Chapter 4 Shattered

Aiyana learns that Linda is a former cook in a five-star restaurant; her culinary expertise spans both the exotic flavours of the East and the classic tastes of the West. From now on, she will be the one shopping for groceries for the month, so Aiyana's duty gets lighter. Meanwhile, Emma and Rue are housemaids who normally work for wealthy clients. They had plenty of experience and were unquestionably professionals.

Aiyana is still pondering where Matthew received his recommendation about them. But it had to have been from a friend who had already employed them. And he did all this for her? Aiyana couldn't hold back, but she flushed; she felt so touched.

"Are these all you cooked, Maam? There are a lot of them, and they all seem so tasty. Have you ever taken cooking lessons?" Linda inquired as Aiyana led her to the kitchen area.

They walked by the dining room, where Aiyana's food remained untouched.

"Please taste it; I've never taken a cooking class, but many people say my cooking isn't bad." Aiyana chuckled.

Linda's eyes widened as she tasted the creamy mushroom soup. "This is fantastic!" And you've never taken a cooking class? Impossible."

"Because I've always cooked for myself since I was a little kid, I guess."

Linda appeared confused for a brief moment, and Aiyana understood why. She has always worked for a wealthy family where her clients are usually from the same social circle: the sons and daughters of a noble wealthy family who don't have to bother to lift a finger in the kitchen because there's someone who would prepare everything for them.

But she wasn't born that way. Her parents sometimes worked overtime, so she and Arianne had to cook their dinner.

"You have a hobby for cooking, it seems. I rarely find someone who still likes to cook nowadays. They prefer to buy it."

"Besides my hobby, I think it's a habit," Aiyana replied with a smile.

Linda checked the groceries in the refrigerator and began making notes on what she needed to purchase for supplies.

"Is there a particular food that you or Mr. Dario enjoy?" she inquired.

"I like to eat anything. My husband doesn't normally make specific requests, but he avoids foods high in sugar and fat. And my daughter adores smoothies; she must have one every morning."

"Okay." Linda made notes. "What about foods to avoid?" Allergies?"

"There's nothing for my husband and daughter, but I'm allergic to pineapples. I almost died from the damn fruit once."

That was when they were little. Arianne bought her pineapple juice because they didn't know about her allergies, and then she couldn't breathe and had to be transported to the hospital.

"Alright."

Linda goes to the supermarket to restock the fridge after that. Aiyana checked Penelope's room; she had woken up. "Morning sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" She gave her a peck on the top of her head.

"Mommy, who are they?"

Aiyana turned to where Emma and Rue had just finished cleaning the upstairs area. "Mrs. Emma and Rue. They will work here from now on. And there's also Mrs. Linda, who will cook delicious food every day; they're amazing; we'll greet them later, okay?"

"B-but I just want to eat Mommy's cooking. You don't want to cook for me anymore?" The little girl starts to whine.

Aiyana sighed. She lifted Poppy in her arms while comforting her, "Mommy will still cook for you, sweetheart. Don't worry. There's no way I don't want to cook for you anymore. How about taking a bath now?"

She took Poppy to the bathroom and bathed her. After they ate together, she accompanied the little girl to open the gifts from her friends on the upper balcony. A notification popped up on her screen from Hubby Baby's contacts. Aiyana smiled ear to ear, seeing there was a message from Matthew.

'Penelope is awake? Has she eaten anything?'

'Yeah, Poppy's awake and already had a sandwich. She's opening her gifts now. You've hired three people to work for us starting today? Aren't you??' She typed as fast as lightning.

'Yes.'

'WHYY'

Aiyana no longer cares if she appears dramatic. How could he not have told her first? Well, forget it; she was overjoyed because it meant he cared about her.

But instead of typing an answer, he dialled. Aiyana walked out of the balcony for a moment to answer his call.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to hire someone? I was so surprised when they came! I thought they had the wrong address." Aiyana blurted it out.

"They're to assist you so you can focus more on taking care of Penelope." He answers shortly, but she is used to it.

"Okay, I get it now; you don't want me to get too tired, right?" Aiyana teases him and ends with a chuckle. She may sound silly to him, but she doesn't care. 'Please say yes. Tell me you're doing it for me.' She was expecting his answer like a lovestruck teenager.

"So you can focus more? Absolutely. I don't think you're cut out for multitasking."

Her heart sank. And her hopes were shattered. He brought it up again. This morning when she made him late for work. Her smile dimmed.