Chapter 5

Andrea’s POV

“I just asked you a question. Why did you come in here?” he asked again.

I still had my back turned to him. I didn’t know if I should let him see my face or not.

“I was asked to bring this tray into this room. I didn’t do anything, sir,” I said, still not looking at him.

Just then, I heard footsteps behind me, and I knew that he was coming toward me. As soon as he got to me, I bowed my head, making my hair spill to cover my face so he wouldn’t be able to recognize me.

“I thought I made it very clear that I didn’t want any maid coming in here,” he said.

“I’m sorry, sir. It’s just that I’m new here, and I lost my—”

“Save it. If you’re new, then Rose would have told you what the consequence of disobeying me is,” he said without any compassion.

He went toward the landline that was in the room, and I knew that he was about to call Rose. Quickly, I ran toward him and the phone and threw it out of the window.

“Are you crazy?!” he yelled at me.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, sir. If you want, as long as I work here, I won’t let you catch a glimpse of me. But please don’t fire me. We really need this job,” I said with my hair still covering my face. Then, quickly, I ran out of the room and went downstairs straight to my room.

As soon as I got to the safety of my room, I breathed a sigh of relief. I still couldn’t believe that the guy from the rooftop was the son of our new boss. That was why that picture looked familiar. ‘That was his brother, and they look so much alike,’ I thought as I lay on the bed.

Why did I have to meet him here again? Couldn’t fate be more cruel? I thought as I remembered the harsh way he talked to me on the rooftop and also the time that I saw him in the garden crying.

Could he be suffering because of his brother’s death? Could his brother’s death have turned him into the hard, ruthless, and merciless guy he is now? What am I thinking? It has got nothing to do with me. What I should be more worried about is that he wouldn’t try to look for me and tell me face-to-face that I have been fired. Mom would be so devastated if she knew what had happened, so I didn’t say anything to her.

“You have been out all day. Where did you go?” I asked as she took off her clothes. She went to her bag and drew out a document, which she gave to me.

“What’s this?” I asked as I stared at it.

“Just read what’s in it,” she said.

When I read what was in it, I stared at her in shock. “You enrolled me in another private school?” I asked.

“Yes, Jupiter High. I like the school, and I’m sure that when you start attending, you’ll enjoy it very much,” she said.

“Mom!” I yelled as I stood up suddenly.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked as she stared at me.

“You said I wouldn’t be attending any more private schools. So why this?” I asked.

“I never said that! You assumed it yourself,” she replied.

“But I told you that I would be fine going to a public school,” I said.

“And I told you that I wouldn’t let you go to a public school!” she replied, now angry.

“Mom, I don’t want to go to another rich school. Just let me go to a public school. I promise that I will work so hard and become someone great, just as you want me to be. I really don’t have to go to this school,” I said.

“You are going. I already paid for the first semester,” she said.

“What? Jupiter High is a very expensive school. How did you get the money to pay for the first semester?” I asked.

“My savings. Don’t think that because I’m a maid, I don’t have enough money,” she said.

“I know, but that money could be used for other purposes.”

“I know what I’m doing, okay? And stop nagging me about the school and fill out the necessary questions,” she yelled at me.

Sitting down, I began to scroll through the page until I couldn’t stare at it anymore. Blindly, I put in my signature and gave it to her.

“As soon as the weekend ends, you’ll be starting,” she said.

“Just let me ask you, Mom. Did you tell them that I was the daughter of a rich family or the daughter of a maid?” I asked.

“Don’t ask that. All you have to do is get ready for your new school and don’t mess it up,” she said.

“Fine then,” I replied and turned to look out the window. I didn’t feel like talking to her anymore because my thoughts were preoccupied with the new school I was going to attend.

***

[Monday morning]

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at myself in my new uniform. I won’t deny that it looks great on me, and it’s well-fitted. But the thought of attending another rich school where bullying kids might be made me feel that the school wouldn’t fit enough.

“What are you still waiting for? Get off to school,” my mom yelled at me, and I grabbed my bag and headed out of the room.

As soon as I got to the big compound, I saw him standing by the front door, answering some calls, and I quickly hid behind a wall. Ever since that incident with him finding me in his brother’s room, I’ve been doing my best not to run into him.

He spoke on the phone for a while and then went back in. Quickly, I ran out of the gate and took a taxi, just as Mom had instructed me. I’m still unfamiliar with the route, so I have to rely on the taxi. I made him stop a few yards away from Jupiter High, and I got out. I walked the rest of the way to the school entrance.

I was amazed at how beautiful and big it was. Students were getting out of their cars or their chauffeur-driven cars, and I stared at them all. Would I have to go through the same thing again? I walked further in. Unknown to me, I didn’t know that the way I looked in the uniform was getting a lot of attention from the other students. I could hear them murmuring, and I thought it was something bad, but then their little whisperings began to drift into my ears.

“My God, who is she?”

“She looks so gorgeous.”

“Is she a new student?”

“So very pretty.”

On hearing this, I stared at them and wondered if they were talking about me or someone else. But then it was me; they were staring at me and saying nice things about me.

Will Jupiter High make a difference to me? Will I be well-treated here? I thought as I gave anyone I looked at a smile. Yes, Jupiter High will certainly make a difference for me, I thought as I headed to the teacher’s office.