Chapter 4 4

Appearances

Megan

Jordan walked at a slow pace, and although for a moment, I felt compassion for his apparent physical difficulty, I quickly remembered his cruel personality, and that compassion vanished. I didn't want to make the mistake of feeling sympathy for him. So, without showing any emotion, I followed him down the hallway.

He finally opened the door to a room at the end of the hallway, and a peculiar scent filled the air. The room had a distinctly feminine scent, as if it had been designed for a particular woman. The white decor, the majestic and comfortable bed, and the furniture all seemed custom-made to cater to a woman's taste.

"Jordan, may I ask you a question?" I ventured.

"Of course, Megan. Go ahead."

"Did you have this room specifically prepared for me?" I asked, curious.

"No, of course not. This is my sister's room. Well, it was. She passed away," Jordan replied calmly.

When those words came out of his mouth, a chilling shiver ran down my spine. For some reason, I wished he had ordered the room just for me, although I couldn't understand why I wanted to feel so important.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be intrusive with my question," I said, trying not to appear uncomfortable.

"Don't worry. It's something I've already overcome," Jordan replied indifferently. Then he turned to leave the room, leaving me with unspoken words.

After arranging my things in the room, I fell asleep. However, I set an alarm a few minutes before seven in the evening so I wouldn't be late for dinner. I was so sleepy that when it rang, I simply turned it off and went back to sleep.

When I finally woke up and realized the time, I got up quickly, but it was already too late. Jordan was finishing his dinner as I entered the dining room.

"Good evening, Jordan. May I sit here?" I asked, pointing to a chair in front of him.

"What time is it, Megan?" he asked sharply.

"It's seven twenty, Jordan," I replied, feeling confused by his attitude.

Jordan crossed his silverware over his plate, which still had some food on it, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and stared at me intently.

"Well, at this hour, there's no dinner for you, so leave the table," he said sharply.

"Why does it have to be exactly at seven o'clock, Jordan? I don't think that's fair," I protested, trying to understand his logic.

"In this house, there are rules you must follow, Megan. Besides, you're still my employee, just with a different role. Leave the table."

My stomach was growling with hunger, and I felt humiliated by his attitude. I got up from the chair, filled with anger, and slammed it against the dining table before putting it back in its place.

"Then, I'll go eat out," I said, upset.

Jordan showed no emotion on his face as he replied, "This house locks up at ten o'clock. If you're not back by then, you'll be locked out."

His words, though expressionless, hurt me deeply. I felt humiliated and angry.

"I have my own home, Jordan, and tonight, I'll stay there. I don't have to put up with your humiliation."

Jordan's expression changed immediately, and his annoyance became evident.

"Megan, you have a contract with me. I'll announce you as my fiancée soon. You can't roam the streets causing scenes. You must maintain an image. And I assure you that if you break any of the contract's rules, your father will end up in jail for breach of contract."

"I signed a contract with you for a fake marriage, not a sentence in a maximum-security prison. I can do whatever I want with my life."

Without saying goodbye, I went up to my room, gathered my things, and left the mansion. Jordan's threats didn't affect me. I was his employee, not his property, and I wouldn't tolerate his control.

I headed to the city center, hoping to find something to eat, and then planned to return to my old house, which was all I had left of my parents. I had tried to contact my father, but he seemed to have disappeared completely. Despite my concerns, I trusted that he wouldn't leave me alone. After all, I knew him well enough to know that he had eagerly anticipated these vacations he had longed for years.

During those days, I had completely forgotten about my boyfriend, Harry. I decided to call him to see if he wanted to join me for dinner, but I soon found out that he had forgotten about me too, as he hadn't made any attempt to contact me.

Without getting a response, I decided to look for him in person. I found Harry sitting in front of his trailer, surrounded by idle friends.

"Harry! Harry!" I shouted his name, not caring about disturbing his group of friends.

Harry looked at me with surprise and a hint of disdain. His tone was filled with reproach.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working for a millionaire?" he snapped, implying that he had forgotten my existence.

"I came to see you. You haven't called me, or even answered my calls," I replied, feeling hurt.

Harry frowned and began to toy with his cigarette between his fingers.

"I've been busy, do you think I don't work or something? I'm also trying to put money aside for our future business. By the way, since you're here, tell me how that's going."

"I moved into Jordan's house, but I have no intention of sleeping in his room," I informed him, hoping for his support or understanding.

Harry looked at me indifferently and continued smoking.

"Well, since you're living with him, you'll be closer, it'll be easier for you to get his money."

"What do you mean, Harry?"

Harry let out a cynical laugh and looked at me with contempt.

"Megan, you're simply in a billionaire's house. There must be many valuable things we can use. With the money they'll pay you, it won't be enough. So you'll have to see what else you can get."

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. That went against all my principles and values.

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't want to know, Harry. I'm not going to steal from Jordan, no way."

Harry grabbed my chin tightly and kissed me unpassionately. Then he let me go abruptly.

"Don't play innocent, my love. We have to make the most of this situation."

"You're crazy, Harry," I replied, feeling increasingly distant from him.

