Amber hurried back to the small room designated for her near the kitchen, cluttered with cleaning tools. The room was tiny, about the size of a bathroom at home.She shut the door a little forcefully, clearly frustrated. Anger still bubbling inside her, she growled, tossing and scratching at the small bed, kicking and clawing at the pillows to release her pent-up frustration."Men, that was so rude and despicable!""Argh!" she yelled in frustration, pacing back and forth in the room.*Creak*The door suddenly swung wide open, startling Amber and making her clutch her chest. Ms. Eugene stood there rigidly, glaring at her with wide, angry eyes, her displeasure evident on her face."Do you know what time it is?" she scolded coldly.Amber, often at a loss for words in front of Ms. Eugene, stuttered out a response. "Uh, I- I'm sorry, I thought no one else was in the back part of the house."She stepped back as Ms. Eugene approached, closing the door behind her. Ms. Eugene's eyes scanned th
"Damn it!" Amber shouted as she stomped on the stairs, frustrated with her bad luck.She then contacted Jason, her boyfriend, who she was sure would take her in for a while."Yeah, Amber..." Jason answered, his voice hoarse, indicating he had just woken up."Honey... Can you come pick me up?""Huh? Pick you up? Are you allowed to come home already?" Jason asked in succession.A woman's voice sounded affectionate in the background, making Amber tense."Who's that?" she asked, her chest burning.Amber could hear Jason moving and leaving the room wherever he had been earlier. She could even hear the sound of her boyfriend closing the door gently.Amber's heart was consumed by jealousy."That's Ma, Amber... You know I'm crammed in here," Jason reasoned.But Amber knew her boyfriend was lying. She knew the creak of Jason's studio flat door perfectly; even the distance from the bed to the door was ingrained in her mind.Jason had lied and betrayed her.‘And for God's sake, does he think I d
Glenn furrowed his brows at Hazel's reaction. He recalled their amicable parting the previous night.He retracted his outstretched hand.Amber seemed calm, continuing to fold and distribute blankets as if unaffected by his presence. Glenn took the initiative to assist.His jaw tightened as he contemplated his misstep.‘Was it because Mr. Lucas is here?’ he wondered.‘Yes, maybe. She doesn't want to upset her dad.’ He concluded.The memory of Mr Lucas's ultimatum from the other day about rejecting his arranged marriage to Hazel flashed in his mind. The unfriendly reception added to his thoughts.Glenn finally acquiesced, deciding to show respect to Hazel, even though it was difficult. His peripheral vision remained fixed on her, drawn like a magnet to iron."Here, take these up, Glenn," Mr. Lucas suddenly instructed.He piled high the blankets in Glenn's arms, obstructing his view.Mr. Lucas's glance made Glenn realise that Mr. Lucas was aware of where Glenn's gaze had been directed al
Mr Lucas looked at Glenn with a questioning gaze. Xavier and Hazel did the same.As noon arrived, people began bustling in, the buzz of conversations echoing from the cafeteria below."This guy," Mr Lucas patted Xavier's shoulder."He's the hardest working young man I've known, with a visionary mission far ahead. He doesn't see his current limits as stumbling blocks; moreover, he's sharp," Mr Lucas explained.Xavier seemed flattered by the praise.For some reason, Glenn sensed a hint of sarcasm in Mr Lucas's words directed at him.He remembered that Glenn, in the past, was known for his laziness and a lack of interest in business, happily squandering his family's money on luxury items.It seemed Mr Lucas still thought of him that way.Just as he was about to speak, to contradict Mr Lucas if he had changed, he caught the warm interaction between Mr Lucas, Xavier, and Hazel.Glenn fell silent, especially when Hazel smiled at Xavier.He immediately felt out of place and time.He knew def
"Father, I'll head back to my room," Glenn bid his father farewell.The elderly man resumed poring over the documents before him, deeply concentrating."Hm..." the father replied briefly.Glenn glanced at his phone screen again, typing and deleting the reply he intended to send multiple times.Once in his room, he lay on the bed and started typing a response, a smile lingering on his face since a while ago.He was busy plotting a prank on Amber. Shaking his head in disbelief, he couldn't fathom how shameless she could be.[You're right; I've gone too far. How can I make it up to you?] Glenn typed and sent it.[I'm hungry,] came Amber's brief reply.Glenn understood the underlying meaning behind Amber's message; years of living with her had familiarised him with her implied meanings.[I'll order food for you in a bit; wait,] he replied.[Wait! Send it to this address and order for five portions.] Amber quickly responded.Glenn furrowed his brow upon seeing the address Amber sent; he kn
A growl in her stomach forced Amber to wake up with a groan. Dazzling Sunbeams pierced through her window curtains and shone on her cheeks.Something soft stirred near her nostrils, reluctantly compelling her to open her eyes and see some creatures crawl before her eyes.She had never seen such a creature, prompting her to reflexively scream and leap out of bed."Aargh!!"Her voice echoed, especially when one of the red, furless pinkie mice was stepped on by her foot. Amber leapt, attempting to open the door, only to find it locked."Help!! Let me out!!" she pleaded while pounding with all her might.*Squeak*Something moved beneath her clothes, and Amber screamed even louder in panic. She tried to rid herself of the pinkie mice inside her clothing and flung it to the floor, shuddering in horror."Ms Eugene!! Open the door!!" she commanded.Outside, the servants who had been bustling about exchanged glances, awaiting Ms Eugene's reaction, who, seemingly undisturbed.The woman was tast
As noon arrived, unlike usual, the servants gathered in the kitchen, betting on whether Amber would last till the end or give up. Nearly all agreed she'd give up even before the tenth bucket.The distance from that old well to the storage was almost 200 meters away, not to mention she had to climb those high, steep stairs afterwards to pour water from the bucket she carried.Amber, who managed to fill one bucket from the pulley, smiled contentedly, then carried the heavy 7-litre bucket towards the storage.Halfway there, her hands felt sore. The water she carried spilled a lot along the way due to her unstable movements. Not to mention, when she reached below the storage, her brows furrowed, seeing the steep ladder she had to climb to pour the water into the storage tank.On the third step, her shoe slipped.*Splash*"CRAP!" she cursed loudly as the water she had painstakingly carried spilled everywhere."HAHAHA," laughter echoed from inside the house, reaching Amber's ears.With a si
*Knock**Knock*Two knocks on the door made Glenn lift his head from the tablet screen he was holding. "Come in," he commanded, placing the tablet beside him as he relaxed in a chair, crossing his legs.Amber entered, her expression unreadable as she gazed at Glenn's face. "What do you want?" she asked, adopting a defensive stance even before Glenn spoke.Glenn folded his arms, observing Amber's still arrogant demeanor despite everything that had happened to her. He admired how she could still hold her head high in front of him.He reaffirmed his feelings, realizing he felt nothing in his heart for her anymore except anger and disgust. He didn't want to be involved with Amber any longer.He wished to conclude their meetings, hoping their paths would never cross again."Leave my house. I don't want to see you again. This is your payment for the two days here," Glenn tossed five $100 bills for Amber onto the small table in front of him.After saying that, Glenn picked up his tablet, int