4

Jennifer.

I walked with the salon staff into a nearby room, where I found a group of girls and two men busily working. They all had short brown hair and wore a variety of outfits that seemed to range from casual to quirky. The atmosphere was buzzing with chatter and laughter, but I felt out of place. After what felt like an eternity, we finally finished the transformation.

“Now, please take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror,” one of the salon employees instructed, a hint of excitement in his voice.

I turned to face the mirror, and what I saw shocked me to my core. “Oh no! I look terrible! I don’t even recognize myself! I absolutely hate this look!” I exclaimed, feeling a wave of despair wash over me.

“Mr. Carl, please come in!” the salon attendant called out loudly, breaking the tension in the air.

“Wow! Did you finish? Oh, you look awful, Miss Jennifer!” Mr. Carl said with a laugh as he stepped into the room.

“Oh my god! You’re laughing! I look so horrible!” I pouted, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment while Mr. Carl continued to chuckle at my reaction.

“No, no, you forgot to put your eyeglasses on, Miss Jennifer,” Mr. Carl said with a smirk, handing me the oversized glasses that completed the absurd new look.

I crossed my arms, huffing in annoyance. “Oh my god! I look so bad! Thank you, Mr. Carl, for this… this disaster.”

“We need to go, Miss Jennifer. Please follow me,” Mr. Carl said, gesturing toward the door.

“Okay, but where are we going now, Mr. Carl?” I asked, my curiosity piqued as I widened my eyes in anticipation.

“We are going home, Miss Jennifer,” he replied simply, walking with purpose.

“What?! Where?” I asked, still confused.

“To your new home, Miss Jennifer! You will be staying in the same house! Yes, you will be living under the same roof as your enemy with benefits, Miss Jennifer!” Mr. Carl teased, a playful grin on his face.

I widened my eyes in shock, making a sound of disbelief. “What do you mean, Mr. Carl?”

“I mean you will stay with Mr. Charl in the same house, and we need to sign the salary agreement now before he arrives! I want to make sure we have a proper contract for you, so we can’t afford to be late. Let’s hurry,” Carl urged, his tone turning serious.

“But how, Mr. Carl…” I began to question.

He interrupted me, “Oh, please wait. Tomas is calling me right now.”

Mr. Carl answered his phone, the tension palpable. “Carl?” Mr. Tomas’s voice boomed from the other end.

“Yes, Mr. Tomas?” Carl replied, keeping his tone neutral.

“I am coming! Where are you???” Tomas demanded, frustration evident in his voice.

“I am in a bad mood because of this article! This girl ruined my mood and my day… Carl, have you found her?” Tomas asked, his impatience clear.

Carl looked at me, his expression serious, and made a sound without speaking. “Um, yes, Mr. Tomas, and she signed the agreement. She is coming with me to the house,” he explained.

“What?! What house, Carl?” Tomas asked, confusion evident in his voice.

“She can’t pay her rent, so I offered her to stay at the house, especially since she will work as your personal assistant. She should be close to you,” Carl stated, his tone diplomatic.

“Okay, get her now. I want to see her… now, Carl! How does she look? Amazing?” Tomas inquired, his curiosity piqued. It seemed he was genuinely interested in how I appeared.

“Um, sir, I can’t answer you right now. You need to figure that out for yourself. But you asked me to give her the job, so I did what you requested,” Carl replied, keeping his voice steady.

“Okay, come now. I will be home soon. Get back here now, Carl,” Tomas ordered.

“Alright, sir. Bye,” Carl said, ending the call.

I dropped my jaw and widened my eyes at Carl, my anxiety rising.

“Mr. Carl?!” I clenched my teeth, feeling the pressure mounting.

But he interrupted me again. “Miss Jennifer, we need to sign the salary papers now and leave before he arrives. He will be home any minute,” Carl urged, glancing at his watch.

“For now, please follow me to the limo,” he said, guiding me with gentle insistence.

We walked to the waiting limo, and he pulled out a document and a pen, his demeanor serious.

“Now, Miss Jennifer, sign here. The salary will be twenty thousand dollars per month,” Carl instructed, his eyes fixed on me.

“Twenty?! Oh my god! This is so much, Mr. Carl!” I gasped, my mind racing at the thought of such a substantial salary.

“No, Miss Jennifer, you deserve this. Now please sign, and remember that I will be there for you if you need guidance or support. Just let me know,” Carl reassured me.

“Thank you, Mr. Carl,” I murmured, still trying to process everything.

“For what, Mr. Carl?! I didn’t do anything!” I asked, genuinely curious.

“For what you are going to do! For facing this impossible challenge,” he smiled warmly and bowed his head slightly.

And here I was, about to walk into the lion’s den. My heart raced, and I felt almost shaky, barely able to catch my breath. But Mr. Carl was right about one thing: I had no job and no money to pay my rent. I had nothing to lose. In fact, having this new job with such a high salary could save my life, even if Mr. Tomas Charl decided to fire me after just one month.

I truly appreciated Mr. Carl’s advice and what he had done for me, even without knowing me. I would always be grateful for his unexpected kindness.

---

“We arrived at the palace,” Mr. Carl gestured for me to enter quickly. I nodded silently, shaking my head to indicate my understanding, though doubt lingered in my mind. I walked inside with a confused expression plastered on my face.

“Okay, Mr. Carl, should I come in?” I asked, hesitating before voicing my concerns. “I’m worried that my hair extensions might fall off or that someone will notice them!” I said softly, nervously adjusting the clip-in extensions.

“Don’t stress, Miss Jennifer. They look perfect!” Mr. Carl smirked, though his confidence didn’t alleviate my anxiety. Honestly, I felt ridiculous with this fake wig, and he kept insisting it was flawless! How could he possibly think that?

“Perfect? No way! I think it looks terrible, strange, and absolutely disgusting!” I laughed maniacally, trying to mask my discomfort.

Mr. Carl’s expression turned serious. He furrowed his brows, sensing my distress. “It will protect you from him,” he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“Oh, great! Protecting me from a womanizer!” I sighed, feeling the weight of my situation. “But that’s not the main issue, Mr. Carl. I detest liars, and I don’t know how to pretend. I need a miracle to survive these upcoming days with him. Maybe he’ll catch me in a lie within just a few minutes,” I said, pursing my lips in frustration.

Mr. Carl grabbed my hand and tightened his grip, signaling for the guards to open the doors. We walked together through the grand entrance of the main mansion, my nerves on edge.

“This is not impressive at all, Mr. Carl!” I blurted out once we stepped inside the mansion. “It feels empty, cold, and lacking any sense of awe.”

He didn’t ask for my opinion, but I couldn’t help but express my disappointment. I hadn’t expected it to look so sterile and uninviting. Maybe others would find it stunning, but not me.

Before Mr. Carl could respond, a man’s voice from behind us exclaimed in anger about my comment. “Empty and cold? What nonsense! Look at the hired help, the furniture, and the antiques! How can you say it’s empty?”

I didn’t turn around. I answered the person’s question apathetically, my heart racing as I anticipated the confrontation. I had been expecting it to be Mr. Tomas, the person we were there to meet, so I steeled myself for the inevitable awkwardness.