Chapter 2
1064 Words
The city greeted Amara with the heavy scent of gasoline and ambition.
She stepped off the crowded bus, clutching the strap of her worn-out backpack as if it were her last anchor to everything she had left behind. The hum of engines, the chatter of strangers, and the distant honk of a jeepney layered into a kind of chaos she wasn’t used to. But it thrilled her. Scared her, too. But mostly, it reminded her that she had finally done it, she had left.
Gone were the rice fields and rustling bamboo of her quiet hometown. She had traded it for high-rises, neon signs, and endless possibilities.
And maybe, just maybe, a fresh start.
She adjusted her cheap denim jacket and pulled out the crumpled paper from her pocket. It had the address of a cheap motel scribbled in blue ink, given by a cousin who had promised it was “safe enough for a girl alone.”
She walked two blocks before finding the blinking sign: Rosa’s Lodge. It wasn’t exactly the dream she had in mind, but the room was clean, and the lock on the door worked. For now, that was enough.
By sunset, Amara had already unpacked the few clothes she owned, placed her small alarm clock on the rickety bedside table, and sat by the window with a cup of instant noodles. The room was warm, and the city lights twinkled like a different kind of stars.
She whispered a quiet promise to herself, “I’ll make this work. No matter what.”
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Armed with a fresh-printed résumé and the cheapest business attire she could find in a thrift store, Amara hit the streets. Most of the offices and cafes turned her away, too little experience, too soft-spoken, or simply “we’re not hiring right now.” She smiled politely at every rejection, but by the third day, the smile began to fade.
Her savings were enough for a few more nights. Maybe a week if she skipped proper meals.
It was on the fifth day that she spotted it, a flyer taped to a streetlamp just outside a pharmacy:
WANTED: Full-time Nanny. Must be patient, trustworthy, and discreet. Good pay. Live-in setup. No experience needed. Apply in person.
"Hmm.. a nanny? And it's stay in? No experience needed? That sounds me."
The benefit of it is what she needed right now. Free house, free food, and she'll get a salary by just taking care of a kid.
A handwritten note followed:
Address: Villa Rivera, San Lorenzo Heights.
Amara frowned. San Lorenzo Heights was known to be the quiet side of the city. Rich. Exclusive. She looked at the flyer again. Good pay. Two simple words that echoed in her chest like a lifeline.
And she wont waste a opportunity like this, not right now.
She arrived at the tall black gates by noon. A security camera tilted slightly, scanning her before a voice came through the intercom.
"Yes?"
"I-I’m here about the nanny job," Amara said, trying to hide the nervous shake in her voice.
There was a pause. Then the gate slowly creaked open.
The mansion was silent. Grand. The kind of place you’d see in magazines or dream about during long afternoons in a small town. Everything looked expensive, from the black SUV parked in the driveway to the marble path leading to the door.
A maid answered, eyes scanning Amara from head to toe. “You’re early. Follow me.”
Inside, the place was even more intimidating—dark wooden floors, towering paintings, and an eerie quiet that made her heartbeat sound louder than it should.
“You’re here for the nanny job?” the maid asked, eyeing her from head to toe.
“Yes. I’m Amara,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
The maid stepped aside to let her in but gave a tight-lipped smile. “Just because the listing said ‘no experience required’ doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park,” she said pointedly. “Do you even know how to take care of a kid?”
Amara straightened. “Yes, I do. I grew up in an orphanage, and I was one of the older kids there. It was my duty to look after the younger ones. I know how to care for children — how to feed them, comfort them, and even get them to sleep when they’re scared.”
The maid raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. “Well, that’s good to know. But let me tell you something. You’re not just going to be taking care of any child. You’ll be taking care of an extraordinary one. She’s not an orphan… she’s a princess in this house. And everything must be perfect around her.”
Amara blinked but nodded. “I understand.”
“We’ll see,” the maid said, turning on her heel. “Come. The master is expecting you."
Sge followed her, leading to a receiving area.
"Sit down, he’ll be with you shortly,” the maid said, gesturing to a seat in a wide office lined with books.
“He?”
But before the maid could answer, a deep voice interrupted.
“She’s for the nanny job?”
Amara stood.
A man in a crisp, black dress shirt entered the room. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His presence sucked the air from the room like a sudden storm. His sharp eyes locked onto hers, dark and unreadable.
“Yes,” the maid replied. “Sir, this is…?”
“Amara,” she supplied quickly, standing a bit straighter.
He nodded slowly, then looked to the papers on the desk. “No prior experience. Hometown girl. No family in the city?”
“No, sir.”
“Why do you want this job?”
“The pay is good,” she answered honestly, then quickly added, “and I—I love kids.”
He gave a small chuckle. Not mocking. Just... amused. “You’ll be living in. No phones during work hours. No going out without clearance. Full confidentiality. Understood?”
She hesitated. “Yes.”
“Good,” he said, walking toward the door. “You start tomorrow. Her name is Seraphina. She’s five. Be good to her—and maybe you’ll last longer than the last girl.”
Before Amara could ask what happened to the last girl, he was already gone.
- Writer