Harry returned to his friends, who were sharing a pizza and some beers. My stomach protested from the lack of food, and I felt helpless knowing that my gardener's salary was still in Harry's hands.

Harry looked at me and offered me a slice of pizza.

"Eat! it's not caviar like what your new fiancé would offer you, but at least it's something," he said with a sarcastic smile.

I thanked him and started eating, but at that moment, a strange feeling overcame me. I began to feel uncomfortable in Harry's presence, and for some reason, my mind drifted to Jordan. Despite his enigmatic personality, he was handsome, polite, and had an imposing presence that Harry couldn't match. It wasn't just about his wealth but who he was as a person. I started to wonder if I had made the right decision by leaving Jordan's mansion.

I finished the slice of pizza while still lost in my thoughts about my boss. It felt like a silly fantasy that was creeping into my being, and it sent shivers down my spine.

"Come on, let's go inside, gorgeous," Harry said, taking my hand and pulling me out of my thoughts.

"No, I have to go, Harry. It's late, and, well, there are some rules I have to follow with Jordan," I said. Harry burst into laughter and led me toward the trailer.

"You only have to obey me, not that idiot. He won't kick you out for not coming back to sleep tonight. I desire you, baby," he said, pulling me inside.

His trailer was filled with dirt, and I had been away for days, so it hadn't been cleaned. Harry wasn't the cleanest person either, so I felt a bit disgusted by all the mess.

He took me to his bed, which was unmade, and began kissing my neck. I felt uncomfortable, and for a moment, I questioned whether I was really in love with him.

Harry started making love to me, but I didn't feel any pleasure from his kisses or caresses. Strangely, I found myself thinking about my enigmatic boss. That night, I stayed with my boyfriend. In the past, my greatest fascination was ending the night in his arms, but on this occasion, all I wanted was for morning to come quickly so I could return to the Frederick mansion and avoid angering my fiancé.

As soon as it dawned, I slipped away from my boyfriend's embrace without saying a word and left the place with the first light of day. I had to walk for over an hour to get back to the mansion. I didn't have a single penny for public transportation. It was ironic-I had a dream job with fantastic pay, but I still hadn't received a cent, and my father was already spending the advance on who knows what luxurious island.

I was freezing from the cold when I rang the mansion's doorbell. Rose opened it and shook her head when she saw me.

"Maddie, dear, where were you? The master is waiting for you," she said with a mischievous smile.

"My dear, the gentleman doesn't sleep. He wakes up at five to exercise, has breakfast at six, and by this time, he was already working, but he's very angry because you haven't gone to sleep. He's waiting for you in his office" I rolled my eyes.

I took a deep breath and resigned myself. This seemed like it was going to turn into a complete hell. It was so different when I was just his employee and used to arrive around 9 to work; this was getting out of control.

I knocked on the door of his study, and with his hoarse voice, he signaled for me to enter. I stood in front of him. He looked perfect, dressed in a platinum gray suit, his hair in perfect order, but his face was adorned with a couple of dark circles. My boss hadn't slept. It showed.

"Megan, if you don't understand the rules of the contract, because I imagine you've read it, this won't work, and I'm afraid we may have to break it".

"Jordán, if that's what you need, do as you wish. I have no idea where my father is, but if you want to put the poor old man in jail, that's your problem. I didn't make any agreement with you; my father sold me" I replied sarcastically, knowing he would get even angrier, but I didn't want to show any weakness. He wouldn't treat me like merchandise.

"It's not that easy, Megan. As strange as it may sound, it's in my interest to continue with the contract".

"Oh, really? It's just for the money, isn't it?" I continued with irony.

Jordán shot me a hateful look, as if he wanted to devour me with his eyes. I felt my heart racing, and I knew I had really messed up.

He stood up from his chair and looked at me imposingly.

"Listen to me, Megan. I know you're not entirely on board with the contract, but it's already signed, and it benefits both of us. Now, you have some rules to follow, and if you don't follow them, our coexistence will be a nightmare".

I laughed in his face, and that really got on his nerves.

"Get out of my office!" he shouted in anger.

"What? Are you mistreating me? That's not part of the contract".

Jordán took a deep breath and looked at me again.

"Get out of here. I don't want to be rude to you, but you're just too irritating, Megan. Now I just want you to leave through that door. By the way, breakfast time has already passed; if you're hungry, you'll have to find food outside the mansion".

"I need my job as a gardener because I can't wait to marry you to get more money from the contract, and I have to find something to eat because with your schedule, it looks like I'll starve soon".

Jordán crossed his arms and looked at me sarcastically.

"You earn a good salary as a gardener, your paycheck was issued less than a week ago, don't you have any money left?" I looked at him furiously. This man was so impertinent and unbearable.

"What I do with my money is not your concern, you know what, Jordán? Forget it! And you can do whatever you want with your food; I don't care".

I left Jordán's office, extremely angry. He was humiliating me even over food. This guy was unbelievable. What's worse, I couldn't quite understand why he kept intruding into my thoughts. He was an arrogant, heartless man who abused his wealth. After five years of working with this man, I finally realized that what the world said was true: he was a true monster without feelings.