Chapter 6.

“Alejandro, why did you bring your domestic staff here with you? What is she to you?" His dad yelled.

"Papa, calm down Zoëlla is my friend and a nice person, you'd like her when you get to know her." He reasoned.

"I can see where this is headed, you'd end up falling for her and would want to marry but I don't approve and would never." The man barked.

"Querida, cálmate, es una Buena chica y sería una Buena esposa. (Darling, calm down, she's a good girl and would make a good wife). ” His mom said.

“Never would I agree for that buscador de Oro para casarse con mi Hijo. (Gold digger to marry my son.)" He added walking out.

"Ma, No tengo intenciones de casarme con Ella. ( Ma, I have no intention of marrying her)." Ale reasoned. 

"Just give it time and you'd realise I was right." She said as she walked off.

Zoëlla lay on her bed talking to her best friend Sia.

"I hope you're having a good time there?" She asked.

"Sia, I'm not. A su papá no le gusto. (His dad doesn't like me)." She finally said.

"Aw, mi Novia (my friend). At least his mom likes you and so does he." She said.

"The only one that sees me as a probable daughter-in-law is his mama, he just sees me as a friend and his maid. Nothing more or less." She explained.

"He'd come around. Don't you worry?" She assured.

"Sia, No todos son bendecidos Como tú. Pero Estoy agradecido por su Gracia en mi Vida. Dentro de un par de meses, me iré para Empezar Una Nueva Vida con el dinero que he Estado ahorrando. Tal Vez inicie mi propio Negocio. ( Sia, not everyone is blessed like you. But I am thankful for his grace in my life. In a couple of months, I'll be leaving to start life afresh  with the money I've been saving. Maybe start my own business.)" Zoëlla said.

Meanwhile, Alejandro stood behind her door and listened to her conversation.

Did she love him?

And she was planning on leaving?

He asked himself. He had grown fond of her company so much that he didn't want her to leave. But she was right. She needed to start a life for herself.

But what qualifications does she have to set up a business of her own? He chuckled.

She was just a common maid with no qualifications he thought to himself as he walked off.

"What of those applications you sent out? Are there no news or replies?" Sia asked.

"No querida, nada. (No dear, nothing)." She sighed. 

"Don't you worry dear, I'd talk to Miguel about it, maybe he can do something," Sia added.

"Graçias Sia," Zoëlla said.

"Mi Amor," Luciano said hugging his 3-month-old pregnant wife from behind as she smiled.

"Querido, how was work?" She questioned.

"Estuvo Bien. What of you? Didn't you go to work today?" He asked taking a carton of blackberry juice from the fridge as his wife prepared dinner.

"No, I wasn't feeling so well, so I called in sick and went to the hospital for a check-up." She added.

"Are you sure you can continue with these chores and your work at the same time? Consignors una sirvienta." He reasoned.

"I have been thinking about it. The doctor even said I need more rest." She concluded.

"So you see, contact the agency to see if they can get you one as soon as possible." He added as he climbed up the finely polished marble staircase to their room.

Despite the Betrayal of Daya to her friend, she had helped Luciano get up on his feet. She helped him set up his own game company and it had become one of the biggest within 48 months.

~~

"Mamá, déjame ayudarte con eso, (Mom let me help you with that), " Zoëlla said as she entered the kitchen to see the woman preparing dinner.

"Oh, graçias mi querida." The woman added. She was preparing paella which was Zoëlla's speciality.

Ale's mom sat on the kitchen stool and watched her prepare the meal.

First, she heated one tablespoon of oil in a large paella pan over medium-high heat. She then added chicken and sauteed it for  2 minutes on each side.

 She then took out the chicken from the pan and added sausage and prosciutto then sauteed for 2 minutes. 

Then took it out from the pan and added shrimp, and sauteed for 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Then reduce heat to medium-low. 

She added onion and bell pepper and sauteed for  15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then added tomatoes, paprika, and 3 garlic cloves and allowed to cook for 5 minutes.

She added rice and allowed to cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

She stirred in herb blend, broth mixture, chicken, sausage mixture, and peas. And bought to a low boil; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

She added mussels to the pan, nestling them into rice mixture. 

And allowed to  Cook for  5 minutes until shells open. She then discarded any unopened shells. And arranged shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, and cooked until shrimps were ready.

She sprinkled  1/4 cup lemon juice. She then removed it from heat and covered with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes.

"So, Zoëlla what made you work for my son?" She asked as they set the table.

"Mama, I used to work in a company, Zealots and co for about 5 years as their Managing director but one day my boss called me to his office and fired me for no reason. Well, I searched for other jobs but I didn't get any so my ex-best friend advised I apply because Alejandro was looking for a maid so I accepted the offer and now I'm here." She added as Alejandro's father joined them at the table with disdain in his eyes, Alejandro following suit.

"Debo decir que esto sabe Bien, pero no pienses que ganarías el corazón de mi Hijo con Este buscador de Oro de Buena Comida. Estará Sobre mi cadáver. Eres solo una sirvienta y nada más. (I must say this tastes good, but don't think you would win my son's heart with this good food. It will be over my dead body! You're just a servant and nothing more.) " The man said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Perdóneme (Excuse me), " Zoëlla added as she pushed her plate aside and got up from her chair running up to her room. She locked the door behind her and slid down unto the floor crying.

"Fernando, ¿Qué his Ella para merecer tanta humillación? ( What did she do to deserve so much humiliation?)" Jimena asked.

"I wonder what you see in that girl, she's a gold digger that's what she is." He said firmly.

"Basta padre, Basta!"Alejandro yelled banging his hands on the table.

"You've humiliated her enough, hated her enough all she wanted was to be loved and she's no gold digger. Saldríamos de tu casa mañana. ( We are leaving your house tomorrow!)" He finally said.

"You can do whatever you like, you are not marrying her." His dad added.

"And who said I will?" Alejandro asked.

"Soon enough, you'd begin falling for her and when you do just remember that it will be Sobre mi cadáver Que te permito casarte con Ella (Over my dead body will I allow you to marry her )," Fernando said as Alejandro stormed off. 

He knocked on Zoëlla's door for a while but she didn't answer. He quickly sent her a text message telling her they were leaving tomorrow as he left to his room.

Zoëlla picked up her phone as she had a new message. She knew it was from Alejandro and didn't want to read but decided to. It read "Hey love, Iremos a casa mañana, así que haz las maletas Porque saldríamos Temprano. Duerme bien y no llores Demasiado.( We're going home tomorrow, so pack your bags because we're leaving early. Sleep tight and don't cry too much.)" 

She got off her bed and picked her suitcase and packed her stuff.