“Mr. Tarcisio has returned.”Thea heard that statement from Helen just as she came back to her room after putting Shareeza to bed.“Mr. Sebastian is back?” Thea asked in return, since she hadn’t received any updates from her employer. A few days earlier, Sebastian had told Shareeza he would take her on a holiday once he returned.“Not Mr. Sebastian, but Mr. Noam Tarcisio,” Helen clarified.“So?”“He asked me to contact you and tell you to come here.”“When?”“Tomorrow.”“What about Miss Shareeza?”“Just bring her along. If Mrs. Eireen gets upset, I’ll defend you,” Helen assured her, and Thea simply nodded. “I’ve already informed the driver,” Helen added, and after Thea promised she would come with Shareeza, the call ended.The next day, Thea dressed Shareeza up as sweetly as possible. She put the little girl in a cute matching outfit and tied her hair with an adorable pink clip. Thea wanted Shareeza to look lovely before meeting her great-grandfather.“Pappous doesn’t like me,” Sharee
“I’m going to Milan,” Eireen suddenly announced one morning before breakfast.In the twenty days Thea had been living at Eireen’s residence, it was rare to see the woman at breakfast—let alone looking this ready to leave.“While I’m away, take good care of Shareeza. Make sure she goes to school and all her lessons according to schedule. Don’t let her skip anything,” the woman said—words Thea didn’t hear often. Eireen hardly paid any attention to Shareeza. Even when the little girl complained of being tired and asked for a short break from her routine, Eireen would explode and say things that were harsh and unpleasant to hear.“Do you want to grow up stupid?” “Don’t be spoiled. Just because you’re a little tired doesn’t mean you can stop studying.” “You’re a Tarcisio. One day you’ll have to run your father’s business. Don’t be weak over trivial things—life isn’t as light as your little headache.”Thea had heard all of these things. And strangely, seeing Eireen now reminded her of her
On the tenth day of Sebastian’s absence, Thea accepted an invitation from Olivia, one of Shareeza’s nanny’s friends, to leave the school grounds in search of some snacks.“Don’t you have any plans to continue school? I mean, go to college. You don’t want to pursue it?” the girl asked as she slurped her ramyun at a small food stall about a hundred meters from Shareeza’s school.“I’m not that smart,” Thea replied honestly. “Besides, I don’t have the means to go to college, especially in a big city like this. I’m just a servant. My salary barely covers my meals.” She didn’t have the heart to admit that she currently had absolutely nothing—except for the money in her bank account, which she didn’t even know the amount of.“I was pessimistic at first too. I came to this city with nothing but guts and a promise—my foster brother once promised to help me go to college here. But after thinking it through, I felt bad about adding more burden on my siblings, so I decided to take a break first.
"Are you currently in a relationship with someone?" Edward asked suddenly, making Thea pause for a moment."Is that something you need to know?" Thea responded calmly."Not really, I'm just curious," Edward replied, looking slightly awkward at Thea’s still flat expression."No. I don’t have a boyfriend." The answer left Thea’s lips without hesitation. Slowly, a smile returned to Edward’s face. To him, it was a sign that he might still have a chance to get closer.Throughout the dinner, they talked about many random things. To Edward’s surprise, Thea turned out to be a pleasant conversationalist. However, from time to time, he found himself frustrated because all his efforts to make the girl smile or show interest never really worked.It wasn’t because he was arrogant, but Edward knew he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy who was hard to like. He realized that he looked decent, and although he wasn’t as rich as Sebastian, he was financially stable. From school to his working life now, many
It was nine o’clock at night. The house had started to quiet down. After successfully putting Shareeza to sleep, Thea wandered through the house, where most of the lights had already been turned off. She walked to the kitchen and filled a one-liter bottle with water, just as Jasmine had suggested earlier—as preparation for what might be a hot and stuffy night in the small storage room where she was staying.Thea didn’t realize she was being followed. Only when her hand touched the doorknob did a voice call out from behind her.“Thea.”She turned quickly, slightly startled. Edward was approaching with relaxed steps, though his intent was clear.“Can I help you with something?” Thea asked politely, withdrawing her hand from the doorknob and standing under the dim corridor light.Edward scratched the back of his neck. “Umm… so. We just had dinner, I know. But honestly… I’m kind of hungry again,” he said with an awkward grin.Thea raised an eyebrow. “Would you like me to make you someth
Thea returned to her temporary room and immediately noticed something was different. Her bag was no longer where she had left it. A sense of unease crept into her chest. She quickly opened her phone wallet—relieved. Her debit card was still there.Of course. Eireen wouldn’t be interested in the debit card of a girl like her. Besides, the balance inside probably wasn’t worth much in her eyes.But Thea didn’t need to think hard about who had rummaged through her bag. No one else would be bold—or cruel—enough to do it but Eireen.Fortunately, the black card Sebastian had given her was already hidden away beforehand. If that card had gone missing, Thea knew she wouldn’t be able to accuse anyone without proof—and there was no way she could ever replace its value.Letting out a long sigh, Thea leaned her back against the cold wall of the storage room.This wasn’t the life she had dreamed of.But this was the life she had to live now—whether she liked it or not.Compared to her past, this li