THE NEXT DAY…
Scarlett was hurt to her bones, but there was nothing anyone could do about those words.Every single moment, she tried to forget it, but the words kept returning.
Lucas had treated her like she was never a human, and had no emotions.
However, in the meantime, she hoped to bear with it by avoiding Lucas in her days of working for the Maxwells.
Scarlett had always loved children, and the day she met with the twins, something within her had bonded with them like they were hers.
"That's the only reason I'm accepting this job!" She angrily arranged her clothes into her box.
Yet, she couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. She had always been independent and had never lived with anyone since the day she was chased out.
In a short while, Scarlett was done packing, she struggled with the two big bags as she went towards the park for a cab.
"You must be strong." Scarlett told herself as they drove to Maxwell's spacious suburban home, Scarlett couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
That brought back memories. She remembered her family, how she was pushed out of the house two years back.
Immediately those memories came, the corner of her eye welled up with tears, as she remembered how her dad never gave her an opportunity to explain herself, instead he believed her step sister over her.
"No, Scarlett, you need not cry." She told herself and quickly wiped the tears.
Upon arriving, Scarlett was greeted warmly by Daphne and the twins.
"Thanks for coming around Scarlett, you don't know how grateful I am to see the kids finally have someone to care for them."
"Yes aunt Scarlett, thank you. I missed you, and we've got a lot of catch ups to do." Claire spoke with gleams in her eye while Callan seemed shy but Scarlett's warm and friendly demeanor quickly put him at ease.
"I'm glad my presence helped Miss Maxwell, and I hope to serve this family well." Scarlett shot a broad smile.
"Ok, that's fine now, let me show you to your room."
Scarlett felt a bit of ease, at least some people still cared about her.
"This is my little surprise Scarlett," Daphne informed after which she pushed the door open.
"Wow! This is great." Scarlett was moved to tears. She never was expecting such an honorable treatment, she was just a nanny after all.
"No Miss Maxwell, you shouldn't have gone as far as this. I'm just a common nanny."
"Shh!" Daphne crossed Scarlett's lips.
"You are more than a nanny Scarlett, so we should treat you as one. The kids like you, and you three bounded at first sight."
"I can see how willing you are to shower them with love, you deserve more Scarlett."
Scarlett couldn't help but say the two words. "Thank you." She hadn't started her job yet Daphne liked her so much to even provide a comfortable room.
"So, Scarlett, I guess I'll be leaving to allow you to have some rest."
"Thanks Miss Maxwell."
"Aunt Scarlett, rest well alright! We've got a whole lot of things to talk about," Claire chipped in with a smile.
Scarlett couldn't help but return the smile, while she squatted. "Of course darling, I'm here for you both ok, you can tell me anything."
Thereafter, her gaze fell on Callan, she caught him hiding behind Daphne's figure.
At first she had thought Claire should be the shy one, but instead Callan was.
"Don't worry, he'll loosen up with time." Daphne responded like she read Scarlett's mind.
"Alright kids, let's go now. Let her have some rest."
"See you later, aunt Scarlett." Clarine voiced as her voice faded into the background.
At their departure, Scarlett settled into her new bedroom, she couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness and contentment. The room was spacious and well-lit, with a comfortable queen-sized bed and plenty of storage space for all of her things.
The walls had its designs colorfully placed in pink, one of Scarlett's favorite colors, and the floors, carefully tiled.
Everything was simply totally different from where she lived earlier.
Joyfully, Scarlett threw herself to the bed. "This is awesome."
***In the evening, Scarlett was awoken by a knock at her door.Earlier on after taking her bathe she had simply fallen asleep out of exhaustion.
The door opened freely and the duo made their way in.
"Scarlett, it's dinner time. Let's have dinner together."
Upon hearing that, Scarlett cleared her dreamy eyes to be sure she heard right.
"Dinner! At the dinning?!"
"Let's be on our way now before dinner gets cold."
Instantly, Scarlett reasoned. "Mr Maxwell would definitely be at the table too, right?"
