Chapter 5 The Familiar Monster

"I brought you here to save my brother." Val said.

"What do you mean by that?" Ariana scoffed.

"No one can tolerate my brother except you." Valeria said.

"I still don't get you. Why would you even think I can tolerate him when I've never met him." Ariana asked.

"Because you are hot tempered and you also don't accept defeat." Val explained. "Look, I just know what I feel." She added.

"Let's assume I am as you just described, how does that help in saving your brother?" Ariana asked, this time even more confused.

"Look Ariana, my brother is sick." Val said.

"Like physically sick? As in disabled?" Ariana asked curiously.

"Like psychologically sick." Val replied. "He's got a severe Contamination OCD. He can't live with anyone except me, not even my family. Yeah, he loves them but he just can't live with them. He's too clean to the extent that it's becoming unhygienic for him. He barely eats but washes his hands more than a hundred times a day. He can't stand crowds and he can't even kiss a woman, like he loathes intimacy. He constantly has thoughts of people harming him intentionally even if it were a mere mistake. Look, he's got so many problems and his psychologist said he might not be able to make a family of his own." Val explained further and at this point she couldn't prevent herself from crying

"Look, look, I am no psychologist. I'm not even a science student. I just can't do this Val, I can't. How am I even going to do it?" Ariana asked worriedly. "It sounds so impossible." She added.

"I know, but his psychologist recommended this." Val explained.

"Woah, his psychologist recommended me? How's that even possible?" Ariana wondered.

"He recommended my brother live with someone, I mean someone who can shut him up." Val said.

"And why do you think that person is me?" Ariana asked.

"Yes! Because I am a great judge of character. Please, you need to do this for me. I can even increase your pay if it's not enough. Please think about Dylan's birthday wish and go see him." Val cried as she begged.

"No, I can't....I just can't....do this. I can't." Ariana said, crying herself.

Val's husband called and asked her to come home immediately as one of their boys was sick. She quickly stood up and gave Ariana a tight hug.

"Do this for me sweetheart. He can't live like this forever. I'd support you in any way I can." Val said and left the house afterwards without waiting to hear another word from her.

Once again Ariana was left all alone in the penthouse. She thought of how she could possibly do what Val was expecting of her afterall she was already receiving payment for it.

She brought out her phone and ordered a box of chicken feet and three bottles of Alcohol, which was delivered to her as soon as possible as the restaurant was very close to the Kings' Palace.

She drank herself to stupor and in no time she finished her food and Alcohol and as well slept off on the couch where she ate, leaving the whole place littered with cartons of chicken feet, bones and bottles of the alcohol she had.

As early as 5am the next day, Kyle Kings walked into the house to find his usually sparkling clean house turned into a total mess with a young, dirty lady lying roughly on his soft couch. He quickly got his cleaning devices and wiped the whole room clean since he couldn't stand dirt for a second before coming back to deal with the trash lying on his couch.

With the intention of not letting his hand come in contact with her, he took out his phone and played music in a very loud sound, forcing Ariana up from her sleep. She jumped up, frightened by the loud sound for a moment before she finally sat back on the chair and as she was still feeling sleepy, she slightly rubbed her hands on her face and was surprised to see a young man sitting in front of her.

"Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?" Ariana asked, yawning.

"I'm supposed to be asking you that. How are you in my house?" Kyle asked, not being able to see her face properly as it was covered by her hands.

"Oh you must be Mr. Kyle, Val's younger brother and......my supposed boss." Ariana said. "Oh God, I really need to wash up and....OMG I need to make a great first impression." Ariana said before rushing off to her room not minding the person in front of her.

Kyle was dumbfounded by her behavior. "Great First impression? Like the one we just had." He wondered.

Ariana came back after a few minutes looking more kept and tidy. She bent down politely to greet him, whilst she introduced herself.

"Good morning sir, it's my pleasure to meet you, Am Ari....ana Le........" She was about to complete her statement when she slowly lifted her head and was shocked to see the person who was going to be her new boss.

"How the hell are you her brother?" She wondered as she sat sluggishly on the couch next to her with the thoughts that she was already fired even if he hadn't mentioned it.

On seeing the face of his new house help, Kyle flared up.

"You didn't succeed at the office now you come to my home?" Kyle asked angrily.

"Succeed in what? I barely even know your name back at the office." She said, "Do you think I seriously don't have anything else to do? I was in need of a job and you fired me on my first day but now I got............"

