Lucia arrived at Diego's apartment with a lightness in her step, feeling happier than she had in days. The hilarious conversation she had with Ivy on the way over had lifted her spirits, and for once, she had left her pain behind at the hotel. She plugged in her earpiece, playing her favorite song as she swayed gently to the rhythm, lost in the music.
As she moved to the beat, Andre, the security guard, approached her.
"Emily," he called out, but she didn't respond, too immersed in the music. He tapped her shoulder, and she turned, removing the earpiece with a cheerful smile.
"Hey, Andre! Wassup?" she greeted, her happiness evident.
"I'm great," he replied, noticing her upbeat mood. "I can see you're in a good mood today. Care to share?"
Lucia laughed lightly. "Well, I just wanna keep my spirits high. Not everyone needs to wear their problems on their face, you know?" she said with a wink.
Andre chuckled. "That's a great attitude to have."
With a quick glance at her watch, Lucia's focus shifted. "Kindly let Mr. Diego know I'm around. It's almost 8, and he'll be late for his meeting if he doesn't leave soon," she said, her tone turning professional.
Andre chuckled again, this time a bit nervously. "Let Mr. Diego know you're here? I can't do that... not when he has a visitor," he said, lowering his voice slightly. "He brought someone in last night, and I'd rather not disturb him over a mere driver."
Lucia froze, her cheerful expression faltering. "What? A visitor?" she asked, her voice tightening.
Andre nodded. "Yeah, you brought them home last night. Don't you remember?"
Lucia's heart sank. A visitor... last night? She struggled to keep her composure. "Okay," she said, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Take the car keys. I'll be back."
She handed the keys to Andre, her mind already racing with questions. Without waiting for his response, she marched toward the house.
"Lucia, wait! You can't just—" Andre tried to stop her, but she ignored him, her determination overriding any caution. She had to see for herself what was going on inside Diego's house.
Lucia stepped into the apartment, and her eyes immediately fell on a woman lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone and laughing softly. The woman looked up, her eyes sweeping over Lucia from head to toe with a sneer before letting out a dismissive hiss. Lucia stood still for a moment, trying to process the situation, when Diego appeared, descending the staircase.
"Hey, Emily, you're here," Diego greeted casually, oblivious to the tension in the air. "First time you've entered my apartment."
"I arrived earlier, but you didn't come out, so I decided to check up on you, sir," Lucia replied, her voice steady but her gaze lingering on the woman.
"Wow, that's thoughtful of you," Diego said, smiling briefly.
"But sir, with this visitor here at this hour, have you forgotten you have a meeting scheduled for 8:30?" Lucia asked, her tone professional but with a hint of edge.
"Oh, shit, that's true," Diego muttered, glancing at his watch. He then turned to the woman on the couch. "Hey, I thought I asked you to get dressed."
The woman shot Lucia a sharp look, her expression twisting with anger. "Who is she?" she demanded, her voice dripping with hostility.
Lucia, keeping her emotions in check, shot back immediately. "Who is who? You have the audacity to ask who I am? Who the fuck are you to be in a man's apartment he's not married to?"
The woman stood up, eyes blazing. "Are you out of your mind? Look at this—riff-raff driver, trying to talk to me!"
Lucia narrowed her eyes but remained calm. "At least I'm better than you, sleeping around for money."
The woman's face flushed red with fury. "Diego, you're just going to stand there and watch her talk to me like this?" she snapped.
"It's enough, ladies," Diego interrupted, trying to maintain control of the situation. He turned to the woman and said, "Go upstairs and get dressed." Then, he looked at Lucia. "Emily, go back and wait outside."
But Lucia wasn't done. As the woman stormed toward the stairs, Lucia couldn't resist throwing another comment her way. "Typical," she muttered, loud enough for the woman to hear. "Running off when things get real."
The woman spun around, her face livid, but Diego had had enough. "Emily, Emily, just shut the fuck up!" he shouted, frustration boiling over.
Lucia glanced at Diego, her gaze unwavering. "Sir, talk to your toy, not me," she said coolly, her words sharp as knives, before turning to leave. She walked out of the apartment with her head held high, refusing to let the situation faze her.
As Lucia stormed out of the house, her emotions a whirlwind, she marched straight to where Andre stood, her hand outstretched. Without a word, she snatched the car keys from him. Andre watched her, a bemused grin tugging at his lips.
"How did it go?" he asked, laughing softly, but Lucia didn't respond. She walked to the car, sat in the driver's seat, and stared blankly ahead, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she waited for Diego.
Minutes later, Diego emerged, laughing with a woman by his side. They strolled towards the car, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside. Lucia saw them in the rearview mirror, her heart sinking as Diego opened the back seat door for the woman, who was giggling like it was the happiest moment of her life.
Lucia's blood boiled. She stepped out of the car abruptly, slamming the door behind her. "I'm not driving this bitch," she said coldly, her voice laced with fury.
Diego's smile faltered, his eyes widening in shock. "What did you say, Emily?" he asked, taken aback. "Am I not paying you to drive me?"
Lucia stood her ground, her eyes burning with indignation. "Sir, you paid me to drive you, not you and your toy," she spat, her words sharp and cutting.
Diego's expression darkened. "Fine," he snapped, "I'll double your wages."
"No need," Lucia shot back. "There's a limit to what someone can tolerate, and this is mine."