Daphne placed a palm over her shoulder to reduce the tension. "Don't worry, there's a lot of kind heart behind my brother's grumpiness."
Even after the assurance, Scarlett was still filled with distrust.
"Miss Maxwell, I'll manage having my dinner in the kitchen."
"Aunt Scarlett, please have dinner with us, else I wouldn't touch the food on that table." Claire pleaded.
Left with no option, she followed the duo with tension written over her.
As they sat down to eat, Scarlett couldn't help but feel touched by the warm welcome she received from the children and Daphne.
Although a part of her was quite nervous, whenever she stole a glance at the cold hearted Lucas.
He seemed to behave as though she never existed.
In a short while, Daphne let go of her thoughts. She, Daphne and Clarie chatted and laughed as they enjoyed a delicious meal of roast chicken and mashed potatoes.
Callan was not left out either. Once in a while he spoke up.
However, as the meal came to a close, Lucas took his last sip from his glass and voiced.
"I have one request for you, Scarlett," he said in a cold, distant tone.
Scarlett got her fork stuck between her fingers immediately, as she wondered what request a whole prominent man would ask of her.
"Sitting at the dining table makes you a member of the family, therefore I think you should contribute as such."
"From now on, I expect you to be responsible for the dishes. Nobody eats for free, everything we get in life isn't for free either."
Scarlett couldn't believe what she was hearing, same as Daphne.
She had been hired as a nanny, not a housekeeper. But before either of them could even protest, Lucas had already stood up and left the room.
Feeling humiliated and hurt, Scarlett gathered up the dishes and retreated to the kitchen.
As she washed and dried each one, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anger and resentment towards Lucas.
The next morning came in a blink of an eye. Scarlett didn't want to bump into Lucas, and at the same time, she wanted to go for the kids as early as possible.However, she remembered his cruel words and resolved to stay back for a while.At 7:00 am, Daphne knocked on her door and said. "You can come out now Scarlett, he just left."Scarlette's cheeks flushed red as she never expected Daphne to have easily read through her mind.As quick as she could, she hurried over to the kids' room and got them prepared for school as fast as she could.She ensured she prepared their meals according to their favorites as directed by Daphne.In a short while, the kids were off to school. Scarlett then returned to the kitchen to have her breakfast after some encouraging words from Daphne.Daphne soon requested that she headed back to her room to get some work done. It was still a wonder that she did not work in Lucas's company. She had mentioned one time that she did not want her personal life and fin
Lucas' eyes fell to the shattered glass on the floor, and his heart broke into a thousand pieces. That was his most cherished work of art, not because he had spent a fortune to have a glass painting of a nude woman, but because it was his wife.It stood at the end of the corridor, so he would look at it before he retired for the night, and first thing in the morning when he stepped out of his room to begin his busy day.His wife cherished the painting just the same way he did. It was the only thing that still reminded him of her, and what she looked like.At first, he had shot Scarlett a ferocious look, but as he drew closer to the shattered painting, his eyes softened.Scarlett saw something glint in his eyes, something that looked like a tear, as he crumpled to the ground and rummaged through the shattered glass as though he had suddenly run mad.She felt sorry for him immediately as he knelt there. Lucas was a well-muscled large man, and seeing him this way, she felt entirely remors
Lucas stared at Scarlett and the kids for a long five minutes, and he could barely have words to describe how peaceful they looked in their sleep.He had been worried about his kids the whole night. He knew how much they were scared of the thunderstorm, and Daphne could barely keep her eyes open at the first drop of rain.For the first time since she started work, he was grateful that she was there, and the children felt so at peace with her. He watched them snuggle up to her, and it warmed his heart.When Scarlett looked up at him, he quickly looked away, but it was already too late to feign anger. She sat up with a start, and it almost made him chuckle. She was so intimidated by him, and he liked it so much. He did not like her one bit and did not want her to feel relaxed around him."I thought I said no contact with my kids," he said to her in an upset, but somewhat calm tone.Maybe if you stayed at home with them last night, they would not have to be curled up in my bed.Scarlett s
