The Return of the Past

Alexa 

The same balcony that father had fallen from ten years ago loomed over me. The same spot where they had claimed my father took his life. 

I can still picture his bloody, lifeless body on the compound waterfall that’s mounted below. It causes nausea to crawl up my throat. 

“You ungrateful brat, how dare you show up here?!” A lady with a bulb hairstyle just like mine, fair and pale skin tone just like mine, height a little taller than mine, marched up to me with obvious fury written all over her face. 

I stand still waiting for the slap that always stings. I never expected her to change eitherway–I don’t want anyone in this mansion changing. 

The sound comes before the sting registers, and my head is harshly forced to the side. Aish, it still hurts, regardless of how much I prepared for it. 

“Get her out now!” She yells at my face, her face red from anger, but the guard dare not try to lay their hands on me.  

My chest feels tight. If she’s pained about my presence how should I feel about returning to the same place that murdered my father? 

“What are you waiting for?” 

“I’m here on special demands, were you not informed?” My lips itches to a smirk, she can slap me all she wants, I’m not the little girl that would hide in the corner, hug myself and sob. 

I take a step closer to her, so our faces are inches apart. “I’m guessing your relationship ain’t as strong as it is on screen? Why? Are you afraid I am here to snatch him away?” 

She raises her again, and I square myself up for another slap. 

“Ms. Côté, the Master is seeking your presence in his office, now.” A guard intercepts, stretching out his hands to guide me. If only he knows how much I knew this mansion. 

I oblige with a nod, a spark of excitement flares in me at the sight of my childhood bully, the almighty Chloe Martin, soon to be the next First Lady of the Bouchard family. For the first time, I walk past her, without shedding a tear. 

That same spark fades as I ascend the grand staircase. By the time, I am standng before the tall wooden doors, my heart had begins racing. The few happy moments I had in this mansion collapsed all at once. 

He was my savior, from Chloe, who always found pleasure in bullying me, the first lady of the mansion who always made me her slave because my father was one of their guards, and from the First Master’s sexual approaches, despite he was five times my age. 

He would hide me in his room, pat me to sleep, and keep me away from his parents, one time, he had stood up to his father, yelling at him that he was wrong making sexual advances to a kid; he had even threatened to get him arrested if he continued harrasing me. He was a safe space, and eventually my heart began to flutter for him. I was still young at that time, but I knew what a crush was. I was no fool. I had crush on him. 

“Ma’am, you can go in.” The guard opens the door slightly for me to walk in. I swallow the burning ball in my throat, stopping by the shut door behind me as I stared at the figure standing by his long wooden desk, eyes on the file in his hand. Ethan Bouchard. 

He lookes alluring as always. His hair is no longer tied in a bun, instead it's sleaked back; he looks more handsome, though, but at the same time, he seems more unapproachable than before. 

“Why are you back here?” 

His deep voice is the last thing to make me realize that the crush is still there, that little excitement that blooms immediately, I throw my gaze away…just like ten years ago. It's more complicated this time, he has someone by his side now, and I...I'm here to hurt him.

“You hired me.” 

He shut the file, to the extent that the harsh sound makes me flinch. He finally lifts his head to meet my gaze. My body shivers from shame; not only did I make myself look like his fiancée, but I went against my word from ten years ago. 

I slid some strand of my hair behind my ear, squeezing my bag with my other hand. 

“Don’t play fool with me, Alexa Côté. You applied for this job, what’s your mission?” 

Everything freezes at that moment; my heart beating drums in the confines of my chest. I have to act normal, I need to be normal. He’s one of the hardest people to go through. If I need to remain in this house and find my father’s murderer, I need him to not know that I have a mission. 

“If you have nothing to say, then leave.” 

“I just need money.” I begin, and it seems to be working, because he doesn't try to call the guards to kick me out.

So I take a step forward, avoiding closing the distance between us. 

“My mum and I are stranded. I made other applications, but I never got one.” Lies. “I thought since I’m familiar, I would be able to secure the PA position, and I saw the pay was good enough to take care of my mother also, so, I applied.” 

Ethan squints his eyes and tilts his head. I try to keep eye contact this time, hoping my response is convincing enough. 

The door burst open, and Chloe march in. 

“She can’t work anywhere in the Mansion, Ethan, you know that. Fire her immediately, if your parents hears of this, he would be provoked and the first lady-” She pauses, shoots me a bad eye, then walks past me. 

My chest tightens as she rests her cheek on his chest, hugging him by the waist, and she 

whines. 

“Call the guards and kick her out, Ethan,”

Ethan and I keeps eye contact, and I can only hope he doesn’t reject me. My heart is already shattering into a thousand pieces.

Please just let me in for the sake of our past.