"I know you did nothing wrong, I'll look after Richie," she said.
"There's no need to do that. I'm fine, I'll be back soon. Focus on your studies, okay?" I nodded and hugged her as tears fell.
"I will miss you, Ms. Tan. Promise me you will be back." I nodded and waved my hand as I carried my stuff.
I was at the bus stop when I started to sob. "Why can the world be so mean to me? Huh? Did I do something wrong that makes everyone angry at me?" I asked and looked up above. Tears flowed from my eyes as I couldn't understand why I was going through this.
I heard a man chuckle from behind me. I looked around and saw the man from yesterday. I frowned, raising my eyebrows as I looked at him.
"Are you following me?" I suddenly asked. He chuckled.
"What? Me? Not a chance," he answered.
"Then why are you here?" I asked him again, crossing my arms.
"This is a bus stop, right?" he asked.
"Yes, what about it?"
"I'm waiting for the bus," I suddenly realized he was right. I rolled my eyes and he continued smiling. I felt so embarrassed to face him.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked as he got on the bus. I looked at him and nodded, then went inside.
I sighed as I opened the window to get some fresh air. I was worried about what might happen tomorrow. How would I pay for my rent? How could I live jobless? This was so annoying. I wished I could disappear from this world, to leave without worries and problems.
The bus stopped as a man boarded. I looked at him and felt nervous, remembering what Richie had done to me. I closed my eyes, but when I opened them, the man was standing in front of me. I suddenly stood up.
"Stop right there! What are you doing?" I shouted and pointed at him.
"What do you mean, Miss?" the man asked.
"Stop the bus, Mister, please stop the bus!" I shouted.
"What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know, she's weird," people murmured.
I quickly got off the bus and ran away.
I ran and didn't even take a look at the bus I had boarded. I was panting when I sat down on a bench nearby. I didn't realize the man from yesterday was standing in front of me.
"Are you okay, Miss?" he asked me. Did he just run to ask me that?
"Yes, I am. By the way, are you..."
"No, this is the area where I live. I forgot to press the bell. Thanks to you, I'm awake," he chuckled. I felt so embarrassed right now. How could this be happening to me?
"By the way," he got closer to me and I took a step back. He frowned.
"Something wrong, Miss?" he asked. I didn't know what to say, but I wanted to share my troubles. He was a stranger after all, and after this day, we wouldn't be able to see each other again.
I sighed and looked at him. "I got suspended from my job, and I don't know what to do now. I didn't do anything wrong, but..." My tears began to fall. I couldn't go home to my mom; I hadn't gone home for years and I couldn't face them like this.
"I might know of a job, but I don't think you'll want it," he said.
"What is it?"
"Being a maid," he said. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't be a maid, and I would never be one. I shook my head.
"I can't. I had a decent job; I'll get my job back instead of being a maid," I said confidently, crossing my arms.
He chuckled. "Are you sure? A hundred thousand a week would do?" My eyes widened as he mentioned that huge amount of money. One hundred thousand a week? That's a great deal after all.
I still had my dignity, but I really needed money right now. He was staring at me. "What do you think?" he asked while smiling slyly.
If I had enough money in my pocket right now, I could just reject and decline his offer, but I was in need. This was giving me a headache.
"Deal," I said.
"Okay, let me take you to your boss," he said. I frowned. I thought he was my boss, but I was wrong.
"I thought..."
"Let's go," he said and gestured for me to follow him to the car. I put my seatbelt on, and he started driving.
"Can I trust you, huh?" I suddenly asked.
He looked at me with innocent eyes and smiled. "I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm just helping you get a job. When you get your job back, you can resign. It's as easy as that," he said. I kind of liked him, not in a romantic way, but I liked his attitude.
He stopped at a huge black gate. I looked around in amazement. "This house is really big," I uttered.
"Yes, it is, but the owner of this house is alone. It might be big, but you won't find happiness inside," he sadly uttered, making me wonder who my boss really was. Was he a weirdo? Or maybe a psychopath? A rapist? No way! I shook my head, not paying attention, and bumped into his back.
"I'm sorry," I said, but he just ignored me and looked around.
"Kev? Kevin?" he shouted.
An old woman approached us. "Is Kevin home?" he asked.
"There was an emergency in the company, and he had to take care of it. He'll be back soon, Sir," she said and left.
"Let's wait for him here," he said and sat down on the sofa. Silence surrounded us. I rolled my eyes in the place. It was luxurious, huge, and fancy.
"By the way, what's your name?" he asked, and I looked at him. I swallowed.
"This is it; boys usually ask for a girl's name, get her number, court her, and then hurt her, dumping her like trash. I know that move, Mister. You better not do that," I said.
He just laughed. "Did you just laugh at me?" I asked him, but he continued to laugh.
"I was asking your name because I need it for your bio-data," he said. I avoided looking at him. It was so embarrassing, Gaia.
"So, can I ask your name again?" he said. I nodded, covering my face. I was so ashamed of myself that I couldn't even look at him.
"It's Gaia Tan. My name is Gaia Tan," I spoke. I heard the sound of a keyboard as he typed it down.
"How old are you?"
"25."
"Can you cook?" Was he going to interview me now? I thought he wasn't my boss. Why was he acting like one?
"Wait, hold on a sec," I said, and he stopped typing, looking at me coldly.
"Is there a problem?"
"Yes, there is."
"What is it?"
"I thought you weren't my boss, but why are you the one interviewing me?" I asked.
"Actually... Your boss is my best friend, and he doesn't interview employees. He let me do it, and if you pass with me, then you'll pass with him," he said. I nodded. So, my boss must be a shy person?
"Can we proceed?" I asked, and he resumed asking me questions until we were done.
"It's all done," he said. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did I meet your standards?" I asked, and he looked at me. Then he smiled, and it made me smile too.
"You're fine," he answered. What kind of answer was that?
"Aunt Vaness, this is the new maid. Please inform Mr. Kevin about this and give him her resume," he said, handing it to the woman from earlier.
"By the way, Mrs. Vaness Frowler, this is Ms. Gaia Tan. Gaia, this is Mrs. Vaness," he introduced us.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am," I said.
"Just call me Aunt Vaness," she uttered, smiling. I nodded.
"I'll show you to your room, Gaia," she said and started walking. I was about to take a step when I looked back at the man who brought me here.
"Mister? By the way, what's your name?" I asked. He smiled and spoke. "Dexter. My name is Dexter." I smiled at him and started to walk.
"Gaia, is this your first time being a maid?" she suddenly asked.
"Yes, Auntie. This is my first time. Why do you ask?" She looked at me and tapped my shoulder.
"I have to teach you so many things before I leave," she said, and it made me sad. I thought I had someone to talk to here. I was alone again.
"Why are you leaving?"
"I think at this very moment, no one wants me. No one wants to be with me. I'm all alone again."
To be continued...