Scarlett woke up with a start immediately after her alarm went off, put a shirt over her head, and rushed downstairs. She would not want to attract any mundane talk from Lucas.Ever since Daphne left, he complained about everything she did, and how she could barely get a simple job done.She moved about with so much trepidation that made her bump into things, and sometimes, break things as she went."Don't you have any shame?" He would bark at her. She had once thought of leaving the job. She would be better off as a barista in a peaceful coffee shop than in a luxurious home, with good pay but a grumpy boss. But whenever she looked at the kids, and how much they warmed up to her, she would always have a change of mind. She loved them like her own and she would want them to remain in her care. Days had passed and they were only getting fond of her with each passing day.Scarlett flipped the eggs in the pan carefully to avoid a break. It was the way Lucas loved his breakfast. The idea o
Chapter 10"Scarlett, would you come to our school tomorrow?" Callan asked as she served them lunch. She had had a long nap after the kids were gone to school, and now that they were back, she was more than energized to care for them."What for, baby?" Scarlett asked softly, placing the food bowl down for a bit."Tomorrow, our parents are supposed to come to school for a meeting," Claire replied to her."Did you tell your father about it?" She asked them in a concerned tone and the children shook their heads. It was not like she would not want to go to their school, but Lucas might have a different opinion, and she was trying so hard not to annoy him further."Dad has never been to our school for the meeting. Aunty Daphne has always been the one with us, but now that she is gone, we do not know who should go with us," Claire rambled on, and Scarlett listened fixedly."I will have to ask your dad first then," she said, and they nodded happily. She thought about it. Lucas was a jerk and
Lucas sat back on his study desk, the huge mahogany desk secluding his huge frame. Scarlett's voice rang in his mind. The last thing she said to him suddenly haunted him like a plague.He never thought about it in the past. He had loved his ex-wife so much that after her death, it was as though his whole life crumbled with her.He had become emotionally unavailable to everyone around him. He had secluded himself for months after her death and he had to see a therapist before he could move on. Her death still hurt him but he dared to get back to work.To take his mind off the loss, he immersed himself in work. His children were the only ones he still bore some form of emotional attachment to, but he had been so busy with work that he barely saw them.He never knew that Callan had qualified for the kids' baseball team in school and that Claire had learned how to write the alphabet without any help. He only found out these things from their teacher.He constantly ached with a feeling of
Scarlett shivered as she heard his voice. She resolved to apologize to him but he was not taking a chance to look at her or hear whatever she had to say. He rushed over to his daughter as she lay unconscious. Doctor Ezra came in just then."I heard you were around and I decided to come over," he began smiling sheepishly, as though he sought some kind of favor from Lucas."How is my daughter now?" Lucas asked him in a low voice, ignoring his sycophancy. "She is stable now but we would keep her here for a few days, just for further observations," the doctor replied.They soon stepped out for a few words, and Scarlett watched them through the blinds, as though they were deciding her fate. She saw him glance at her once but she looked away.Lucas was livid when he stepped back into the room and he did not utter a single word. He took a seat and Callan curled up to him. He took him in his hands and Scarlett just looked on as he seethed. She was at a loss as to what to do or say next. She
Claire's eyes fluttered open but the bright ward lights forced her to shut them close again. She stirred and it alerted Lucas. He rushed to her immediately and stood over her."Are you okay, baby?" He asked her as he patted her hair softly. She nodded as she gently opened her eyes again, little by little until she fully adjusted to the bright lights. "I'm fine, Daddy. I missed you," she said quietly and looked around. Lucas' eyes grew teary and he looked away immediately and forced them back. He would not be so vulnerable before his children, not after three years of trying to hold back his pain before them.Claire sat up on the bed and a nurse examined her. She looked around the ward. It was beautifully decorated. It had balloons that said 'Get well soon' on them.She looked at the toys that rested on the bed table along with the cards that were brought to her. Her schoolmates and her teacher had visited a day before and they had brought her 'get well soon' cards. Her eyes lit up a