04. That Servant Is Samantha Wallach

Samantha strolled out of the shower to her locker. With a small towel, Samantha wrapped herself up to retrieve her clean clothes from her locker.

With the pain radiating throughout her body, Samantha desperately wanted to go home and lie on the bed so that, although not soft and comfortable, she could lie down and get rid of the pain, even if it was only for a moment in sleep. But then she realized she still had to work until eight o'clock tonight.

After changing her clothes, treating her wounds with the ointment she had on hand as well as tidying up her appearance, Samantha walked back into the shop, hoping that she wouldn't get into any more trouble with customers as she had earlier because if she didn't, then Carol White would get even angrier at her.

However, while Samantha was walking into the store, she accidentally bumped into a man walking backward while chatting with his partner. They collided, making Samantha wince in pain when the man's back accidentally hit her hand. Samantha could only groan silently, but then she woke up and apologized for not being careful, even though Samantha knew it wasn't her fault.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, sir." Samantha said while hiding her right hand behind her back, hoping the shopkeeper wouldn't see her injured hand. See her injured hand that she had only smeared with ointment.

"No, you're not at fault. I'm the one who wasn't careful enough," said the man Samantha hit. What she didn't realize was that right beside the man was a gorgeous woman staring at her with an extraordinary gaze, making Samantha uncomfortable. Samantha was scared. She was afraid that she would be scolded again.

"Are you a waitress in this shop?" Asked the man, distracting Samantha from the woman's gaze.

Samantha nervously nodded, followed by a question. "I-yeah, is there anything you're looking for? Can I help you find the product you want, sir, madam?"

However, instead of answering Samantha's question, the woman standing next to the man moved closer and put her hand out, leaving Samantha confused.

"Excuse me?"

"Let me see your palm." The woman is Ananas Stein, asked Samantha. However, seeing Samantha's fear and not wanting to cause more trouble in the shop, Samantha shook her head.

"I'm fine, madam. So, what are you looking for? Are you looking for a bag? I can recommend a handbag, yes-"

Before Samantha could finish speaking, Ananas, still holding out her hand, snorted and pulled Samantha's right hand away so she could see it. Ananas was shocked to find Samantha's palm was deeply cut with the skin peeling off and only treated with ointment.

"Do you want to touch the bag with this hand?" asked Ananas, making Samantha look down.

Her breathing began to sound ragged, but Samantha quickly got a hold of herself and smiled at Ananas while pulling her hand away from the woman she had just seen. "Please forgive me, and I didn't mean to contaminate the products in our shop with my injured hand like this. I just wanted to offer you a quality bag and the best that our shop has." Samantha explained.

Ananas took a deep breath and exhaled slowly while glancing at the man who was her husband. "We came for an exclusive member's license, do you still have it?" Gabriel, Ananas' husband, asked Samantha.

When she learned the client wanted to sign up as an exclusive member, Samantha's interest was piqued again. Samantha had a big grin when she realized that Carol White had promised to take 0.25 percent of the debt owed from the bill if anyone had joined the store's exclusive membership program in the previous few months, even if it was just one person.

"Of course, we still have it, sir. Would you like to sign up in your name or your wife's name?"

"In my name," Ananas again cut off Samantha's sentence, " but I will sign up as a member after I treat your wounds," Ananas added, leaving Samantha even more shocked.

Samantha continued to be terrified as she looked around, everyone in the shop, even her coworkers, was preoccupied with their tasks, so she had nowhere to turn for assistance. Ananas instructed Samantha to focus on her and disregard everyone else present but her and her husband.

However, Ananas asked Samantha to look at her and ignore the people there besides her and her husband.

"But madam, I don't deserve this, if my employer finds out then he will be angry and will not forgive me." Samantha's face was yet again downcast. "I can take you to the shop owner if you wish, he will serve you directly."

"Then tell your boss I won't sign up for an exclusive membership if he doesn't accept my terms." Said Ananas, who was still staring at Samantha's palm, which she had not let go of.

"B-but, madam, I ...," Samantha tried to pull her hand away from Ananas while speaking. Still, Ananas didn't let go of Samantha's hand and held her wrist, and stared silently as if observing the peeling wound on Samantha's palm.

Carol White was abruptly summoned from her room by a different shop employee as Ananas proceeded to study Samantha's hands.

Everyone could agree that Carol White was unhappy when she observed Samantha standing before a customer without taking any action. This greatly enraged Carol before she took a stumbling step closer to Samantha.

With her firm steps and the sound of her shoes stomping with every step, everyone could tell that Carol White was angry at the sight of Samantha standing in front of the customer with her hand held by the customer, Ananas.

Heeding the etiquette of speaking to others, Carol White pulled Samantha's hand away to draw her attention to herself. With glaring eyes and an angry hissing voice, Carol White asked Samantha after pulling her shoulder. "What else have you done, Samantha Wallach?! You damn servant! I've taught you well and you're still causing trouble in my shop!" Carol asked Samantha in a half-whisper.

"I-it was, I just-"

"I wanna sign up as an exclusive member of this shop, but I want to propose her condition," Ananas interrupted the conversation between the employer and the maid with her purpose of coming to the shop.

When Ananas said she wanted to become an exclusive member with a condition, Carol White was taken aback. "Condition? What do you mean, ma'am? I'm sorry." She turned to face Ananas and Samantha.

"I will sign up for exclusive membership and pick up the most expensive items in this shop once every three months but before that, I want to treat the wound on her hand first." Ananas pointed at Samantha.

"Wound?" Carol White was curious and looked at Samantha's palm, which Ananas still held.

Carol was more outraged than pitiful or guilty because she had no idea Samantha might expose such an embarrassing moment to others. As a result, Carol White scowled at Samantha right away, causing Samantha to lower her face in dread.

"Don't worry, I'm a doctor. You can find my hospital around Lowerd Rd, it's the biggest hospital in the district," Ananas explained, followed by Gabriel, who took out a piece of business card from his wife's bag and handed it to Carol White.

Carol White was shocked to see that Dr. Ananas Stein's name was on the business card that Gabriel had given her. As Ananas mentioned, the only significant hospital in the Lower Rd neighborhood is one of the hospitals owned by the Stein family, a family of businesspeople who own numerous holding companies dispersed throughout Europe, including electronics companies and other companies active in the medical sector.

Realizing that Carol White couldn't argue with Ananas' wishes, she lets Samantha be treated by Ananas while asking Samantha to serve Ananas with impeccable service as a thank you.

After saying that, Carol White asks Samantha to finish it quickly and then take care of the member service for Ananas. After saying that, Carol walks into her room with vast strides, and Samantha is sure Carol is very offended by everything that happened. Or maybe she was going to teach herself another lesson after this.

Unlike Samantha, Gabriel smiled at the fear shown by Samantha and Ananas, still holding Samantha's palm, severely injured.

"Can you guys sit down first? I'll get the medical kit bag from the car." Gabriel said as he touched Ananas' shoulder.

Ananas nodded, and she immediately took Samantha to sit down while Gabriel retrieved the medical kit bag from the car so that Ananas could treat Samantha.

Samantha was uncomfortable and silent when Ananas kept staring at the wound on her palm while Gabriel went to get the medical kit from the car. Ananas' unwavering gaze suggested that there was something else inside the wound.

"So, what's your name?" A second time, Ananas questioned softly.

"Samantha Wallach."