3. Motive

~Vivian~

My eyes widened in shock and disbelief. His shocking offer caught me off guard. I didn't expect it. "S-Sir? Are you joking, right?" I asked, seeking the truth through his eyes.

"I'm serious. Think about my offer," he said and rose to his feet, walking away after seeing Debra heading back to our table.

Just like that, he left me in a jumble of emotions.

What the hell happened? He really wanted to help me? As if we had known each other for a long time.

I watched him return to his brother's side. I was left stunned, wondering what had happened to him and why he was acting strange all of a sudden.

Why would the CEO of a big company make an offer to an ugly cleaning lady like me?

His action confused me. What was his motive behind his offer?

"I saw Sir Steve talking to you. What did he tell you?" Debra asked curiously, easing into the chair beside me.

"Nothing," I replied quickly.

"Are you sure?" Debra raised a brow. "You two are not close. Why would he bother talking to a mere employee like you?"

I released a deep sigh. Debra won't stop pestering me if I don't tell her the truth. "Um, he told me that I look different today without the scar on my face. He asked if I have plans of seeing a surgeon to remove my scar completely," I explained.

"And what did you tell him?" Debra asked.

"I told him that I'm broke, I can't afford high fees for scar surgery," I said, drinking lemon soda to quench my thirst.

Debra raised a brow. "Oh, really? That's surprising given that you only met each other for the first time. Why did he suddenly become interested in helping you? Something smelled fishy here. Did he suddenly have a crush on you?" she asked jokingly.

I burst into laughter, amused by her joke. "Are you kidding me? Why would a CEO of a big company have a crush on me? Hello, I look ugly with my scar. No one will like me."

Debra shook her head. "You are wrong. If your scar disappears completely you will look beautiful just like you always are, and men will line up to date you. I'm not joking. I'm telling you the truth."

I smiled. "Once my beauty is fully restored to its former glory, my life will turn upside down again. It's better this way, I enjoy peace and stability."

Debra rolls her eyes. "Don't tell me that nonsense reasoning again. Beauty is a curse, blah blah blah. I have to remind you that beautiful women can have any man they like. Rich handsome men will flock to them like bees to honey. Pretty women don't have to work hard. They can easily find rich men who will dote on them and make them the queen of their hearts. That's the advantage of having a beautiful face and body like yours. Unlike me, I have to pay men to have sex with me so there's someone who can say I'm sexy, pretty and desirable. But the truth is I'm not," she said sadly.

I rubbed Debra's back, consoling her.

Still listening to Debra's rant , I glanced at Steve. He looks at me and our eyes meet for a few seconds. I looked the other way.

So, did Steve find my beauty irresistible? That is why he offered me a job in his company?

My mother told me that my beauty was a curse. My beauty will bring bad luck not only to me but to all the people around me.

I have had a chaotic life in the past because of my beauty. It's both a blessing and a curse.

Is my charm working on Steve right now? Is my curse about to start its devastating cycle again?

But my charm didn't work on Harold, maybe because he always saw me as the ugly one. In his eyes, I will always be the cleaning lady with the scar on her face.

Would Harold look at me differently if I started applying foundation to my face to hide the scar?

Should I start hiding my scars every day?

But I'm also afraid of what's going to happen after I restore my beauty.

Of course I didn't believe my beauty was cursed. But my previous life was full of tragedy, so maybe my mother was right. My beauty is a curse that could destroy men and ultimately become my end.

Enough of the musings!

At the moment, everything is fine in our company. Everyone treats me nicely and they were friendly to me despite my looks. They see me not as a threat but as a scar-faced woman worthy of their kindness and pity.

But what if I started restoring my beauty using the same foundation Debra used on my face?

Will things start to change?

I will never know if I don't try.

But why would I do that? When I knew very well that chaos might start again?

"What are you thinking? Thinking about your past again?" Debra asked, studying my face.

I smiled. "Nothing."

Debra shifted her attention to her phone, scrolling endlessly.

If I'm ugly, no trouble will come my way. Maybe I should just hide my beauty and continue living my life in peace.

But a nagging feeling stirred deep inside me. Harold never looked at me with admiration in his eyes because of my scar.

Should I go ahead and let my beauty shine? I just want to know if Harold will change his attitude towards me after seeing my beautiful face every day?

Will he look at me twice and see me in a different light?

The question was intriguing and the result might not be what I expected.

After a while, Debra stopped scrolling on her phone and asked, "Do you want to dance on the dancefloor?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not in the mood for dancing this time. Just go ahead and shake your booty. Enjoy the dance floor."

Debra handed me her phone for safe keeping and joined the others on the dancefloor.

I watched my friend shake her hips to the lively beat of the music. She is a great dancer despite her chubbiness. Everyone was enjoying the music, dancing to the pulsating techno music hammering the dancefloor. Me and Steve were not dancing though.

I looked at him, and he looked at me.

Our eyes locked on each other.

I broke eye contact with him after a few minutes of our staring match. I rose to my feet and moved towards the location of the room.

That's when I noticed something...

Oh, Steve was following me!

My brows knit together. Why is he following me?

What does he want?