[~Song Recommendation: Natalie Taylor - Come To This~]
Layla sighed before locking the door after Robert left. Taking out an ointment from the drawer, she tended to Elysia's elbow, which had bruised badly. Robert's face, filled with amusement and satisfaction, still lingered in her mind. She offered her a glass of water, which Elysia gulped down in one go. Layla could see her mom's forehead covered in beads of sweat—the reason best known to her.
"Why did you do that?" her mom asked, feeling dejected.
"Did we have a choice? But Mom, if I may ask, why do you need money, and why did you believe that stranger's words about getting your money doubled in the first place?" she asked, sitting adjacent to her.
"To offer you a better life, child. There is no dignity in the life of a maid, and you need to get out of this place to earn yourself respect. I know you're quite intelligent in academics, so I wanted to support your further education at a reputed university… But it seems fate has its own mind," she shook her head in pure grief.
"Oh Mom…" Layla embraced her mother tightly as her heart squeezed at the thought of the sacrifice this woman made—despite not being her birth mother. I won't let anything harm you, Mom, I promise. Even if I have to sell myself, I'll do it! she thought before releasing her.
"Now tell me, how will we manage to gather that amount in one month?... Till now, I owe him three months' installments, including this month's."
"Don't worry. I'll manage something, but now it's already quite late, and we need to head to the mansion to serve the Park family." Together, they set foot outside the mansion after finishing breakfast.
The day went by as usual, where Layla and Elysia got engrossed in accomplishing different tasks of the mansion with other maids, and in no time, the clock struck half past one. It was time for lunch in the Park household.
The Park mansion was brimming with life—with its members, along with the maids and workers, catering to their needs. David Park was a middle-aged man, married to Selena. They had a younger son, Trent, and a daughter, Angelina, close to Layla's age.
Layla was about to enter Angelina's room with the food tray in her hand. She was directed to deliver her lunch to her room itself, as Angelina was busy with her studies.
"Ahh!..." Layla shrieked as she felt a burning sensation beneath her right foot. Quickly, she leaped away to find a live immersion heater lying on the floor just by the door. It was obvious that someone had placed it deliberately. A few food items spilled on the floor while Angelina enjoyed the view in front of her.
"What have you done, bitch?" she remarked to Layla, who was still feeling immense pain from her burnt foot, resulting in her struggling to remain standstill. Layla didn't respond to the girl's remark, as she was well acquainted with her antics to hurt her on purpose.
She left the half-empty plate on the table nearby and limped on her way to fetch a bucket of water and a duster. When she arrived back, Angelina didn't let her in.
"Answer me why you did this! I'll call Mom!"
"It's not my fault, miss. Please let me clean this," she tried to get inside by sliding through the little space beside her but was rewarded with a tight slap on her cheek. She wanted to fight back—maybe she could defeat that brat—but she lowered her gaze and left the room without uttering a single word, as she was just a maid.
"I'll tell Mom how you left my room without cleaning your mess. Just wait and watch!" she heard her bawl, but she paid no heed to her words as she continued down the staircase. Her eyes were stinging with tears that she managed to hold back.
Mr. Park is so nice; it's a shame that his daughter is such a brat… Anyway, I need to find a way to pay the debts. But how? she thought as she kept rubbing the ointment beneath her feet discreetly to avoid anyone's attention.
Later that night, when it was time to return to the servant quarters, Layla entered the room without limping much so as not to let her mother know about her condition. Since Elysia served a different part of the mansion, she was unaware of Layla's situation.
After having dinner, Layla surfed the internet on her cheap smartphone, which also acted as her study partner. She was feeling heartbroken as she couldn't find any job related to her designation that offered higher pay—rather, she discovered what she was getting currently was the highest.
"I need to talk to Mr. Park tomorrow," she uttered, followed by a sigh, completely unaware that her mom was standing behind her.
"No… You won't ask for anything from him, Layla," she said quite sternly, and Layla jolted from her seat to face her.
"Mo—"
"We already owe him a lot for his generosity."
"Yeah, I know that, Mom. Don't worry—I won't ask for money. Rather, I'll request him to find me a decent job that offers higher pay. I hope he'll keep this little request," Layla said before her eyes drifted to the clear night sky filled with sparkling stars. Elysia, at last, permitted her to have a few words with David Park before they slept side by side.
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The next morning, Layla approached David Park in his study. She explained her situation, her words cautious but honest. She kept her eyes down, aware of the boldness it took just to ask.
David leaned back in his chair, fingertips pressed together in thought. For a long moment, he said nothing, and Layla's heart thudded in her chest.
"Look at me, Layla," he finally said, his tone commanding yet calm.
She hesitated before lifting her gaze.
"It's not selfish to ask for help," he said. "You've always been hardworking and respectful. If there's something I can do to help, I will."
She opened her mouth to speak, but he raised a hand to stop her.
"I mean it. I care about you, Layla. You've earned my respect. If you'll allow me, I can—"
"No, sir," she interrupted gently. "You've already done more than enough. I'm not asking for charity. Just… a chance."
David nodded, his expression softening. "Then I'll do what I can."
With a small bow, Layla left the study, her heart a little lighter. She didn't know how the month would end, or what sacrifices still lay ahead—but for the first time in days, she had a sliver of hope. And that was enough to keep her going.
The following afternoon, while peeling vegetables, one of the maids came running.
"Layla! Mr. Park wants to see you. Right away."
Wiping her hands, she hurried to him—and found him smiling.
"Congratulations, Layla," he said, voice full of warmth.