EMERALD

Mother organizes a bouquet, while father takes care of the bill.

"Your wife must be a very lucky woman," she tells Jake, who responds with another mischievous smile, which I'm tempted to slap off his face.

"What about you? Is there anyone?" She asks Spencer.

"No. Just a divorce victim," he answers.

Divorce Victim?

Really now?

Mother is quick to wear a sympathetic look, which infuriates me even more. I want to tell her not to waste her solace, but that would cause havoc. It would bring up the issue I'm trying so hard to keep my parents out of.

"Don't feel bad for me." He swats his hand in dismissal. "It was a contract marriage, and she breached the terms of the contract. I could not be with someone untrustworthy."

"Oh," mother looks confused for a while. On the other hand, I know better than that. The fake story was meant for me.

If you dare think of backing out of our agreement, you know the consequences. I conclude to myself.

"But if your friend found happiness, you will too, as long as you don't dwell on the past," mother comforts.

Oh, God. She's going to give them that slogan...

"Past is past, today is a gift, and the future is bright."

There it is.

"You're a very wise woman," Jake compliments.

"That's why I married her," father, who had been busy all this while, chips in.

"And you made a very beautiful daughter."

Oh, crap. I want to throw up.

When they leave, I craft an excuse to step out for a few minutes and follow the men.

Of course, they were expecting that move. They must have been crawling because I catch up with them quickly.

"There she is," Spencer says as soon as I'm on the same level and they stop.

"What do you think you're doing?" I cross my arms. "I agreed to the deal. I'm the one who's to get your money. Why are you trying to involve my parents?"

They burst out laughing, which honestly, I find annoying.

Do they find everything hilarious?

"Yes, we had a deal. But we need to take precautions. I'm very paranoid about trust. My ex-wife did a number on me," says Spencer.

Oh, that story they gave my parents? I'm sure it's fake. There's no wife. It was just a form of threat.

Jake chips in. "You can call it motivation. At least you have one week before delivery of the first installment. I can see the florist is doing well..."

"Don't involve them in this." I point a finger like they would listen to me.

His expression darkens. "Good. I'm sure by now you're aware of what we're capable of...and, just a reminder, if you involve the authorities, this will be a Big Boss case."

"Like we said, he's not as soft as we are," Spencer supplements.

"So you guys are soft?" I ask with knitted brows.

You just threatened my whole family.

"Of course." Spencer moves closer and rolls a few strands of my hair around his finger, which absolutely makes me feel uncomfortable. I swat his hand away, but he returns with the same move. "You're beautiful. I could make you my wife just to close this whole thing. That would make everything easier, don't you think?"

"Over my dead body," I hiss.

"Are you sure about that?" Spencer asks. "You do realize that being my wife would clear you of everything."

I don't even give any thought to it. That's an easy way out, but also a ticket to a miserable life.

"I play fair," I say.

Jake hands me the bouquet. "Think about it, Emerald. The offer has an expiry, which is soon."

Before they walk away, Spencer adds. "In case you don't consider my proposal, we'll text you the details of the location and time of the delivery in cash. It's next Friday. And don't worry, we have your contact."

Of course, they do. There seems to be no limit to what they are capable of.

I exhale loudly as I watch them disappear.

I have a week to find a job. Even if I got the job, I wouldn't get paid immediately. The other option isn't something to consider. Or maybe I should try to find the drugs or the money. Theo must have hidden them somewhere. Yet, I can't think of any constructive place.

I must be looking like a mad woman on the road, with a bouquet. I can't go back to the shop with them. It would raise so many questions from mum and dad. What do I do with them?

I find a random woman walking.

"Hey, you're so beautiful. You deserve this." I hand it to her with a smile.

_________________

I spend the weekend looking for other options as well as finding Jobs online. Alicia is of great help. She asked for an opportunity for me at the jewelry store she works at, but there wasn't any good news.

I haven't told her about the kind of mess I'm in. I don't want to have her worry. That, and the fact that my family is already in danger. I don't want to put my best friend in a difficult position. The less people involved, the better. Alicia would probably resort to more dangerous measures. I can't have that.

On Monday morning, I wake up to a disheartening email from the housekeeping agency, stating they can't accept my application at the moment. I don't even proceed to read the rest of it. The first few words bore the magnitude of it all.

It's just the beginning of the week, for goodness' sake.

How many days until Friday? Since the Galaxy is a renowned Hotel, I thought Cecilia's recommendation would come in handy. But here we are.

EMERALD

I'm so screwed. I really am.

However, giving up is not an option. Even though other applications haven't been successful, part of me was holding some tiny bit of hope with this housekeeping agency.

