The Stranger In Me

Chapter 3: Cracks Beneath Obedience

Marie's point of View

•••

"How dare you keep me waiting in the office for so long when I asked you to follow me immediately!"His voice struck harder than the slap.

My hand remained pressed against my cheek, still burning from the impact. I could feel the sting deep beneath my skin, spreading like fire, but I fought desperately to keep the tears from falling. They gathered anyway, blurring my vision as I struggled to find the right words-the safe words.

"I... I got drenched in the rain while trying to find a cab, sir," I said carefully, my voice low and controlled.

"What rain?" he scoffed sharply. "You call that little drizzle rain? And this-this is what you call 'drenched'? How amusing."

Before I could respond, he brushed past me, pushing me aside with nothing more than his thumb, as though I were something insignificant... something disposable.

"Clean my office," he continued coldly, already reaching for the door. "Then go pick up the Mia from school. After that, return home and arrange the groceries you bought."

I hesitated, my gaze fixed on the polished floor beneath my feet.

"But... Nikky and David said this morning they would pick her up themselves with the chauffeur," I murmured.

His movements stopped.Slowly, he turned.

"Are you trying to flout my orders?"

"No, sir... not at all, I just-"

"Shhh." He cut me off with a sharp gesture. "Stop talking. Just obey."

The door slammed behind him.

The silence that followed felt heavier than his anger.

For a moment, I stood still, unable to move. Then, almost instinctively, I walked toward the mirror in his office. My reflection stared back at me-unrecognizable.

My cheek was swollen, flushed red against my dark skin.I touched it gently, wincing.

I couldn't go to Mia's school looking like this.

What would I even say if she asked? Children notice everything... especially Mia.

With a quiet sigh, I grabbed my bag and left the office.

---

The streets of Makati City buzzed with life, as if nothing had happened-as if my world hadn't just tilted off its axis. I stopped briefly at a small roadside stall, buying a cold sachet of water and pressing it against my cheek, hoping it would reduce the swelling.

The vendor gave me a curious look, but said nothing.

I was grateful for that.By the time I arrived at Mia's school near Bonifacio Global City, the sky had cleared slightly, leaving behind damp roads and a faint earthy scent.

But I was too late."Mia?" I asked the security guard at the gate, trying to steady my voice.

" Mia Kelvin?Oh, she's already been picked up," he replied casually.

"Left earlier in a red Toyota with her siblings and their driver."

I froze.Of course,Nikky and David just as they had said.

A wave of exhaustion washed over me-deeper than before. Not just physical, but emotional... the kind that settles into your bones.

I nodded silently and turned away, my thoughts heavy.

So... this errand had been pointless or maybe not pointless.

Maybe it was just another way to remind me of my place.

---

Sir Kelvin's Point of View

••••

"How dare you keep me waiting..."The words had come out before I could stop them.Anger-sharp, immediate, blinding.

But as I stood there, watching her, something didn't sit right.

Her clothes clung to her body, damp and nearly transparent from the rain. Her hair hung in wet strands around her face, untamed and neglected, as though she had been caught in a storm with no shelter.

She had been drenched that much; it was obvious and yet, she didn't argue.She didn't defend herself,she simply... responded calmly;too calmly,it unsettled me.

What kind of person endures that much and still speaks with restraint? Was it patience... or something closer to quiet resignation?

For a fleeting moment, my anger faltered,but I pushed it aside.

Instead, I gave her orders-busywork, really. I knew Nikky and David would pick up Mia.They always did during assessment week.

So why send her?.Well,because it was still working hours,because I refused to let her sit idle,because... I didn't know what else to do with her.

Let her go home early? Rest? Laugh with the other staff? and still pay her?

No,that felt wrong or perhaps... unfamiliar.

I walked down the hallway of A&K Airline Company, my footsteps echoing against the pristine tiles as I tried to convince myself of something I wasn't entirely sure I believed.

A good CEO must be firm,unyielding,fair-but not soft,leniency breeds complacency.

That's what I had always believed,what I had built my empire on.

Still,as I adjusted my cufflinks and prepared for my next meeting, an image flashed in my mind-

Marie.Standing there,silent,holding back tears and for reasons I couldn't explain...

It lingered longer than it should have.