Mr. Billionaire

Kabanata 19

Rumors

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Glaring at her Master, Fatima clenched her fists. Oh how they itched to hit him on the head to knock out some senses in him. Wala talaga itong pakialam sa iba.

"If looks could kill..." He paused as he looked at her. A smirk appeared on his lips then he reached for his cup of coffee. "I would've bitten the dust by now," he continued as he sipped slowly.

Pasimple na lamang siyang umirap. Goal talaga yata nito sa buhay na inisin siya. How she would love to wipe off that smirk. "What do you want, Master?" she asked politely instead. She couldn't afford to turn him off now. Not after the unprofessional stunt she pulled earlier. She can't lose her job, at least not now.

"Hmmm... So professional, sleepyhead," he answered, continuing the teasing.

Ugh! Did he really have to rub it on my face?!

She cleared her throat. "I-I'm sorry, Sir. Please forgive me for what I did earlier," she said. Though she knew that it was her fault, mabigat sa loob niya ang humingi ng tawad sa taong ang tingin lamang sa lahat ng ito ay isang malaking biro. "Please... I c-can't afford to lose this job," she added in a small voice. She's a proud woman... but she can't lose this job.

Filipinos are prideful, yes. They are fighters. But they become slaves of money for their families. Most OFWs are. And that is the painful truth. Nakita niya ang paghawak ng binata sa baba nito bago siya mag-iwas ng tingin. Narinig niya ang pagtunog ng upuan, hudyat na tumayo na ang lalaki.

"Follow me," he ordered. She silently coursed. They stopped in front of a very familiar door. Scott's room.

"Clean," simpleng sabi nito bago lumabas patungong balcony, dala ang laptop nito. Naupo ito sa harap ng tea table at nagsimulang magtipa sa keyboard. Nanatili siyang nakatingin sa lalaki nang ilang segundo bago tumalima sa utos nito.

Hindi niya alam kung saan magsisimula dahil sa totoo lang wala naman na talagang dumi sa kuwarto ng lalaki bukod sa magulong kobre kama. She cleans this room everyday even though it's not being used regularly. Shrugging her thoughts, she just pretended to wipe the imaginary dust off the sidetable's top.

Hindi naman talaga nakapapagod ang maglinis ng kunwaring dumi ngunit dahil sa mainit na titig sa kaniyang likuran, ramdam niya ang namumuong pawis sa kaniyang noo. The awkwardness just grows within each second passing by.

She wanted to ask but she had no courage to do so. She almost rolled his eyes. Hindi mo ba alam na 'staring is rude'?

Napailing na lamang siya sa isipan. She'd rather finish her task as fast as she could than have another conversation with him. Not with the humiliation and annoyance from their previous encounters.

She flinched when his husky voice stopped her train of thoughts. "Get me a pomegranate juice," he ordered. Nang lingunin niya ito, nakita niyang prenteng nakasandal na ito sa sliding door ng balcony.

Muntik na siyang pumalakpak sa tuwa. Sa wakas ay makalalayo na siya sa lalaki! His presence in the same room with her is suffocating.

She nodded and silently exited the room. Nang makalabas ay saka siya nakahinga nang maluwag. Dumiretso siya sa kusina at sinabi sa tagaluto ang request ng kanilang amo.

Ngunit nagtaka siya nang gulat itong tumingin sa kaniya. It didn't escape her eyes when the other maids exchanged glances.

She forced a smile. "Why?" she asked. Ngunit nag-iwas lamang ng tingin ang mga tao sa silid na iyon.

"Impossible," bulong ng isa sa katabi na narinig naman ng curious na si Fatima. Napa-isip siya nang malalim. Tahimik niyang pinanuod ang paggawa sa juice at ininda ang bulungan ng mga nasa paligid. Iba't ibang lengguwahe na nakahihilo.