CHAPTER 5

The deafening clatter of the tray slamming on the floor halts the merry cheers of everyone at the table. Their eyes snap at me, his being the first to meet my teary ones.

I don't mind the tears streaming down which must be perplexing everyone. I also don't care to search where particularly on the floor the chicken pieces of chicken scattered on. I am focused on clenching onto the pieces of my heart together, and trying to digest what I just heard.

Everyone stands in awe of me, their confusion beyond words, while my eyes are fixed on only one person. Only he can understand my predicament right now. Him only.

"Irma?!" His voice echoes, and he attempts to walk to me. Perhaps to kiss my tears away like I kissed his worries away minutes ago, hug me tight and tell me that it's not what I heard. That this is not true. That I am just having a terrible daydream that will never happen.

But before he can take a step, his supposed future wife grabs his hand, halting his thoughts and strides!

"Don't tell me that you are concerned about that worthless malnourished maid who can't even hold a tray of chicken properly, Ray!" The witch speaks, throwing me a disgusting glance.

Ray! She has already learned to call him that? Who gave her that audacity? Ray is mine, right? I am the only one entitled to call him that. And the only one entitled to touch him. Not this ostrich.

"Young girl?" I turn to the husky voice of Mr Mauricio, and my sight brushes past the deadly glare of Madam Mazur. The way she is glaring at me, huh? I just can't decipher her glare. It's beyond the normal anger we see in her when we mess up. It's pure loath she is bleeding, if I got it right. Why? "Are you okay?" Mr Mauricio asks on behalf of everyone.

How does it feel to be okay? How can I be okay right now with all this shit happening to me, huh?

"Dad? Why on earth wouldn't she be okay?" This bitch, Tarah, speaks again. "Ooh, wait." She turns to me. "Come to think of it. These disgusting tears, she sure isn't okay. Why? Are you perhaps sick or something? Or has the news of our wedding overwhelmed you this much?" She mocks.

Well, yes! I am love-sick, and the pain is intolerable. And yes. I am so overwhelmed! Like how on earth did this marriage happen? It's not even an engagement they are talking about. It's marriage for God's sake!

And Ray? How long has he known about this? Wait... Now I understand his distress earlier. This is why he asked me not to come to the table. What a smartass jerk! How can he cheat me like this? How could he do this to me?

"Don't you dare go mute on me you filthy disgusting piece of trash! Answer me!" Tarah's howls reverberate in the entire room, shocking everyone with her unwarranted outbursts. "Answer me, right now!" She adds, cat walking to me, but thanks to the God of the oppressed, someone halts her evil motives.

Ana, Ray's sister, racks before her, standing in her way at my defence. Ray is nonetheless glued to his spot, thunderstruck. Well, he better be ready to deal with this witch he has chosen for a while! He chose this.

"Spare the poor girl, will you? What offence has she committed?" Ana queries softly.

"Are you blind?" Huh? This witch is got hard balls, huh! First appearance and she already feels this superior to even insult her soon-to-be sister-in-law? "What hasn't she done? Why is she being so rude to me, refusing to answer my questions?" She fumes.

I should answer her questions? Arrogant foolish bitch!

"First, you don't get to insult me in my own home. Second, you are a guest here. Behave like one!" Ana fumes with authority.

Bingo, Ana!

Anyone can tell that they are mortal rivals. The way they are glaring at each other, my God! I wish I can be here long enough to watch the drama that's about to unfold.

"That's enough, ladies!" The despotic voice of Mr Mazur snaps both lionesses from murdering each other with glares. "We are a family now so you two should try and set your differences aside." Ana and Tarah break their deadly stare, returning to their spots. "And you, young girl." I bow my head, awaiting his verdict.

"You. Are. Fired!"

Shoot!

That didn't come from Mr Mazur, and I had to lift my head in the direction it came from.

"You have pissed me off since morning and this is as far as my patience goes! Sign your invoice and collect your salary for three months. I want you gone by sunrise!" Mrs Mazur's voice is loud and clear.

"MOM!" Ray finally found his voice. But will it be of any help now?

"Enough, son!" His Mother yells. "I have heard enough with this girl. I have been watching her for days and my patience has run out. She is leaving! And my decision is final!" She states her verdict, bold and deadly serious.

"Mom? Aren't you taking this way too far? Have mercy on the poor girl? What has she done anyway?" Ana asks.

"You are too naive to see anything bad, my dear. Trust me, this is the best decision I have ever made!" Her mother fires.

And it makes me think. Is this only about what just occurred now or is there something else that I don't know? Did she saw she has been watching me for days? Why? And what were her findings?

"This is injustice, Mother! And I refuse to let you have your way!" Ray's voice leaves everyone thunderstruck as he strolls to me. He stands beside me, facing the rest. "Unless you give me a valid reason as to why you are firing her, Mother, I say, she stays!" He states, sounding dead serious like his mother.

She scoffs, duschsrching a devilish smirk.

"You don't want me going there, son. Believe me. And don't you dare challenge me. If you make me say the things I don't want to, I will not just let her go. I will make her life a living hell out there, and you know I have the power and the means to do that. Is that what you want?" Madam Mazur fires, daring her son to challenge her who in return, stands in awe of her mother's threats like I am.

I didn't know all this while that there is this deadly side in her. She sounds animalistic!

"Mom?" Ana calls. "Has it gotten to that extend, really?"

"Let your brother decide, Ana. So, Son? Do you want to challenge me?" She devilishly queries again.

"No, mom. But you and I know that this isn't fair. She hasn't done anything to deserve this." Ray responds. Just as I expected, he can't dare his mother. He can't dare let what he feels for me come to light.

"Why are you defending her so much anyway, Ray? If I didn't know you well, I would think you feel something for that shit right there. That would be, disgusting!" Tarah says in her bitchy annoying tone.

"Son? My daughter is right. Is there something we don't know?" Mrs Mauricio breaks her silence for the first time since the charade began.

And now they are growing suspicious of us. Ray isn't ready for this, and I am not ready to take any more humiliation. This is it. I can speak for myself, and make my own decisions. Besides, what does he want me to stay back as? The toy that he will be running to whenever he has a dispute with this bitch? No! And since I can't pretend like there was never us and carry on like a normal maid, I might as well concur with her mother.

"There is nothing that Mr Rayson has to explain." Everyone snaps their gazes at me, including him. I can feel his gaze scorching my left cheek, but I don't dare turn to him. He made his decision, and now I am making mine.

"So, what do you have to say?" The madam queries, sarcastically.

"Nothing much. I just want to right your decision and say that, I concur. If the Madam sees me no longer fit for my duties, then so be it. I have no business staying here. I will leave before sunrise. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for you, and I am sorry, if I failed in any way. Excuse me." I say, and before anyone can say anything, I turn around, and start running out.

I can't afford to break down again in front of them.

"Irma?" I hear heavy strides following that voice, but I don't turn back. I have made things easy for him, right? He should be happy and leave me be.

I hasten my pace, drying away the tears that are flowing like a river.

"Irma!" He, unfortunately, catches up with me, and the next thing I know, he is pulling me with him up the long hallway, while I try to control my sobs, the housemaids watching the show in awe.