The following day.
Helen woke up early at 6:00 in the morning. She was used to waking up this early because her stepmother trained her to wake up at the same with the servants in the house and perform household chores with them.
Household chores for her is not a tiring activity at all, she finds it fun to do with along with the housemaids. She works side by side with the servants without complaint. Sigh, she missed the servants already!
She willed her mind back to the present.
The first thing she does after getting out of the bathroom is to boil water in the kitchen using the electric pot. She saw a coffee mix in the cupboard, she took one sachet and made herself a cup of coffee.
While sipping her coffee, she unplugs the fridge and starts cleaning it.
Half an hour later she was done cleaning the fridge.
Next... she went to the windows in the living room and cleaned it with a wet rug. She was in that position when Peter descended on the stair.
He looked at her.
Helen glanced over her shoulder. "Good morning!" she greeted him with a bright smile.
"Good morning!" Peter replied cheerfully. "Why are you up so early?" he asked.
"I'm going to do some cleaning before going out in the afternoon to look for a job," she answered his questions.
Peter sighed and shrugged. He opened the fridge and grabbed the sliced bread and peanut butter with his hands and put them on the table. He took two plates and a spoon from the dish dryer and placed them on the table as well. "Come here. Joined me in the table!" he commanded.
He washed his hands in the sink and began spreading the peanut butter in the sliced bread and put it on his plate.
Helen went to the sink and washed her hand and sat on the chair facing him.
Peter put some sliced bread on her plate and spreads peanut butter on it. "Eat!" he ordered.
"Thanks!" Helen smiled. She greedily picked up the sliced bread and sank her teeth into her delicious breakfast.
While eating...Peter looked at Helen's pretty face. "How are you?" he asked.
"I'm 23 years old," she answered.
"What course did you take in college?" he continues asking, wanting to know her educational attainment.
"I finished two years secretarial course in a community college," she replied.
"I see... if I have a vacant position in the store I'm willing to offer you a job, unfortunately, all the positions are currently filled. I can't possibly kick out an old employee just to give you his or her job..." he said.
Helen shook her head. "No! No need to do that, Peter! I'm sure I can find a job somewhere!" she said, not wanting to be the cause of anyone losing his or her job.
"I'm glad you understood my situation," he said.
"I do!" she replied.
Peter finished eating the bread and stood up. He took a mug from the dish cabinet, poured hot water on it, and added coffee mix, he stirred the coffee with a spoon. He brought his mug into the couch and power on the TV to watch the morning news.
Helen finished eating the sandwich.
She washed the cups and plates in the sink and wiped the table clean with the rag, she went upstairs and starts cleaning the windows there.
Twenty minutes later, she finished cleaning the windows and went back downstairs. She glanced at Peter. "Would you allow me to clean the window of your room?" she asked.
Peter shook his head. "No need. I will clean my room and the windows this coming Sunday," he said.
"How about your laundry?" she asked.
"I'm doing my laundry, no need to worry about it," Peter said.
"Okay," she replied and began cleaning the windows near the sink and also the windows inside the bathroom.
After the clock strikes at 6:45... Peter turned off the TV and went upstairs for a quick shower and get ready for the store opening which is 8:00 in the morning.
Helen went to the living room and continue cleaning the windows there.
Half an hour later.
Peter went downstairs, sporting a casual outfit.
Helen took a glance at him, he looks dashing in his brown polo shirt. He is indeed a good-looking guy. Her heart somersaulted for a few seconds.
He went to her side and handed her some dollar bills. "If lunchtime comes and I'm not here yet. You can go outside and buy ready-to-eat food in the restaurant nearby. Just eat on your own if I'm still not around," he said.
"Okay," she replied and accepted the money, she put the dollar bills inside the pocket of her below the knee shorts.
"You can watch TV or listen to music if you get bored," he said.
"Thank you!" she said feeling thankful for his generosity.
"Don't mention it," he said. He went to the door and exited.
After finishing cleaning all the windows on the ground floor, she went to clean the room that she occupied upstairs.
She spends one hour and thirty minutes cleaning the entire room including the bathroom.
After done cleaning, she lies in bed to rest for a few minutes.
Only one more bathroom left to clean, the one downstairs. She will clean it next after she got a few minutes of rest.
She closed her eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, she's done resting and get up from the bed. She went downstairs and entered the bathroom along with some cleaning products and a brush.
She spends the next thirty minutes cleaning the entire bathroom from top to bottom.
