My Boss:The worst nightmare

CHAPTER 3

Kyle stared out the plane window at his estate, memories of his childhood flooding back. Memories of his mother, his two elder sisters, and himself. His father was absent from these memories, always far away with another woman. He rarely came home or called, only sending money. Kyle resented his father then and even now. His late mother always tried to justify his father’s actions, even when Kyle found her secretly crying in her room.

As the plane prepared to land, Kyle checked on his eight-year-old nephew, James, who smiled back at him, excited and clueless. James had heard stories from his mother about the mansion she grew up in and couldn't wait to see it for himself.

Once the plane landed, Kyle unfastened James' seatbelt. The boy eagerly stepped out while Kyle carried their two big suitcases. He gave the pilot a final goodbye and the plane took off again, its wind blowing fiercely. Kyle’s niece clung to him as the plane disappeared from sight.

Surprised, Kyle saw a lady on the ground, likely knocked down by the wind from the chopper. "I guess you’re not smart enough," he smirked, watching her struggle to get up. She was beautiful, and for a moment, he forgot her foolishness and scanned her body. She had tiny shoulders, a B-cup chest peeking from her gown, a tiny waist, and a curvy figure. She was short, with messy hair from her fall. When he looked into her brown eyes, they shone with a burning desire he couldn't quite place. She whimpered and fell back to the floor.

What a fool, he thought. By now, the other workers had come outside. The sight of Mrs. Jade excited him. He beckoned to his nephew, who was helping the lady to her feet, and introduced them. Mrs. Jade had played a motherly role in his life after his mother's death. His eldest sister had just gotten married then, and his other sister was in college. Even when he locked himself up, starved himself, and inflicted injuries on his body, Mrs. Jade never gave up on him.

Kyle took one last glance at the lady before entering the house with Mrs. Jade and the other workers. His room brought back even more memories, though it had changed slightly. The bed and frame were now more elegant, and the paintings were different, but his shelf was still there, neater and well-organized. He was still examining the room when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he commanded, turning toward the door. Mrs. Jade walked in, her smile as warm as ever.

"I’m done setting the table," she told him, smiling again as she prepared to leave his room.

"You’re not mad?" he asked, stopping her. "For not informing you I was coming?" He walked toward her and hugged her again. She was taken aback. The last time she saw him was in his second year of college. Since then, he had stopped coming to the house but wrote to her occasionally. His last letter informed her about his new law firm and that his manager would handle the house and pay the employees. That was five years ago, and he had stopped writing after that. She let him embrace her, sensing he needed it. When he pulled away, she readjusted her clothes and smiled broadly at him.

"I trust you," she said, easing his worries.

"I'll be downstairs soon," he informed her before returning to his luggage.

After changing his clothes, Kyle went downstairs and saw James already seated at the dining table. James was chatting happily with the other workers and seemed curious about every dish served. Kyle chuckled and joined him at the table, sitting across from him. James smiled and started chattering about how one of the workers told him the shrimp were caught at the back of the house and that the chicken was live. Kyle found it amusing since James had never seen live chickens or shrimp before.

"Why don’t they take you on a tour when you’re less busy?" Kyle suggested, settling his napkin on his lap. James was so excited that he jumped from his chair to hug him.

"Where is the other lady?" Kyle asked Fiona, who was about to leave as he took his first bite of spaghetti.

"Miss Sia," Fiona informed him. "She is the house manager and she’s injured, so she’s in her room tending to it."

"Oh, that’s her name. She seems too clumsy to be the house manager," he scoffed. "You are?" he asked, pointing his fork at both Fiona and Cherry.

"Cherry, sir," she introduced herself. Fiona did the same. He dismissed them after instructing Fiona to check on Sia regularly and tell her to see him once she recovered.

After eating, Kyle retreated to his room. He lay on his bed, hoping to distract himself and find some calm. He was running away from the media and people. Biting his lip and covering his face with his palm, the tears came again. He wanted to act like a man, but he failed, and the tears rolled down his face. How could people switch on him so fast? he thought amidst his tears. The day his world crumbled replayed in his mind. He had been set up, costing him his law firm and his license as a lawyer. His credibility was tarnished, the government seized his property, and all his bank accounts were frozen. He would be tried in court in three weeks, and people he had helped, excluding his sisters, had turned their backs on him, including his fiancée.

He cried himself to sleep.

Around midnight, he awoke and sat on his king-size bed. His head throbbed from crying. He rubbed his eyes, but it didn’t help. He needed water to soothe his dry throat. Sleepily, he headed downstairs to the kitchen. It was late, and he knew the workers would have retired to bed. Besides, he didn't want anyone to see him in his current state. Turning on the kitchen lights, he rubbed his eyes again. Hearing a noise, he looked up and met Sia's gaze. The apple she was holding fell to the floor. She was startled, and his eyes widened. Foolishly, he stared at his body. She was in a nightwear—a short, armless gown with a V-neck that exposed some of her breasts, her n*****s standing out. She wore no bra, and the gown clung to her waist, showing traces of her lower body. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he saw her move away in shyness. When he looked up at her, their eyes locked. Her facial expression had changed into something intense, and she was staring at his chest.

"Sh*t," he cussed. He had forgotten his shirt was unbuttoned. Turning his back on her to button up, he reminded himself he didn't need a distraction. He had too much on his plate already and wasn’t ready for any fling or flirting.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, her voice shaking. He wanted to assure her there was nothing to be sorry for, but instead, he said, "If you are sorry, you wouldn't be here, stealing." He faced her now, shirt buttoned. Sia was taken aback, stammering.

"St... steal... stealing?" She was shocked and then angry at the accusation. She scoffed, "Excuse me?"

"You won't dare move an inch from where you are," he commanded, staring intently at her. "I am your boss! I pay your salary, not the other way around, so you won’t dare disrespect me in that manner," he growled.

"Manner?" She seemed dumbfounded.

"Yes, you address me in a respectful way," he hissed. "Why the f*ck are you even here? Who the heck employed a slow person like you? Huh?" He was venting his anger on her. Sia just smiled and bowed respectfully. "I am sorry, sir," she apologized. Looking back up, she added, "I will retire to my room now. It’s past working time. Have a lovely night." She walked away immediately, ignoring his whining. He grinned and left the kitchen, forgetting even to drink the water he had come for.

He felt bad for her, but anger also boiled within him. It was her fault for making him lose focus. If only she wasn’t so attractive, and her body didn’t call for attention. Now, he had to fight the urge to resist her and deal with his own problems. The thought of seeing her smile even after he insulted her annoyed him. Her life must have been so perfect, he thought. After all, he was the one having issues with his work, the government, and the media.

He was frustrated.