Bounded by Duty

Chapter 15: Weight

Amaya's POV

“LIV!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!”

I heard a woman shout behind me. The look on the girl’s face shifted from anger to fear and regret in the blink of an eye.

Judging by her reaction, I assumed the person behind her was her mother. Her eyes dilated with panic. I turned around to face the woman approaching us.

I came face-to-face with a middle-aged woman. She looked like she was in her fifties. Her light skin had gone pale, and she was glaring daggers at the girl behind me. I honestly hadn’t seen her before, either that or I just hadn’t noticed her.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Bertarelli,” she said with her head bowed. “I’ll take full responsibility for her actions. She didn’t mean those words.”

“She’s just a child.” she added.

Liv grumbled behind me. I was sure she hated to see her mother or whoever this was…. Was apologizing.

“Are you her mother?” I asked, curious, because I didn’t see any resemblance between them.

“No, ma’am. I’m not her mother. Her mom is busy.”

“Okay. I’d like to see her mother,” I said. I heard Liv gasp behind me, I perceived fear.

“For what? Why do you want to see my mom?”

Her voice trembled with fear.

Good. I thought to myself.

As much as I wanted to be petty, I wasn’t cruel enough to hurt these people. I knew I hadn’t been the best since I moved in, but I definitely wasn’t the worst either.

The woman in front of me shot Liv a sharp, disapproving look. I could see the disappointment written all over her face.

“What’s your name?” I asked, taking a step closer to her.

“Tara, ma’am. My name is Tara.” she's responded, lowly, not meeting my eyes

“That’s a nice name.”

“Nice to meet you, Tara,” I said, stretching my hand out for a handshake.

She looked from my hand to my face and back again before gently placing her hand in mine.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She finally looked me in the eyes. I could tell she was skeptical about me, but I was determined.

“I’ll head back to my room, and when I come back down, you can introduce her mom to me. Until then, you can get back to work.”

I walked out of the kitchen and back to my room, my heart heavy with all the words Liv had said to me. But what could I do?

Everyone has the right to their opinion and that was hers. It didn’t define me.

Right?

I tried to brush it off as much as I could, not wanting it to weigh on me or cloud my mood.

---

It was five minutes to eight at night. I knew Nathan would be back soon, and I needed to at least look presentable. Maybe even impressive.

I freshened up and put on a blue, flowery flared dress that stopped just past my thighs. I sprayed on some Valentino perfume, packed my hair into a ponytail, and went with no makeup.

I headed downstairs to wait for him and watched the maids set the table.

The sound of my flats echoed as I walked down the stairs, causing everyone to turn their heads. I ignored them and continued my descent.

Just as I stepped onto the last floor stair, an older woman rushed toward me.

I took two steps back in surprise.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, keeping my voice steady even though I was caught off guard.

“Tara told me you’d like to see me. But before that, I want to apologize for whatever Oliver said. She didn’t mean any of it. She’s just too childish to understand the weight of her words.” Her hands toyed nervously with the apron on her uniform.

“Oh, you’re Liv’s mom?” I asked, though her face was telling. She had the same almond eyes and nose. She was like a softer version of her daughter.

Her freckles led the way to her rosy cheeks and pointed chin. She was beautiful, even in the maid’s uniform.

“How about we talk later, huh? My husband will be home soon, and I’d like us to have enough time. I want to get to know you.”

She glanced up, blinking rapidly, as if trying to process what I had just said. Her once-gloomy eyes now looked confused.

“I’m not mad at your daughter. I’m sure I’ve said one or two bad things about my father’s employees in the past. So, let’s talk later.”

Her shoulders relaxed, and she let out a small sigh of relief. She nodded slowly.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” she said with a genuine smile.

“I think tomorrow will be perfect. Let’s sleep on it tonight,” I added.

She nodded eagerly, the smile still plastered on her face as I walked past her toward the dining hall.

Everyone was busy setting the table while I walked around to observe how well they were doing.

I made my way toward the floor-to-ceiling window, staring out into the night. The moon was so bright tonight, and I suddenly wondered why I hadn’t stepped outside since I arrived here.

I questioned myself, realizing that I was the one who made staying indoors worse, when I hadn’t even explored the compound.

My legs carried me of their own accord, and before I realized it, I was standing by the door with my hand on the handle.

I twisted it open—and my stomach twisted with it.

When the fresh air hit me, it blew my ponytail behind me.

I felt something inside me come alive. I walked further away from the door until I was fully outside the compound.

I inhaled deeply as the cold night breeze kissed my skin. I closed my eyes and let the feeling sink in. Then I looked up to the sky, admiring the moonlight.

“Hey there,” I whispered softly.

I bent down and wrapped my arms around my legs, smiling to myself.

“This is amazing.”