"And you are also going to get fired." Kyle said and immediately left the penthouse for his sister's place whilst Ariana still sat on the couch pondering over her troubles.

"I should have known Kings Holding Enterprise and Kings Palace belonged to this same lunatic." She muttered to herself.

"How on earth am I going to Puerto Rico if I lose this job again?" She wondered. "I will never get a better job like this." She added.

"Well, I think I better talk to Val before he gets there." She said and quickly picked up her phone to call Val.

"Hey Val." Ariana said, sounding worried.

"Hey, how are you doing? What's wrong with you?" Val asked.

"Uhmmmm, do you remember the story I told you about the lunat...I mean the guy who fired me on my first day at work?" Ariana asked, rather hesitantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember how much you insulted him and put him in his place. So what about him?" Val asked.

"Oh God, Why did you have to remember that?" She muttered to herself.

"What did you say?" Val asked as she couldn't hear what Ariana said.

"Oh, I mean, you know you said you loved my attitude and my not being able to accept defeat, right?" Ariana said.

"Yeah, so?" Val asked.

"And you know that day, I only challenged him because he was kinda rude and I was only defending myself and the staff who had employed me." Ariana said.

"Can you please go straight to the point, I've got a thousand and one things to do." Val lashed at her.

"Oh okay. Uhmm .....the luna.....i mean the guy, yeah, the guy ended up being your brother and am sure he's going to fire me. Please save me." Ariana pleaded.

"He can't fire you without my permission. I need to go, I think he's already here to complain about you." Val said and immediately ended the call as she heard his brother's voice in the living room.

She went to the living room and saw his brother pacing about the room restlessly.

"You're already back! Welcome." Val said to him.

"You know if anyone told me you'd try to kill me, I wouldn't believe but am disappointed sis." Kyle said.

"I hope this isn't about the coffee incident with Ariana again?" Val asked.

"Oh, Great. She already told....no I mean you actually sent her after me. Come on sis." He said.

"Oh God K, you exaggerate all the time. Ok let me make you understand this. I met her after the coffee incident and she just called to tell me you were the one. Hope we're good now?" Val asked.

"No we ain't, except she leaves my house." Kyle said.

"Oh no K, you know she's going nowhere." Val replied.

"I don't know what you're planning to achieve by doing this sis, but let me tell you now; you won't succeed and I hope none of us regrets this action of yours" Kyle said and immediately left the house.

Val sat down a bit to think about what she really wanted for her brother.

"I hope we don't regret this K, you really need to get better." Val muttered to herself.

Kyle went back to his house angry and frustrated. As he entered the living room, Ariana who was sitting quietly walked up to him as he was about to enter his room and greeted him as politely as possible but Kyle outrightly ignored her and went straight to his room. After about a minute, he came back to meet Ariana where he'd left her standing.

"What do you have against my sister?" Kyle asked.

"I don't understand what you ar......."

"What is it that you are using on my sister?" Kyle asked again.

"Sir, I still don't........." Ariana stuttered before Kyle's interruption.

"You know what, I don't care what it is you are planning with my sis, but if you seriously want us to co-exist in this house and at the same time, then I advise you to stay out of my sight." Kyle warned and was about to leave for his room when Ariana's next statement stopped him.

"I know you're psychologically unstable and don't like other people's company but you won't get better if you don't try......." Ariana was trying to motivate Kyle but it looked like she just worsened the case.

"What? She even told you that?" Kyle asked angrily with tears of anger forming in his eyeballs.

"I didn't mean to offend y......." Ariana was again interrupted by Kyle.

"I swear you'd regret ever coming here." Kyle threatened, leaving her shocked.

"I didn't know it was going to make him go mad like this." Ariana muttered to herself, now feeling guilty for her words.

She was still standing in front of Kyle's room when she heard loud clanging sounds from his room. Ariana knew from the sound that he was angrily breaking things in his room. She thought the best thing to do at that moment was to leave him alone and let him be for now.

She went back to her room and had a cool bath before heading to bed. She laid flat on her bed facing the ceiling.

"Guess I'd have to stay away from his sight just like he ordered." She muttered to herself. "But how then i'm I going to be of any help to him like Valeria wanted?" She wondered. She had her thoughts for a while before her eyes slowly felt heavy and sleep took over them.