Nick arrived at the large iron gates of the Sinclair Estate taking a deep breath. He couldn’t believe he was actually there to take the job Clara had offered.
Memories of his time with Clara flooded his mind, reminding him of the disapproval he had faced from her family. They had scorned him, belittled him, and made it abundantly clear that he was not worthy of their daughter. But Clara had been different. She had always stood by his side, defending their love.And now, she was no longer on his side.
As the gate slowly swung open, Nick couldn't help but feel like a condemned man heading for his end.But he was out of options - with no job,no home and no savings left, this was his last chance.
Making his way up the long driveway, Nick's anxiety grew larger.
Just then, the massive front doors swung open to reveal Clara standing framed in the entrance. Gone was the warmth and affection Nick had always seen in her eyes,now they were cold and calculating as she surveyed him silently.
"Clara, thank you for giving me this opportunity," Nick said sincerely as he climbed the front steps. "I know things ended badly between us, but I'm hoping we can find a way to move past it for the sake of my employment here."
"We'll see about that," was all Clara said, her curt tone sending a sharp sting through Nick's chest. She led him inside to the grand living room.
"Mom, Dad, Seth, Nick is here," Clara announced. Her family appeared and the hostility in their eyes was almost a physical force.
Lena Sinclair,her mother, was the first to speak. "Clara,what the hell is a poor loser like him doing on our property?"
Vin Sinclair, Clara's father, stood beside Lena, his face clearly angry. "I thought you were done with him, Clara. Why on earth would you bring him here?" he growled.
Even Clara's brother, Seth, couldn't hide his disapproval. "You've got to be kidding me," he frowned. They all looked at Nick with contempt.
Clara stepped forward, her voice firm "Everyone, calm down," she said, her eyes darting between her family and Nick.
"I brought him here because he's starting his new job."Lena fanned herself, a slight smile playing on her lips. "For a moment there, I thought you had taken this pathetic waste of space back.Thank goodness you’re not stupid," she remarked in relief.Clara brushed off her mother's concern. "Of course not, Mother. Nick is in need of a job and a place to stay, and I thought our house could use a good hard worker around. I've hired him on as the new houseboy."
Anger and hurt flashed across Nick's face but he held his tongue. This was humiliating, but he had no other choice if he wanted to get his life back on track.
"You what!" Seth exploded. "This loser living under our roof? I don't think so."
"Seth, enough," Vin said firmly, holding up a hand. "If the man is willing to work, we could use the help. As long as he earns his keep and stays out of trouble." His cold eyes bored into Nick's. "You understand me, boy?"
"Yes sir, absolutely." Nick nodded earnestly,"I won't let any of you down, I promise. Just tell me what you need done."
Seth, still skeptical, spoke up. "No need to waste any more time," he said, his tone dismissive. "Go draw a bath in the maids' quarters, and then head to the basement. That's where you'll be living from now on."
Nick's heart sank at the thought of living in the basement, but he knew he had no other choice. He mustered a smile, trying to hide his disappointment.
"Thank you for the opportunity," he said, his voice laced with gratitude. "I won't let you all down."Shortly after, Nick reviewed the extensive menu for the Sinclair family dinner. Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread—it was enough food to feed an army. Lena's instructions echoed in his mind, "The cooks are merely observing. You will be solely responsible for this meal."Taking a breath, Nick got to work. He had always known how to cook as he took a liking to it when he was quite young. And he had learned from the best,his mother. He started by prepping the chicken, rubbing it with herbs before roasting it to golden brown perfection. Next, he peeled mountains of potatoes, mashing them fluffy and light with cream and butter.
The beans were trimmed and simmered in a skillet with bacon and onions. As the cornbread batter came together, its sweet scent made him feel lightheaded. Soon, every dish was completed.
Nick proudly presented the finished work to the Sinclair large dining table. He was met with total silence, the family digging in expectantly.
Vin took the first bite of chicken. "Well I'll be damned, the boy can actually cook," he chuckled. “Not anything special,but at least we could make do with it I guess,” Lena commented.
