Chapter 3 Am I Forced to Serve You

Chapter 3

Mr. Will quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside with a worried expression.

Scanning the room, he saw nothing and no one except Roura, who stood there gasping for breath.

"Where is he?!" Mr. Will demanded urgently.

Roura, still panting, pointed to the side, toward the spot where Sion had been standing just moments before.

"He was right there!"

Mr. Will turned to where she pointed, but the space was empty. There was no one in sight.

Roura also glanced in the same direction, shocked to find that Sion had vanished. Only empty air met her gaze.

Now Mr. Will's face showed anger as he exhaled, trying to maintain patience with this girl.

"Roura, are you trying to joke with me? Because this is not funny at all."

"But... but he was here just now!" Roura replied in panic, pointing again at the space.

Mr. Will stared at her sharply, holding back his anger. He rubbed his temples in frustration.

"For God's sake. You're always arguing and acting strange. Stop causing trouble, Roura. If you don't want to work, just say so. I'll find someone else."

Roura fell silent, filled with confusion. No words came out of her mouth. Sion had disappeared.

She was utterly baffled. His presence earlier had felt so real, but now there was no evidence to prove it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Will!"

Roura's face was full of regret. She could only lower her head, unable to defend herself further. Meanwhile, Mr. Will shook his head again, unable to understand Roura's behavior.

"Enough. Get back to work now."

Roura stood still for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Mr. Will left, leaving her alone in her confusion.

"What a strange girl," he muttered as he walked away.

Roura stepped out of the restroom, taking a deep breath before resuming her tasks.

The day felt so exhausting for her, her body weighed down by fatigue. Yet she still managed a small smile for a few café customers.

"Maybe... maybe that guy was just a hallucination," she muttered.

By the time evening came, Roura walked wearily toward the bus stop. While waiting, her phone buzzed. A message had come in. Half-heartedly, she opened the text from her stepmother.

"Roura, buy a whole roasted duck for your brother. Don't even think about coming home if you forget."

The message was short, but it was an order she had to obey. Roura sighed, checking her balance on her app. It was only enough for half a duck.

"Of course. As usual, they make demands but never give me money," Roura muttered.

She stopped at a food stall to buy half a roasted duck. As the seller handed over her order, the delicious aroma made her empty stomach growl quietly.

"Sorry, stomach. But this isn't for us."

Roura finally arrived at an apartment. A very modest place where she lived with her family, rented at the cheapest price in Mayro City. Even then, Roura often struggled to pay on time.

Reaching into her pocket for the key, she suddenly heard a strange voice coming from a nearby tree.

"Psst! Hey, Roura!"

Roura looked up, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw Sion casually sitting on one of the branches. He waved with a wide smile.

"You?"

"How on earth are you up there?" Roura asked, confused.

Sion chuckled softly, amused by the frightened expression on her face.

"This tree is quite comfortable. Even better than your cramped apartment. You should try moving here!"

He waved his hand like a child discovering a new toy.

"Get down, you weirdo. The neighbors will think you're crazy if you sleep in a tree," Roura retorted.

She continued scolding Sion, insisting he leave or at least stop bothering her.

Hearing the commotion outside, Roura's stepmother, Martha, opened the door. As usual, her face bore no trace of a smile, only anger and disdain directed at Roura.

Standing at the door, Martha crossed her arms. Her blonde hair was neatly tied up, but her expression resembled a storm ready to strike.

"Where's the roasted duck?" Martha demanded.

Roura handed over the paper bag and quickly stepped inside.

Martha placed the bag on the table but immediately began yelling when she saw the contents.

"This is only half a duck! I asked for a whole one. You can't even follow simple instructions!"

"I only had enough money for half a duck, Mom," Roura replied.

"Don't argue with me, Roura. I've been more than patient with your behavior! You're always so foolish."

Suddenly, Roura's father appeared from the living room, his face red with anger at the commotion.

His eyes glared at Roura, despite her being his biological daughter. He immediately scolded her harshly, leaving her stunned.

"Roura, can't you speak more respectfully to your mother? She takes care of this house, and you just make her angry."

Roura clenched her fists, trying to hold back her emotions. Why was she always the one at fault in her father's eyes? Her family constantly belittled her, never appreciating her efforts and never caring about her struggles.

"I'm just telling the truth, Dad. If Martha wants me to buy something, she could at least give me money for it."

"Don't argue with me, Roura. You need to learn to respect your mother," her father snapped.

Frustrated and cornered, Roura bowed her head and walked to her room without another word.

She threw her work bag into the corner, collapsed onto her bed, and sighed deeply.

"Damn, life is so exhausting. I carry everything on my own. Mom... why did you leave so soon? You left me alone with this selfish father of mine. He only cares about his new wife and child, while I'm just trash to him."

Roura complained in frustration. She wiped her face, trying to release the burden of the day.

After a while, she got up and walked to the bathroom. She turned on the warm water, letting the steam fill the small room. The water flowed over her body, washing away her exhaustion.

Wrapping herself in a white towel, she quickly secured it and stepped out of the bathroom. Her wet hair dripped onto the floor.

But as she walked out, she suddenly froze in her tracks.

"Ahhh!"

Roura screamed, her eyes wide in disbelief, her heart pounding as she saw something that shouldn't have been in her room.

Her gaze locked on Sion, sitting casually on the edge of her bed, grinning as if he had no care in the world.

"How did you get in here?" Roura shouted angrily, though fear laced her voice.

Sion, unfazed, lay back comfortably, smiling.

"Shh! Stop yelling, or your dad will get mad again," he said nonchalantly.

Roura's anger mixed with fear. "But how did you get into my room? Did my parents sell me to you?"