Telling my parents is not an option either.

There's still time. I can work on something. At least that's what I tell myself. Maybe so I don't crash.

I wait till my parents leave for the florist to search Theo's room, looking for clues. If he still had the drugs, I would return or sell them. It's illegal, but do I have a choice? If he had the money, even better. I would pay the debt and get this nightmare over with.

Now, if you were my stubborn, loving-and now secretive-brother, where would you hide things like that?

Our apartment is not sophisticated. It's just one we can afford. So, there are no complicated safety places, like the ones opened by codes or biometrics. I search the normal places; drawers, closet, bathroom, a space in the ceiling, under the bed, name them.

However, when I flip the mattress over, something captures my eyes. A book, actually a black diary.

WHAT? Since when...

I don't have time to dwell on that.

Respect privacy. I picture mother arguing with me about that.

But that's all it is, an imagination. If I don't breach his privacy, probably, there would be no family left. We will argue about it when he wakes up.

I hope he does.

"He will wake up," I mumble to myself, when I feel the fear creeping in.

I decide to check carefully, page by page, for the millionth time, holding my tiny bit of hope.

However, unlike other empty pages, one of the pages in the middle of it has a small paragraph.

It's Theo's handwriting. Well, at least I'm now fully certain the book belongs to him.

[ Diaries are for girls ]

I smile at the first statement. Typical Theo.

[I'll try it my way so it doesn't sound girlish. The only reason I'm keeping it is because I need a constant reminder of my goal. If my sister finds this, I'm screwed. One, because she'll probably laugh at me for the whole year...]

A soft laugh escapes my lips. Damn right, little brother...

[... Two, because that would mean she's found out about my big secret]

I squint my eyes, as though I'm not already aware. I proceed, with the hope of finding something deeper.

[Dear Theo, always remember, you're doing this for your family. A lot of sacrifices have been made.]

And then...there's nothing else. I flip the rest of the pages, but they're all empty.

What!

That's all?

It's only when a huge wave of disappointment kicks in, that I realize the amount of hope I was holding wasn't just tiny. I'd hoped to find answers. Maybe something to lighten the situation, but it turns out it was just a dead end.

I weigh more options the entire morning. The search in Theo's room wasn't of help. Which means I need to think deeper. There's an option of searching the entire apartment too.

I'm in the living room deep in thought, when a certain idea hits me. I narrow my eyes, contemplating whether to go through that path or not. I'm not sure it's going to work, but it's worth the shot. Besides, I'm so desperate right now, which means I can't be picky.

_____________________

Not much has changed at The Galaxy Hotel. I'm about to get in when a guard at the entrance stops me. He's a new one. Well, something has changed.

"Ma'am, you're not allowed here," he says, sternly, sure of his words.

"What?" My pupils widen. Is it because I was fired? But, can't I come back as a regular patron? It doesn't make sense. Did the rules change, or do I totally look like someone who can't afford this place?

"Why?" I ask him.

"I don't want to lose my job, ma'am." His words awaken another series of confusion in me.

"How's your job related to me walking in?" I pry, with narrowed eyes.

He digs into his pockets for a picture.

It's a picture of me. The one that was taken for my profile when I was employed.

I'm still confused when I glance back at the man.

"The boss gave clear instructions. You're not allowed here, and anyone found associating with this woman on the hotel premises will be fired."

This is outrageous.

Why would they...

Lindsey's text comes rushing into my head, interrupting the series of questions. So, this is it? She really meant it?

However, I don't want to give up this easily.

"Which boss are you talking about? Cecilia?" I pry.

"No. The Boss," he answers, returning the picture to his pocket.

"Cecilia specifically called me. I have a meeting with her," I lie. The man shoots me a skeptical look.

Okay, this is going to be harder than I thought.

"You can call her and confirm," I coax, holding my breath, hoping Cecilia will be merciful enough.

There's a long process to reach Cecilia. She comes to the entrance about ten minutes later.

I let out a heavy breath. At least, that's one step. Although, I didn't know the first step would be this hard. The next step however, I'm not sure. It's still worth the risk.

"Emerald," Cecilia grabs my arm and leads me as far away from the restaurant until we're at a nearby street.

"I'm risking my job talking to you. You're not supposed to be anywhere close to the hotel premises," she states the obvious.

I should be famous by now, shouldn't I?

"What kind of rule is that?"

"You've been painted as a thief who's a danger to the hotel," she explains.

EMERALD

My goodness!

This is the most absurd thing I've heard today.

"What?" This is worse than I'd expected.