Clara remained stoic but Nick swore he saw that she was enjoying it. She had always loved when he made home cooked meals for her.He couldn’t wait to dig into the food he had prepared but as he turned to leave, Seth's icy tone stopped him.
"I assume you realize you are not permitted to eat the food you've prepared," Seth stated coldly.
Nick's stomach dropped. "Not even leftovers, sir?"Lena cut in sharply, "Of course not. You may have the old soup from yesterday if you're still hungry." Dismayed, Nick nodded silently and went to retrieve the soup.
It tasted way too sour. There was no way he could eat that. In the kitchen, one of the cooks was kind enough to show him where the fresh soup stock was kept. "Warm some up, it'll be far more nourishing."
“Thank you so much,” he replied gratefully as he got right into it.
As he finally settled down to drink his now hot fresh soup,Seth burst in suddenly.
"What is this?" he spat, gesturing to the steaming pot. Before Nick could explain, Seth thrust the pot to the ground with a crash almost burning him. Broth splattered Nick's worn shoes as he stood, stunned.
"And who said you could warm it up?” Seth roared. "How dare you even disobey direct orders? Isn’t this the fresh soup?"
“The other one tasted sour and I couldn’t—"“Just shut the hell up. I had the feeling that you were going to do otherwise. I guess I wasn’t wrong.”
Nick opened his mouth to apologize but Seth continued, "Get out of my sight before I do something I might regret"
"Seth, that is enough." Clara had entered, gaze level but stern "Nick, clean the mess and try to stay out of our way?" With that, she escorted Seth out, leaving Nick to clean up.
Nick sighed as he wiped down the last table in the dining hall. It had been a long morning of cleaning up. He had been living in the Sinclair mansion for weeks now and in all honesty,it was hard to keep up. As he turned to take the dirty rags to be washed, Clara's sharp voice rang out. "Nick, I need you to drive me shopping today." Clara was perched on her usual bar stool, cheeks flushed from half a bottle of champagne already. Nick paused, brow furrowing. "I'm the house help, ma'am. Don't we have drivers for your errands?"Ma’am. He had been ordered to address everyone as “Sir or Ma’am” and that included Clara too. Clara frowned delicately. "They're all busy with other tasks. I need someone to carry my purchases. You'll do.Its an order." Her tone left no room for argument. Nick suppressed another sigh. "Give me a moment to change," he replied politely but firmly. Clara waved a well-manicured hand in dismissal.Nick hurried to the basement and pulled on his most presentable clot
Clara could see that Nick really loved her and would almost do anything for her even while barely getting by. The guys she had formerly been with were mostly jerks at the end of the day. She didn’t love him,she loved the way he loved her genuinely. So she used him.And when she was tired of him,she tossed him away like trash.Nick sank into his seat, his heart physically hurting in his chest and his mind spinning. He couldn't believe how foolish he had been, wasting two years catering to Clara's every whim. And for what? It was painfully clear now that she had never cared for him at all. He felt like such a big fool all over again and wished he hadn’t bothered to know the answer to his questions.Lost in thought, Nick barely noticed as Clara began scrolling through her phone, trying to text someone. Suddenly, there was a deafening crash and the sound of tearing metal. Clara let out a piercing shriek as the car shuddered violently to a halt.Nick's head snapped up just in time to see th
Nick sat on the floor, his legs crossed beneath him, massaging Clara's and Lena's tired feet while they relaxed comfortably on the plush sofa. His hands ached but he didn't dare show it. Barely a week had passed since he had been freezing in the rain, still recovering from fever. Yet here he was again, fulfilling every beck and call. As Clara and her mother Lena chatted idly, Nick tried tuning them out. But Lena snapped her magazine against his head. "Pay attention, boy. Do it right or you'll be out there again the next time it rains."He hated how he was always referred to as a boy. He was twenty six years old already. If only he was wealthy…Nick mumbled an apology and doubled his efforts. Was this what his life had turned into? A toy for their amusement? Just then, Vin barged in, face flushed with rage. "My Rolex is missing, you scumbag thief! I left it on the dresser for the gala." Nick froze in confusion. "I-I didn't take it, I swear.I have never stolen anything in my life."
