Cheryl walked into her grandmother's mansion in slow steps. Her legs ached after she had run all night with Rafael, who had just left her a few hours ago.
She didn't know what Rafael was doing, but Rafael left her alone with the driver and bodyguard.
Not long after Rafael went, Alejandro's escort car arrived, and Cheryl decided to go along with her bodyguard after explaining to Rafael's bodyguard that the person who came to pick her up was one of the personal bodyguards at her Grandma's mansion.
"Where have you been, Cheryl? Why your phone can't be reached?"
Cheryl knew that she would receive a long line of questions from her Grandma as soon as she entered the mansion. However, at this time, Cheryl was too tired to explain about what had happened and where she had been going all night.
"Grandma, I'll tell you everything later. But right now, I'm very sleepy. I need sleep and my comfortable bed." Cheryl whimpered softly, hoping her spoiled voice would delay the woman's prepared interrogation time.
"I don't care what you do, but Carlos just came from Manhattan two hours ago to see you. He's at the stables because he's tired of waiting for you!"
Cheryl's eyes widened for a moment.
Carlos? Why did he come here?
"Why… why did he come here?" Cheryl panicked. She started running towards her room because she didn't want to meet Carlos in this state.
Not after Cheryl had spent the whole night sleeping in the arms of a stranger.
"What should I tell him, Cheryl? Should I ask him to wait a little longer? Or should I kick him out?" asked his Grandma.
Cheryl stopped running.
She wanted to meet Carlos. When else is Carlos willing to sacrifice time during his busy life to see Cheryl, who is sulking and running away to Las Vegas with the excuse of wanting to take a vacation?
Instead of taking a vacation, Cheryl ran away with a strange man and stayed the whole night with him.
"I…" Cheryl hesitated, "I'll take a shower and see him soon."
***
Once inside the room, Cheryl first looked for something she could use to tie her long hair.
This morning she had been trying so hard to wash her hair that she cried many times because her eyes were getting hurt by the shampoo foam. It seemed she didn't need to wash her hair again. Cheryl had to rub as much soap as possible so her skin smelled good again after she was in a foreign settlement full of dust and pollution.
"Our lady will— Miss? Where are you?"
There was a scream from the maid outside the bathroom.
Cheryl was in the bathtub, trying to calm herself down after a terrible night.
"Miss?" A servant came to open the bathroom door.
Cheryl turned her head. She rolled her eyes in annoyance when she saw the surprised expression displayed by the maid.
"What are you doing?" The maid came closer with hasty steps. Not long after her Nanny since she was a baby, Margareth came with a towel and aromatherapy candles.
"Let us help you shower, miss."
Cheryl took a deep breath. This morning she just got a tutorial on washing her hair. She doesn't want to get the same lecture if she has to meet with… with Rafael again.
Cheryl's mood immediately changed when she remembered the last sentence that Rafael said.
Rafael mocked her. Rafael said that Cheryl is a spoiled Princess who is not suitable to go on adventures with him just because she can't wash her hair.
"Miss? Are you okay?" Margareth came closer and touched Cheryl's bare shoulder, which was sticking out behind the bathtub.
"I want to take a bath myself!" Cheryl said.
"What?"
"Are you serious?"
"Your eyes will hurt if you get soapy foam, Miss"
Several waiters immediately whispered to each other. They seemed surprised by Cheryl's request.
Hearing their doubts made Cheryl even more annoyed. "I can shower myself! Do you think I'm a spoiled princess who can't do anything?!" She shouted, glaring at her servant in annoyance.
"We can help you—"
"Get out of here! It's just a shower. I can do it myself!"
Cheryl's scream was able to silence them all. Finally, Margareth and the other three maids walked out even though they gave occasional glances of doubt.
Cheryl closed her own eyes and began to lean her head on the end of the bathtub to enjoy the bathing program that she had deliberately prepared alone.
