CHAPTER ONE

JESSICA'S POV.

After throwing the last piece of trash at the dumpster, I came to a conclusion. I was tired, tired of being a cleaner. It's been a long time coming anyways.

I wiped my arms on my apron and took a deep breath before bursting through the double doors with one thought in my mind. I must deliver my resignation letter today.

Thankfully all the customers had left and the bar was now empty. I scanned the place one last time before making my way to the boss's office with shaking hands.

Once I reached the door, I hear the sound of a familiar male voice and from the other sounds coming from there, it was obvious  Mrs Smith was cheating on her husband again. She'd promised yesterday was the last time.

If it were any other day, I'd have gone away, leaving them to finish their funny business before dropping the key off and heading out, but today, I was beyond pissed. I couldn't stand anything about this bar anymore, it was like the environment could make me sick if I didn't go out as soon as possible.

I banged the door with reckless abandon and Mrs Smith and her boy-toy, Jack both squealed from inside.

"Who is it? Jessica is that you?"

I scowled even though she couldn't see me. "Yes, it's me. I need to talk to you right now."

I heard a groan before the door swung open. Jack was zipping his pants while Mrs Smith fixing her buttons. They both didn't feel ashamed about me seeing them from what I could see.

"What is it that couldn't wait? I'll have you know that I'll be writing this down in your strike book," she said, pointing a wicked finger at me.

"Oh, the strike book. I don't think I care very much about that anymore," I crossed my arms with a fierce look on my face.

Mrs Smith was by far the worst boss I'd ever had in my life, and I'd had many. What kind of boss doesn't pay you for three months and treats you like a sex worker? Mrs Smith. I was not really mad about the salary part— because she'd promised to pay when she had the money and I'd believed her until o find out how much money she'd been spending on purchasing the stupid drugs she took—I was mad about the fact that she constantly made me feel cheap in the hands of the customers. There was even a day when she purposely set me up with some man that could be my grandpa and when it went south, she claimed she had no hand in it, the man was just a pervert. The woman had actually collected money from the man to take me home. If the man wasn't that frail he would've had his way with me.

But it was over now. No more slaving off for someone like her who clearly didn't deserve it. "I'm resigning. I can't work with you anymore," I declared.

Her eye twitched with surprise. She couldn't believe it. "You are resigning?" Jack who was besides her looked so uninterested, it was funny. When would she realise the guy doesn't care about her?

"Did I stutter?" I used her won words against her and it felt damn good. I should do this more—standing up for myself.

She couldn't glower more if she tried. "You don't get to resign, I get to fire you. You're fired!"

It didn't surprise me, she was that petty. "Fine," I threw my hands up and flung the key to her disorganised desk, a lace thong and black boxers were even lying there. Gross.

Jack sighed, rubbing her shoulders. "Mommy, leave this girl. If she wants to resign she's free. Let her go and let's go back to the fun."

For the first time, I agreed with Jack. "He's right."

Mrs Smith looked so annoyed she could explode. I had a feeling she would bring out a knife and stab me until she smiled, actually smiled out of nowhere.

"Okay. You're free," she said, still smiling. "I just wonder where you'll take your useless self to after this. Do you even have a home or a family? How would you survive?"

Jack hissed in mockery and they both chuckled. "Where would you go? Who would employ a measly uneducated puppet like you? In fact get lost now, I don't want you anymore."

I couldn't help it, I let out a laugh. It was funny how Mrs Smith had done exactly what I'd imagined she would on this day. I knew she would try to turn it against me—playing it off as if she never needed me. Well, I was prepared. No amount of insult she'd rain on me could make me feel horrible.

I was used to insults. Since I was a kid in the orphanage, I'd been receiving insults, abuse even so no amount of insults could faze me.

"You know what, Mrs Smith?" I said, with a mischievous grin on my face. "I never really had that chat with your husband."

She gasped and tried to come at me but her toy held her back, they both eyed me with venom in their eyes.

I chuckled darkly and turned around to leave but not before saying, "I think now's a good time to talk to him."

"That cheap slut. Let me show her who she's messing with. Get off me Jack," was the last thing I heard before I took my things and bolted out the smelly bar.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. I'd never felt as relieved as I felt now. Ever since I'd taken the job at the bar, I'd known it wasn't a good place for me. The fact that I was poor didn't mean that I had to eat shit from people like Mrs Smith. I couldn't believe I'd put up with something like that for six months. What a waste of precious time.

On my way to my destitute neighbourhood, my phone rang and it was an unknown number. I allowed it ring two times before  answering, "Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Jessica Cooper?" A chirpy female voice asked.

"Yes, it's me? Can I help you? Am I in trouble?" As a poor person with so much loans on my neck, I'd always expected to get a call where I would be told to pay the loan or go to jail. I really didn't want it to be today though.

"No you're not silly," the voice laughed ."You once applied for a maid job. It's says here that you can be a maid, housekeeper and nanny?"

I cleared my throat. Oh god. Just what I needed on a day like this. "Yes ... Yes, I'm all those things."

There's a pause before the lady says, " good. I'm calling for Mr Snider. Your interview is on Monday. Would you be available?"

My excitement went beyond control, I almost started doing a victory dance all over the neighbourhood streets. "Yes I'm available. Always available."

"Good. I'd text you the address after the call. Make sure you dress your best, Mr Snider hates tardy people."

I chewed on my lips. "Can you give me an idea? I'm not really sure how to dress. Casual or professional?"

The lady laughed ."You're really funny. Try a little casual and professional, but don't look tardy okay?"

I nodded. "Okay I will. Anything else ma'am?"

"Nothing else. I'll send you the address."

"Okay thanks so much ma'am. I'm so grateful."

"You don't need to thank me and you haven't gotten the job yet so save it for later."

Yeah, but my friend at the orphanage days  had thought me to claim things even before you got them so I'd rather believe I've gotten the job than I wouldn't.

"Okay thanks ... Oh sorry, goodnight ma'am."

She laughed. "Don't be late. Goodluck," the line went off and I heaved out a loud sigh.

How good could the heavens be to me? I'd lost a horrible job and not long after gotten a call for the job of my dreams. Working as a maid for the big Daniel Snider would be the best thing that can happen to me. From what I saw when I'd applied, Mr Snider was a CEO of an upcoming company who needed someone to take care of his house whenever he was out to work. The requirements for the job  weren't that much so I'd applied immediately—what I hadn't expected was to get a call.

The job was just too perfect. The pay could cover most of my loans and some spare for other expenses, there was free access to his kitchen and also there was free accommodation which was my favourite part. My place was a disgrace and asides that too dangerous, I needed to get out before something happened to me, and a house in the hills would be the best place.

That night as I fell asleep in my cheap apartment, I dreamt about my possible new life as Mr Snider's maid and it was the sweetest dream I'd had in a long time.