THE SIDE PIECE (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 6

TAMARA

The next day, Nyx landed another side job, so naturally, I was planning to tag along again. But this time, she stopped me.

“Why? Don’t you want me to come with you anymore?” I asked, frowning.

She immediately shook her head.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to come, Tam. It’s just that this isn’t a one-time side gig anymore.”

I frowned even harder.

“What does that mean? Is it an actual job now? You’re going to have to go there every day? What about your job here at home?” I asked one question after another.

“It is every day, but it’s not a full-time job, Tam. Two hours a day is the most I’ll have to work.”

“What kind of job is it? Can’t I come with you and work there too? I’m not doing anything here at home anyway.”

She scratched her eyebrow.

“I’m going to be a part-time housekeeper, Tam. So how are you going to work there when you don’t even know how to do housework?”

I frowned.

“What about you? You don’t know how to do housework either, Nyx.”

She winced before scratching her eyebrow again.

“Damn, Tam! You make it sound like I’m completely useless! I can clean a house now, you know! Besides, the place I’ll be working at has all these high-tech gadgets, so I probably won’t have that much trouble.”

“I want to experience having a part-time job too,” I said enviously.

I deliberately put on my most pitiful expression, hoping Nyx would take me with her.

And, of course, it worked.

“Sige na. I’ll bring you with me so I’ll have someone to help me clean,” she finally agreed.

My eyes immediately widened with excitement.

Not only was I eager to see a different place, I was also dying to try doing something other than staying at home.

“Really? Yes! I’m so excited!”

I couldn't stop smiling.

That first night of Nyx’s part-time job, the two of us were practically bursting with excitement as we headed to the place where she would be working.

When she told me she would be working as a part-time housekeeper at Skyline Villa, I immediately remembered Kyler Laurel.

He had told me to go to his unit and return the money I owed him, but I hadn’t even replied to his message about when I would bring it back.

I supposed I’d worry about that later—once Nyx and I weren’t so busy with her new part-time job.

As usual, we waited for Mama to leave before sneaking out of the house.

Nyx’s cleaning schedule was at eight in the evening because, apparently, that was when the owner of the unit went to the gym. That meant she would have the place to herself while she cleaned.

We arrived at Skyline Villa before eight.

The security was incredibly strict, but since Nyx’s arrival was expected, the guard didn’t ask too many questions after checking her ID.

“Wait, Miss. Who’s this with you? She’s not on the list.”

The guard’s words made me gasp, and I immediately looked at Nyx.

For a few seconds, we stared at each other.

Then Nyx looked back at the guard, apparently scrambling for an excuse.

“Huh? She’s not actually here to clean with me.”

I watched as Nyx stepped closer to the guard and whispered something to him.

The guard glanced at me, his brow furrowing as he looked me over from head to toe.

Then he nodded and let us inside.

“What did you tell the guard? Why did he let me come in?”

I immediately bombarded her with questions.

He hadn’t even asked for my ID, so I was completely baffled by how she had managed to convince him.

“Ah… that?”

She looked at me as we stopped in front of the elevator.

“I told him you’re a Jezebel and that the owner of the unit I’m cleaning hired you too.”

She grinned at me.

The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside together.

“Jezebel? What does that even mean, Nyx?”

She knew so many things. Sometimes, I honestly had no idea what she was talking about whenever she tried to teach me something new.

“It means prostitute. Around here, among the upper class, they call prostitutes Jezebels. Get it now?”

I grimaced.

“What the hell, Nyx? Do I look like a prostitute?”

She raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just an excuse, okay? How else were we supposed to get you inside? I had to tell him you were a prostitute and that my employer had hired you too.”

I could only sigh.

There was nothing I could do anymore. She had already said it.

Nyx was unusually quiet as we rode the elevator, so I nudged her with my elbow.

“Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?”

She shook her head.

“No. This place just feels familiar to me.”

She looked around the elevator.

“You know that feeling when you’re somewhere for the first time, but somehow it feels like you’ve been there before? Like you already know the place? Especially this elevator.”

I stared at her, trying to think of a possible reason why the place might feel so familiar to her.

“Maybe you used to be an elevator lady?”

She looked at me.

Then she cursed.

“f**k, Tam. I thought you were going to say maybe I used to be some rich heiress who lived in a luxurious place like this, and that's why it feels familiar!”

I grimaced.

“But if you were a rich heiress, wouldn’t your family have abandoned you at the asylum?”

