Chapt 4: Condemned

"Are you stalking me?" accused Max, which made Ivory splutter.

"What? Me? Stalking you? What's in it for me, sir? You've given me what you promised; that's more than enough for me!"

"Yes, just in case you want to hold me responsible for taking your virginity. Women these days are often unreasonable." Max grumbled, then went back to his work.

"When you're done, you can return to your place!" he ordered coldly.

Ivory looked at Max for a moment. The man was so arrogant and heartless, whereas a few hours ago, he was gentle with her and didn't show his arrogance.

Ivory didn't want to talk much. She quickly finished her work and left her boss's room.

The girl returned the equipment to its original place while grumbling. She deeply regretted her stupidity in helping that haughty man to escape the curse and give up her virginity.

"If only I could have thought last night. I wouldn't have to face the problems I'm facing now," she muttered regretfully. "What made me agree to help an arrogant person like that man?"

Ivory continued to rue her bad luck in having to deal with Max. Although she had received money from the man, she felt she had been treated inappropriately.

Was it because Ivory was just a janitor that Max was allowed to speak so haughtily?

True to Jane's word, their boss was slightly different than most men.

"Hey, you!"

Ivory almost jumped when she heard the rich baritone voice calling her, again without manners. Ivory turned around to find Max standing in the doorway of the janitor's room with his arms crossed.

"Make me some coffee. I'm not too fond of it sweet, but add a little creamer in it, then bring it to my room. Now!"

The man immediately turned around and left without thanking the girl.

Ivory unconsciously swore. Her face tightened and flushed. However, this was her job, so she had to do it well, no matter how annoying her boss was.

Ivory walked carefully with a tray containing a cup of coffee in her hand. She didn't put the creamer directly into the coffee but instead placed it in a small container with a cup of sugar blocks that Max could use if he felt the drink wasn't sweet enough.

Ivory entered the room after Max let her in.

"This is the coffee you ordered, sir."

Ivory put the tray of cups and other things on the table and then took something from under her clothes. She placed it right in front of Max.

"I'd like to return this at once." Ivory stepped back once the brown envelope was in front of Max.

"What's this?" Max asked, peering at the contents, and his brow furrowed when he realized it was the money he had given Ivory as a thank-you for a beautiful evening and excellent service.

No, of course!

It was a thank you because, according to Max, the curse on him had disappeared with some evidence he had shown Ivory this morning.

"Why are you giving this back? You're so arrogant when I know you need it," Max said, linking his fingers on the table and focusing his full attention on Ivory.

The girl—who had been insulted by Max's attitude from the start—was mute. The man had even accused Ivory of stalking him to hold him accountable.

Ivory knew herself well enough and was not a woman who would take advantage of the situation.

Ivory shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I don't think I need your money. It feels too cheap to trade my virginity for some money," she said.

Max almost insulted her again, but Ivory turned her body around and headed out of the room.

"Tell me what you want. Why are you giving back what is rightfully yours?" asked Max with a high volume and intonation. "Isn't this what I promised as a token of gratitude?"

Ivory had no intention of leaving the room. She was sure that Max still had a lot to say to her.

"Perhaps, I'm right. You want to demand responsibility from me for having sex with you, don't you?" the man accused, which made Ivory furious.

The girl turned around and delivered one hard slap to Max's jaw, then stared at the man's handsome face with a sharp gaze.

"I didn't return the money because I wanted responsibility, sir—whatever your name is! Just so you know, and I think you already know, I was a virgin, but that doesn't mean my life is meaningless. I don't give pleasure to just any man. Especially one as arrogant and insulting as you."

"Then what do you want this time?"

Ivory was silent, trying to calm the inner turmoil of her anger and hatred for Max, and vowed never to see him again.

"I don't want any entanglements between us. And you should know that you can't pay me for anything. Excuse me."

Ivory didn't want to care what happened to Max anymore. It could be that the curse was just an excuse so he could fuck her, and knowing that fact made Ivory feel mad.

This was the first time she met a manipulative man like Max. She didn't expect that what she imagined about him would be so different from reality.

Indeed, at first, Ivory thought that Max was a good man. That's why she trusted and gave her virginity to him. However, after knowing Max's behavior and words that hurt her feelings, Ivory no longer wants to deal with the man.

She returned to her room only to take her belongings and leave the place. She didn't realize that Jane was in her way again. This time, it wasn't to tell her to clean the boss's room but to tell her that something had happened to Max.

"Ivy, hey! What were you doing in Mr. Reynz's room just now? Did you make a mistake?" asked Jane with a paled face.

Ivory's brow furrowed, a sign that she didn't understand whatever Jane was trying to tell her. She didn't even touch the man at all, and it didn't matter what was happening to her right now.

"What do you mean? I did exactly what you told me to do. If he's acting weird, as you said, it's because he is."

Jane chuckled at Ivory's indifference. She then pulled her best friend's arm towards Max's room.

"Come on, come here, you can hear him growling. Is he angry?" Jane asked. "Damn it! After this is my schedule for cleaning up his room. If he's acting like that, I'm afraid that—"

Ivory sighed, then turned around to leave. What did she have to do with Max's strange behavior?

"Ivy, wait! Why aren't you saying anything? What's going on? Do you know something about Mr. Reynz? Did you do something to anger him?"

The girl who had been asked just now was silent, and directly she answered with a shrug. It was apparent that something had happened to Ivory and the boss, who was suddenly acting strangely.

"Maybe he's having sex, and that's the sound of him moaning as he reaches the peak of pleasure. You said he's a perverted boss who likes to bring women, right? Who knows if he's doing it right now." Ivory replied lazily. "Alright, I'm going home first. Good luck with your work today, Jane. If he's in heat, you'd better stay away. I mean it."

Ivory walked away while inside the room. Max was still doing what he had been doing all along—as Jane had heard, but it wasn't true what Ivory had said.

Max wasn't making love, but why was his body heating up and turning back into that horrible form?

Max continued to growl between anger, annoyance, and hatred for his condition. He didn't know anymore, whether it was because of his attitude towards Ivory or because Ivory wasn't the silver-haired girl Ange was referring to.

Or it could be that she was, and Max's attitude upset Ivory and made her curse him again and have to feel the same condition again.