Chapter 4

Night came, and true to his threat, Lia was alone cleaning the huge living room. She was exhausted, but she refused to complain. With every wipe of the floor, she reminded herself how much she hated the owner of this house.

Suddenly, Felix appeared. He was slightly drunk, coming home from a party. He saw Lia sitting on the floor, crying as she scrubbed.

He walked over and stepped directly on the spot she had just cleaned, dirtying it again with his shoes.

"Look at this, Lia. Dirty again," he taunted. "Clean it."

Lia looked up, her eyes red and swollen.

"Bakit mo yan ginagawa! kita mong naglilinis ako!"

"Because I can," Ramon answered, bending down until their faces were level. "Because I am the boss. And you are mine to command. You hate me? Good. Hate keeps you awake. Hate makes you work harder. Just remember, Lia... hangga't nasa ilalim ka ng bubong ko, ako ang nasusunod. Ako ang diyos dito. At kahit anong sigaw mo ng galit mo, you still have to clean my mess. You still have to bow down."

"I only bow down to God, not to you," Lia said, standing up to face him. "At kahit anong gawin mo, hinding-hindi magbabago ang isip ko. You are arrogant, cruel, and a womanizer. You will die alone, Felix, Mark my words."

"Then we are the same," Felix said, turning his back on her. "I hate you too, Lia. More than you know. Now finish your job. And don't let me see you tomorrow morning unless it's to serve me."

Felix walked away towards his room, leaving Lia standing there, holding the rag, filled with hatred and determination that she would never, ever surrender to this man. Their hatred for each other was like a fire that grew bigger with time, burning under the same roof, under the same rules.

In the following weeks, the tension between them grew even thicker. For Felix, Lia's presence was like a sharp thorn stuck in his throat he couldn't swallow it, and he couldn't spit it out.

Every time their paths crossed, Felix's temper would instantly flare up.

"Lia! What is this?! Why is the floor wet?!" he shouted one morning as he walked towards the garage.

"Kakatapos ko lang po linisin, Sir! Tuyo na dapat 'yan kanina pa! Baka naman nadagdagan niyo ng dumi!" Lia answered back immediately, hands on her waist and glaring at him sharply.

Felix stopped dead in his tracks. His blood pressure spiked instantly. "You are so annoying! You make a huge deal out of such small things! Why is your voice so loud?! You don't act like a maid! You act like you own this house!"

"Tao po ako! May bibig at may isip! Kaya sumasagot ako kapag mali kayo!" Lia replied without an ounce of fear.

Felix could feel the heat of anger rising to his head.

But deep beneath that anger, Felix felt something strange. He looked at Lia small, innocent looking, with soft features like a doll that could easily break. Yet the moment she opened her mouth, she roared like a lion. She was soft looking yet so fierce. Brave to the point of stupidity.

"Why is she like this?" Felix asked himself while sitting in his office. "Why is it that even though I am so annoyed with her... when she's not around, something feels missing? Why is the house so quiet when she's not complaining?"

He was confused. He was a mafia boss. He was used to people fearing him. He was used to people bowing down and obeying instantly. But Lia? She was the only person who looked him in the eye and fought back.

"I shouldn't care. She is just payment for a debt. She is annoying. She is loud. I hate her," he whispered to himself. "But why don't I want her to leave? Why is it that when I see her tired, I want to tell her to rest, but instead I end up shouting at her even more?"

He was truly confused. His hatred was real, but his curiosity and strange attachment were just as real. He hated her guts, but he couldn't imagine the house without her voice in it.

Felix found himself acting stranger than ever. He would walk around the mansion aimlessly, pretending to check things, but his eyes were always searching for one person only Lia.

He knew it was crazy. He hated her attitude, her loud voice, and the way she looked at him with so much defiance. But the truth was, he was slowly falling for her. Every time she argued back, every time she showed her bravery despite being scared, his heart would beat faster. He tried to deny it, telling himself it was just an annoyance, but deep inside, he knew he was trapped.

