Chapter 4

• "Grrrrrrrrrgggghhh!" went the alarm. Kate stretched out her hand to pick up the alarm and stop it almost immediately. It was 6:30 a.m.. She frowned and grunted as she remembered she was going back to work today. She wished there was any other way she could skip work.
• If there was anything she wanted more in life, it was definitely to stop working for Mr. Denzel. She had been working for him for almost a year, and she could say that it had been one of her most difficult jobs ever as a maid.
• To her, Mr. Denzel was a bundle of trouble. He was arrogant, rude, and, above all, a chronic Casanova. He came home almost every night with different women. She feared that perhaps one day his sperm would run dry. He always wanted to sleep with almost every woman.
• "Grrrrrrrrrgggghhh!" went the alarm again, snapping her out of her thoughts and reminding her of the horrible day ahead. She dragged herself out of bed and lazily headed to the bathroom, her face gloomy as the thought of being humiliated by Mr. Denzel crossed her mind.
• Thirty minutes later, she was dressed and ready to face the day’s challenges.
• "Hey, Mum, I'm heading to work" Kate said as she came out of her room and headed to the sitting room.
• "Mum" she called out again.
• "Yeah, Kate, I'm over here" her mum replied from the kitchen.
• Kate headed to the kitchen, where she found her mum preparing breakfast.
• "Hey, baby, aren’t you going to stay for breakfast? It's almost ready" her mum said, trying to set the table.
• "What's for breakfast, Mum?" Kate asked as she sat down to pour herself some milk.
• "I’m making pancakes, baby" her mum replied, dishing out pancakes onto a plate for Kate.
• "Mum, I really don't want to go to work. I really hate having that arrogant man humiliate me again" Kate said in frustration as she munched her pancake.
• "Baby, if you don't want to go to work, then all you need to do is quit. I don't want anybody treating you in a way that isn't right."
• "But, Mum, if I quit, how are we going to get money for your medications? You know we need the money."
• "Yes, we need the money, but that’s no reason for that rich bastard to treat you in a way you don't deserve."
• "Don’t worry, Mum, I’m going to be just fine. You don’t need to worry. I’m not going to let him get under my skin. I’m off to work." Kate said as she gave her mum a kiss on the cheek and rushed out of the house.
• Kate felt that working for Mr. Denzel was more of a challenge than a job. He took delight in humiliating her at any opportunity. She remembered a day when Mr. Denzel made her stand with a bottle of champagne and two glasses in her hands while he made out with one of his numerous lovers. She was so embarrassed that she felt like quitting her job, though she reconsidered because of her mum's health.
• It took an extra 30 minutes before she could get to work. Arriving at Mr. Denzel’s house, she felt cold shivers run down her spine. She suddenly became timid. She didn’t know what to expect from Denzel. Perhaps he had turned the whole place upside-down on purpose just to get at her.
• She opened the main entrance door and stepped inside. She looked around and saw how quiet the place was. Mr. Denzel must have left for work early, she thought. She noticed how neat the place looked. That wasn’t a good sign. Had she been sacked and replaced by another maid without her notice? That damn bastard! She cursed under her breath.
• "You’re late, Ms. Kate" came Mr. Denzel’s voice out of nowhere.
• "Shit, he's still home" Kate muttered, more to herself than anyone else.
• "Hello, Mr. Denzel" she said, searching the house for where his voice came from.
• She saw him seated across the table in the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him as he fixed his gaze on his laptop. He appeared to be engrossed in his work yet still aware of Kate’s presence.
• "Why are you late, Ms. Kate?" he asked again, still engrossed in what he was doing.
• "I-I guess I-I lost track of time. Besides, I had to take the subway. You know how crowded it gets in the morning" Kate said, trying to explain even though she was just a minute late.
• "I had to wait all morning just to get a cup of coffee, and I had to make one for myself because you decided to show up late to work today. I do not pay you so much just for you to come to work late" he said without raising his face, his eyes still on his laptop.
• "I’m so sorry, Mr. Denzel. It won’t happen again, she said with an apologetic tone."
• "Yeah, I’m sure about that. Because if it happens again, then you’re fired" he said, picking up his cup of coffee and his laptop and heading to his sitting room. He stopped just in front of Kate and stared her in the face.
• "Don’t just stand there like a statue. Get yourself busy. My room needs cleaning, and you need to fix me breakfast" he said, snapping his fingers at Kate, who stood unmoved.
• Snapping out of her thoughts, Kate scampered into her room, quickly changed into her work clothes, grabbed her cleaning tools, and headed up to Denzel’s room to start cleaning.
• As she cleaned, she pondered what Mr. Denzel had said to her earlier. She knew him well enough to recognize when he was serious and when he just wanted to humiliate her. From the tone of his voice, she knew he was damn serious. She had never seen him that serious before and wondered what could be the reason.
• Kate had never liked Mr. Denzel since she started working for him. She never wanted to work for him, but the paycheck was too good to refuse, and it also went a long way in covering her mum’s medication.
• She remembered vividly how she started working there.
• "Mum, I really need to get a job as soon as possible so that I can help cover some bills here at home and also get your medication. You're gradually losing grip on your health, and that's not good" Kate said as she watched her mum, who looked pale.
• "I thought I’d told you not to worry about it. I’ve got it covered. All I need from you is to concentrate on getting a good job. Besides, you just finished school and need some rest too" her mum replied.
• "That’s what you always say. Have you forgotten what the doctor said? The cancer will start spreading if you don’t get some rest. I saw this ad on Facebook and applied. I’m sure I’m going to get the job so that you can quit yours and get some rest."
• "Baby, stop treating me like I’m an invalid. I can always work to take care of you and myself, cancer or no cancer." her mum reiterated.
• "I’m sorry to make you feel that way, Mum. I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it."
• Just then, Kate’s phone rang, and she quickly picked it up.
• "Hello" she said.
• "Hi, my name is Kimberly. Am I speaking to Ms. Kate Reeves?"
• "Yes, I am. Please, what can I do for you?" Kate asked.
• "You applied for a job at Mr. Denzel’s mansion. You’ve been offered the job, and you’re expected to start by Monday." Kim announced.
• "Oh my God! Just like that? No interview?" she asked, not believing her luck.
• "Yes, Mr. Denzel needs a maid as soon as possible. The other maid was laid off due to some misconduct, so he wants you to start immediately, and there’s no need for an interview. I’ll send you the house address once I get off the phone with you." Kim replied.
• "Thank you so much. I’ll definitely be there on Monday." she said, filled with happiness.
• "Okay, bye." Kim said and hung up.
• She couldn’t believe her luck. She had actually gotten a job at Mr. Denzel’s mansion. She felt so happy that at least her mum would stop working and concentrate on getting better. All she needed to do was convince her to stay at home. She knew it wouldn’t be easy to persuade her mum to quit her job, but it would be for her own good. Her mum was actually dying, and she was determined to do everything she could to save her.