Chapter 1
It was getting late. Antonella's family home was already dark. A sign that all the residents had fallen asleep. A black shadow seemed to settle down and then entered through the back door.
Buugh
"You're a burglar, aren't you?"
"No, ma'am. It's me. Diego."
"The smelly one? Huh, don't call me mom! I'm not your mom! No wonder it smells so bad. It's you, the stinker. Why are you home so late?"
"I'm sorry mom. Today you know yourself, if it rained all day. I didn't earn the money you wanted. "
"I told you not to call me mother. Call me Mrs. Eliza. Mrs. Eliza. You stinky bastard. Because you came home late, I had to buy dinner. You really are useless! How much did you bring tonight?"
"Not much, Mrs. Eliza. Only 500 dollars."
Diego handed Mrs. Eliza a stack of shabby bill from his pocket.
"What? Only 500 dollars? You didn't even get half of it. You really are useless! Tomorrow morning, get up early and go straight. I don't want you to slack off. The deposit will be doubled tomorrow. If not, then don't eat anything in my house," Eliza snapped.
"Yes, ma'am. I'll work on it."
"No effort, you have to do it. I don't accept no."
"Fine."
Diego didn't dare argue. he was already very tired today. Plus it rained all day. He had to take shelter several times and his clothes got wet. If it wasn't for the lack of deposits, he would have gone home long ago.
"Get out of my sight! You really stink! What kind of cream are you using to be this smelly? Oh my! Take a quick shower and don't show yourself in my presence!" exclaimed Madame Eliza as she quickly moved out of the way. Diego had not gone far. Eliza immediately called out to him.
"Hey, smelly guy!"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"I'll wake up early tomorrow and go to my mom's house. She's having a banquet tomorrow morning. Remember to get all those smells off your body. You will be helping in the kitchen. Don't let any food get contaminated by your body odor! Remember? Don't make me even more embarrassed by having you in my house!" said Mrs. Eliza as she walked away from Diego, as if she didn't want to hear anything he had to say.
Even if he didn't say no, it wouldn't mean much. He never said no to anything anyone told him to do, especially Antonella's family.
Diego quickly went into the bathroom to clean himself up. He was in the bathroom on the first floor, the special bathroom for the servants. Since Diego turned into a poor man, all the maids were dismissed from the family mansion. Diego became the maid in the big house.
Diego was not born poor. Misfortune seemed to strike when he had just become Antonella's son-in-law. On his wedding day, Axel Giordano, his biological father had a single accident and died. Their driver became the sole suspect for the accident.
The Giordano family is one of the most respected families in business. But unfortunately, on the day his father passed away, Axel Giordano was named as the one who caused a huge loss in the company.
Cedro Giordano, Diego's grandfather, removed Axel Giordano and Diego Giordano from the Giordano family name. Diego was no longer allowed to use the Giordano name and was expelled from the family. he also did not get a penny of property from the Giordano family. He was no longer considered to exist.
Since that day, Diego turned into a poor man, Antonella's family thought that by marrying Diego to Luna, they would benefit. But unfortunately Luna, Diego's wife, had the misfortune of marrying him. That's why Eliza hated Diego so much.
"Hey you, don't waste my water!" Eliza shouted when she went downstairs to get some drinking water and noticed the faucet running from the bathroom where Diego was in the middle of cleaning himself.
Diego lazily turned the tap water on and off. Waiting until Eliza left the kitchen.
"What's with the yelling at this time of night, Mom? It's noisy! I've got a headache and you're shouting in here!" came the voice of Luna who had just come home tired.
"Oh dear, you must be very tired, huh? There, let's sit down, let me get you some water. How was today?" Eliza was heard asking while pouring water for Luna.
"Very bad, mom."
"Be patient, Luna. We'll definitely find a way to turn things around. "Eliza tried to give patience to Luna.
Luna works at one of Antonella's family's subsidiaries. Her father was a coward, he abandoned Luna and his wife. He cheated on her and remarried another woman.
Brown Antonella abandoned Luna as well as Eliza and remarried another woman. Antonella's family, therefore, looked down on Luna and Eliza. Even giving Luna a small position in the subsidiary company and never giving her the confidence to become a manager in the small company.
"Your grandmother is having a big banquet tomorrow. You remember, it's her birthday tomorrow. Everyone will bring gifts. What should we give her? You know, she always expects gifts when there's a banquet. What can we give her?" Eliza asked.
"I don't know mom. I'm not thinking of anything. Thaw Group keeps pressuring me. I'm really struggling."
Diego heard that quite clearly from the bathroom. He was just about to step out of the shower when he heard Luna complaining about the Thaw group again.
After Diego's dismissal from the Giordano family, Luna struggled to find work at Antonella's company. Unfortunately, she met Nino Thaw instead. That man has made life difficult for Luna to date. Just because Luna picked up the wrong folder that had fallen and their folders were switched. Nino lost a sizable work contract. while Luna lost face in front of Antonella's family. Nino's anger continues to this day because of Luna.
In an unspecified amount of time, Nino had asked Luna for money several times. Luna was forced to give it, as compensation for Nino losing billions of dollars because he couldn't hand over the folder containing the presentation to his business partner.
"We'll figure it out. Tomorrow at the banquet, your grandmother will invite so many people. You'll meet a lot of people who will definitely open up your path to better business. Be nice to all of them. Aren't you too beautiful to be sad? Use your charm tomorrow."
"What do you mean?"
"The young master of the Ziam group, didn't he invite you to dinner long ago? He will definitely come tomorrow. I think it's time you changed things up, Luna. Why maintain this relationship? We need the money. Being put down, it makes us miserable." Eliza gave Luna some understanding.
"I'm still your married woman. I want to know the intentions of young master Ziam's group not just for dinner. I can't mom," Luna refused.
Hearing that a smile spread across Diego's lips. He knew that Luna was still quite faithful as a wife, even though up until now, 7 months into their marriage, not once had he gone into Luna's room to even touch her. Never, because Luna wouldn't let him.
"Leave a smelly man who can't give you anything in life, Luna. You deserve better. it's his own fault, how could he turn so poor in an instant? it's a bad luck that happened in your life. He can't even get a job. Even though he has a foreign graduate. He's completely useless!" Eliza scolded.
Diego, of course, grew up in a family of businessmen. But unfortunately, due to the influence of the Giordano family, Diego was unable to get a job even as a lowly employee in any company. That's why he became a beggar in the market. Everyone knew that. A former member of the Giordano family turned poor and begged at the market, one of Antonella's sons-in-law.
"I told you not to bring it up again ma'am. I'm still considering it. It's not an easy decision. So please, don't interfere. I'll think about it, that's for sure," Luna said, giving Diego a bad feeling.
Diego chose to go back to his room and change. His clothes were in the maid's room, where he had been resting constantly. Although occasionally he would sleep on the sofa in Luna's room. Choosing to go into the room was a good choice and, many times he had heard Eliza and Luna arguing about this. His ears would burn every time Eliza insulted him.
Even though he felt humiliated, Diego never chose to leave. Luna, the only reason why he stayed. They had pledged their allegiance, forever faithful. As long as Luna kept it up because he would too. Especially since there was nowhere else he could go but here.
Diego closed his eyes and tried to get rid of all the bad thoughts in his head. It wasn't the first time or two he'd tried to get out of this because, well, he'd helped Luna with every problem in her life. He knew every dollar that had to be spent every day. Even though they tried to cut back on expenses, what Diego made each day was never enough.
After all, Eliza and Luna are two people who are used to having all the luxuries in their lives because they know Diego can't make money without them. Not to mention Antonella's family's treatment of their family, making things even more difficult.