Chapter 3 Careless

On the next day that followed, the feelings of insecurity went beyond normal. Rebecca hadn't even slept well last night because of the thought that someone might just suddenly get inside her room and do something she didn't want.

"Whoever that person was, he was wrong about the target he chose," Rebecca thought. She knew that stalking someone was a crime, and if she caught the person who stalked her, she wouldn't hesitate to make him pay for what he did.

There were a lot of disputes between her parents and their business partners; she wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted to kill them. Especially with their greatest rival, the cruel mafia boss from Beijing, Brein Loi.

Rebecca sprang out of her bed, took the winding stairs, and went outside the mansion. She hadn't even combed her hair or washed her face, but her day became more different when she saw Emerson watering the plants.

"Buenos dias, mister Bevilla," Rebecca greeted him in her Italian accent. A sweet smile appeared on her face. "Would you let me do that?"

"It's a pleasure, milady." Emerson handed the hose to Rebecca, but he accidentally wet her face, which totally awakened her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Emerson apologized in surprise and bewilderment as he hurriedly removed his shirt to dry Rebbecca's face.

"No, no! I'm just fine!" Rebecca insisted, but she went lulled to see him naked. Her eyes were stuck on the hard muscles on his chest and abdomen.

"S'il vous plait. It was my mistake, so let me." Emerson completely used his shirt and gently wiped Rebecca's face while looking at her lips. "I'm so sorry. I swear, I didn't mean to."

"No, I told you, I'm just fine, and please don't get near me!" Rebecca exclaimed and attempted to run, but it was so slippery that she lost her balance.

Emerson's instincts showed up as he caught her with two arms. Their gazes met once more, but this time with something inexplicable that sparkled within, like a scene you would expect from a movie.

After that slow motion, Emerson was surprised to find himself naked; he had accidentally released her from his arms. Rebecca was surprised and afraid of what could happen to her. Fortunately, it wasn't too high where she fell.

"Did he never get naked before to act like that?" Rebecca wondered, while Emerson immediately headed to the dormitory.

Bewildered, Emerson stared at anything, like someone who was looking for something he couldn't find, as he thought that someone might have witnessed what he did. He wasn't ashamed that someone may have seen him naked, but rather of holding the young lady in that situation.

"How careless I am," Emerson thought while looking at his reflection in the broken mirror. He seemed to have just taken a shower, profusely sweating, but he didn't know what could happen to him if Bernadette and Elfedio knew this.

"I wish too that nobody saw me," Emerson soliloquized. "Or else all my sacrifices will turn into nothing. How unlucky I am if that happens."

When he came back to his normal thinking, Emerson prepared himself to face Rebecca and the punishment that might be waiting for him. He put on formal clothes-the ones he wore when he arrived and might be the ones he'd use to leave-thinking that he would no longer be a gardener for San Jose.

"Mister Bevilla!" Elfedio exclaimed. He and his wife were waiting outside the dormitory. "Someone reported that you did something."

"I'm so sorry, sir; I didn't mean to do that," Emerson apologized sincerely while bowing his head in front of his bosses.

"Huh? What are you apologizing for?" Bernadette asked, as she didn't really have any idea what Emerson was talking about.

"Yup, why are you asking for forgiveness if we found nothing wrong with what you did? In fact, we're glad you're so hardworking. And because of that, we're hiring you as the new head of our workers," Elfedio said.

"What?" Emerson screamed in his mind. "So, it's not over yet?" He wanted to say something, but his mouth dropped. He wanted to jump, dance, and scream but couldn't pronounce any words and was totally cut off when Bernadette interrupted.

"If you don't understand the work of a head worker, we're inviting you inside the mansion to discuss it," Bernadette added.

Emerson was very surprised and relieved that everything was different from what he expected. Perhaps there was nobody who witnessed what happened, and if there was, maybe that person chose to remain silent.

Bernadette and Elfedio walked towards the mansion, and so did Emerson. He followed them and met a lot of guards, servants, and maids. It seemed impossible that none of them saw that embarrassing thing; he still didn't want to be complacent.

Inside the dining room, by the huge table filled with delicious food, beverages, and freshly picked fruits, Emerson and Rebecca were sitting on the chairs at both ends. Emerson couldn't look directly at Rebecca's face, whereas she could.

It wasn't a big deal for Rebecca to see his muscles, although she hadn't seen any before. The only annoying thing he did was let her fall. Sure, there was a reason why he did that, but what?

After the servants offered everyone a glass of wine, Elfedio asked them to make a toast. Emerson joined them reluctantly, although he thought that this routine with a lot of food to be wasted was just a lack of common sense.

Emerson didn't like how they acted like money-minded people. He was not accustomed to a wealthy life either, because ever since he was little, his parents couldn't even provide for his needs.

He dropped out of school, he remembered, because of his vices. Thereafter, he could do nothing but work and support his family's needs without telling them where he got his money.

Emerson's priority was that they could survive, however bad the situation was, and that nobody would oppress them. He knew what it felt like to be oppressed by wealthy people; he also experienced that, and he didn't want to remember those things anymore, especially the biggest mistake he made.

Hearing Elfedio's laughter, Emerson became more uncomfortable, so he made an excuse but didn't provide any reason. He was thinking that it was not important to be hired as a new head worker.

Emerson was surprised by what he found when he entered the dormitory. Someone released a blow to his forehead, and he caught it unprepared. He was shaken like a drunken man as blood began dripping from his nose.

"You piece of garbage!" The man exclaimed angrily. "How dare you snatch my position?"

"Mario?" Emerson inquired, perplexed, as his roommate gradually came into view. "I'm sorry if you think that I snatched that position from you, but I did not." A worried expression was shown on his face.

"Tell me another lie, and this is what you will get!" Mario was ready to release another blow, and perhaps he could no longer prevent it from going with the gust of his feelings.