CHAPTER 3

A HUGE mansion. Good helpers. And a jerk boss.

“Is she the new hire? A maid, you say?” His deep voice sounds sexy. He has a very nice pair of brown eyes too.

Halos hindi ako makaimik habang nasa harap ng lalaking tinatawag nilang Remmington Accardi. No words can explain his whole appearance so well… except that, he looks very gorgeous as hell. He was chewing something on his mouth while smirking at me. His almond eyes looked beautiful, it goes well with his wide lips.

I can’t believe that he is rumored to be a mafia boss. Nanonood naman ako ng mga action movies, aside sa mga animated series sa Japan sa gustong-gusto ko. And mostly, in those action movies – the mafia bosses are always ugly looking. With bald head, a huge mustache, bad odor, and they are also short. But this guy, even just sitting – I can say that he is a six footer.

“Yes, boss,” sagot ng lalaking nasa likod ng sofa na inuupuan niya.

“Ha,” he lets out a soft chuckle. He even stared at me from head to foot, and suddenly, all those good feeling I felt towards him jump out of the window. “Thought she is here to study. Looks like a nerd to me,” mapang-insulto niyang sabi. Ni hindi hininaan ang boses na tila sinasadyang iparinig sa akin!

What the hell? Is this how he treats his employee?!

Hindi ako makapaniwalang napatitig sa kaniya. Umawang pa talaga ang labi ko na ikinangisi niya lalo. Imbis sumagot ay nakagat ko ang pang-ibaba kong labi. I looked away, not wanting to answer his insults. I need this task to work out. This is my only way out of our clan.

“Are you seducing me right now? You, a maid?” Mabilis na bumalik ang tingin ko sa kaniya.

“Excuse me? You insulted me earlier, tapos ngayon ay aakusahan mo ako ng pang-aakit? Nakatatawa. Wala akong nakikitang kahit ano sa iyo para akitin kita, Sir.” Talagang diniinan ko ang salitang Sir para matauhan ito.

I’m here for work, not for his insults or accusations!

“I like her. Do you, Mics?” baling niya sa lalaking nasa likod niya.

“Yes, boss. I like her too—”

“You shouldn’t. I liked her first so back off,” malamig niyang putol kay Mics na ikinakurap-kurap ko.

Baliw ba ang lalaking ito?

“Yes, boss.”

At mas baliw pa ata ang mga nagta-trabaho sa kaniya. How can they say yes to everything he says?!

“Okay. Call someone to lead her to her room. And let them assist her for everything she needs to know. I’ll wait for you in the car.”

Sa ganoon lang ay nawala na siya sa harap ko. Wala sa sariling sumunod na lang ako sa naiwang lalaki na nagpakilalang Michael. Pagkatapos niyon ay naiwan ako sa ibang mga maid na tinuruan ako agad sa mga dapat kong gawin.

“KAHIT na anong mangyari ay huwag na huwag kang magtatanong ng personal na bagay kay Sir Rem!” babala sa akin ni Sheena. Isa siya sa mga pinakamatagal na maid na nandito sa mansyon.

“Hindi ka naman siguro nagbabalatkayo, ano?” bigla ay tanong ni Lera.

“Lera!” saway sa kaniya ni Sheena pero nanatiling nakatingin sa akin si Lera.

“A-Ano? Siyempre hindi! Masiyado akong mahirap para gawin ang bagay na iyon,” sagot ko, nauutal. Very different from how I talk back to Remmington Accardi earlier.

“Siguraduhin mo lang! Alam mo ba na ang pinalitan mo rito ay natanggal dahil nalaman ni Sir na reporter siya? Alam mo ba kalat ngayon na mafia boss daw si Sir. Hindi nga namin alam kung sinong nagkalat eh sobrang bait niyan sa amin! May mafia boss bang nilalakihan ang sahod namin kapag alam niyang naghihirap kami. Saka nahihingan din namin si Sir Rem ng tulong kapag may problema kami kaya hindi ako naniniwalang mafia boss siya. Baka iyong nagkalat ang mafia boss!” dire-diretso niyang sabi na hindi man lang kami nakasingit.

“Huwag mong takutin ang bagong dating, Lera. Mas mabuti pa ay magsimula na kayo sa mga trabaho ninyo. Huwag ninyong hintayin na kayo ang sumunod na mawawalan ng trabaho—”

“Uy, Manang Gina, naman! Walang ganiyanan! Baka biglaang magdilang anghel ka kahit galing ka po talagang ilalim kasi masiyado kang bitter sa buhay! Bleh!” Mabilis na tumalikod si Lera para tumakbo habang natatawa. Naiwan naman akong kinakabahan lalo sa gagawin ko.

Hindi ko dapat bigyan ng dahilan si Remmington Accardi na pagdudahan ako. At hindi ko dapat ipahalata masiyado na nandito ako para alamin ang mga bagay na tinatago niya.

A news broke out. The television was open when I passed by the kitchen. Walang ibang tao roon pero nanayo ang lahat ng balahibo sa katawan ko nang bumungad sa akin ang litrato ng isang babae. It reminded me of what Manang Gina said.

“Anong pangalan po niyong babaeng reporter, Manang?” kuryuso kong tanong dito.

“Rosey Buenaflor.”

“Rosey Buenaflor, a known reporter was reported dead in her workplace. She was working when she suddenly fainted, and when the autopsy check her body. It was stated that she died of cardiogenic shock.”

Cardiogenic shock is a serious medical condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. I know about this condition because one of my grandfather died of it before.

It’s just that, I feel something different this time. Like everything was stage play. That Rosey Buenaflor didn’t really died by just a simple sudden shock, but was actually killed.

And I could be the next person. If I make any mistakes, I could die by the hands of that man.

I need to avoid him as much as I can.

“What are you doing?” Nabitawan ko ang hawak kong kutsilyo. The dark alley of the kitchen made it seems like I was in a horror movie as I turned to face the person who arrived.

Ganoon na lang ang pagtahip ng dibdib ko pagkatapos bumungad sa akin ang puting-puti na mukha nito. Isama pa ang puting suot nito.

“MULTO! GHOST! Manang! Manang! May multo, Manang Gina!”