CHAPTER 10

The workers at the wine Factory where Jessica worked alongside Emerald had been Summoned by their boss. Their boss Mrs. Mary had something important to them but she was yet to show up. After twenty more minutes, she was standing in front of them dressed elegantly. 

"I would apologize for keeping you under the sun but I have something important to say to all of you. I want to introduce you all to the new supervisor around the wine factory. She would be in charge of everything here whenever I'm not around. So, you must obey what she says at all times."

"She would check and inspect all progress around the wine factory." Mrs. Mary finally let out as a lady dressed averagely trudged in. One could mistake her for a market seller instead of a supervisor at a huge factory like this.  

"This is Clara," Mrs. Mary let out, making Jessica stunned.

 Not only Jessica but Emerald too.

"She is going to be the supervisor around here and would be in charge of operating the wine factory. So, anything and everything that has to do with the work around here would be handled by her. The salary, your working hours, you can discuss it with Clara. Is that clear?" Mrs. Mary asked.

"Yes boss," they all murmured.

"Clara, I would leave you in charge." Mrs. Mary let out before leaving. 

"Listen up everyone. This is a wine factory and not a place to rest, there is no room for laziness and I would not tolerate slow snails and most of all gossip and stupidity. You all should get to work this minute." Aunt Clara let out firmly as the workers trudged to their various work. 

Jessica was about to leave when she heard her name. She knew exactly why her aunt was calling her but she wouldn't pick a fight with her here. 

"Jessica," Aunt Clara called, making Jessica gazed at her without letting a word slip out of her mouth. 

"You have got some backbone don't you? You thought I wouldn't hear from the neighbours that you have sent my step son to the city." Aunt Clara muttered and Jessica wondered what that had to do with her. 

"Mother, that's brother's choice," Emerald, who had been standing quietly all along chipped in. 

"Shut up and stay out of this young lady," Aunt Clara exclaimed. 

"I didn't send him there, it was his decision and not mine. He was offered a work with a higher pay check and he accepted it so he could give a better life to his family." Jessica clarified even if she was getting tired already. 

"Is that your eldest daughter with Travis?" Aunt Clara asked, staring at the little girl clenching to her mothers leg. 

"Yes, this is Rose." Jessica muttered, patting her daughter's hair softly. 

"May you suffer the same fate I went through Jessica. I hope Travis won't come back for you," aunt Clara let out bitterly before walking away. 

"How can fate be so cruel? If mother works here aunt Jessica, it pure trouble." Emerald blurted out worriedly. 

"Mother, who is she?" Rose asked curiously. 

"Uhh, she is the stepmother of your father. Your aunt Emerald's mother." Jessica explained. "How do you mean mother?" Rose asked yet again. 

"It means your grandfather had my mother as a second wife." Emerald explained. 

"So, grandfather had two wives? How is 

that possible?" Rose asked smartly.

"Baby, you are too young to know stuff like that, when the time comes you will understand." Jessica said packing her daughter's cheeks and a wide grin appeared on her face. 

"It is a good thing that my father has only one wife and that is you mother, no one else." Rose muttered, making all of them chuckle.

"You both should head on before we get punished for not paying attention." Jessica said as they walked back to their various duties. 

*****************

"The fruit should be separated into those baskets Emerald before we stack them." Jessica muttered. 

"What are you doing Jessica? Who told you that you could be slow, haven't I told you to do your work without gossiping and that I hated stupidity and slow snail? Look at all this fruit. They are stacked yet to produce wine, what have you been doing?"

"Until now, you are still slow at everything you do." Aunt Clara yelled. 

"Mother, can you stop that?" Emerald muttered. "I have told you not to interfere Emerald, this is between me and Jessica. This good for nothing woman has to pay for what she has done to me, because of her. Your brother threw me out of the house." Aunt Clara yelled angrily. 

"Aunty, that wasn't my fault. It was you who treated me badly and even right now, you are still treating me badly." Jessica muttured. 

"This is just the beginning Jessica. I haven't begun my sweet revenge for what you have done to me, don't forget that you destroyed my family Jessica. You better hurry up with stacking all this before you lose your job," aunt Clara yelled before stepping out. 

"What's going to happen? It seems mother is really furious at you, it is surprising that mother wasn't even qualified for anything but she got this job. How did this happen? You have to tell my brother about this aunt Jessica," Emerald said gawking at Jessica who rubbed her forehead. 

She seemed to be getting a headache already. 

"I don't want to tell him because he would only end up getting worried and that might distract him from whatever job he might be doing." Jessica let out. 

"That's right but why don't you quit your job here at the wine Factory and get one else where? You are good with whatever you do and I know that you would find a good job." Emerald said, taking the stacked fruit to the side. 

"You know I can't do that Emerald, the huge debt our family owes Mrs. Mary hasn't been settled yet. I just have to accept my fate." Jessica muttered.

"We should stop chatting already before we get scolded again." Jessica muttered, Emerald gawked at her for a while before signing.