This Is Goodbye
1374 Words
Mr. Lim go straight to the servant's quarters. He have an important mission to do. The door is closed so he knocked on the door.
It's odd if the other maids will be knocking in the door, Isabel seems to have an idea of who might that person be, Mr. Lim!
"Isabel." Mr. Lim called from the shared sitting area.
Isabel get out from her small room to find Mr. Lim standing in the middle of the sitting room. He looks very serious.
"Yes? Mr. Lim" Isabel said. So far as she know, she was given the permission to rest both by Mr. Lim and Christopher so she have no idea what brings Mr. Lim to the servant's quarters again.
"Isabel, is Mr. Kon harassing you?"
Isabel is surprised to hear that question. She can't think of a single word to say.
"It's a yes or no. Does your silence means yes?" Mr. Lim said.
Isabel remained quiet. She wants to not involve Mr. Lim with this issue. Besides she have already decided to do whatever the boss pleases. She's completely under the master's control now.
"I know it's not easy to talk and It's impossible to beg the master to leave you alone. This is my responsibility because I hired you." Mr. Lim said followed by a moment of silence.
"I am firing you now. I'm sorry Isabel, you have to go."
Isabel can't believe what she just heard.
"I told you earlier to stay away from the master." Mr. Lim go on to say.
Now that she's fired, where will she go? Isabel thought.
"Don't worry. I got all that you need, cash and ticket. Now pack your stuffs and leave. I will email the Immigration myself about your resignation. And please don't forget to bring your passport. You have the rest of the remaining minutes to pack before the next hour. I will be waiting here." Mr. Lim said. He's making sure that Isabel is leaving very soon.
"Should I not be telling Mr. Kon that I am leaving? And can I say goodbye to my coworkers." Isabel asked. She's finally talking.
"No need. I will be telling them myself. When you are ready, I will carry your stuffs. You don't have to do it. No need to be attracting too much attention. All you need to do is just walk out to the door." Mr. Lim instructed Isabel who can't fully grasp what is happening with her life now.
"Please start packing now." Mr. Lim ordered.
Isabel don't know what to say. This is rather abrupt. She sighed before going to her room. She pulled out a luggage under her bed before she start to stuff it with her clothes. She don't have a lot of clothes so packing is easy. Once she's done, she closed her luggage before taking it to the sitting room.
"I have one more luggage, a small one." Isabel told Mr. Lim.
"Take your time." Mr Lim told Isabel.
Isabel go back to her room again. She sit down on her beds as she thinks. She can stay if she wants to stay and do that girlfriend role but she will be enduring the advances of her boss until he decides to stop playing with her. And that would leave her where? To the maids' quarters again after Christopher announce to everyone about their fake relationship? She will be the joke of everyone else if that happens.
Isabel carried her second luggage to the sitting room after stuffing her remaining clothes. "That's all I have." She told Mr. Lim.
"Very well. I am leaving your luggage at the storage area near the back door. I will leave the door unlocked. You are free to go anytime. Relax and you will not be noticed. You are well educated, you can definitely find a job better than this. Good luck." Mr. Lim said before putting an envelope in the table.
"This is your salary for this month, fully paid. You have travel allowance too. The rest of your salary for the other
months until you finish your contract is also in that envelope. Luckily I was able to book you immediately. Your flight is 4 pm so you should be out of this house latest by 1pm. Go straight to the airport." Mr. Lim said before laying the envelope in the table.
Isabel is staring at the envelope, she don't want to touch it.
"C'mon please check it first before I go."
Isabel get the envelope. She opened it to see lots of cash on it. She shake her head. "This is too much Mr. Lim. You can't be paying me for the months that I don't work."
"Consider it a separation fee." Mr Lim said before pulling Isabel's two luggages as Isabel watch him.He is already out of the door but Isabel's gaze is still in the door.
Wait! How about this money? Isabel thought. Guess she will pass by the bank on her way to the airport. Now, the only thing she have to do is to get out of her room without attracting too much attention and voila she will be out of the Kon's mansion. That would be a relief. Isabel thought.
Isabel is still standing in the middle of the room when she heard someone open the door. She's staring at the door waiting to see who the person might be. She's relieved to see it's Abe.
"Oh, so you're not resting." Abe said upon seeing Isabel.
"Umm yeah.. I'm scared to sleep again."
"I understand you. After that vampire nightmare, it would be difficult to sleep again. But you should try get some rest."
" I will." Isabel replied.
"I'm curious though, who's the vampire?" Abe asked.
"Umm.. I don't know.. It's just a vampire. Never seen him before." Isabel lied. She knows who the vampire is.
"Don't think too much about it, it's just a bad dream."
"Yes, I won't."
"You know what? I noticed something is off with you today Isabel. You are very agreeable. You used to contradict everything I say. I thought I would like you better if you are like that but now I realized that I don't cos that's not you." Abe told Isabel. "Come here.." She says while hugging Isabel.
Isabel hugged Abe back. "You don't have to worry about me Abe. I am just recharging. Everything will be OK, you will see."
"I know Isabel. You're a fighter." Abe said before pulling away. They looked at each other before they laugh like the old times.
Isabel thought it would not be fair to Abe if she just leave without bidding her good bye so she decided to tell Abe that she's leaving the house today.
"Abe I would like to tell you something."
Abe looked at Isabel. "I'm listening." She said.
" I have decided to resign"
Isabel can see that surprised look in Abe's face.
"What? But why?"
Isabel sighed. She won't say anything anymore as she will only be upset if Abe say something hurtful to her.
"I have decided to take a break from work before looking for another job again. Maybe something that would make me wear a.. something like a suit?
Abe is weighing what Isabel said before she speaks. "I'm full support to you Isabel. Whatever you want to do that's for your own good, go for it."
"Thank you Abe."
"Ofcourse! But did you tell the boss already?"
"That's the problem. He can't know until I'm out of here."
"What? But why?"
"It's complicated Abe. Please don't tell anyone. Promise me."
Isabel knows Abe is very chatty. She knows by the look in Abe's face now, it won't be long before everyone come to the quarters to bid her goodbye. She should be out of this house the soonest time possible.
"Abe, Promise me." Isabel repeated.
Abe looked at her before replying. "I promise."
Isabel knows she should not have trusted Abe but she was carried away by her emotions earlier. Now she's about to face a bigger problem. Definitely she should go before Abe spread the news to everyone. The walls have ears, who knows who might be the next person knocking at the door.
- Writer
