CHAPTER 5

“Astrid, you should eat first.”

I suddenly woke up because of Sharmaine’s loud voice. On the other bed, Jenifer was lying down, fast asleep.

Oh my! Did we faint just because of a cockroach??

“Are you okay? Nothing hurts? You fainted suddenly when you saw a cockroach,” she said, laughing.

“What’s so funny? That’s natural for us,” I replied as I stood up.

I looked at myself in the mirror and grimaced at my clothes, but at least I was still beautiful—nothing could change that.

“Can you wake her up? She sleeps like a log, and I easily lose patience. I might slap her,” I told Sharmaine.

She just laughed as she went to Jen’s side.

I combed my hair and put on a little makeup for dinner. It would be embarrassing to look messy—what would the food on the table think? It might lose its flavor.

After a while, Jen finally woke up. She immediately stood up and fixed her face too.

“We’re still beautiful even if we’re wearing clothes like old ladies,” she said.

“Yes, put on a little makeup. The food might lose its appetite if we look shabby,” I replied.

“Yah, you’re right,” she said, and started putting makeup on her face.

“Hey, aren’t you forbidden to put makeup on your faces?” Sharmaine asked us.

“Sorry, but we don’t need someone’s rules to look pretty. If her face is wrinkled, don’t drag us into it,” I said, rolling my eyes.

When I looked in the mirror again, I suddenly screamed.

“D*mn!! Ahhh!!” I shouted.

“So I’m wrinkled now? And what did you say about me??” Mayora said, raising her eyebrow.

“A-ahh nothing, hehe,” I said, making a peace sign and about to leave, but she stopped me.

“Since you didn’t follow my rules, you two will wash the dishes tonight,” she said as she passed us.

I bit my lip at her words.

“Ahh!! I hate her!” Jen said.

“That’s because you’re both so stubborn,” Sharmaine told us.

She just laughed and walked away. Jen and I pouted as we headed to the dining area, almost crying while holding each other.

We went inside the dining area and immediately tried to sit down, but Sharmaine stopped us.

“Why?” Jen asked her, frowning.

“Mayora isn’t here yet. We don’t have her signal, so you two wait,” she told us.

“Even with food, she’s still the boss?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes, because she says it’s better if we all eat together than if someone is left behind,” she explained.

Sigh… no more Disney princess treatment here. I am officially a maid here.

“Bestie, maybe she has a relationship with our boss, that’s why she acts like this,” Jen whispered to me. I looked at her and nodded.

“Hmm, Sharmaine, may I ask something?” I said.

“Yes, what is it?” she asked.

“Is our boss old?” I asked.

“We mean the main boss?” Jen added.

“Yes, senior is old,” Sharmaine answered.

Jen and I looked at each other. It seemed our suspicion was right—she was acting important because she had a relationship with the boss.

“That explains everything,” I said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jen said, frowning.

We fell silent when Mayora suddenly entered, carrying a stick.

“Sit down, everyone. Have you washed your hands?”

“No, Mayora,” Jen and I answered.

Only the two of us said no. The others answered yes, so she looked at us again.

“You spoiled brats, go wash your hands first!” she commanded authoritatively. We had no choice but to go to the sink and wash our hands.

Afterward, we returned to the long table, and she ordered us to sit.

“Always remember to pray before eating,” she told us.

“Bestie, I don’t know how,” Jen whispered to me.

“Me too,” I said back.

“Jenifer, you will pray tonight. Tomorrow morning, Astrid will pray,” she said.

Jen and I swallowed nervously.

“Go ahead, start,” Mayora told her.

Jen looked at me for help, but I couldn’t help her—I only knew the ‘Angel of God’ prayer.

“Let’s bow our eyes,” Jen said nervously.

I couldn’t help but laugh at what she said. My laugh wasn’t loud, just a little, because I knew I’d get scolded again and maybe punished by this wrinkled old woman.

Jen started to pray, so I calmed myself. We only prayed ‘Angel of God,’ so it ended quickly.

“Next time, find another prayer. We’re not in a classroom, and we’re not going to sleep. How will our food be blessed?” Mayora said.

“And you two, stop laughing,” she pointed at me and Sharmaine, so we went quiet.

After a while, we started eating. The food was delicious, so Jen and I ate a lot. When we finished, we immediately stood up to take a half bath and fix our faces.

“Where are you going?” Mayora asked, making us look at her.

“To our room?” I said, confused.

“Did you forget you’re washing the dishes tonight?” she said, smirking at us.

Jen and I looked at each other like wilted vegetables as we dragged ourselves to the sink. There were so many dirty dishes—I almost cried looking at all the plates and pots.

“What do we do?” Jen asked.

“I don’t know. They’re rich, but they don’t have a dishwasher,” I said.

“There’s no dishwasher now because it’s broken. You’ll wash them by hand,” she said.

“But how?” I asked.

She came over and started teaching us.

“First, rinse them and remove the rice stuck on the plates. Then put soap, rinse well, and wipe with a towel,” she instructed.

Jen and I nodded and started following her instructions. But as soon as I held one plate, it slipped and broke.

“Oh no!!” she exclaimed.

I picked it up, but I cut myself.

“Oh my god!! Blood!!” I screamed, and suddenly everything went dark.