Chapter 4

"What are you doing here?" Damon looked around. "Where is Arya?" he asked with a frown.

"I'm working here," Aiven lied.

Damon let out a slow, loud laugh. "It's already night and you still have time to joke. The Armanis don't just hire anyone. Even their maids and drivers have high standards. Don't try to fool me. And I know you still haven't gotten tired of getting into street fights."

"The Armanis are super rich but they are not arrogant like you. They don't look at how high your grades were in college or how good you are, they look more at your character. Most of the time, it's the people who know too much who are more cunning and deceitful." Aiven smiled mischievously.

Damon clenched his jaw. "So, you're really working for them?"

Aiven nodded. "How about my wife? Is she here too?" Damon said out of nowhere. Even he was surprised by what was coming out of his mouth.

Aiven quickly bit his tongue. "I thought you didn't want my sister anymore? You already made her sign the divorce papers, right? Why are you looking for her now?" His face suddenly turned serious.

"I'm just asking. Is it wrong to ask? Anyway, can you help me get inside?" Damon looked at the muscular men guarding the front of the gate. He was grinding his teeth.

"You're so brave when it comes to Ate Arya but you're a coward with them," Aiven whispered.

"What did you say?" Damon's eyebrows furrowed.

"Did you ever really love my sister? She was a good wife to you. Everything she had and all her dreams, she managed to give up because she loves you. Did you think your grandfather was the reason she married you? It was Ate Arya herself who asked your grandfather to arrange your marriage. What's even funnier is, Ate knew that you weren't the ones who paid for my medical bills back then, but she still went along with your lies." Aiven wanted to know what Damon's reaction would be once he learned the truth.

Damon swallowed his saliva. He got confused when he noticed Aiven's attire. He was certain that it would cost a fortune. His eyebrows furrowed when he spotted the Rolex watch on Aiven's hand.

"Did you win the lottery?" he said, unconsciously.

Aiven laughed and then shook his head. "Don Fridman just lent this to me," he said.

Damon frowned. 'That old man likes him? This guy is a troublemaker. What did the Armanis see in him to treat him like that?' 

He glanced at Aiven's cell phone screen when it suddenly rang. He felt a little happy when he saw Arya calling. The phone had been ringing for a long time but Aiven still wasn't answering.

"Did you and your sister have a fight?" Damon asked.

"It's none of your business." Aiven turned off his cell phone. "So? Do you still want to go inside or are you just going to stay out here?"