One afternoon, Lia was arranging the flowers in the vase when Felix suddenly appeared in the living room.

"Lia!" he called out sharply.

Lia turned around, rolling her eyes inwardly. "Opo? Ano po 'yon?"

"Why are these flowers wilting? Are you trying to ruin the look of my house?" Felix asked sternly, walking closer to her. Even though his words were harsh, he just wanted to hear her voice.

"Bago ko pa po pinalitan kanina, Sir Felix!" sagot ni Lia, agad na nagtanggol sa sarili. "Siguro po dahil mainit sa labas, hindi dahil sa kapabayaan ko!"

Felix shook his head, crossing his arms. "You always have something to say, don't you? "

"Kayo po nga itong naghahanap ng butas! Wala naman pong mali sa ginagawa ko!" sigaw ni Lia pabalik. "Bakit ba laging ako ang napapansin niyo? May iba pa pong katulong dito!"

"Because you are the only one who makes my blood boil!" Felix snapped, looking intensely into her eyes. Truthfully, it was the only way he could get her attention. He loved seeing her eyes flare up with anger; it made her look so alive and beautiful. "And don't shout at me! I am the boss here!"

"Eh kung sumigaw ako, ano po ang gagawin niyo? Dadalhin niyo nanaman po ng babae para ipamukha sa akin na hanggang dito na lang talaga ako ang utus utusan niyo?" pang-aasar ni Lia. "Ganyan lang po ba ang alam niyong gawin?"

Felix felt a pang in his chest. He wanted to tell her that he stopped bringing women home weeks ago, all because of her. But his pride wouldn't let him.

"Don't change the subject!" he demanded. "Fix these flowers now. And make sure they are perfect. Or else..."

"Opo, opo! Gagawin ko na po! Ang daldal niyo po kasi!" Lia huffed, turning her back on him to fix the arrangement, her shoulders shaking in irritation.

Felix stood there watching her for a moment. He loved how she looked so soft and small, yet she had the spirit of a warrior. "I don't like her. I don't like her," he repeated in his mind, but his feet refused to move away.

Later that night, Felix saw Lia sitting on the bench at the garden, looking tired. He walked towards her again, finding another reason to bother her.

"Why aren't you sleeping? Are you planning to steal something?" he asked coldly.

Lia looked up, surprised. "Nagpapahinga lang po ako pagod na pagod na ako kakalinis dahil sa demands niyo. Bakit po ba nandito kayo? Hinahabol niyo po ba ako hanggang dito?"

"I can go wherever I want. This is my property," Felix said, sitting down beside her despite himself. He was too close, making Lia uncomfortable and move away slightly.

"Ang lapit niyo po masyado," bulong ni Lia.

"I was just checking if you are doing your job properly," Felix lied. He looked at her profile under the moonlight. She looked so innocent, so pure compared to the dirty world he lived in. "You know, Lia... you are really difficult. You make me angry every single day."

"Kayo po naman ang laging galit, eh. Wala naman po akong ginagawa," sagot ni Lia mahina.

"That's exactly it," Felix whispered, almost to himself. "Even when you do nothing, you affect me. I hate you, Lia. I really do."

But his eyes told a different story. They were soft, full of longing, and filled with an emotion he was trying so hard to hide. He was falling, falling hard, and he didn't know how to stop it. All he could do was keep arguing, keep fighting, just to stay close to her.

"Ewan ko po sa inyo," Lia said, standing up. "Pupunta na po ako sa kwarto ko. Good night, Sir."

As she walked away, Felix watched her leave, clutching his chest. "Damn it," he muttered. "Why does she have this effect on me? I hate her... but God help me, I think I love her."

He keeps trying to find his old self the one who didn't care about anyone else. But the truth is, even if he refuses to admit it, he can feel himself slowly softening whenever Lia is around.