I Got The Job

Valentina’s POV

I glared at the jarring ad in front of me.

The term "household assistant" was a reach! Simply put, what they were looking for was a maid.

"What the fuck is this?" I queried vehemently, shoving the tab back at Liam's face the moment he returned with Aidan, my words carefully measured around my child.

Children somehow picked up bad traits faster than they ignored the good things they saw or heard.

"A job offer for you," Liam said dryly with a shrug as he placed Aidan back in his chair.

"Oh really? Here I was thinking it was a fuc… fun word puzzle," I modified my choice of words when I noticed Liam raising an eyebrow at me and glancing at Aidan.

"Be rational, Len. You can't call what you're doing living—you're surviving, barely. Now it's not just you; it's the kid too. This job would pay well and could give you the answers you've been desperately seeking," Liam tried to reason with me. He did have a point, but I didn't care.

I scoffed. "Answers? Liam, where is Taylor now?"

His fiery gaze matched mine. "And you'll never know if you let this opportunity pass you by."

"What are you even saying?" I paused, recognizing that my voice was louder than usual and drawing the attention of other people in the bakery. I leaned forward so only he could hear me.

"Didn't you just get rejected at an interview? This is a good opportunity, Val," Liam said.

I sighed, rubbing my temples in an attempt to soothe the rising migraine.

"I know I did, but I'm looking for a job, not a death wish. Taylor worked for the Hawthornes too, and where is she now? There have been rumors about that family for nearly a decade. I'm not throwing myself into danger just because I need a job."

Liam raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I just thought it was worth considering."

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “If I wanted to take that job, it’s in North London. Would I really be taking the train every day just to come back home? What about my son?”

He exhaled, his expression softening. "They would have the accommodation covered."

"How do you know that?" I eyed him cautiously.

"It said so in the ad." He gestured at the tab still in front of me. I gave it a quick scan and, true to his word, it was written there:

ACCOMMODATION COVERED AS WELL AS OTHER BENEFITS.

This seemed too good to be true.

"Liam!" I groaned in frustration. "What about the rumors?"

Silence engulfed us, allowing the shuffling sounds of feet as people came and went to envelop us.

I held his gaze, waiting for him to respond, but he didn't.

"Didn't you read the papers just a few days ago? Someone 'sleepwalked' into a pool. Doesn't that sound suspicious to you? How the hell does someone sleepwalk into a pool?" I was aggravated and didn't consider that my son was beside me.

There were rumors that no maid had ever worked for long without disappearing. I should know—my sister was one of them. For the past four years, rumors of people who worked for the infamous Christopher Hawthorne had gone missing. Why would I put myself in such a position?

Finally, Liam spoke, "What if the rumors are just that? Just rumors."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Don't you find it strange that people have gone missing? Besides, why would I return to the place my sister told me to flee from?" I questioned, hoping he would understand the gravity of what he was asking me.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about surviving than some flimsy rumors? I mean, accidents happen."

He said this casually, stopping a waitress to ask for a cup of coffee. When she took his order and left, I leaned in.

"Can you hear yourself, Liam? People have gone missing from this place. Some were found dead. The whispers about how mysterious the Hawthornes are have spread to South London, and you want me to throw myself into the lion's den?" My eyes widened in fear.

When he didn't respond, I continued, "Everything about this place screams red flags. Why does nothing about the Hawthornes come up on the internet, yet they seem to be the most influential family in all of London? No one knows who they really are or what they do. For all we know, they could be using their maids for some diabolical sacrifice."

Liam's lips quirked up in a smile, which only aggravated me further. "You think this is funny?"

"No, Len. You don't believe in 'diabolical' things, remember?" He reminded me, air quoting the word "diabolical."

"That's not the point, Liam. This is serious!"

"Alright, alright..." he straightened up and continued. "You said your sister worked for the Hawthornes. Don't you want to find out what happened and make money while at it?" He challenged, narrowing his eyes at me.

I bit my lip in contemplation.

"What happens to Aidan if something happens to me?" I lamented as my resolve slowly started to melt away, frustration creeping into my veins. Liam sighed and reclined in his chair.

That's what I thought.

The waitress returned with his coffee, and he smiled at her, flashing one of his pearly whites that caused her to giggle like a teenager. I rolled my eyes at the scene and watched as Liam took a sip of his coffee.

"But you need the money, don't you?" His voice broke the silence, drawing my gaze back to his eyes.

I sighed, drawing circles with my fingers on the table. "At what cost, Liam?"

He said nothing.

We both settled into a comfortable silence, each of us engrossed in our thoughts.

I glanced at my son, Aidan.

The rent was due. I couldn't afford the electricity bill.

I didn't know what we were going to eat for dinner.

"I'm applying!" I said, causing his eyes to light up as I swiped right on the ad. I inputted my details where necessary and when I was done, my fingers hovered on the "send" button.

What if I end up like the other maids? I dispelled the thought just as quickly as it came and clicked on the send button.

"Now what?" Anxiety crawled up my spine as I looked up at him.

"Now," he took a sip of his coffee. "We wait."

Days passed, and I began to think the Hawthornes had either found a maid or were looking for someone more educated than me. Lying in bed, I stared at the water dripping from the cracks in my ceiling, listening to the steady rhythm of the leak as it echoed through my tiny apartment.

Aidan grunted softly and nuzzled closer to me. I smiled, holding him close when suddenly, I heard a rapid bang on the door which startled me.

"Crap!" I cursed as I got up. I straightened my hair. That must be the landlord. No one bangs on the door like that.

What do I do?

"Valentina Maria Whitlock, open up! You have an interview!" Liam's voice echoed through the walls, stopping me in my tracks.

"Liam?" Skepticism laced my tone as I opened the door. The surprise on my face was also evident in my voice.

Liam stepped into my apartment and grunted. "You used my email to apply for the job, and I got a notification last night that you're scheduled for an interview this morning at ten!"

"What?!" I exclaimed, scrambling to tidy the place. "And you’re only telling me this now?"

"I only saw it this morning and drove as fast as I could! You need to get yourself presentable as fast as possible because the interview is in..." he glanced at his watch, "twenty minutes!"

I hurried away, frantically searching for something decent to wear. The noise had awakened Aidan, but I didn’t have time to attend to him.

It’s a position for a maid! Why on earth do they need to hold an interview?

"Hurry up!" Liam urged as he opened his laptop to set up for the interview.

Finally, I was seated and ready. Moments later, I was connected to a woman who introduced herself as Davina Hawthorne, Christopher Hawthorne's wife.

I was asked a series of questions while Liam watched me carefully. He couldn’t hear what Davina was saying through the earphones, but he could hear my responses.

“Alright. Without wasting any more time, is there anything else you’d like us to know?” she asked.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. “Do you have any disabilities? Any allergies? Anything at all that might hinder your work?”

I bit my lip anxiously as I stole a glance at Liam, who only mouthed, “What?”

Returning my focus to her, I finally said, “I have a son.”

Silence fell between us, so thick that I almost thought she hadn’t heard me.

“I see,” she responded after a moment, jotting something down in her notebook. “You said you stay in South London. If that’s the case, I suggest you take the next train to North London.”

My ears began to ring because I wasn't sure if I had heard her correctly. “And my son?”

“You can bring him along.” Without another word, the line went dead, and I stared at the blank screen.

“Well?” Liam prompted once I unplugged the earphones.

“I got the job.”

I waited for the wave of excitement to wash over me, but all I felt was dread.