You're ugly, Rosa

Rosa’s POV

The woman’s laughter rang in my head like a fire alarm I couldn’t silence.

“Do you!”

His voice shattered all the pent up emotions I held. I sobbed.

“You see it, don’t you?” he continued, unmoved by my tears. “You are ugly, Rosa. You have no dress sense.”

“She dresses like a clown. I could hide my grandma in that shirt.”

“You’re insecure and you have a complex.”

I bit my lips so hard that they trembled and I tasted blood.

“Why do you think I would be with someone like you?”

“And Taylor,” I managed to say. “She’s better than me because she has a ring in her pussy?”

He chortled. “Oh, Taylor. This isn’t Taylor. Taylor was willing to have a three some with you. She’s a side piece who knows her place. But Nancy Hart is my woman.”

I wiped the tears from my face and moved from the mirror. “You’ve made your choice and I’ll respect it,” I said, gathering all the strength I could. I wished Patra was here. Maybe i would have been bolder to say a lot of things. “I’ve only come for my things.”

“You own nothing here,” the bitch called Nancy said.

Charles bobbed his head in agreement. “I bought all these clothes you own with my money and you couldn’t even look good in them.”

He could keep his expensive clothes. I walked to the wardrobe and packed a few of my personal belongings ignoring their side comments. When I was done, I faced him with one more question I needed answered.

“Was the marriage really fake?”

Nancy’s laughter stopped him from saying a word. “Let me explain it to her, babe.” She faced me. “Charles was going to marry me all along, Rosa. It’s a pity you fell in love with my man in college. And you offered yourself to spy for Kane Tech. He married you because he knew how desperate you were to be his wife.” She paused and chuckled while my heart was breaking all over again.

“The wedding was fake, Rosa. I was there. Didn’t you remember?” She smiled. “I was the friend.”

Now that she mentioned it, I began to realise that she looked familiar.

She laughter. “I was witness to your fake marriage.”

That was enough for me.

“I loved you, Charles,” I said, facing him. “I thought it was the same for you.”

I wanted to say more. To say how much I regretted say hi to him in college and believed he was going to change. But I stormed out of the room, ready to walk out of his life for good.

Outside, I noticed my car was no longer where it was parked. In its place was a butler with a grim face.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Mr. Baker wanted his car.”

I nodded. There were a few changes in my purse. That should drive me to a nearby bar and buy me enough drinks to laugh away at my troubles.

I found a bar a few meters away and settled for a bottle of alcohol. The bar was pulsating with sounds, enough to silence my ringing phone. I didn’t need anyone right now. I just wanted to drink so much and laugh at myself for being a fool.

***

It felt like I was lying on a cloud.

I opened my eyes and a bright light blinded me. I winced softly and shielded my eyes from the light.

The last place I remembered being was in a noisy bar. But this place was silent.

Eerily silent.

I sat up and realised I was in a room.

The classic one night stand of every heartbroken girl. I had probably followed some strange, rich dude in the bar. And what next?

He’d leave a blank cheque by the bedside stool or enough money to make me forget my sorrows?

Instinctively, I turned to the bedside stool.

No bundle of cash.

And I had no memories of when I had left the bar or what time of the day it was.

I stood up and my feet landed on the plush rug covering the floor around the bedside. Whoever owns this house was a wealthy billionaire.

And I was done with the rich men of this city.

I searched around for my bag. It was missing.

“Hello,” I called out. “Where am I?”

The alcohol was still making me feel dizzy and I could barely hold myself as I walked to the door. A quiet corridor welcomed me outside the door.

“Hello?” I called out again.

No answer.

This wasn’t how kidnapping worked so I was sure I hadn’t been abducted. I took the corridor and met a staircase that led me downstairs to a large living room.

My heart was racing as I looked around. It was a big, expensive house, no doubt. But who lived here?

Surely, karma didn’t put heartbroken, stupid, ugly women in expensive houses just to make their ex seethe while they make love to another woman.

No one was that lucky.

I heard a sound coming from a room and I moved towards it. I grabbed a small vase as I tiptoed towards the direction of the sound. It was a kitchen. And when I stepped in, the person in the kitchen turned around.

The vase slipped from my hand and he jerked in fright.

Old man Kane?

I rushed to meet him, ignoring the questions in my head.

He didn’t look well.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, sir.”

He didn’t recognise me.

Okay.

Was I in an alternate universe?

Maybe fate thought I suffered too much and decided to make me the daughter of a billionaire.

That was a better tale. I could live with that. Even if my father didn't recognise me.

“Who…” his voice came out like a whisper. “Who are you?” he asked.

My heart broke.

I had seen Old man Kane only last month and he looked so vibrant. He was a complete shadow of himself right now.

“Rosa,” I said. “Rosa Castillo. I was your PA.”

“Rosa Castillo,” he repeated. Then he smiled. “You must be the nurse.”

My eyes welled as I nodded. “Yes…yes. I am the nurse.”

“I only want some tea.”

“Of course, sir. Would you sit so I can make it just the way you love it?”

I have made tea for Old man Kane for five years. I knew his preference. Just as I reached the cooker, I heard a scolding voice approaching the kitchen. The woman stopped when she saw me and the scowl on her face vanished. From the uniform she wore, I assumed she was the nurse.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” she said, bowing.

Ma’am?

This house was getting scarier.

“I didn’t know when he walked away.”

I was too mad at her to think too much about how she was addressing me.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked.

“Dementia.”

I couldn’t believe a sharp mind like his would fall to dementia.

“How could you leave him wandering?”

It was obvious the nurse maltreated him and it hurt me badly to see the old man this way.

I poured his tea and sat beside him while he drank.

“Would you make me tea everyday?” he asked when he was done.

I pursed my lips and nodded.

“Do you love it so much?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll make it every morning.”

I stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Now, I needed answers.

There was a butler outside. When he saw me, he gestured politely. I walked up to him.

“Where is this?” I demanded.

“The Kane’s estate,” he replied.

Okay. Alternate universe theory was working.

But I was still in that stupid cloth that Charles and his girlfriend had ridiculed.

“How did I get here?”

“Mr. Kane brought you.”

Mr. Kane. As in Alex Kane?

I felt goosebumps all over my body. Had I slept with him again?

I shook my head. “Where is he?”

“He stepped out for a few minutes.”

That was it. I was leaving. I had embarrassed myself enough. No more alcohol for me. That was the only way to avoid landing on Alex’s bed.

“And my bag?” I demanded.

He had no idea.

I needed the money and my phone to call Patra. I had thought I would be able to work in the company after I had slept with my boss once. But now, I didn’t think I would be able to stand him.

I had lost everything in a moment.

But I wasn’t about to lose my purse. I hurried inside, took the stairs, and found the bedroom I had woken up from. I searched around, hoping it was in the room. My eyes caught the wardrobe and I raced to it. I hadn’t felt happier seeing a purse.

I grabbed it and was heading out when the sound of a car zooming into the compound caught my attention. I ran to the window, hoping it was not Alex.

But he stepped out and threw his gaze at the window immediately. I screened the window with the curtain and all I could hear was the beating of my heart.

I hoped he had not seen me.