Gabrielly found herself sitting outside the gate, repeatedly ringing the doorbell, but it seemed the man inside was ignoring her. She couldn't go home because Ms. Erica had already paid her $20,000 for a week of service.
"Arrogant, sympathetic, and rude guy," she thought. If he still wouldn't come out, she would return Miss Erica's money. Though it was a significant amount compared to her other part-time jobs, she felt the need to do the right thing. Just as she was about to call Miss Erica, a delivery service suddenly stopped in front of her.
Feeling embarrassed, she smelled herself. In reality, she wasn't unpleasantly odorous; she had just taken a shower before leaving for this place. Why does it seem like she smells so bad to this person?
"Sir, I'm sorry, but Miss Erica has already paid for my two weeks here. In fact, I forgot to show you our contract earlier. Here it is," she said, handing him the contract paper.
He read through the contract she handed him, then he faced her again.
"I'll double whatever is stated in the contract, just leave and don't come back," he firmly stated.
She took a step back at his words. Would she really refuse the offer of receiving 40 thousand dollars for doing nothing? She thought,
"Sorry, but I won't accept the offer. It's not my habit to take money I didn't work for," she replied.
She felt his intense gaze, and a sense of fear and unease crept in as she looked into his blue eyes. He was undeniably handsome, with brown skin and enticing eyes. His well-built physique was evident, making him someone who could captivate any woman with just a glance.
Trying to break the tension, she quickly averted her gaze.
"I-I'll start cleaning now, sir," she stammered.
He let out a deep sigh before shaking his head and walking away. With his departure, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Taking in her surroundings, she observed the grandeur of the house, adorned with a spacious garden filled with beautiful flowers. However, it was evident that the upkeep was lacking, with overgrown weeds and scattered dry leaves covering the once pristine lawn. The house resembled an abandoned palace, and she speculated that it had been uninhabited for quite some time.
While exploring, she stumbled upon a neglected swimming pool, its water murky and littered with debris. She sighed, realizing that cleaning just the exterior would likely exceed the allocated three hours for her work. She had classes scheduled after her cleaning shift.
Keen not to waste any time, she quickly located a broom and cleaning supplies. Deciding to start with the exterior, she set to work.
From above, she noticed the man peering at her through a window. Catching his gaze, she saw him hurriedly cover his nose and shut the window.
"Seriously, he could smell me even from up there," she muttered, shaking her head, as she resumed sweeping.
Upon entering, she was amazed by the beauty and size of the house. The elegant design and expensive-looking décor filled every corner. However, despite the grandeur, there were broken vases and a messy interior, mirroring the disorder outside. The large and elegant appearance carried a side that felt eerie due to the profound silence.
"I think you're looking for something.
Startled, she almost jumped at the unexpected voice from behind. She hadn't noticed him before, as she was engrossed in observing her surroundings.,
"Sir Grayson, um, I wanted to ask for permission to leave. I'm about to go," she nervously explained.
"Yes, leave," he said, then turned away towards the kitchen.
She was left with a sigh, starting to walk out.
"How rude, a jerk. He didn't even bother to check her work." She left, annoyed.
"Miss Erica, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to return to your brother's mansion anymore," she expressed as she visited Erica in her office on the school's upper floor.
Miss Erica was the dean of their architecture department and one of the school's owners. She played a significant role in securing her scholarship and had been a great help to her family, earning her deep gratitude and respect.,
Erica took a deep breath,
"I'm sorry if he didn't treat you properly. Anyway, forgive him; he's just naturally gruff with strangers. Once he gets to know you, everything should be fine. Here are the keys to his house—all the doors. He's often not there anyway. It just happened that he was there on your first day. Miss Erica explained with a lengthy clarification.
So, are we okay now, Gabby? It asked with a smile.
She nodded in agreement. Before she could leave, she was handed another 20,000 dollars. She hesitated, as she felt it was already more than enough help, but the person insisted, and she eventually accepted it.
Coming out of Ms. Erica's office, she couldn't contain her excitement. She could now pay off all her debts and buy medicine for her sibling and her father. She danced while running into her classroom.
"Hey, I've been calling you for a while. Where were you?" was the immediate question from her friend Mia.
"I came from my sideline," she said with a smile.
"Hey, what sideline? You seem so happy," Mia asked.
"Hmm, I'm working as a cleaner in a haunted house. Interested?" she jokingly asked Mia.
"Yes, haunted house, girl. Anyway, can you smell me if I really stink?" she asked.
Mia approached her slowly and sniffed her. "I don't smell anything. Why?"
The owner of the house I cleaned seemed disgusted with me, as if I smelled bad," she shared with her friend.
Mia burst into laughter, "Well, maybe they're just not used to the scent of a hardworking, money-earning superstar like you!"
Gabrielly chuckled at her friend's remark.
"He's just weird, take note, even i'm so far away, and he'sstill covering his nose as if I'm really stinks to him," she said.
"Hmm, a guy.so Is he handsome, girl?"
She nodded.
"Is he muscular?" Another nod.
"How old is he?"
"I don't know, but based on his looks, maybe around 28?" she replied, seeming a bit confused by her friend's questions.
It sounds familiar to me, girl, like in the book Twilight, handsome, muscular, and rich like Edward. He was disgusted really disgusted by Bella's smell because he's a vampire. I think yout could your boss be a vampire too?
Oh, you're thinking about vampires now? That's just in books and movies, Mia. But seriously, I doubt he's a vampire. He's just a guy with a weird aversion to my scent.
Well, I don't know about the vampire part, but if he is, then I'm in a real-life Twilight situation, huh? Gabrielly chuckled at the thought.
Mia laughed along, "Who knows, maybe you'll be the next Bella Swan. Watch out for those sparkling moments!"
Their laughter came to a halt when Mr. Clark, their handsome professor for one of their subjects, suddenly arrived. After the class, Gabrielly promptly bid farewell to her friend, expressing her intention to head straight home. Sticking around after class was not her usual practice, and her friends were well aware of that.
She first went to the pharmacy to buy medicine and then did some grocery shopping for their home. Upon her return, she found her father watching TV in the living room.
"Dad, have you eaten?" she asked after giving him a hug.
"Yes, we've already eaten with your siblings. Hey, what are those things you brought? There's a lot," her father inquired.
"It's my salary, Dad. From my part-time job. I used it to pay our utility bills and house rent, so you don't have to worry about those anymore," she said with a smile.
"Child, maybe you should be careful not to overwork yourself; you might end up getting sick, and you might even outlive us," her father expressed, gently caressing her cheek. She just smiled in response.
Her family on her father's side had a genetic predisposition to various types of cancer, inherited from their ancestors. Her father was fortunate to reach 60 years, while her uncles and aunts only lived up to around 50.
Her older brother and sister both died from cancer, and her youngest sibling, at 14, was fighting leukemia.
In terms of hardships, it seemed they had faced almost every type of challenge. Meanwhile, her mother's death at the age of ten was not due to cancer but resulted from a tragic incident.
Sorry for the problems we've caused you, my child," her father said with tears in his eyes.
"Here we go with our drama again. Enough already, right? I said we should always be happy even if we're just the four of us," she said, smiling at her father. He took her hand and smiled sweetly.
Their tender moment was interrupted by a news report on TV about a woman attacked by a strange creature, highlighting more incidents of killings and attacks mentioned in the news. It brought back memories of her childhood with her mother and father. She broke into a sweat, tears streaming down her face as she recalled a tragic accident back then. Her father noticed her stiffening, and soon, she couldn't help but scream loudly, almost shaking their entire house.