Lena and Vin stared at Nick in shock, unable to believe his outburst.A vein pulsed angrily in Seth's temple. Quickly, he peeled the apron off, "How dare you speak to me that way, you ungrateful wretch. After all we've done for you!" "Done for me? What exactly have you guys done although than to treat me like nothing?" Nick threw his arms out wide,his voice rising with every word. "Do well to remember your place,you worthless piece of trash" Seth warned.Nick’s eyes hardened as he declared for all to hear, "I quit. And if any of you lay another hand on me, you'll regret it." For a long moment, no one breathed but then Seth's face darkened. "You insolent rat! How dare you quit, who do you think you are?" He pulled back his fist, clearly intending to put Nick back in his place. But this time, Nick was ready. He caught Seth's wrist and flipped him over his shoulder. Seth crashed to the floor with a startled yelp. Pin-drop silence fell in the lavish ballroom. Seth struggled to his fe
It had been a long day working on the construction site under the hot summer sun. Nick wiped the sweat from his brow as he focused intently on securing another panel into place on the building's framework. "You incompetent worker, these measurements are all wrong!" yelled a client, storming over with an angry scowl. "I've triple checked the blueprints sir, everything is laid out according to the specs," He replied calmly, though his frustration was building up. Why was it always his fault when things went awry, whether he caused them or not?"Well it's not right, I want it redone. And next time don't screw it up!" the client snapped before storming off in a huff. Nick ran a grimy hand through his hair, cursing under his breath. The crew watched on quietly, knowing there was little that could be said to improve the situation.Just then his cell phone buzzed. Fishing it from his dirty jeans, he saw it was his girlfriend,Clara. A grin broke through his tired expression at the sight of
As consciousness slowly returned, the first thing Nick registered was a stabbing pain in his lower leg. He winced, eyes fluttering open to an unfamiliar white ceiling. Turning his head, he saw a nurse checking the IV drip by his bed. "Good, you're awake," she smiled warmly. "Welcome back to the land of the living. How are you feeling?" Nick licked dry lips, throat raspy. "What...happened? Where am I?" He scanned for clues as he looked around."You were in an accident, dear. A car lost control on the roads and hit you while you were crossing 7th. Luckily a bystander saw and called 911." She examined his leg cast under thin blankets. "Looks like you've got a bad fracture, but it should heal up fine." "Thank you for your care," he told the nurse. "I should rest now." She nodded and slipped out. In few minutes, his doctor stopped by with an update. "You had some internal bleeding we had to fix up as well. You'll need to stay off that leg for some days to fully recover." That eveni
The movers were finally done,locking up the place and marching off to the truck they came with. As they shut the doors of the truck with a echoing slam, Nick watched numbly. As the engine rumbled to life, he saw his landlord slap the side of the truck and he yelled, "Let's get out of here!" Nick's legs gave out as the reality hit. He collapsed on the hard dirt, surrounded by his discarded property. The small crowd that had gathered to watch had dispersed, bored now that the main event was over. He was alone under the hot sun, with nowhere left to go. No family to call, no friends he could lean on.After sitting down for hours without doing anything,he decided it was time to leave. With all options cut off, he decided the nearby park was his best chance at shelter. Slinging his bag over a shoulder, he trudged towards the park. Dusk had fell and he knew he needed a place to spend the night. He found a bench and settled there,watching a few kids play around. His phone was completely
Nick slowly woke to the unpleasant sensation of someone shaking his shoulder roughly. He blinked groggily up at a figure in a nurse's scrubs. "What do you think you're doing?" she barked. "Visiting hours ended hours ago."Rubbing the crick in his neck, the events of the previous day came rushing back. "I'm sorry, I must have dozed off in the chair. It was a long day."The nurse's frown deepened. "You can't just decide to spend the night here whenever you feel like it. This is a hospital, not a homeless shelter."Nick scrambled to his feet."I know, I didn't mean to overstay. It's just...she's my mother. I wanted to be close by in case..." His voice trailed off awkwardly. The nurse folded her arms with a sigh. "Look, I understand you're going through a tough time. But we have rules for a reason."His shoulders slumped. "Please, I have nowhere else to go. Can't I just stay a few more hours?""Absolutely not. This ward houses over a dozen patients, not just your mother. I can't have peo