"Not my words, I know how hardworking you are, but the orders came from above. I'm sorry, Emerald."

"Above? Mr James isn't that petty? Not to mention, unfair? I'm innocent, Cecilia."

Cecilia sighs before giving me one of those pitiful looks. "I'm not talking about Mr. James, Emerald."

"Then what are you talking about?" I pry.

"There has been some changes in the management. Lindsey Hayes now has shares in the Galaxy." Cecilia breaks more terrible news.

What. The. Actual. Fuck!

It only means I'm not getting any help here.

Fuck my life! Whom did I annoy in my previous life?

I spend the rest of the afternoon on one of the benches at the nearby park. All I do is close my eyes, think, think, and think. When open them I stare at the clouds for a while and the cycle continues for a few hours.

The sun is yet to set. I still haven't thought of anything constructive. The other option is to talk to Gabriel. Try to get a loan. I can't believe I'm considering it. I hate the position that I'm in. Desperate measures are the worst.

I could finally confess to my parents, but I should try the worst options first. If I don't tell my parents, will I have to get married to Spencer to save my family?

My phone dings in the middle of my very bad thoughts. I hopelessly scroll, thinking it's probably one of those promotion emails...

Except it's not!

It's not!

It's an email... From the housekeeping agency? My hand flies to my mouth as I gasp in disbelief. What is this I'm looking at?

I didn't think a bad day could end like this. It's like a dream come true...

No. It's actually a dream come true.

I squeal, and I'm loud enough to attract attention, but I don't care.

I got the job!

I fucking got the job.

I didn't even know I had dance moves until now.

The excitement is uncontrollable.

_______________

I'm not the only one excited about the good news. My parents wake me up earlier than usual the next morning. And by that, I mean they come to my room at 4 am. On a normal day, I would complain, but today isn't a normal day. I also need their moral support and their blessings.

I get to the agency before seven and wait at the reception. Contrary to my expectations, there is no line of interviewees scrambling for the same job, which makes my mind race with questions. What if they sent the wrong email? I mean, they'd rejected me once, but why the sudden change of heart? I didn't want to think much about it, because I was scared I'd jinx it.

A friendly receptionist leads me to another office half an hour later. The woman in the office is also friendly, which gives me a good feeling.

"Emerald Sandoval," she begins as soon as I settle in the seat opposite her.

"You're in luck. I was impressed with your resume. You had a very good recommendation."

Then why the first rejection? I wonder, still taking note of the fact that Cecilia risked her job for me. I don't know how to thank her.

"The first five vacancies were taken by more experienced people in the field. However, someone put in a request yesterday. They were in urgent need of a housekeeper, that's why you got a late email. We had to consider you on this one, since you were unlucky in the first slot."

The biggest luck of my life!

The best part is that I'm meeting my boss today, so we can discuss the terms of our contract.

I want to scream to the top of my voice, but I'll have to hold it in, for now. I need to act sane.

But seriously, how lucky did I get in a short time?

A car picks me up from the agency to my boss' company. I was told he wanted to see me in person and interview me a little.

I've got this. I tell myself. I haven't come a long way just to fumble at the last stage.

We arrive at a big building, with floors that I can't even look up to count. The driver has been silent the whole time. He leads me to the elevator and presses the tenth floor. While we go up, he looks at me and says, "Piece of advice for you?"

Oh, yes, please.

"He has one rule. Use common sense."

He goes silent. I wait for more words from him, but they never come.

That's it?

Weird, right?

However, I can't let that get to me. I'm getting this job.

The elevator door opens. He lets me step out first. I can't help but scan the place, hiding my gasps. The place is well-established. So cool, with everyone engrossed in their work, a few telephones ringing, others walking around with papers, and all those things corporate people do.

The man leads me to one of the offices, which I assume is our final destination, where I'm finally going to meet my boss.

He knocks and opens the door. He peeks his head. "She's here."

I'm still standing behind him when I hear a deep, sultry voice say, "Let her in."

Uhm...have I heard that voice before or am I crazy? It must be the excitement, right?

The driver lets me in.

I walk into the office, carefully, a mixture of anxiety and excitement washing over me. That voice sent a rumble to my insides.

However, what meets my gaze is more shocking.

I haven't even had a scan of the office when my eyes land on an Adonis sitting behind the desk.

As soon as our eyes meet, I want nothing but to crawl underground and disappear.

No wonder that sexy voice sounded familiar. Now that I'm in, the scent in the room is also familiar.

My mind goes back to the other night at the club, he had come close to me. The scent was intoxicating. I almost lost myself in it.

What did I do to him?

I emptied drinks on his shirt.

Just kill me already.