Chopping off the carrot carefully while putting on a fake smile on her lips for the stern woman who is standing beside her with apparently a fake smile too, her hands shaking in tension while the fear in her blood is blazing in her veins but still, she didn't stop her work.
Because she can't.
Why?
Because her husband wants to.
He wants her to learn cooking from his mother as he abducted a foolish American girl who knows nothing about household nor cooking and to add to that list; she can't even submit to her husband like how other wives do to their respective ones.
Side eyeing wearily her strict mother-in-law she saw how disinterested her facial expression looks. It's clear that even she's forced to teach her cooking lessons but no one has the guts to deny him.
The devil with an angel face; her husband.
"You need to chop faster because Ricardo's given time is running out. I swear to God, if he comes and gets disappointed by your lethargic pace; he will get very angry. You know very well what he is capable of." Her mother-in-law spats at her in utter disgust as if it's her fault that she's his wife.
Shaking her head in fear, "No please I don't want to disappoint him, I'll do everything just the way you want me to do."
The woman in charge now smirks while cascading her gaze on the feeble wife of her son. Her pale white skin enhances the wounds given by her son. Inwardly she will give this girl a praise to still look beautiful while carrying a body tainted with days of torture. Suddenly she realizes why her son would want this girl even though he knows what a waste she is. Rolling her eyes, "of course, what other choice do you even have?"
Truth.
That's the truth she's been bearing on her shoulders for days now or maybe it's been a month or two already as she lost the count of days from the moment she was brought to this dreadful house.
"Now turn on the flame of the gas and put the saucepan over it to make it hot. Once it's hot and ready, add cooking oil to it." Her mother-in-law orders.
Nodding back to her she follows her each and every step. "Should I add the carrots in the pan now?"
"Yes, you should."
Before adding the carrots in the pan, she washed them with water first and then proceeded to pour all of it together at once causing the hot oil to sprout out of the pan and land on both of the women's skin.
"Ah!" Her mother-in-law shrieked first in pain loudly making the helpers in the house rush inside the kitchen. Everyone looks at us with oblivion eyes but none could possibly figure out what possibly happened there. "You foolish girl! Look what have you done!" Showing her the non-visible burnt marks with a dangerously angry look.
She got nothing compared to the girl who was standing near the cooking station and yet, she didn't even whimper. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize this would happen."
"Of course, you will say that; I knew from the very first moment you wanted to harm me." She gets a tight hold of her trembling arm, "Taking out your build up anger against my son on me, right?"
"No, it's not like that. I genuinely didn't know this would happen. I swear please don't tell him about it." She pleads because her brain already showed her the upcoming possible tortures his husband will be blessing her with.
"Don't tell me what?"
A voice echoes from the dining hall and soon the footsteps were clearly audible due to the tensed silence roaming in the surroundings.
Everyone in the kitchen gulps audibly in fear as the devil's footsteps enter the kitchen, revealing his demonic self in a tight and crisp business suit with a dazzling wrist watch and shiny shoes. Though what made everyone shiver from his arrival was his appearance. Even though he looks like a perfect businessman, the blood stain on his white shirt and knuckles showed his brutal reality. "What happened to my love?" He walks tentatively towards her keeping a stern gaze around the surroundings as if looking for flaws. "Cat got your tongue?"
His mother suddenly wailed in front of him making the wife more conscious about the snitch telling all lies to her ruthless husband. "Ricardo- look at these injuries, son. Look what your wife did to me." Showing the non-existence wounds to him, "she poured hot oil on me, son."
Ricardo raises his eyebrows at his mother "poured?" He glares at her, "do you peg me as a fool, mother?" His mother shakes her head vigorously in denial. "Then leave and go back to your house, you are no longer needed."
His mother glances at the girl before leaving the estate immediately. This is what she wanted from the moment she entered and she got. Even being the mother of the demon, she didn't want to be in his sight any longer than five minutes.
"Everyone!" Ricardo, calls out loud to grab their attention. "Go, resume your work." Looking back to his wife, "and you my dear, we have a long- long talk to do."
"Ricardo- Ricardo please listen to me once, it was a silly mistake; I didn't mean to harm your mother. Please believe me, please." She begs him, trying to convince him but it was all in vain when she sees him removing his neck tie and walking close to her.
"My love, why do you always have to make me angry?" He slides his hands to her petite waist and leans down to her face, kissing the corner of her shivering lips. "You know how much I love to mark your body; then, why did you let your silly mistake give these burns on your hands?"
She froze hearing his words. His sardonic smile made her insides churn as she knew what would come next. "Only I have the right to mark you, not even you are allowed to do it."
His punishment.
"Scarlett." He whispers her name before turning her around to face the wall, bringing his hands to her waist. Tears threaten to come out of her eyes, but uncertainty dawns on her too as it was just the beginning of his punishment. Every time he surprises her how cruel a person can be. "You rile me up so badly, Scarlett." He breaths in her hair while whispering his obscure chanting. She hates it when he takes her name.
Scarlett, in anger.
Scarlett, in pleasure.
Scarlett…
Scarlett…
Scarlett…
Stella…
"Stella?" The woman in glasses shakes her. "Are you there?"
The woman in question now settles her vision on her and stares at the thin air for seconds to adjust her conscience back to reality. "Yes… yes I'm here." She mutters while raking a hand through her perfectly combed hair in nervousness.