Lena and Vin stared at Nick in shock, unable to believe his outburst.A vein pulsed angrily in Seth's temple. Quickly, he peeled the apron off, "How dare you speak to me that way, you ungrateful wretch. After all we've done for you!" "Done for me? What exactly have you guys done although than to treat me like nothing?" Nick threw his arms out wide,his voice rising with every word. "Do well to remember your place,you worthless piece of trash" Seth warned.Nick’s eyes hardened as he declared for all to hear, "I quit. And if any of you lay another hand on me, you'll regret it." For a long moment, no one breathed but then Seth's face darkened. "You insolent rat! How dare you quit, who do you think you are?" He pulled back his fist, clearly intending to put Nick back in his place. But this time, Nick was ready. He caught Seth's wrist and flipped him over his shoulder. Seth crashed to the floor with a startled yelp. Pin-drop silence fell in the lavish ballroom. Seth struggled to his fe
Nick sat on the floor, his legs crossed beneath him, massaging Clara's and Lena's tired feet while they relaxed comfortably on the plush sofa. His hands ached but he didn't dare show it. Barely a week had passed since he had been freezing in the rain, still recovering from fever. Yet here he was again, fulfilling every beck and call. As Clara and her mother Lena chatted idly, Nick tried tuning them out. But Lena snapped her magazine against his head. "Pay attention, boy. Do it right or you'll be out there again the next time it rains."He hated how he was always referred to as a boy. He was twenty six years old already. If only he was wealthy…Nick mumbled an apology and doubled his efforts. Was this what his life had turned into? A toy for their amusement? Just then, Vin barged in, face flushed with rage. "My Rolex is missing, you scumbag thief! I left it on the dresser for the gala." Nick froze in confusion. "I-I didn't take it, I swear.I have never stolen anything in my life."
Clara could see that Nick really loved her and would almost do anything for her even while barely getting by. The guys she had formerly been with were mostly jerks at the end of the day. She didn’t love him,she loved the way he loved her genuinely. So she used him.And when she was tired of him,she tossed him away like trash.Nick sank into his seat, his heart physically hurting in his chest and his mind spinning. He couldn't believe how foolish he had been, wasting two years catering to Clara's every whim. And for what? It was painfully clear now that she had never cared for him at all. He felt like such a big fool all over again and wished he hadn’t bothered to know the answer to his questions.Lost in thought, Nick barely noticed as Clara began scrolling through her phone, trying to text someone. Suddenly, there was a deafening crash and the sound of tearing metal. Clara let out a piercing shriek as the car shuddered violently to a halt.Nick's head snapped up just in time to see th
Nick sighed as he wiped down the last table in the dining hall. It had been a long morning of cleaning up. He had been living in the Sinclair mansion for weeks now and in all honesty,it was hard to keep up. As he turned to take the dirty rags to be washed, Clara's sharp voice rang out. "Nick, I need you to drive me shopping today." Clara was perched on her usual bar stool, cheeks flushed from half a bottle of champagne already. Nick paused, brow furrowing. "I'm the house help, ma'am. Don't we have drivers for your errands?"Ma’am. He had been ordered to address everyone as “Sir or Ma’am” and that included Clara too. Clara frowned delicately. "They're all busy with other tasks. I need someone to carry my purchases. You'll do.Its an order." Her tone left no room for argument. Nick suppressed another sigh. "Give me a moment to change," he replied politely but firmly. Clara waved a well-manicured hand in dismissal.Nick hurried to the basement and pulled on his most presentable clot
