Saffron, the Pawn

He knew she was stunned. He knew he was sending her on a suicide mission, but the unfeeling Caspian didn’t care. He ignored her and sauntered to the dressing table to get his hair dried. At the same time waited patiently for her reply.

“F–First Young Master, I’m sorry I won’t dare to–“

He abruptly cut her off with the words; “You wouldn’t dare to offend them but you didn’t think twice to offend me?”

How was she supposed to tell him that she didn’t understand how it happened? Who would believe her part of the story?

Staring at her reflection from the mirror, he commanded with a threatening tone, “You have a month to think about it and give me a positive answer, otherwise, I’ll give you hell, Saffron. Now, get out!”

…

Until Saffron left the room with her disheveled uniform, her mind couldn’t register what just happened. There were too many things for her brain to take in. What totally shut her mind from thinking was his proposed deal.

How can she kill the sons of Mr. Clinton? Not one, but two!

It is an established fact that the Clintons are monsters. It might be that before she kills them, they’ll kill her. If they were so easy to kill, wouldn’t they have died a long time ago?

Because she wasn’t in her right frame of mind and not thinking straight, Saffron crashed into a strong wall... It was a man! A younger version of Caspian, Atlas. He is tall, well built a lot lighter than his older brother, with a bit more brighter aura, unlike his cold and dull older brother.

“Are those peanut eyes of yours for decoration? Should I gouge them out for you to look at?!”

“S– Second Young Master!” she panicked and immediately dropped her head while lamenting her bad luck in her mind.

“Are you deliberately ignoring my heartfelt question?”

“No!” Saffron fell to her knees and kowtowed a few times, begging for mercy as her little life depended on it. “Please forgive me, Master Atlas... ! I didn’t–“

“Forgive you? If forgiveness is so easy to attain, then what good is the law? An ornament?”

Saffron suddenly deflated and sat helplessly on the floor like her life-force had been drained. Who did she offend? Why has her life suddenly become a laughingstock? This must be the premonition she was having– this was why she was feeling restless all through out yesterday, she thought with great conviction. If she had known, she would have called in sick!

Lost in her little world, lamenting her bad luck, a shadow suddenly cast over her, accompanied by Atlas’s playful voice… totally different from what he used a while ago.

“Ai, what are you doing? When others see you like this, they’ll think I’m bullying you. Stand on your feet and stop making me look bad.” He pulled her to her feet and smiled sweetly with his hands on her shoulders. “I was only joking, don’t take it to heart. You did a great job and I’m pleased with the outcome you just told me.” He proceeded to pat Saffron’s silky black and straight hair.

Saffron was thrown into the abyss of confusion and shock. Tell this to a stranger who doesn’t know Atlas! He ‘jokes’ a lot of the times, but he only ‘jokes’ with what he intents to do.

“Your hair is messy and your dress is torn. He must have taken you like the beast he is.” He glared at the side.

Saffron just stood dumbly without uttering a word. What’s up with Young Master Atlas? Why was he suddenly acting this way and saying things she doesn’t understand? She followed his gaze and her eyes almost popped out of their socket!

It was Caspian! He was walking down the corridor with Gerald behind him.

‘Fuck!!!’ she cried.

So this was it? It was him? Atlas has set her up! Now Caspian would think she’s involved with Atlas, meaning what happened last night was their doing! What does that mean if not her death?

“Ahh!” Saffron cried out loud and moved back with her rear hitting the wall. She slid down slowly until she was sitting on the floor, bawling her eyes out.

“I’m just an insignificant chef who is only here to work, please I beg you, let me live… waaah… I want to live… waaah!” She continued crying as she lamented sorrowfully like she was already having her last minute of life.

Caspian walked past them without acknowledging any of them with a glance. After he walked out of the corridor, Atlas moved away and glared condescendingly at Saffron, “Don’t think too highly of yourself. You’ve served your purpose. You got what you’ve always wanted over the years; His manhood inside you. That’s enough compensation before he skins the life out of you in a few days time,” he looked disgusted as he walked out on her, leaving the devastated Saffron on the floor.

…

Unlike what Atlas thought, three weeks had passed, yet Saffron was still breathing. He was intrigued as to why Caspian hasn’t taken her life, so he decided to watch and see what unfolds.

Saffron didn’t see nor face another chaotic incident, thanks to the fact that Caspian traveled for business. But because she hadn’t seen him since that day didn’t mean that her life had returned to normal.

Her co-workers had been giving her a strange vibe as the incident that happened with her and Caspian somehow made its way to their ears. A few times she was almost bullied but each time, the butler was always quick to come to her rescue.

Next week would be the deadline she was given to produce a positive response to Caspian’s offer. But she hasn’t been thinking about the matter like he suggested.

Where will she even get the guts to think about killing someone, let alone his brothers?

Knowing it was futile, Saffron prepared herself to receive whatever punishment Caspian would mete out on her when he returns. When she reconciled with that thought, Saffron decided to slave away the remaining few days so she could receive her salary in full.

However, fate wasn’t going to let Saffron live with one problem at a time.

Just when she was starting to come to terms with her soon-to-be horrible ending, Saffron discovered she was pregnant and the pregnancy was for none other than Caspian!

At this point, Saffron knew she was done for. There was no redemption for her now. After that incident three weeks ago, she took a pill the next day but it seems it didn’t work.

Staring at the two red lines on the pregnancy test tube while sitting on the toilet seat, Saffron could see her life flashing past her eyes in full speed.

To other girls, abortion would have been a way out but for her, killing an innocent life is something she can never reconcile with.

“I can’t,” she mumbled. “I can’t kill it,” she further emphasized as sorrowful tears slid down her cheeks like water slipping through fingers.

Telling Caspian about this pregnancy is impossible. He’d skin her alive if he hears of it. It is already bad enough that his beloved fiance died in a ghastly car accident three weeks away and he’s still mourning her. If he knows about her baby...

“No, no, no, I can’t risk it.” Saffron wiped her face as determination to save the baby overwhelmed her. Caspian is the man she loves and carrying his child is a blessing and a compensation from the Maker who allowed her to go through so much troubles. And this blessing, she’d keep no matter what!

Even though she had loved Caspian from the very day she first set her eyes on him, Saffron was smart enough to come to terms with reality; loving Caspian is a fantasy, a dream that would never come true. She has to hide for the rest of her life.

Maybe the Creator sent the child as a means of consolation for her. Another thing, she can quit this job and look for another! She has a little bit of extra cash that would last her for three months if she lives on budget. With this conclusion, she finally found inner peace.

Meanwhile, Saffron had no idea that she wasn’t the only one who knew of her pregnancy. Someone else in the Clinton family who had been keeping a close eye on her, was well aware of everything she has been doing.