've never tasted something like this in my entire life. This tastes so good. Yummy! I bet Mom will love this! Can I take some to my house?"

I nodded and continued eating the food on my plate.

"You really have a talent. You're the husband material every girl likes."

"Husband material?"

"Yeah, the one who cooks nicely, being protective and caring, handsome and muscular, of course being rich and more to that a CEO!"

Her innocence made me smile a bit.

"Woah! That's what I was talking about! See! You look damn good when you smile like that! Why are you wearing a mask and hiding it? Don't you like attention? If I was like you, I would have lots and lots of girlfriends to fill this house and hold a party every night."

"Are you a lesbian?" I teased her.

She laughed out loud and continued, "I meant... when I'm like you. A guy... with all the things I mentioned."

"Oh."

After some time, We finished eating.

She assisted me as I threw away the dishes and said, "Don't you feel unsafe being by yourself in this house? This home is enormous. If you leave me alone in this place even for a single night, I'll be terrified to death."

What age am I? What causes her to sound anxious?

"I'm a grownup,"

"By the way, how old are you?"

She probably would have learned about me via the staff members here.

"There is a lot of gossip around the house. You never got a call from them."

"Yes, they gave me a tonne of information, but I neglected to inquire as to your age. What then is it? What age are you? You don't appear to be an old CEO."

She is truthful.

The number "23."

"What? Then, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty two, and twenty three years old. Oh! Six years separate us."

I offered her the package with some of the food I had made today and said, "Take this to your home," as I nodded.

"I'm grateful. Then I'll start moving. Given that it is the weekend, my mother would have returned this time. On weekends, she typically arrives early."

"Okay."

Isabella accepted the box and went outside. The home fell silent once more when she was gone.

I went to my room upstairs, unlocked my wardrobe, and took the framed picture of my mother out.

"I prepared your favourite meal today, Mom. That dish hasn't been cooked in months, so I'm not sure why it sprang to mind when I wanted to prepare something for her. Isabella enjoyed it a lot after I prepared it with her assistance, and do you know something? Like me, she took care of her mother. Mom, she's different. I still couldn't believe she applied for jobs at restaurants and construction sites. It reminds me of you, mum, when I encounter girls and women like her. When we left home, you also worked in restaurants to provide for us. You and Isabella made it sound simple, but I know how difficult it was."

I reflected on my memories of my mother while I laid in bed. Mom, I miss you. When I closed my eyes to go to sleep, a tear ran from my eyes.

My phone suddenly started ringing.

I confirmed that it was Noah. I responded to the call.

"It's my sincere apologies for interrupting you on your day off, but there's been a situation at work."

"What's that?"

"The payment for the employees hadn't been credited to them when I tried to handle it since the bank's server was down. However, Sir, the staff is requesting immediate transactions."

"Pay from my own account," I said.

"I agree, sir."

I put the phone down and sat back down on the bed.

Once more, the phone rang. I picked up my phone to check who it was. I received no phone calls from anyone. Some phones continued to ring. Where does it come from?

I can see it approaching from here. A phone was in my pocket when I went through my clothes. How did this get to this place? The phone seems outdated.

Ah! I can recall now. Isabella put the phone in my pocket while Isabella and I were gathering the grass so it wouldn't fall to the ground. Has she forgotten to take it back?

The phone kept ringing. I replied.

"Hello, it's me Isabella. I forgot to take my phone back. It belongs to my mother, so I'll take it up tomorrow. So don't get rid of it. And if someone calls, don't answer the phone. Put it to sleep if you accidentally attended, and if it's Mom. I would have come straight away, but I discovered it when I was almost home. There was no transport at this time, so I'll return tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. And, please, never attend any of the calls."

"Okay."

"Many thanks, Mr Martinez."

I put the phone on quiet, ended the call, and placed it in my drawer next to my mother's portrait in the bedroom.

I assumed Isabella spoke without pausing in person, but she is also doing it for calls. I'm curious how her pals interact with her. They might have adjusted to it.