She pursed her lips before slowly nodding.

“Actually… you have a point. If I were a rich heiress, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be in an asylum. My family probably would’ve sent me abroad for treatment instead.”

Our conversation came to an end when the elevator doors opened on our floor.

Nyx and I walked down the hallway until we stopped in front of one of the units.

The moment I looked up and saw the unit number, I froze.

“Come on, Tam. Let’s go inside. The owner is only going to be at the gym for an hour. We might still get caught here, and then they’ll start asking why there are two of us cleaning.”

Nyx held up the key card the guard had given her and tapped it against the door.

I didn’t even get the chance to tell her that I knew the owner of the unit we were about to clean.

This is Kyler Laurel’s unit!

Wow. What are the chances? The world really is ridiculously small. Maybe I’m actually going to run into him here.

The moment we stepped inside, I recognized the scent.

It smelled exactly like his office at Laurel Construction.

There was no way I could be mistaken. This was definitely Kyler’s unit.

Especially after what he had told me during our phone conversation.

I couldn’t help looking around.

The entire interior was unmistakably masculine. From the furniture to the design, everything screamed that a man lived here.

“I’ll take care of the living room, Tam. Just check the bathroom and clean it. They’re not scheduled to change the beddings yet, so you won’t have much to do in the bedroom.”

Nyx’s voice snapped me out of my staring.

She pointed toward the master bedroom, so I immediately headed that way.

The moment I stepped inside, I became even more distracted by my surroundings.

There was a framed photograph beside the bed.

I smiled and picked it up, unable to resist taking a closer look.

“He was already handsome even when he was young.”

I stared at the picture.

He looked like a teenager, with both arms resting on the handlebars of a big bike.

He was wearing a school uniform, so I was pretty sure he had still been a student when the picture was taken.

“Hey, Tam! What are you doing over there?”

Nyx’s sudden shout startled me so badly that I dropped the frame.

It hit the floor.

Thankfully, the bedroom was carpeted, so the glass didn’t break.

“I told you to clean! I was only given an hour to clean this place. Do you want the owner to catch us here?”

Nyx stood with her hands on her hips, scolding me.

“Okay, okay! I’m cleaning!”

I hurried into the bathroom.

I nearly screamed and cursed when the toilet lid suddenly opened.

“s**t! A smart toilet?”

I clutched my chest.

There was some kind of illuminated control panel beside it.

I straightened up, grabbed the mop, and decided to just clean the floor and leave the toilet alone.

Luckily, the bathroom wasn’t dirty to begin with, so I finished quickly, including the shower area.

I went back to the bedroom and vacuumed for a few minutes.

When I returned to the living room, Nyx was gone.

I headed toward the kitchen and found her there, still cleaning.

“I’m done with the bedroom.”

She glanced at me and nodded before continuing what she was doing.

A moment later, she finished too.

We left the unit together.

“The job is actually pretty easy. You should get me in too, Nyx. Then we can work in different units.”

I said this as we stepped back into the elevator.

“Are you sure you can handle it by yourself?”

I nodded.

“I can handle it.”

I smiled at her.

She shook her head, looking unconvinced.

“That answer isn't good enough. I’m worried about you, Tam. The clients here are rich, and they’re probably picky and difficult to please. One mistake and they could make your life miserable.”

I pouted.

Mama was exactly like that.

She was so arrogant that even my twin, Tamiko, had grown accustomed to looking down on other people.

“But I’ll tell the person I know who got me this job that I have someone I can recommend. If there’s an opening, you might be able to get in.”

I nodded and smiled.

The next morning, Nyx didn’t have a side job, so we stayed home and spent the morning chatting happily because Mama had left the house early.

We spent the entire day laughing and having fun while watching movies.

I always had so much fun watching movies with Nyx because our tastes were almost identical.

My twin, on the other hand, wouldn’t watch anything except fashion vlogs and makeup tutorials.

I found those things boring, especially since I wasn’t fashionable and wasn’t interested in makeup.

“You know, Nyx… I think we’re having a little too much fun today.”

I finally voiced my thoughts that afternoon as we prepared an early dinner because I was going to accompany her to work again.

“It feels weird. Like… something isn’t right.”

The whole day had been wonderful.

We had laughed, watched movies, and enjoyed ourselves.

But there was this strange feeling in my chest that I couldn’t shake.

I didn’t understand why I couldn’t fully enjoy the happiness I was feeling.