After cleaning the bathroom, she went to her room upstairs to take a long bath and get rid of all the dirt hanging on her skin.
Thirty minutes later, she exited the bathroom feeling refreshed.
It was already 11:30.
Time to go out and buy ready-to-eat food from the restaurants nearby.
She went to the guard on the gate. "Guard, do you know where to buy ready-to-eat foods around this area?" she inquired.
The guard pointed his hand to the west side. "Yes, Ma'am. You go there in the direction of Turf Avenue, there are dozen of restaurants and eateries there. You can choose plenty of delicious and cheap dishes in that area," he replied.
"How about you?" she asked.
The guard smiled. "I have my ready-to-eat food in my bag. My wife makes sure to put my lunch box in my bag every morning before I go to work. Sometimes if she's not feeling well and unable to prepare my lunch box, I will just buy food there and come back here," he explained.
Helen smiled. "Okay. If Peter asks for me, please tell him that I went to the restaurant to buy food," she said.
"Yes, Ma'am!" the guard replied.
Helen exited the small door of the gate and walked towards Turf Avenue. She was walking in a busy street, passing stores and establishments of all kinds... they are sprouting everywhere growing like mushrooms.
She finally reached the area where the restaurants and eateries were lining up in the streets. She entered the third restaurant and ordered a take out for one serving of chicken dish with vegetables, then fish steak along with two servings of rice.
After paying her bills at the counter, she exited the restaurant and quickened her steps going back to the compound where Peter's industrial store was located.
She just comes back in time when the clock strikes at noon, which is the store's lunch break.
When she entered the door, Peter was already sitting on the couch watching TV. "Sorry, I'm late," she apologized.
"It's okay, take your time," he said without looking at her.
Helen rushed towards the kitchen and set up the table. "Lunch is ready!" she said.
Peter rose to his feet and turned off the TV.
He joined Helen at the table and sat on the chair across her.
He picked up one slice of fish steak and put it on Helen's plate and put the other one on his plate. He looked at her. "Let's eat!"
Helen smiled. "Bon Appetit!" she said and picked up the fork and spoon and began putting rice on her plate.
Peter smiled.
They ate lunch in silence.
"When are you going to go out to look for a job vacancy?" he asked.
"Later, after I'm done washing the dishes," she replied.
Peter sighed, there is a tiny part of him that is feeling sorry for her. He felt responsible for her somehow.
She looked at him. "Why are you sighing?"
Peter shrugged. "I wish there is something I can do to help you," he said.
Helen smiled. "It's okay. Don't feel guilty about my situation. I'm using your room, you are giving me free accommodation right now and you are also feeding me - it's more than enough for me. I truly appreciated your generosity and kindness towards me. Don't worry after I got a job and I have my first salary, I will treat you to dinner in a nice restaurant," she told him.
Peter smiled. "Nice! I'm looking forward to it! Good luck on job hunting," he said.
"Thank you!" she responded. Then she smiled in amusement while looking at him, her lips broke into a giggle.
Peter saw the amusement in her eyes. He raised a brow. "Why are you laughing?" he asked curiously.
"My stepmother told me that she arranged my marriage to a 60 years old man, old enough to be my father. I had a nightmare after that night. She told me not to worry because the old man is financially secured and can take care of me and my future. He can give me a good life. Little did I know, that she was lying. I was shocked after seeing a young Peter...and..." she had difficulty continuing her statement.
Peter brow knitted together. "...And you are disappointed that I'm broke and I can't offer you a good life?" he asked her point-blank.
Helen went silent.
"If I ask you right now... who are you going to choose... a 60 years wealthy old man or a struggling 25 years old businessman like me?" he asked.
Helen was caught off guard with his question. But she knows already what her heart wants. "I will choose someone like you!" she answered right away.
Peter observed her face for a few seconds wanting to know if she's telling him the truth, she seemed serious. A smirk formed on his lips. "So... if you chose someone like me then wait for me after five years, after I paid all my debt to my father. I'm going to marry you for sure..." he said and rose to his feet.
He left the table and exited the door without throwing her another glance, he's going back to the store.
Helen was left stunned on the table, her heart was beating faster in her cage. "D-did he just proposed to me-?"
She smiled and rolled her eyes, then shrugged. She thought he was just kidding around.
She rose to her feet and gathered the dirty dishes into the sink and began washing them.
A few minutes later, she finished tidying the kitchen and went upstairs to her room to get ready for job hunting.