Chapter 8 AN INAPPROPRIATE INTRODUCTION
Who could have thought they would be waiting for me at that exact moment to extend a greeting to me with a slap?
I could feel the heat from the hit welling up around my cheek and it gave tingling sparkles, turning the skin on my face into a furnace.
I really hoped their hand hadn't left a print against my cheek as the pain lingered deeply.
This action of theirs was totally unacceptable.
Then she began to walk towards me while I pulled back further into the house, away from the door.
Then there came my rapid train of thought, ready to ponder on the situation of things at that moment.
Who was she?
A mistress to Rafael?
She didn't look like someone who could be a relative of his, perhaps his sister or cousin. For some reason I had unconsciously assumed her character and neither did she look like a worker in the house.
She wasn't wearing a uniform which could prove her to be a maid or a chef, so I could assume that much.
How had she found me?
How long had she been standing at the door for?
Was it a mere coincidence that she had been waiting for me at the door or was she just arriving?
Why would my first time becoming aware of her existence be in the form of an embarrassment to me?
No matter how disagreeable she might think of me existing within the walls of Rafael's house, resulting in physical banter was inappropriate no matter who she was.
At least, I have done nothing wrong—nothing at all. Yet, I have to suffer the consequences of another man's wrong doings towards me?
I took a proper look at the woman standing before me. She was indeed angry, and she made no attempt to hide this beastly emotion of hers.
Her hair crawled over her shoulder, giving her small oval face an ample lift. Her lips were darkened with red lipstick and her, a tight fitted gown which exposed her voluptuous curves settled on her knees.
She looked young, really young, but just about my age and all I could picture her as due to her first cause of action towards me was that she was Rafael's love interest.
That was the only plausible argument I could come up with and chances of it being true was probably over a hundred percent.
As she stepped further into the light, letting the door behind her shut close, I stood up on my feet, carefully massaging my cheek to ease the pain.
“That was not a womanly introduction to give to someone you have never set sight on.” I coughed up, holding my leave as she had not just insulted me but as well cut my escape plan short.
With a loud scoff, she responded,
“You think a whore like yourself deserves a warm womanly introduction?”
“A whore?” I uttered back at her in disbelief. “I would appreciate it if you are careful with how you speak to me, miss. Hitting me right off the bat was enough disrespect to be already— your choice of words should be pristine.”
I could see her roll her eyes so hard that they could make me fall out of the world if I wasn't a lot more careful with how I spoke to her.
“Save me the lecture, please.”
For some reason, I began to feel a sense of familiarity with the woman before me. I couldn't quite picture how the nature of her being pushed a cause within me, but it felt as if I had known her for a while, maybe briefly, I could not tell but all the same, she felt distant and close at the same time.
Who is she?
Where have I known her from?
Why had she been standing there at the door waiting to deliver a blow to my face?
It was like she had planned it all, seen through my flimsy escape plan just to show herself to me, but why?
I asked myself dauntlessly, aware no one could hear me to answer the unsettling question that arose in my mind.
Suddenly, I could hear a couple of footsteps rushing towards us from the hallway.
The maids.
They were coming and I felt I could allow the ground to consume me if it wanted to. Their presence alone was enough to burn my hope for an escape.
Just if this woman hadn't shown up at the door, I probably would have made it out of Rafael's estate and gotten help from the outside world.
From Italians— the same people I'd rather have no business with.
The woman before me hitched towards me briefly, whispering some words into my ear.
“If you ever craft a better plan for an escape from him, you had better watch out for the camera's blindspot and make sure you do it right next time.” She whispered softly with malice hinged in her tone.
As she turned away, her lips folded into a smile as she walked past me towards the approaching maids.
“Mother.”
In a jiffy, I turned around to behold who she had just addressed by that title, the realization settling in fast.
I didn't know this woman nor had I met her for once, but who I had seen and made contact with was her mother— the chief of maids of that mansion.
I marveled at the dazzle of their striking resemblance and I couldn't let a wash of doubt overflow me concerning their ill behavior.
They both had the same blood flowing through their veins and I could vividly remember how the mother had accessed my entire being while I was being prepared for dinner with Rafael.
There was more to the callous energy that overshadowed her and I needed no one telling me my presence in that mansion was probably a threat to her own daughter's good fortune with Rafael.
“Escort the lady to her room.” The chief maid commanded her girls, the look in her eyes extremely grim and unforgiving.