The other woman, sensing the tension, crossed her arms and sneered. "What's this lady's problem?" she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "I could have Diego fire you right now."
Lucia's eyes flashed as she glared at the woman. "As what? His wife? His mother?" she hissed, her voice rising. "Bitch."
"Enough!" Diego barked, his voice firm as he stepped between them. "Both of you, stop this now."
From the gate, Andre watched the unfolding drama, chuckling quietly to himself but staying out of it.
Diego turned to Lucia, frustration etched on his face. "Emily, you're disappointing me. Have I wronged you by employing you?"
Lucia shook her head, her voice steady despite the rage bubbling inside her. "No, sir. But there's a limit to what someone can take. You're late for your meeting, sir. It's already 8:45."
Diego exhaled sharply, his anger barely contained. "Drive us, or I'll drive myself."
Lucia crossed her arms defiantly. "If you drive yourself, you won't make it to the office on time. I can bet on it," she said boldly, locking eyes with him.
The other woman scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Who are you, anyway?" she muttered under her breath. "I'm out of here." She stormed off, her heels clicking on the pavement as Diego half-heartedly tried to call her back.
"Sir, you're late for your meeting," Lucia reminded him, her voice calm. "So pick: Money or a pussy."
Diego clenched his jaw, glaring at her. "Damn you, Emily."
Lucia didn't flinch, simply stepping aside and opening the driver's door. "I'll get you to your meeting on time, sir."
Andre stood at the gate, silently watching the entire scene unfold. His amusement was evident, but he kept his distance. Lucia climbed into the driver's seat, starting the engine with a swift motion as Andre dutifully opened the gate. She didn't look at him; her focus was on Diego, who sat in the back seat, clearly still in shock from the confrontation.
As Lucia drove, her eyes occasionally flicked to the rearview mirror. Diego was staring right at her, his face a mix of confusion and contemplation, as if he was seeing her for the first time. The silence in the car was thick with tension.
"I know what's on your mind, sir," Lucia said, breaking the silence, her tone firm but calm.
Diego's eyes narrowed slightly. "You should really learn to mind your own business, Emily," he said coldly, his voice carrying a warning.
Lucia didn't flinch. "Not while I'm in your life, sir," she responded boldly, taking a sharp turn as they approached the office gate.
Diego leaned back, silent for a moment. As they pulled up to the office, she smiled slightly. "You see, we're right on time," she said with satisfaction, glancing at the clock.
Diego shook his head as he stepped out of the car, his usual confident demeanor shaken. He looked back at her one last time, still trying to figure her out, before walking into the office without a word.
The moment Diego was out of sight, Lucia exhaled, letting out a soft, victorious laugh. "Yesss, I did it," she whispered to herself, a grin spreading across her face. "This is just the beginning, Diego."
Feeling the adrenaline of her small victory, she pulled out her phone and dialed Ivy. The phone barely rang once before Ivy picked up.
"Girl, you will not believe what just happened this morning," Lucia said, launching into the story with excitement, reliving every moment with Ivy as her eager audience.
Ivy's voice crackled with excitement on the other end of the line. "Oh my God, Lucia, tell me everything! I've been dying to hear how it all went down."
Lucia leaned back in the driver's seat, staring at the building where Diego had just disappeared. "So, remember how I told you about Diego's little 'visitor'? Well, I called him out in front of her. The nerve of him, thinking I'd just drive them around like I don't have a say in this!"
Ivy gasped. "You didn't!"
"Oh, I did," Lucia said, her voice brimming with pride. "I told him I wasn't going to drive his 'toy,' and you should've seen the look on his face. He was shook."
Ivy cackled. "Girl, I wish I'd been there to see it! What did he say after that?"
Lucia grinned. "He tried to bribe me by doubling my wages, but I wasn't having it. Then that woman had the nerve to tell me she could have me fired! Like, who does she think she is?"
Ivy was in full laughter mode now. "And then what?"
"She stormed off. Diego tried to stop her, but I made sure to remind him he was late for his meeting. He was so mad, Ivy, you should've seen his face! He didn't know what to do with himself." Lucia laughed again, recalling the moment when Diego, frustrated and defeated, had no choice but to go inside.
"You really are a queen," Ivy said, her voice full of admiration. "I swear, the way you handled that situation was legendary. Diego's probably in his office right now, trying to figure out what just happened."
Lucia smiled, staring out the window. "He was so caught off guard. I don't think he's ever had anyone stand up to him like that. But this is just the beginning, Ivy. He thinks he can control everything, but not me."
Ivy sighed, a hint of mischief in her voice. "So, what's next? You've made it clear you're not to be messed with."
Lucia's eyes gleamed with determination. "Next? I'm going to make sure Diego realizes he can't treat me or anyone else like we're disposable. He'll have to choose: respect me or deal with the consequences. I'm not just his driver—I'm in control of this game now."
Ivy let out an impressed hum. "Well, I'm here for it. Just keep me posted, okay? I want to know everything that happens."
Lucia chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll be the first to know."
As she hung up the phone, she felt a surge of confidence wash over her. This was a small victory, but it was just the beginning of something much bigger. Diego thought he was the one calling the shots, but soon enough, he'd learn that Lucia was playing a game of her own. And she wasn't planning on losing.