It was almost as if, at any moment, this happiness would disappear and something else would take its place.

“Oh, come on! Maybe that’s a sign you shouldn’t come with me tonight.”

Nyx tried to scare me.

“Maybe you’ll make a mistake at work later. Then we’re screwed!”

I grimaced.

“You’re terrible, Nyx—”

I didn’t even get to finish.

A noise outside suddenly caught our attention.

“You don’t have to come back here anymore! I’ll pay you tomorrow! What the hell do you take me for? A woman who doesn’t keep her word?!”

Nyx and I looked at each other.

We both stood up at the same time when we recognized Mama’s voice.

She was obviously drunk.

She was practically screaming.

“Mama!”

I rushed outside without another thought to see what was happening.

We found the guard blocking the man who was with Mama.

“Just bring your daughter out!”

The man’s voice was loud and demanding.

“You said your daughter would be my payment if you couldn’t pay me this week! Where is she? I want to make damn sure I get something out of you!”

“Mama!”

I shouted her name.

Everyone turned toward us.

The man talking to Mama immediately approached me.

“So this is your daughter?”

Before I could react, he grabbed my arm.

I immediately yanked it away.

His brow furrowed.

“You’re coming with me. Your mother already sold you to me, so don’t start acting difficult!”

I stared at him in shock.

Then I looked at Mama.

She was completely wasted, barely able to stand without the guard supporting her.

“Come on. You’re coming with me.”

The man grabbed my arm again.

“I paid a lot for you. I’m only going to use you for a few nights while my wife is out of the country.”

“Let go of me! Mama!”

I struggled against his grip, but his fingers only tightened around my arm.

Fear began creeping through me.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Mama had sold me to him.

There was no way she could have done that.

“Come on, I said—”

The man stopped pulling me when Nyx stepped in front of him.

“You can’t just take her! I’m reporting you to the police!”

The man only laughed mockingly.

“Oh, go ahead. Call the police. Then the two of us can get arrested together.”

He glanced toward Mama.

“What we did was illegal gambling. So unless you want that woman arrested too, get the hell out of my way.”

He grabbed my arm again and started pulling me toward him.

“N-Nyx…”

My voice trembled.

I was terrified.

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, and I could smell alcohol on his breath.

If I went with him, I knew something terrible would happen to me.

“You can’t just take my friend!”

Nyx shouted as she stubbornly stepped in front of him again.

“f**k! I told you to get out of my way!”

The man shoved Nyx.

I stared in horror as she fell to the ground.

“N-Nyx!”

I cried out.

“f**k you!”

Nyx cursed as she pushed herself up.

“If you break a bone in this sexy hip of mine, old man, you’re going to regret it!”

She grabbed a potted plant and smashed it against the man's foot.

He howled and cursed.

I took advantage of the distraction and bit down hard on his hand.

He immediately released me.

But before Nyx and I could even celebrate, something flashed near his waist.

Our eyes widened simultaneously.

The man had pulled out a gun.

And he was pointing it straight at Nyx.

“What now?”

His voice was filled with arrogance.

“You two planning to fight me?”

The guard tried to intervene, but the man immediately pointed the gun at him.

The guard froze.

I swallowed repeatedly.

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe.

I had no idea what to do.

“How much did Tam’s mother borrow from you?”

Nyx suddenly spoke.

I looked at her.

The man turned toward her.

“Fifty thousand. Why? You planning to pay it?”

My eyes widened.

Nyx hadn't even said anything else, but I already knew what she was thinking.

“Nyx, don’t—”

“Fine. I’ll pay you.”

She didn’t hesitate.

“Wait here. I’ll get the money upstairs.”

Before I could stop her, she turned and went inside.

A few moments later, she returned with the money and handed it to the man.

He immediately counted every bill.

“Well, that was easy.”

He tucked the gun back into the waistband of his pants.

Then he turned and walked away.

My knees nearly gave out from the fear.

I sank onto the grass.

“Tam! Are you okay?”

Nyx hurried toward me.

“What about the… money?”

I looked at her in disbelief.

“I gave that to you so you could use it, Nyx—”

“I used it, didn’t I?”

She cut me off before I could finish.

I stared at her, unable to believe what she'd just said.

She smiled softly.

“It’s just money, Tam.”

Her voice was gentle.

“Your life is worth more than that. So don’t worry about it.”

She bent down and helped me to my feet.