"You already wasted so much time dear. Go inside the cabin before the interviewer decides to cut out your name from the candidate list." The woman suggests her with an arched eyebrow and a scowl on her face.
She nods her head at the stern lady. Muttering a feeble ok, she makes her way to the designated door where her eyes saw almost all other candidates on the verge of crying while exiting the door. That did make her nervous and being nervous triggers her bad memories. Taking a deep breath, she knocks on the door twice with her knuckles.
She heard a faint 'come in' and entered the place. The room was so silent that all her footsteps were clearly echoing. She fears the way her heart is pumping loudly in her chest; the interviewer might hear it as well.
Gulping down the lump in her throat, she walks further inside and forces a smile on her face for the person sitting on the head chair with hands rested on the desk before her. "Good morning." She greets her interviewer politely.
"Morning," He greets back with a smile too "Please, have a seat." He gestures to her by his hand to the vacant seat before him.
She nods in response, soon the nervousness seems to fade away noticing the kind gesture of his though the tension didn't. "Thank you." She mutters.
He smiles looking at her appearance once but she didn't understand what possibly he could be judging. She was actually dressed in a formal bodycon dress which reached just above her knees. Long full sleeves and a turtle neck made it look perfectly formal to her and thus, why she went for this outfit.
She never felt self-conscious about her dress before but under his gaze she started to doubt herself.
"Your CV?" He lends out his hand to her asking for the file she was clutching tightly in her hands. She nods at him before giving away the paperwork. Shuffling around the pages, he notices her file very attentively before asking his questions one after another related to her CV. "So, you live in church premises with other nuns?"
"Yes, I do. I have nowhere else to go and they were kind enough to offer me shelter when I had none." She replies, looking straight in his eyes.
"Then, I suppose they provide you quite the necessities too?" He arches his eyebrow at her but she denies to feel intimidated under his gaze.
"They never fail to make me feel comfortable under their care." She answers.
"Then I don't see why you are in need of a job; you have everything you need. You serve them your services and they take your care in return. What else do you need?"
"I need this job to help the church, I didn't come here for myself but for them. I want to help them with funds which they are lacking now." She says meeting his eyes, conveying her desperation. "I'm not much qualified for a higher rank job but I do have all the qualities of being a housekeeper, I have served church for years doing the same."
The interviewer averts his gaze from her to the corner of the room for a second before landing again on her, "tell me something, if you were practicing a nun's duties then why didn't you turn yourself in as one of them?"
She lets out a chuckle "I can never be as pure as a nun, even if I try to." She looks down and shakes her head, "I just don't meet all the requirements of being a nun."
The interviewer nods at her in understanding, "You are aware of the requirements, right?"
She nods.
"So, are you comfortable staying under the same roof as your boss?" He enquired but the curiosity in his tone didn't go unnoticed by her.
"Yes, I know."
He nods in understanding, suddenly he holds his gaze behind her for a moment making her confused. Just as she cranes her neck to look at her back too, the interviewer speaks in a concerned tone, "You do realize that living with your boss can be difficult sometimes, right?" He sits uncomfortably in his seat, "especially when it's Ezra Knight, you are going to work for." He speaks in a hushed tone.
She opens her mouth to ask what he meant by his words when suddenly a hand drops on the side of her armchair making her gasp.
A cold voice whispers close to her ears, "What he means to ask is, dear, are you ready to be a full-time maid for a man who is unmarried and has quite the rumors of being a bad influence?" His breath fanning on her skin made her heart thump start again. "So, are you?"
She didn't dare to move in her seat but saw how the interviewer was gaping at the man who's standing so close to her but did nothing to stop it. Taking a deep breath, she nods firmly at his question.
Her conscience felt him staring at her face from his angle but then he retracted his position from her and walked to the seat where the interviewer was sitting and that's when she noticed the man.
Ezra Knight.
The man whom she is being interviewed for.
She did her research quite well on this man. The typical billionaire bastard. Women and lots of women must have had their fair share of his companionship either dancing in parties or in ripping their panties by him.
What drew her to this man was his dedication to work and his past. His childhood wasn't as great as his adulthood. Thus, he knows what struggle means in a life and his achievement has inspired many others, including her.
Ezra nods at the HR and the man understands what he meant by it. He wants to take over the interview now. "What was your name again?"
Her mouth opens to answer him but the interviewer beats her to it, "Her name is Stella Robinson."
The fake identity Scarlett, came up with.
Ezra didn't remove his stare from her but his tight-lipped smile gave her the idea of displeasure. He turns to face his employee, "Joseph, I would like to have a chat with her, would you mind?"
"Of course, sir, after all the final call would be yours." Joseph says and walks to the seat next to Stella's. Just as he was about to sit, his boss stopped him.
"I said I would like to talk to her," he leans forward resting his elbows on the desk "in private I meant."
Joseph looks oblivious for a moment but soon he composed himself. After giving a curt nod to his boss and passing a smile towards Stella, he leaves the room.
She looks down at her lap as a strange feeling starts to creep up her spine. It's mostly anxiety and fear but then again, his strange stare on her made her believe there's something going on in his mind and it does not seem related to the environment.
"Now that we are here alone," his gaze drops down on her chest before once again meeting her eyes as a smirk forms on his lips. "Let's talk."