Chapter 2

Girl huh? Helena thought dryly. It seems that I made it onto the miss's shit list already. I bet creating a scene like this wasn't making it any better either. If anything, it seemed like I was inconveniencing her by dying from lack of air in her office!

"No, really. I'm fine Mrs. Daville. I appreciate the kind gesture though." Helena told her politely but failed at showing it.

Mrs. Daville scoffed before heading down the hallway on her own.

"You're sure you're okay then?" Mr. Daville asked.

Helena nodded while trying to force a smile.

"Alright, let's get going then." He gave her a soft smile and allowed her to exit the room first, but as he reached to close the door, his hand accidentally brushed against her rear. Her eyes shot open and he held his hands up in defense.

"I am so sorry about that!" He exclaimed with guilty eyes. "I was just trying to shut the door. It was an honest mistake, it wasn't my intention."

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure it was an accident."

Or was it?

A very tiny part of Helena actually wondered if it was .

His face gleamed with amusement as he led the way out the door his wife went out of. "Ah, thank you so much. Usually women freak out when that sort of thing happens."

"How often does that happen?" She asked jokingly.

He grinned. "More times than it should."

As they walked down another hallway behind his wife, Helana couldn't help but to steal glances at his features.

He's just so...

"Will you two hurry up already?" Mrs. DaVille snapped while holding open the door for them.

"Yes Ma'am!" Helena announced and sped past Mr. Daville.

They headed outside to a ginormous garden and Helena couldn't help but to be blown away at how gorgeous the place was. It smells so fresh and pleasing to the senses. It was nice and quiet, like their own peaceful little haven.

They walked in silence, aside from Helena's occasional coughing, and were led to a courtyard where a lot of the employees were outside bustling about. They were all scurrying and rushing past them towards the mansion. Helena saw that all were wearing the same dull dark grey color outfits; petticoat skirts and blouses with black stockings for the girls, or grey and white tuxedos for the guys. Helena cringed internally at the lack of style and "please ignore me" uniforms.

A petite girl stopped in front of them, who Helena assumed was the one commanded to fetch her water. With a small curtsy of her skirt, she handed Helena a small cup of cold water and with the flick of her brown ponytail, turned on her heels and hurried off.

Was this the uniform they were forced to wear? Helena thought while taking a sip and eying more of the staff as they continued to walk. It seems like the misses wanted her staff to draw as little attention to them as possible.

They came to a stop at a concrete bleak corridor. The inside was barely lit up by a couple of light bulbs on faulty wiring dangling from the ceiling. A combination of multiple chemicals stung Helena's nose the further they went in and there was a light humming noise.

There were 4 large washing machines with a dryer stacked on top of each of them. There were also wooden shelves stacked with cleaning supplies, deodorizers, and toxic sprays. The place resembled something close to a prison laundry mat to Helena

"Here is where the staff washes all of the clothes and where they can find all of the cleaning supplies for each of their tasks. Anything that you may need, you will be able to find here." Mr. Daville smiled and then headed to the next room, stepping over the multiple spilled puddles on the floor carefully, as if the room was unfamiliar to him.

He led them out of the depressing stuffy room to outside towards a set of conjoined apartments. A security guard sat inside the toll booth, giving them a tip of his hat respectfully as he watched over the gated community.

"And that's where most of our employees live. If for any reason you need to spend the night here, we have plenty of rooms and you are welcomed to stay here when you need to."

"Oh that's very nice." Helena commented.

Mrs. Daville's nose flared and she turned on her heels and went to head back to her office until one of their butlers came rushing out of the dorms.

"Pardon me, Mr. Daville? A word with you please?"

"Sure." He replied back warmly. "I'll be just a minute." He reassured us with a smile and then stepped away, whispering back and forth with his servant out of ears reach.

"Hm, I see."

Mr. Daville returned looking slightly disappointed.

"There is a matter I must attend to unfortunately. I have to stay behind to help." He turned to his wife. "My love, would you mind showing her the rest of the way without me?

"Very well. Let's go Hai-lena."

"It's-"

Mrs. Daville stopped in her tracks and raised an edgy brow, as if daring Helena to object to correct her own name.

She sighed. "Right, please lead the way, miss."

"You will address me as Mrs. Daville from now on." She scolded, her voice echoing as they headed back through the cold laundry room.

"Yes, of course Mrs. Daville." Helena mimicked and held back the dramatic eye-roll.

Neither made an attempt to make conversation back to the mansion, but when Mrs. Daville went to unlock the door to her home, she paused.

"Miss Heilena?"

Helena held back suckng her teeth. "Yes ma'am? Oh shoot, I'm sorry, Mrs. Daville." She stammered earnestly.

Mrs. Daville scoffed with her nose up in disgust and hit Helena with a frosty glare. "May I ask you a question?"

"Uh...sure?"

"Do you find my husband attractive?"

Whoa!

What the heck kind of question is that?! How am I even supposed to answer that?!

If I say yes, she'll think I might try to go after him and then there's a high chance I definitely won't get the job! But if I say no, it could be like I'm insulting her, her taste in men, and him! Which do I say?!

Helena sputtered with, "I think he's dashing b-b-but uh, I wouldn't say he's my type."

There was a flash of surprise in Mrs. Daville's eyes and she raised a curious brow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." She answered with a gulp.

"Well then," Mrs. Daville replied with a snooty smile, "the position is yours if you wish to take it. But if you do, there is one utmost rule you must never, EVER break."

The venom in her voice made Helena coil back a bit.

"W-What's that Mrs. Daville?"

"You must never lay a finger on my husband. That should go without saying right? I understand that he can be a huge flirt at times with the other maids here, but he loves me and will never stop being me. Are we clear?" She said firmly.

Helena swallowed and nodded. "Crystal."