Chapter 4

JASMINES POV

As the days went by, I realized how traumatizing it was for me to witness Mrs. Russo and her lover.

Curious me, did a bit of digging and found out that the man I met with in the hallway was indeed the actual Mr. Russo. Which meant his wife was cheating on him. How I wish I had someone to share this heavy burden with.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my phone. I had forgotten to silence it while resuming my night shift at the library. The loud sound landed me in glares from random eyes that were irritated by the loud, distracting sound.

I grabbed my phone and made my way to the hallway to receive my call. I had no idea who was calling.

"Hello, dear, Ms. Parkerton is on the line. I heard on the other side, "Hope you don’t mind; I got your line from the guest list you filled out at the gate the other day.

"Oh, hello, Ms. Parkerton, I hope everything is alright. I’m assuming you haven’t been able to get across to my sister; that’s why you reached out to me." I said assuming they wanted to book JD again.

"Not at all, dear, not at all. I called to talk to you. Could you make it to the mansion tomorrow?” Her statement just kept feeding my curiosity.

"Uhm, I have work tomorrow. May I ask why?” I asked her.

"Oh, I see. Mrs. Russo asked to see you urgently, though. What do I tell her now? Would the weekend do?” Mrs Parkerton asked me

What? Mrs Russo? Did she find out about i witnesses the bathroom incident? I don’t need this kind of drama in my life right now.

"Are you there? Hello Jasmine?"

"Uhm, sorry, I’m here. I could make it on Saturday. I hope all is well, though.”

"Yes, all is well, love," she chuckled. "I’m guessing she just wants to appreciate you for the job well done," she continued.

I doubt that! I highly doubt that! She knows that I saw her! She might probably want to sue me for trespassing, oh my! How am I going to function at work throughout the week when this has thrown my anxiety off the roof? I honestly can’t take it.

"Ms. Pakerton? How does 6:30 p.m. tomorrow sound? I could stop by on my way from work," I butted in.

Oh, lovely! Thank you so much! I’d inform Mrs. Russo’s assistant."

Now all I had to do was get past less than 24 hours of anxiety to find out what she wanted from me. Because there was no way I could get past Thursday and Friday without worrying.

Waking up the next morning, I hurriedly got out of bed with the hope that the day would go by super fast. I decided to get dressed in a sleek knee-length olive green office dress. It was one of my favorite corporate dresses, with its short sleeves and fitted fitting, which complemented my figure and sparked elegance.

Despite being non-stretchy, its lightweight material made it comfortable to wear. I paired it up with black pumps and my black shoulder bag that comes with a gold strap. My hair was already losing a bit of its curls, so I let it fall. I couldn't care much for that right now.

The day went by fast, just like I had hoped, but the closer it got to meeting Mrs. Russo, the more my anxiety increased. I sat, feeling uneasy, waiting for Mrs. Russo to get down. Ms. Pakerton had informed me that she would be down shortly. I was offered a glass of water and some snacks. Instead, I reach out for my bag and pull out gum to help ease the anxiety.

After what felt like forever, I heard distinct footsteps get closer. And suddenly, I hear a soft, feminine voice. And I immediately jumped up from my seat.

“Hello, Mrs. Russo, Good Evening"

“Hi, Jasmine," she blushed and sat across me. "I see you’re not a fan of what you’ve been offered," she said, nudging her at the shack placed before me.

"Oh, I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to offend you," I said, fumbling with my pendants. Is this the part where she confronts me for shamelessly spying on her?

"Take a walk with me in the garden while you tell me about yourself," she says, getting up from her seat.

What? Did I hear her well? She wants to know about me.

I was intimidated by her, but I couldn’t help but admire her. She was the perfect image of beauty and class. Her milky skin glowed radiantly, and her scent was a mix of citrus and vanilla.

“I'm not sure what to begin with." I speak nervously

"How’s work?” She questioned

"Work is fine, ma'am; I came here from the office. And my night shift starts in a few hours as well."

"I see. What’s with the multiple jobs?” There was something about how she felt entitled to my response. She didn’t react like she had just asked a personal question.

"Now that I’m still young. This is the time I have to hustle as much as I can” I wasn’t going to dump all my family problems on her. For all I know, I’m still clueless as to why I’m here.

"I see. I don’t think I’d stress myself that much if I had a good income coming in. Or what do you think?” She shifted her gaze to me, smiling. There was something about her smile that wasn’t pure. Like she was mocking me. Or was I just overthinking it?

"Well, you do have a point," I replied.

"Ahh, so you do need a job. A well-paying job at that," she chuckled.

Well, I need do need one that would cover all the bills and expenses I need to sort out. Mom needed her surgery fast.

"Do you need a job, Jasmine? She said, giving me a piercing look, "I currently have an opening that’s perfect for you” She finished

"You want to make me your PA?” She doesn’t know my qualifications, and all I have experience in is being an executive assistant. Does she want me as a full-time staff member at the mansion?

"Do you always jump to conclusions?” She gave me a displeased look and said, "I don’t need you to be my PA. I already have one," she pointed out, adjusting the pleats of her dress.

"I’m sorry, I just was confused, seeing as you don’t know my qualifications. What is the job opening about?” I'm not trying to seem eager and desperate, but I would accept anything she offers so far; the pay was good.

"You’re just going to be needed for a few months. She stated, blowing off imaginary dirt from her nails. "It’s nothing serious. Seeing as it’s a short-term job,"

"I see… What duties would I be needed to carry out?"

"Just being a carrier"

A carrier? What sort of job was that? Was she saying the mansion needed an in-house mover? Or what in the world does it mean to be a carrier?

Since she also complained that I had a habit of jumping to conclusions, I decided to stay quiet and let her finish speaking.

"You would be carrying a baby," she said. "You would help carry and birth a baby. She faced me squarely with all seriousness and a cold expression on her face. The supposed sweet woman who tried to make me feel comfortable earlier was gone.

Based on her first statement, I had assumed she needed me as a babysitter; however, she managed to drain all forms of blood from me right after she finished her statement. Shocked beyond words, I just looked at her.

"The pay would be hefty, that I can assure you."

"Excuse me, I need to take my leave.” Things might be tough, but there was no way I could do this!

"Come on, even if you're not doing it for me, at least do it for my husband." She mockingly smiled

"What?"

“Oh, please, I’ve seen the way you look at him. How you were admiring him when you cleaned his frame the first time you came to clean with your sister. How you were admiring him while you both had your little conversation the other day."

Was she spying on us? Was it so obvious how his presence made me feel the other day? Oh my.

"I don’t know what you’re referring to, Mrs. Russo. And in fact, I feel highly offended that you think I have some sort of interest in your husband”

To be fair, I only admired him and not like I developed desires towards him

"Thank you for your offer, but it seems like you might have to source someone else to help with that”I turned my back to leave.

"Think about it, Jasmine; it’d be a shame to let your mom suffer while you can help her. Besides, a whopping $150,000 can go a long way in securing yourself financially," she said, stopping me in my tracks.

How did she know about my mom? It was pointless to ask her anyway because it seemed she had already done justice to her digging.