MERIDA'S POV
I got up at 06:30 a.m. the next morning.
Rolled out of bed and strolled to my bathroom and took a quick shower. I'm not a makeup person so it doesn't take a long time to get myself ready.
I pull my hair up in a messy bun, throw some grey yoga pants on, together with a black vest. I make my feet comfortable in my black slippers and slip out of my bedroom. It took me approximately twenty minutes to get ready.
Eventually, I'm out of my room and already preparing breakfast. The kids go to school at 07:45 a.m. so I actually have enough time to showcase my culinary arts. From what I've gathered, the members of this family each have a huge appetite.
Three months of culinary school came in handy in the preparation of this fabulous cuisine.
It's simple, but nice. I have the dining table filled with pieces of Yorkshire pudding, pancakes, strips of bacon, scrambled eggs and a few sheets of unleavened bread.
After having elegantly set the table, I check the clock on the wall. To my luck, I still have at least five minutes before everyone is down for breakfast.
I use this time to rush to my bedroom and take a quick look at myself before I grace anyone with my presence.
Oh crap! I forgot to wear my contact lenses. Without further ado, I take them out of my bag and plant them in my eyes.
I take one last look at myself and I'm good to go.
I dash out of the room and start placing the beverages on the dining table.
As if on call, Jade and Scott hurried down the stairs, each dressed impeccably in their neat navy-blue uniform.
Greetings are exchanged before they pull their chairs out and get comfortable at the table. It doesn't even take a minute for Mrs. Greene to join us and once she was seated, we all indulged ourselves in the goodness that sat before our eyes.
Once we had finished, I started clearing up and loading the dishwasher. The kids and their mother bid me goodbye. She was on her way to her husband's office. In his absence, she handled his affairs. She'd then drop her kids off on her way to Mr. Greene's office.
She pulled out of the garage in a black SUV, from where I was standing I couldn't see its brand.
I busied myself with cleaning the whole house. I stumbled upon a note and unfolded it only to find that it's a schedule that Mrs. Greene had apparently left for me. It read:
1. Warm some milk up and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, prepare healthy breakfast for all of us.
2. Clean all the rooms except for the kids' rooms and my room.
3. Sort the washing and I'll take it to the dry clean.
4. Prepare lunch for anyone that's home.
5. You can get some fresh air for a good three hours.
6. When you come back you'll help me cook dinner and set the table.
7. When everyone is done eating you clean up and go to bed.
You will be earning $100 a week
~Mrs. Greene.
That's my schedule.
As regal as this house may be, it is very cozy, hence it took me only four hours to have all my chores done.
Once I'm done, I have a mayo and tuna sandwich for lunch, clean my mess up and take a walk around the suburban neighborhood.
After setting foot out of the house, I greeted the guards and commenced my walk.
I've plugged my earphones and I've indulged myself in Billie Eilish's oeuvre.
The neighborhood is not too big.
There's a shopping complex twenty minutes away from the Greenes'.
On my way back, I met quite a few people and exchanged names with them.
Elizabeth Turner, Marilyn Jones and Timothy Smith if I'm not mistaken, were them.
At around 2 p.m. I was back at the house and ten minutes after that, the children graced me with their presence, isn't it lovely?
I fixed them something to eat and shared a joke or two with them
No sooner had they eaten up than they started working on their assignments.
Mrs. Greene got home and we all had dinner. We also discussed my nationality over dinner.
Mrs. Greene cleared her throat after cutting a large cut of steak from her plate.
"Are you Asian Merida?"
"You could say that" I respond without taking my eyes off my plate.
"What does that mean?" Scott asked in an attempt to join our conversation.
"It means that my mother is_ or rather was Asian and my dad was American."
I hate it when it comes to this. I hate lying about them. I hate making them look like bad people when I know how much they both loved me.
I'm never going to stop being nostalgic_ not when my life was taken from me.
I'm snapped out of my thoughts by someone's hand on my back, gently stroking me.
They must've noticed that I dazed out.
"I know it's still a touchy topic, I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry." She said in a gentle voice.
"Do you at least know their names?"
"Yes. It's Mie Yiun and William McNeill."
In no time, all of us were full and I stayed behind cleaning up when everyone else went to bed.
It took me half-an-hour to be through; thereafter, I went to bed.
The whole week passed in a blur… well at least until Mr. Greene got home.
It's been a week since I've been here and today Mr. Greene is coming home. I've done all my chores and I'm currently in my afternoon perambulation.
On my way back to the house I tripped over the pavement and collide with a rock-hard chest.
He spared me just a single glance and walked off.
I didn't get to see much of his face. I can, however, tell that his features are chiseled.
He was dressed in grey sweatpants and had thrown on a black hoodie. He had a black cap hiding half of his face.
I finally got to the house and started setting the table.
About half an hour upon my arrival, I heard the garage open and I could tell it was the kids' driver because they immediately made a grand entrance.
I mean they jumped off the car and polluted the whole place with their toxic noise.
They're happy that their dad is coming home.
I was deprived of that_ the chance to be happy. I didn't get to wait for Dad as long as them. Their dad killed mine. And they'll all suffer. I swear they will.
I'm snapped out of my thoughts by the front door opening.
They threw themselves in the house and kept going on about how their dad promised to buy them real cars and big houses when he got back.
At their age I didn't have my dad.
"That's nice!" I commented. Trying all my best to conceal my bitterness behind my voice.
Mrs. Greene arrived a few minutes after them.
Later, we shared a laugh on their 'cuteness'.
Mrs. Greene had told me that her husband is only 30 minutes away and that we have to wait for him before we dish up.
Jade was decorating a cake I had baked earlier on and Scott was helping his mother and I prepare some lemonade.
The menu was quite simple.
Vegan lasagna, French salad, chicken salad, malva pudding and custard sauce made a huge part of tonight's meal.
No later had we set everything on the table than we had a car pull in the driveway; the doorbell ring.
"I'll get it!" Jade excitedly said, running towards the door.
She opened the door.
"Daddy! "She zealously screamed.
"Hey, somebody is growing heavy and tall." her dad complained, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.
Mr. Greene is not Scott's favorite, I gathered. Consequently, he just went in for a hug and continued helping Mrs. Greene serve up some of the dishes that we'd left behind.
The whole family went in for a 'family hug'. When they were done squeezing the life out of each other. Mrs. Greene finally introduced me.
"Have we ever met before? "He asks me.
Of course we have.
"Nah" I flatly lie. Then he just shrugged it off and shook my hand with a broad grin on his face.
Warm welcome I tell you.
Maybe_ just maybe if I didn't have unsolved business with this people, I'd have liked them.
Our dinner's atmosphere was clear and vibrant.
When everyone was done eating, all of them reported to their respective bedrooms, leaving me behind to clean up. Once I was done I also headed up stairs.
That is when I heard a heated argument between Mr. and Mrs. Greene.
I eavesdropped…
"What's wrong Josh, what don't you like about her?" Mrs. Greene asked her husband seeming annoyed.
"Look Helen, I don't know, there's just something_ fishy about her. Shouldn't she be malnutritioned or something? I mean, you told me she struggled with everything, food included, but she looks healthy and well-off to me." He slowly defended.
Not too smart of a point, but I'll look at my well-being next time.
"Come on Josh," Helen simply dismissed him and turned her lights off.
"It's a little too convenient don't you think?" he questioned.
This time she didn't respond.
If only she knew what I'm here for, she wouldn't have defended me. How I wish she did.
I then hurried to my bedroom and locked myself in.
He was home; death was also coming home_ where it belonged and soon enough, I'll have one name off my hit-list.