Damon quickly followed Aiven. He could hardly believe that they were both let through the gate. No questions, no commotions. 'Aiven, how can you make the Armanis' men obey you just like that? What really is your connection to them?' he thought to himself.

~~~

The muscular men stopped Divina and Erin and separated them. Beside Divina at the table was her daughter, Dionne.

"Dionne," Divina called softly. Her daughter ignored her. She held her hand, but Dionne immediately pulled away from her grip.

"Dionne, we'll talk later when we get home. You have a lot to answer for," she whispered.

Dionne scoffed. "And now I'm the one at fault? I don't know where you get the audacity, M-Mama." She laughed.

"You're going too far, Dionne," Divina hissed.

Dionne shifted her head. She looked directly into her mother's eyes. "Until now, I am convincing myself that you're not a cheater. I am still hoping that our family is well and happy but..." She chuckled. Her tears were about to fall. "Everything was a lie. It was just a fairytale. You wrecked our home just like how you destroy my respect and trust... OUR RESPECT AND TRUST."

Divina couldn't speak. She just pretended she didn't hear anything.

"May I join you?"

The Walton mother and daughter turned to look at who had spoken. They were both shocked when they saw the familiar face!

"What are you doing here?" Divina looked Arya up and down. "I didn't know you were so ambitious. After bleeding my son dry, now you're planning to milk the Armanis. Are you planning to seduce Don Fridman?"

"Mama, enough. We're in the middle of the party. Isn't the trouble you two caused earlier enough? Just leave Ate Arya alone," Dionne scolded her mother, irritated.

"Even if you dress up a rat, it's still a rat." Divina rolled her eyes at Arya. "You and Damon are truly mother and son. Both of you are judgmental and condescending."

Arya looked at Divina's table. She was about to pick up the wine glass when Divina suddenly threw wine on her clothes. Divina laughed loudly.

"Perfect! Now, wipe my expensive shoes with your maid uniform." Her eyes widened when Arya didn't follow her order. "What are you still standing around for? Take off your clothes and wipe my shoes!" she shouted.

Arya smiled. "Not only are you a worthless mother, you're also a worthless mother-in-law," she said firmly.

She held her cheek when Divina Walton slapped her!

"A lowlife like you has no place in this kind of place and gathering. First thing tomorrow, I will call the agency that brought you here as a maid for the Armanis and have you fired from your job! It's embarrassing that you became my daughter-in-law! You have no education, and you have no manners!" Divina pointed her finger at Arya.

Because Mariz could no longer stand what was happening to her boss, she immediately went to her. She was furious as she looked at Divina Walton. 'What Senyorita Arya said is really true. The matriarch of the Waltons has such a dark heart. How did senorita manage to last in their mansion? I'm sure Don Fridman is seething with anger right now!'

Five minutes before the main event, Arya called her grandfather's secretary, Mariz, to order her to pretend to be the heiress of the Armanis. She also immediately had a maid's uniform brought to her so she could wear it. She wanted to show her grandfather Divina Walton's true colors. And she was not disappointed.

"Senyorita Armani, it's a pleasure to meet you tonight. I want to tell you that this woman has made a mockery of your party. She's a worthless—"

"Mrs. Walton, as far as I can remember, you are the one who ruined my party. First, you chose to reveal yourself as Mr. Hamilton's mistress in my place. Second, you proudly showed everyone how rude you are. Aren't you going to apologize to my employee?" Mariz couldn't stop herself from siding with Arya, not because she was her boss, but because she has great respect for maids. In her ten years working for the Armanis, she had never seen Don Fridman mistreat his staff.

"Senyorita, I don't think what happened was clear to you. She spilled red wine on my expensive, limited edition shoes! Any elite person who was treated like this would get angry! Right?" She looked at her fellow elites. She smiled when they agreed with her. Her smile immediately faded when she saw Mariz wiping Arya's wet uniform with her own handkerchief.

"Mrs. Walton, if you don't apologize to Arya now, I will not push through with the business meeting tomorrow with your son Damon," Mariz said seriously.

Divina raised an eyebrow. She didn't want to apologize to Arya, but she also wouldn't allow such a big opportunity for their family to slip away! She remembered Don Fridman's seven years of rejecting her. She clenched her hands. Against her will, she apologized to Arya.

"I... I'm s-sorry, Arya," Divina Walton murmured.

"I can't hear you," Arya said, holding back laughter. 'Bitch!' Divina thought.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"Too fast. I didn't understand it." Arya was delighted watching Divina's face, so annoyed.

"Senyorita, I've said what I had to say. I won't repeat it again," Divina said irritably.

"Senyorita Mariz, I really didn't hear it. I didn't understand what she said." Arya winked at Mariz.

"Mrs. Walton, say it again. Remember, your company's future is in your hands." Mariz crossed her arms. She's laughing loudly in her head.

"Is it my fault that your maid is deaf?" Divina took her fan and fanned herself. She was getting heated by the situation. She had long wanted to pull Arya's hair and shove her face to the ground!

"What did you say, Mrs. Walton?" Mariz raised her eyebrows.

"I'M SORRY, ARYA! I'M SORRY! IS IT ENOUGH? IS IT OKAY NOW? OKAY NOW?" Divina's face was bright red. A few more seconds and she was going to explode!

"Who is bullying my favorite maid?" Don Fridman asked with a smile. He went along with his only granddaughter's pretense. 'Favorite maid? It's only been a day since Arya left my son's mansion,' Divina thought.

"Divina Walton, it's nice to see you here." Don Fridman put his arm around Arya. "This woman kept on insisting to give your family a chance. She is the one who convinced me and my granddaughter to consider your business proposal. She's your daughter-in-law, right? You're lucky to have her. She is smart and humble. That's why I am appointing her as the General Manager of the Armani Group. She passed the test that I gave her so... congratulations, hija!" Don Fridman hugged Arya.

"Congratulations, Arya. You deserve it," Mariz said with a wide smile.

Arya frowned. 'Daddylo, what are you planning?'

Divina collapsed where she stood. She couldn't accept that from being a maid, Arya was immediately promoted to General Manager! Her head started to ache. She knew that Arya would block any business transactions they had with the Armanis.

Meanwhile, Damon was blankly watching his ex-wife. He was no longer surprised why she returned the money he was giving her. The Villanueva siblings were indeed really working for the Armanis!

He came back to his senses when his cell phone rang.

{"I can't make it tomorrow, Mr. Walton, but our general manager is available. Present your proposal to her. If she approves it, I will gladly invest in your company. Good luck! Regards, Mariz Armani."}

Damon looked at Mariz. She waved at him. He smiled at her and waved back. The courage and hope he had gathered was slowly disappearing. How would he convince his ex-wife to approve his business proposal? He knew she was furious with him because of what they did to her.