Chapter thirteen

Layla

“You really are all better now” Martha said in awe, she was just as surprised as I was, “Ordinarily no illness gets an instant healing like this” she said and had more than a suspicious glint in her eyes, I as well would very much love to get an explanation to what was going on with me.

“Let’s call it a miracle then, shall we?” I said trying to get off the topic, even I wasn’t sure of what had happened, it seemed magical and saying that out loud would just make me seem crazy, and I sure as well don’t want to look crazy, not to Martha, she is the only solid comfort I’ve got in here.

“There are no such things as miracles” she mumbled, probably she didn’t mean to say it so loud because she was quick to say other things after, “Well if you are sure of being fully recovered, I could use your help with some minor things, at least that would keep you near me to monitor you till I’m sure that you are indeed fully recovered and this is not just a fluke” she said and I smiled at her motherly concern and care, it made me really miss my own mother at that point, she is just as doting, exactly the same.

“Ok ma’am, no problem on that, I’d help as much as I can, thanks though” I said, I could hug her right now, but I don’t want to make it awkward. She left right after that, after giving me instructions on where to meet her, as I closed the door after her, the headache I had been trying to suppress burst out with full force, like a sledge hammer on an anvil, my head rang once, twice, I thought it would split as I bowed whilst gripping my head in my hands.

I brought my head up in a fast movement and I felt the headache lift immediately, but then the weird stuff happened again, my eyes glowed the eerie blue hue and I could see the blue wisps of flame scattered around my room, everywhere I looked actually and everything they touched started floating, my eyes were wide open in awe, shock and disbelief.

How come this is happening, how is it happening, why is it happening??? These questions and more rampaged in my mind, I blinked and just as sudden as it had happened, it stopped, everything dropped back to the floor in a disarray and if it weren’t for that very fact, if everything had gone

back to the way it was before, I would have been in doubt that anything actually did happen. I mean there was no sign at all of the… whatever it is or was, no residues of blue wisps, no unexplainable marks or symbols, nothing, just the disarray.

A knock sounded on my door and brought me out of my confused state, I looked around in a hurry trying to see what I could do to put the place back in order, if it was Martha and she comes in to see the room like this, then she’ll definitely think I’m going crazy, but then the knock sounded again and following it was a small voice that wasn’t Martha’s. “Layla, are you in there? It’s urgent” the voice said.

“Uhm hold on a sec!” I replied with relief, “I’m trying to put the room together” I said as I opened the door to see a small framed maid, I had seen her before, she is one of those who attends majorly to Olivia the bitchy Lockwood princess, “Oh hello” I said to her when I saw her.

“Hello Layla” she said and bowed slightly, just a little, but that was enough to bring colors to my cheek and make my head swell. “I’m here on behalf of Olivia, she has requested for you presence as soon as possible, in fact, she said you had to be in seconds after I return” the maid said, I was wondering why she was so formal, probably she had been properly trained in the ways of the maid, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure that is the only possible explanation in fact, mainly because Olivia didn’t seem like someone who would settle for anything below average, so of course her maids would probably be those who went to ‘maid school' to be properly educated on how to be a maid.

I rolled my eyes at the request and I caught a slight tug at the corner of the maid’s mouth, she probably wanted to smile at that, but that would probably make her a bad maid according to the maid code of conduct (mind you I do not know jack shit about any of that, just speculating here)

“Ok thanks, please wait for a few while I go change into something more presentable” I said to her then winked before I went back inside the room. I gave my room another look of pity, mainly for myself though, I’d have a lot of work to do when I get back.

“Ok, let’s go, uhm, what’s your name?” I asked her as we headed away “I’m Mia” she said simply “But you need no introduction though, everyone knows about the lucky one that got picked by the young master Victor to be his personal maid” she added after her introduction and my mouth fell open in surprise. Is that really what people in here think of me? No wonder Sally has it out for me, I was popular, now that I think about it, only God knows just how many others would be feeling like Sally just for the fact that I am the one Victor chose. Now this job was looking even really dangerous for me now.

“Hmm, I actually don’t know if I should be happy or concerned about that” I replied Mia and her simple answer shocked me, “Both, you should be both” she said and I felt shivers run up and down my spine. “Don’t see it as anything big, I’m just a small girl offering her opinion after all” Mia added and I even got more spooked by those words, damn, I must be in so many people’s crosshairs, so I truly need to be concerned don’t I? a rhetorical question bothered my mind.

We walked on in silence all through the rest of the way to meet Olivia, now that was another issue on its own, I steeled myself in anticipation, expect the worse and you won’t be surprised, I know

that quote to be very true. If only I’d known that the worse that could happen when I applied for this job was to actually get accepted.

**

Olivia

Both I and Bayley were still talking and laughing when Mia came in along with the lady tramp Layla, as they walked in, I looked on with disgust at Layla, I was even infuriated further by the fact that she did look good, no matter how I try to dispute that fact, she was actually a beautiful being, but she was not fit in any other aspect, so I really do wonder what my brother saw in her, maybe her beauty, but was that really enough, I don’t think so though.

“Ms. Olivia, you sent for me” she said as she bowed, I actually felt mocked, I don’t know why or how, but there was just something with the way she talks that makes you know that she doesn’t really mean what she was saying, yet it’ll be all too convincing, she’s an annoying embodiment of sarcasm.

“Well, well, well, Look who we have here Bayley, if it isn’t Victor’s new personal maid” I said and took a little sip from my wine before turning to face Bayley, I wanted to catch and read all the emotions from my friend’s face.

“Wait what? She is the one? She is Victor's new maid? Victor’s new personal maid?” She said with genuine surprise mixed with amazement as I was nodding in answer to all her questions “Really! Aww c’mon, she is too beautiful to be a maid” Bayley said, partly out of jealousy, but I wasn’t really expecting her to admit it out loud, especially not in front of the wreck herself, well now that that’s out I probably have one more thing to contend with.

“You think so too? Well, that was one of the things I thought as well, and I pointed that to Victor even, but no, he wouldn’t listen, he just wants what he wants, he disregarded those that were even learned enough to know their roles as maids and personal maids, he disregarded and discarded them all, for this” I said and turned to seemingly take a proper look at the girl, her features were really well defined, she could actually make it big as a model if only the circumstances were more favorable to her, who knows, maybe even if she had been born into a wealthy family we could have been friends or at least rivals.

“What’s her name then?” Bayley asked me, I could sense a bit of hostility starting to grow from within my friend to the girl just as I wanted. “Her name is Layla” I answered Bayley’s question, “Layla Vance”.

I noticed Bayley’s eyebrows raised and twitch at the mention of Layla’s surname, Vance, probably she had heard the name before or recognized it from somewhere, though I doubted that, but she was quick to regain her composure, now she faced Layla, ready to spill and spit venom at the girl.