Chapter 5

• As I watched him, I couldn't help but see his resemblance to his father in his sparkling eyes. It was clear that Zanarious brought him a sense of peace and happiness, even though he was married to a witch. He loved his child dearly, and that was evident in the way he looked after and took care of him.
• “Absolutely, my little prince. I can't wait to read you a story tonight,” I replied, beaming at Rious. He was the only one in the house who brought me genuine happiness, and I treasured our time together.
• Despite the warmth and closeness I felt with Rious, I couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt for deceiving him. I knew I couldn't reveal my true identity without causing him pain, so I resolved to continue playing the role of his mother as best as I could. He was the only one in this house who accepted me and was kind to me.
• Everybody is... Never mind. Adults are impossible to please. Children are easy to please since they are innocent and very trusting of those around them.
• My head turned when Karious entered the dining room too.
• "Rious, have this pancake. I make that." My voice was loud enough for him to hear.
• I glanced over at Karious and couldn't help but smirk. Perhaps my cooking skills would finally win him over and prove once and for all that I was not the woman he thought I was.
• “So, you know how to make pancakes now? Is that what you practiced when you were with that boy? ”He asked with a tone dripping with acid and sarcasm.
• Although he spoke at a low volume, his words were clear enough for me to read his lips. It was evident that he didn't want the child to hear his words, but I caught every bit of it.
• My mouth dropped open at the sarcastic remark. I couldn’t believe he had even thought that way. He would rather believe that than believe I wasn’t Veronica.
• I suddenly lost my appetite as I glanced at him. How dare he think badly of me! Cooking wasn't easy! I even had struggles making pancakes the first time I tried it out.
• I realized there was no point in bragging about my cooking skills because he would only assume the worst. Whatever! I'll come up with another plan next time.
• Once Rious had gone to school, I hurried back to my room. I didn't want to linger in the living room with Karious still there. He was so annoying, and I couldn't wait to leave this house. When would I finally get the chance to escape this place?
• The most important question on my mind was how I had ended up in this strange place. What in the world happened that night to lead me here?
• I struggled to recall the events of the previous evening. I remembered dancing erotically with someone, feeling free and liberated for the first time in years. I had wanted to let loose and try getting wasted, to experience something new and exciting. I had tried drinking and smoking, and even though the latter had made me cough uncontrollably, that made me stop.
• As I lay in bed, I used my brain to piece together the events of the previous night. I remembered being out with my coworkers, although we weren't exactly close friends. They were pleasant enough, but I always sensed that they were a bit intimidated by me, probably because I was both their boss and the company's eventual successor.
• The truth was, I didn't have any real friends, and I wasn't sure how I managed without any companionship.
• My eyes opened wide when a memory flashed through my mind.
• After dancing, I was on my way back to our table when I accidentally bumped into someone. After that, everything went black.
• It's strange because I feel like they brought me here on purpose. After being rejected by my father and losing my identification cards, it's hard not to suspect that something more sinister is at play. I'm not sure what their game is, but I'm determined to figure it out.
• I have also been curious about how much Veronica and I resemble each other. I haven't seen any pictures of her around the house, not even in the Rious' room, so it's hard to compare. Everyone seems to be convinced that I am her, so there's a possibility that we really look alike.
• Is this a coincidence? Or something or someone was playing with my life?
• I had no plans for the day, so I offered to assist Mrs. Tess with her household chores. I’ve been working on things like making my bed and cooking. It's been a week. A week of torment.
• I already explored the house, and I discovered that the master bedroom was located in the opposite direction of my guest room, thankfully.
• I didn't have to worry that Karious might mistake me for his wife and accidentally crawl on me while I was asleep. Thank you very much, but no.
• 'Maybe you'll be the one crawling him, bitch! '
• Ha! Like I would ever stoop so low as to crawl after a married man. I shook my head, trying to shake off the image of such madness. It was like I was arguing with myself, with one side disgusted and the other tempted.
• After I was done inside, I walked outside to work on the garden. The guards were already on high alert when they saw me. I raised an eyebrow and gave them a sly smile before strolling towards the back of the house.
• "Keep your guard up, boys. She's now heading to the back." I heard one of them mutter under their breath. My eyes rolled heavenward. As if I stood a chance of escaping from them.
• With the water hose in hand, I made my way to the back of the house to tend to the plants. I had already informed the maids that I would take care of them since they had been neglected for a few days.
• Surprisingly, Mrs. Tess's attitude towards me had improved, and it was a relief to see that we were finally getting along. They even joked that I couldn't be their ma'am, since I was nothing like her. I couldn't help but chuckle at that.
• I glanced around and spotted two guards in the back, both looking alert and suspicious. They act as if I were a robber who had broken into their property with malicious intent.
• I pointed the hose at them and threatened to wet them, but they did not even flinch. What devoted guards! "I'll just water the plants. Take it easy," I coolly announced to them.
• "We apologize, ma'am. We were just following orders," one of them replied.
• I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Whatever," as I went back to my task.
• Mrs. Tess was already preparing lunch when I finished.I headed straight to my bedroom to take a shower.
• However, when I opened the closet door, my heart sank. All that was left were a bunch of dusters. I had already worn everything else in my emergency bag, so there was no other option but to wear one of the dusters. I do not complain, as I don’t want to act so bossy in this house. But this is my limit! As I grabbed one, I couldn't help but feel my growing irritation.
• My blood boiled with anger as I stared at the row of flower-patterned dusters in front of me. Every day, I was forced to dress like an old lady. I don't even wear makeup to add some color to my face. I didn't need makeup, though, but I do need some decent clothes to wear. It was clear that Karious was doing this on purpose to annoy me. He had even forbidden me from going shopping, so this must be his way of punishing his wife.
• But there was no way his wife had no clothes in this house. They had to be somewhere, probably in their bedroom.
• I left my room and headed towards the master bedroom, still wearing my robe. The door wouldn't open when I tried to turn the knob. I realized that it was probably locked, which made sense since it was the main bedroom.
• I went downstairs to look for Mrs. Tess, and I found her in the pantry.
• "Mrs. Tess, can I borrow the key to the master bedroom? I need to get some clothes."
• Mrs. Tess shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to enter Karious' room."
• "Well, I'm not going to steal anything, but if you're worried, you can accompany me inside. I just need some clothes because I'm running out," I explained, but Mrs. Tess' expression remained stern.
• "I'm sure you have clothes. I just got them for you and put them in your closet."
• "Do you really expect me to wear that ugly duster? Who bought that, and why are you even dressed better than I was?" I retorted.
• "Veronica, your husband has already warned you. If you have any concerns, just ask him," Mrs. Tess replied firmly.
• "I told you, I'm not Veronica!" I exclaimed through gritted teeth.
• "Then most likely you'll not be able to enter his room."
• Frustrated, I stormed away from the pantry. It was like that man's presence lingered even when he wasn't around.