CHAPTER TWO: The New Job.

“Sophie, I'm home!” Maria's voice echoed through the living room after the door slam.

“I'll be down in a minute!” Sophie replied from upstairs.

“Just come down already, I have something to tell you.” Maria sighed heavily as she took a seat on the couch.

Hearing that, Sophie dropped her books and headed out the door, curious to know what her mom wanted to talk about.

Sophie ran down the stairs, stopping in front of her mom.

“I'm here mom. What did you want to talk about?” Sophie said.

Maria started, “So I went to Samantha's office to have her help me look for a job around but she talked rudely to me so I left her office.”

Sophie pursed her lips in disappointment, “Does that mean you didn't get any job?”

“Well, I wasn't going to take the job of a garbage collector from that silly woman.”

“Anyway, I managed to get a job.”

“Really? How?”

“On my way out of the office, I met a man, from his appearances he seemed like a wealthy man. He told me there was vacancy for a nanny at his billionaire's friends mansion and I should apply for it.” Maria explained.

“A nanny?” Sophie asked surprisingly.

“I know dear. I also didn't want this job but I don't really have a choice now do I? We have so many bills to pay.” Maria said, her voice dripping with frustration.

“No, no it's fine. I mean it's the best option we can take right now.” Sophie tried to encourage her mother.

“We’ll be moving too. The job requires me to be in the house throughout the day so I have to live there.”

Sophie wasn't ready to move but she wouldn't tell her mother that.

“Alright mom, I'll go anywhere as long as you're there.” She smiled.

“We should probably go and start packing our belongings.” Maria suggested as she rose up from the couch.

Sophie lifted a brow, “Wait, we have to leave so soon?”

Maria turned to Sophie, “Of course we do. I'm resuming in two days. And remember we had just seven days to evacuate.”

“What about school?”

“Dear, your school isn't far from the mansion at all, you'll go to school from there.”

Sophie hummed, “okay, cool.”

Maria smiled, “Of course it is.”

*****

“Why does this tea taste so sweet?” Russuo asked, annoyance evident in his tone.

The chef trembled in fear as he tried to stammer a quick response, “I..I added sugar to it sir.”

Russuo glared icily at the chef, “Since when did I start having tea with sugar?”

The chef lowered his head to avoid Russuo’s angry glare, “I..I didn't know whether to make the tea like that or add sugar sir. I'm the new..the new chef sir.”

The chef's reply only fueled Russuo's anger, “Excuses. Did you think the manual in the kitchen is some irrelevant book?”

The chef shook his head from side to side, “No, no sir”

“Then why the hell didn't you make use of it?” Russuo yelled, his eyes widened in frustration.

The chef trembled there in silence, not knowing what to say to pacify his angry boss.

“I hate stupid mistakes a lot. If you make such a foolish mistake again, then I'll make you understand why you're the new chef.” Russuo warned with a pointed finger.

If the chef heard him correctly, Russuo meant that he would fire him. But who fires someone the moment they hire them?

Russuo was such a strict and disciplined man. The way he treated his workers was enough reason for him not to have anyone around except that he was a billionaire. He could get as many workers as he wanted.

Maria stood rooted at the entrance door, “I don't think I want to go in there. This man might just devour me for nothing.” She mumbled to herself in anxiety.

Russuo rose up from the dining table in annoyance, ready to leave for work when his eyes spotted the figure at the door.

“Who's that?”

Maria's nervousness increased knowing he already saw her at the door.

“It's…It's Maria Young sir.” Maria replied from the door.

“Am I supposed to come meet you and welcome you into my house?”

Russuo's rhetorical question was the cue for Maria to walk in, she wouldn't dare risk her chances at this job.

Maria's steps towards the dining table were careful and precise, “Go.. good morning, sir.” Maria stuttered with a smile.

Russuo's indifferent expression made her smile disappear.

“The nanny?” He asked without even throwing a glance at her.

Maria nodded softly, “Yes sir.”

Russuo rubbed his chin, “Upstairs, Room 8 on the left side. Get to work.”

Russuo's words almost sounded like gibberish in Maria's ears because she barely knew her way around.

“But..but sir, I just got here. I don't even know my way around and…” Russuo's icy glare made Maria's mouth snap shut.

She swiveled her heels in the direction of the stairs and went up without a word.

“Now you..”

“Beep!” Russuo's phone saved the chef from an incoming scolding.

“Speak.” Russuo ordered.

“Sir, the actress we hired isn't doing her roles properly and it's affecting the movie.” The voice said from the other end.

Russo smirked, “Seems she doesn't like her job then.”

“Should I lay her off?”

“No. Put everything on hold until I'm there.” That was all Russuo said before disconnecting the call.

*****

“Alright students, where did we stop in our previous class?” Mrs Rose asked.

“We stopped at gas laws.” A student replied.

Mrs Rose took a seat in front of her desk, “Great, so who can do us the honors of recapitulating what I said about gas laws?”

Seeing that nobody was willing to, she looked through the room to find someone.

“Wilson. Please explain what you understand by gas laws.”

Wilson stood up in surprise, “Ma'am.. actually, I wasn't in class.”

Mrs Rose frowned slightly, “That's just an excuse. Even if you weren't in class, you've had the scheme and you know what we're supposed to do in every class.”

“Yes ma, I do. But I was ill and that's why I missed classes.” Wilson explained.

“So what illness was it?”

“The flu?” Mrs Rose asked before Wilson could reply.

“Yes exactly. The flu.” Wilson nodded.

“Silly boy. You can't even lie properly, it's way past the flu season but for some reason, you had the flu.” Mrs Rose words made the class break out into laughter.

“Sophie Young. Please report to the principal’s office.” A voice blared through the speaker at the top edge of the room.

This made the laughter in the class disappear.

Sophie rose up while staring at Mrs Rose, she was trying to seek permission without using her words and Miss Rose understood it.

“Yeah, sure you can go.”

That was all Sophie needed to hear before leaving the classroom.

“Good morning Mrs. Nicole.” Sophie greeted warmly as she walked into the principal's office but the woman wasn't really in the mood for pleasantries.

“Take a seat.” Mrs. Nicole instructed.

Sophie sat down across the proprietor.

“Dear, I've got bad news for you.” Mrs Nicole declared.

“Bad news? What do you mean?” Sophie asked with curiosity tearing at her face.

“I’m afraid, but you won’t be graduating.”