Nick arrived at the large iron gates of the Sinclair Estate taking a deep breath. He couldn’t believe he was actually there to take the job Clara had offered.Memories of his time with Clara flooded his mind, reminding him of the disapproval he had faced from her family. They had scorned him, belittled him, and made it abundantly clear that he was not worthy of their daughter. But Clara had been different. She had always stood by his side, defending their love.And now, she was no longer on his side.As the gate slowly swung open, Nick couldn't help but feel like a condemned man heading for his end.But he was out of options - with no job,no home and no savings left, this was his last chance.Making his way up the long driveway, Nick's anxiety grew larger. Just then, the massive front doors swung open to reveal Clara standing framed in the entrance. Gone was the warmth and affection Nick had always seen in her eyes,now they were cold and calculating as she surveyed him silently. "Clar
Nick slowly woke to the unpleasant sensation of someone shaking his shoulder roughly. He blinked groggily up at a figure in a nurse's scrubs. "What do you think you're doing?" she barked. "Visiting hours ended hours ago."Rubbing the crick in his neck, the events of the previous day came rushing back. "I'm sorry, I must have dozed off in the chair. It was a long day."The nurse's frown deepened. "You can't just decide to spend the night here whenever you feel like it. This is a hospital, not a homeless shelter."Nick scrambled to his feet."I know, I didn't mean to overstay. It's just...she's my mother. I wanted to be close by in case..." His voice trailed off awkwardly. The nurse folded her arms with a sigh. "Look, I understand you're going through a tough time. But we have rules for a reason."His shoulders slumped. "Please, I have nowhere else to go. Can't I just stay a few more hours?""Absolutely not. This ward houses over a dozen patients, not just your mother. I can't have peo
The movers were finally done,locking up the place and marching off to the truck they came with. As they shut the doors of the truck with a echoing slam, Nick watched numbly. As the engine rumbled to life, he saw his landlord slap the side of the truck and he yelled, "Let's get out of here!" Nick's legs gave out as the reality hit. He collapsed on the hard dirt, surrounded by his discarded property. The small crowd that had gathered to watch had dispersed, bored now that the main event was over. He was alone under the hot sun, with nowhere left to go. No family to call, no friends he could lean on.After sitting down for hours without doing anything,he decided it was time to leave. With all options cut off, he decided the nearby park was his best chance at shelter. Slinging his bag over a shoulder, he trudged towards the park. Dusk had fell and he knew he needed a place to spend the night. He found a bench and settled there,watching a few kids play around. His phone was completely
As consciousness slowly returned, the first thing Nick registered was a stabbing pain in his lower leg. He winced, eyes fluttering open to an unfamiliar white ceiling. Turning his head, he saw a nurse checking the IV drip by his bed. "Good, you're awake," she smiled warmly. "Welcome back to the land of the living. How are you feeling?" Nick licked dry lips, throat raspy. "What...happened? Where am I?" He scanned for clues as he looked around."You were in an accident, dear. A car lost control on the roads and hit you while you were crossing 7th. Luckily a bystander saw and called 911." She examined his leg cast under thin blankets. "Looks like you've got a bad fracture, but it should heal up fine." "Thank you for your care," he told the nurse. "I should rest now." She nodded and slipped out. In few minutes, his doctor stopped by with an update. "You had some internal bleeding we had to fix up as well. You'll need to stay off that leg for some days to fully recover." That eveni
It had been a long day working on the construction site under the hot summer sun. Nick wiped the sweat from his brow as he focused intently on securing another panel into place on the building's framework. "You incompetent worker, these measurements are all wrong!" yelled a client, storming over with an angry scowl. "I've triple checked the blueprints sir, everything is laid out according to the specs," He replied calmly, though his frustration was building up. Why was it always his fault when things went awry, whether he caused them or not?"Well it's not right, I want it redone. And next time don't screw it up!" the client snapped before storming off in a huff. Nick ran a grimy hand through his hair, cursing under his breath. The crew watched on quietly, knowing there was little that could be said to improve the situation.Just then his cell phone buzzed. Fishing it from his dirty jeans, he saw it was his girlfriend,Clara. A grin broke through his tired expression at the sight of