Chapter 2

Lia was up before the sun even rose, her hands already raw from scrubbing the marble floors of the main hall. “Mas mabilis ka pa dapat, Lia,” Maria said, watching her from the doorway. “Gusto ni sir ay tapos na lahat bago siya magising. Kung hindi mo matatapos ‘yan, magagalit siya.”

“Hindi na po ako makakapagbilis pa, Manang Maria,” Lia said, her back aching as she pushed the heavy mop back and forth. “Hindi po ako sanay sa ganitong trabaho dati po akong nagtitinda ng mga bulaklak. Hindi po kailangang ganito kalinis ang sahig doon!”

“Iba ito, anak,” Maria replied, her voice softening a little. “Dito kay Sir Felix, kailangan lahat ay perpekto. Minsan nga, pinapalinis niya ulit ang mga bagay na mukhang malinis na. Baka naman daw may alikabok na hindi nakikita ng mata.”

Just then, they heard footsteps approaching heavy, confident steps that Lia already knew too well. “What’s taking so long?” Felix asked, standing in the doorway in a silk robe, his hair still slightly messy from sleep. “I told you I want this hall spotless by 7. It’s 7:05 now.”

“Pasensiya na po, Sir. Sinubukan ko na po pong bilisan pero –”

“I don’t want excuses, Lia!” he shouted, making her jump. “I want results. You said you’d work to pay off your uncle’s debt, but so far all I’ve seen is laziness. Maybe I made a mistake taking you in  maybe I should just take Your land after all.”

“Huwag ninyo pong gawin ‘yon, Sir!” Lia said, dropping the mop and standing up straight. “Ako na po ang may kasalanan, huwag ninyong idamay ang tanging ari arian na meron kami! Bibigyan ko po kayo ng perpektong trabaho, I promise!”

“Promises mean nothing to me,” Felix said, walking over to her and looking down at her with disdain. “Actions do. Now, you have until 8 AM to finish this hall, then you’re going to my room to organize my closet. I have a meeting at 10, and I want every suit pressed, every tie sorted by color, and every pair of shoes polished until they shine like mirrors. And Lia if even one thing is out of place, you’ll be cleaning the entire mansion by yourself for a week. Do we understand each other?”

“Opo, Sir Felix,” she said quietly, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how unfair he was, but she thought of her mother and uncle’s worried face and the small piece of land that was their family’s only legacy. “Sisiguraduhin ko po na walang mali sa mga gagawin ko.”

As she went back to mopping, Felix stood there watching her for a few more minutes before turning to leave. “Good. Remember I own you now. What I say goes. You’re not here to be happy or comfortable. You’re here to work. And if you forget that, I’ll be more than happy to remind you.”

Over the next few weeks, Lia learned that Felix rules were more than just words they were laws that governed every moment of her life. She wasn’t allowed to eat with the other servants, she had to eat alone in the small kitchen off the laundry room. She wasn’t allowed to listen to music or talk unless spoken to. She wasn’t even allowed to look him in the eye unless he gave her permission.

One afternoon, she was dusting the bookshelves in his study when she accidentally knocked over a small glass paperweight. It shattered into dozens of pieces on the floor, and she froze in fear. “What was that?” Felix asked, walking into the room just as she was trying to pick up the pieces.

“Pasensiya na po, Sir! Hindi ko po sinasadya napadampi lang po ang braso ko!” she said, her hands shaking as she tried to gather the broken glass.

Ramon walked over and kicked the pieces away from her, making her jump back. “Are you trying to cut yourself? Or are you just that clumsy?” he asked, his voice full of irritation. “That paperweight was a gift from my father one of the only things I have left from him.”

“Hindi ko po alam, Sir! Kung alam ko lang pong mahalaga ‘yon –”

“You don’t need to know!” he shouted, making her flinch. “You just need to be careful! Everything in this house is valuable more valuable than you’ll ever be! Now get out of here before you break something else. And don’t come back until you’ve cleaned this up properly – and I mean properly. No more mistakes, Lia. I won’t tolerate them.”

Lia ran out of the room, tears streaming down her face as she grabbed a broom and dustpan. She hated him more than ever – his arrogance, his cruelty, the way he talked to her like she was nothing. But every time she thought about running away, she remembered her uncle’s debt and what would happen to him if she left especially her mother.

That night, she was sitting on the small bed in her room, sewing a dress, when Felix appeared in the doorway without knocking. “I told you to keep your door open at all times,” he said, walking into the room like he owned it which he did. “You’re not allowed to have secrets from me.”

“Pasensiya na po, Sir. Nakalimutan ko po,” she said, quickly standing up and bowing her head.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” he said, his voice sharp. When she lifted her eyes to meet his, she saw something she’d never seen before a flicker of something that might have been sadness. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by his usual coldness. “I saw you sewing. You know how to make clothes?”

“Minsan po, Sir. Tinuturuan po ako ng nanay ko noon ginagawa namin ang sarili naming damit para makatipid,” she replied, surprised by the question. And took some one red rose in a vase, placed it at the side of the dress. They own a small flower shop , Roses are the oned she loved the most.

“Good,” he said, walking over to look at the dress she was making a simple blue gown she’d started with fabric she’d found in the laundry room.

Felix stood there for a moment longer, looking at her like he was trying to figure something out. “Remember, Lia in this house, I am your boss. I make the rules, and you follow them. You don’t like me, and I don’t like you. But we have a deal, and we’re going to see it through. Now get some rest you’ll need more energy to make all the chore properly.”

As he walked out of the room, Lia fell back onto her bed, exhausted and angry. She didn’t know how much longer she could take living like this under Ramon’s thumb, treated like property instead of a person. But she knew one thing for sure she would never, ever let him break her spirit. Even if she had to pretend to obey him every single day.