Her family, especially her Daddy, have always spoiled her. She was never short on maids, nor was she left to do basic things like bathing and combing her hair by herself.
Margareth had worked with her mother since she was in her 30s, then when Cheryl was born, Margareth helped her Mommy to take care of Cheryl 24 hours a day. Cheryl remembers crying and wailing when Margaret said goodbye and wanted to stop working even though she was 22 years old at that time.
For as long as Cheryl could remember, she could live far away from her Mommy, she was used to living in a different country from that woman, but she couldn't live without Margaret.
Let alone for bathing and combing her hair, Margareth still often feeds Cheryl when she is lazy to cut her breakfast bread in the morning.
"Miss, we have prepared clothes and skin care for you. Please take a seat at—"
"Who asked you to prepare all this?" Cheryl asked while massaging her temples.
After lingering in the bathtub, Cheryl decided to rinse her skin with a water shower, and then, when she walked out of the bathroom, the maids had prepared clothes, shoes, and a series of treatments in her room. Usually, Cheryl likes doing skincare, but for some reason, all of that doesn't seem interesting anymore.
There was no point in taking care of her if this morning she had just displayed the worst appearance of her entire life in front of an obnoxious stranger.
"Miss? Where do you want to go?"
The maids stared in confusion as Cheryl chose to walk over to the wardrobe and pick out her clothes.
"I can wear my own clothes," she said, eyes flashing with pride.
Margareth sucked. She raised one hand and covered her mouth, which was gaping wide when she saw Cheryl start to wear her knee-length dress. Despite having difficulty, Cheryl finally managed to button all the buttons on the front of her chest.
And… in just five minutes, Cheryl has successfully worn the dress.
"Where… where did you learn all that, Miss? Did you attend a seminar or special training last night?"
Cheryl rolled her eyes a second time. In just one night, her view of her family could change drastically. During this time, Cheryl felt that what she was getting was an ordinary thing that was acquired as a daughter of the Alejandro family. Still, after realizing that she was deliberately raised as a spoiled princess who couldn't do anything herself, she realized that there were basic things that her family had forgotten to teach just because they were too focused on spoiling her.
"Would you guys pass out if I told you that I can wash my hair too?" she asked.
"Miss? You can?"
Cheryl nodded proudly. "Would you like to check my hair?"
Without Cheryl guessing, Margareth suddenly approached her and hugged her tightly. "You are a great girl, Miss. I believe that times like this will come soon when you decide to change and have the courage to try to learn to do new things. I'm proud of you." Margareth said while sobbing in her arms.
Inevitably Cheryl had to return the hug from Margareth, who was crying just because Cheryl showed off a simple thing.
"You never reacted like this when I first became the director of Diamonique. Then why do you have to cry just because I can shower and wash my hair?" Cheryl snorted in annoyance. She still remembered Margaret's reaction when she told her at length about her first experience working at Diamonique. Margareth just nodded slowly and smiled casually as if Cheryl was a little girl recounting the experience of riding a horse passionately.
"You have no idea how much I waited for moments like this." Margareth let go of her embrace. She reached out and touched Cheryl's hair which was still messy because she had not yet learned to comb her hair. "It seems that your engagement with Mr Carlos has had a good impact. You learned to do all this because of him, didn't you?"
The smile on Cheryl's face instantly faded.
Carlos… how could Cheryl forget that man's existence?
Carlos didn't like waiting. He is a busy man with many busy schedules that cannot be left behind. If Carlos was willing to wait for her for hours, it meant he had something important to talk about.
Oh my gosh, how could Cheryl forget her fiancé's existence?
"Margareth, quickly comb my hair. I have to meet Carlos!" She said as she pulled Margaret to the dressing table.
"You… haven't learned to comb your hair yet?" Margaret looked surprised.
"Yeah, I haven't studied. Later I will meet my teacher and ask him to teach me how to comb my hair. For now, I still need your help!"