Chapter Seven

BEN'S POV

He couldn't understand why all he ever thought about was how to hurt her.

This morning, he had felt a pang of something in him, an unexplainable emotion when he saw her talking with his brother in the kitchen.

An unknowing smile crossed his face as he visualized what his decision to divorce her would do to her.

He was tired of enduring her presence and even though his father was against him divorcing her, he would make her an offer, a very mouth-watering one and in turn have her do his bid. It was the only way to keep his father from getting angry at him.

"Sir, she's not in the Villa" the maid's shaky voice announced.

His eyes roamed the sitting room before resting on her shaky form.

"And who permitted her to leave?"

The timid maid opens her mouth, but suddenly shuts them up and instead lowered her head in fear.

“Tell her to see me once she returns”

The servant bowed in politeness before scurrying away.

Benjamin's presence was the worst place for anyone to be in.

His cold demeanor was enough to get anyone shaking to their bones.

*****

She made a mistake by not informing him about her whereabouts, but what good would it be? He was leaving for the office and she didn't expect him to return home before her.

She could feel his gaze burning her skin and it made her terribly uncomfortable.

If the silence stretched further, she might collapse at his feet.

She had prepared herself for his usual bickering,and as she stood transfixed to the spot, her eyes roamed the seating room, until they rested on the files lying neatly on the center table.

“Where did you go?” His voice rapse, yet hoarsely demanded.

It was what she feared. To be in a situation where she's questioned by him.

“I… I went to the hospital” she stammered as her shaky hands fumbled with the tracts on her gown.

It was something she always did when she's anxious.

I saw his face crease into a darker frown, then it softened, but that was before it was suddenly replaced by a sneer.

He glared at me before returning his gaze to the paper lying carelessly beside him.

Are those divorce papers? Has he finally agreed to divorce her instead of punishing her for marrying him?

All of these were questions that ran through her mind.

“I want my car washed right now.” he said, startling her out of her reverie.

It was raining heavily and even if she wanted to wash the car, there was no way she would enter the rain.

“But, it's raining heavily” she reminded, pointing out the heavy downpour outside the room.

“Is that supposed to be a problem? I suppose every servant understands their duties in the house.” Benjamin replied with a cold and distant tone.

Jane bit her lip anxiously. She could not believe what her supposed boss just asked her to do.

As if to magnify her fear, the lightening gave up a loud clapping sound that resonated round the sitting room

She took a quick glance at him before stuttering out of the sitting room.

She made it to her room and peeled off her dress. If she was going under the rain, then she might as well change into something less decorative, she thought as the last piece of her clothing formed a pool beside her.

She was used to such treatments. Washing cars while it rained heavily was one of the ways her step mother punished her each time she stood up against her maltreatment.

The door creaked open and concerned Mrs. Joan walked in bearing a plate of soup which she offered to her.

"Here's a plate of soup for you." She started "I figured you haven't tasted anything since you left the house in the morning." She said, handing a plate of steamy chicken soup to me.

I took the plate of soup from her, before enfolding her in a tight embrace, grateful for every warmth she has given me since I moved into the villa.

While the other maid's treated me like a nobody, madam Joan has always taken care of me like I was her own daughter.

"It's okay. You need to go wash the car now before the boss starts to look for you" she hinted, slowly disengaging from the hug.

*********

In the living room, Benjamin grinned as he caught a sight of her through the transparent door. For some reasons, he was grateful for accepting to have these kinds of doors in his house. It was easy to see what's happening outside the house and monitor the heinous affairs of some of the maids.

His lips curled into a wicked smile as she fought with the cold rain pouring heavily on her body.

He would humiliate her until she got tired and ran out of his house. She would be saving him the stress of a divorce, which might be too much on his parents.

Suddenly, there was another thunderclap and terrified Jane ran for the nearest shed in the compound.

Jane knew how much he hated her , but she was scared of asking for a divorce. His family had paid handsomely for her. And even though her sick brother didn't get a dime contrary to what they promised her, she knew better than to demand for a divorce. She would have to pay up every single dime they spent on her family before she would be free to go.

"She was a slave. Her own family had sold her into the family under the disguise of marriage" she concluded.

After she was done washing the car, she wiped tears mixed with rain off her face and returned to her room.

However, after drying up and changing to neat clothes, she laid down to sleep only to be woken up by an icy cry from the door.