Chapter 8
1931 Words
My heart started beating fast and hard as Jagger walked toward me. I had just dropped my mother off at the terminal since she was going back home, and when I returned, he was here. I thought he had already gone to work—so what was he doing here? I took a step back as he moved even closer, and I could clearly see the sadness mixed with frustration on his face. I didn’t know what he needed, but no matter what he said, we could never be together again. If only he knew how I still felt about him…
Of course, I haven’t moved on, even after all these months. I’ve been dreaming about him every night, reliving everything we did back in his tent—our intimate moments, his care, and our passionate encounters. I’m not ready! I never expected to see him again! I was trying to forget the man who once brought me so much happiness.
So why did you have to show up? And why am I even working for you?
“Babe—Poppy, we need to talk,” he said seriously.
I instinctively stepped back. If he got any closer, I might not be able to resist him.
“Sir Jagger…” I murmured.
His jaw clenched, and he reached out as if to touch me, but I dodged him. He let out a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. I wasn’t used to seeing him like this, but maybe it was better to just talk things out and finally put everything between us to rest.
“You are driving me nuts!” he burst out, startling me. “Do you even know how much I want to hold you? To hug you? I want to kiss you! The moment I saw you yesterday, all I wanted was to run to you. But it hurts—the way you look at me, the way you avoid me, the way you call me SIR! We are together, Poppy! I am your boyfriend!”
“You’re my employer, sir,” I firmly corrected him.
He winced.
“I work for you now. You’re not my boyfriend anymore. From the moment you left me without a word—no calls, no messages—I forced myself to forget you. I erased everything we had. And most of all, I erased ‘us.’ Your actions deeply hurt me. You gave me hope, and I waited for you for months. You promised me you’d do everything to be with me. But you never came back!” I said, my voice filled with pain.
“I did come back! God knows I did! But you weren’t home! I searched everywhere for you. I even went to your friend, but she wouldn’t tell me where you were! If I had known what happened to your father, I would have been there to support you!”
I froze.
Did he just say he came back? Did he mention that he had spoken to my friend? But why didn’t she tell me? Maybe we weren’t home because I was at the hospital, taking care of my father.
“Please, Poppy, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t come back sooner. There was an emergency that we had to take care of. We had to fly abroad to handle it. I tried to call you so many times, but my damn calls wouldn’t go through!”
He stepped closer and gently cupped my face. I shut my eyes at his touch, my whole body reacting to the warmth of his hand. Just one touch, and I was already coming undone.
“I miss you. I miss you so much, babe. I feel like I’m going insane thinking about you. I look at our pictures every day. I dream of you every night,” he said sincerely.
“Qu-Jagger…” I whispered.
“To be honest, it would have been better if you had never come back.”
He froze, his hand recoiling as if from a burn.
I stepped back, but I took his hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Let’s just forget everything. I was foolish to dream too high. I wanted you; I wanted us to be together. But now, I see that our relationship has no future.”
I struggled to keep my tears at bay.
“Poppy, what are you saying? I need you. Please, give me a chance. I won’t leave you again. I’ll stay right here. I’ll never leave your side.”
I gave him a small, sad smile.
“You seem to forget that I’m your maid now. I’m the daughter of your family’s former housekeeper. I’m just a girl who barely finished high school, a girl from the countryside. I’m not the kind of woman meant for you. My mother made me see that—she made it very clear how different our worlds are. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before. But now that I'm here working for your family, I understand. There is no future for us. It’s better to let go of everything. I’m sorry, Jagger, but I can’t be the one to ruin your life.”
He didn’t respond. Instead, his hands clenched into fists.
He was about to say something when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and cursed under his breath before answering. I noticed how tense he became, his eyes locked onto mine with an intense gaze.
“I’m on my way,” he said firmly before ending the call.
“This isn’t over, Poppy. Nothing you said makes sense to me. I won’t accept it—because you are the only woman for me. I was your first, and I will definitely be your last.”
My eyes widened as he suddenly leaned in closer. I just stood there, staring at him. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they were filled with longing.
“You’re mine. You will always be mine, Poppy. Remember that.”
And with that, he turned around and walked away.
I stood frozen, watching him leave.
My knees weakened, and I collapsed onto the sofa, clutching my chest where my heart pounded uncontrollably.
When I finally calmed down, I went to the kitchen to drink some water. I took deep breaths several times until my heartbeat slowed. I didn’t want to believe anything Jagger had said. Did he really come back? Why did he claim that my words made no sense? It was true! Our situation was like heaven and earth—completely different worlds. I was just being realistic, and I didn’t want to hope that we would end up together.
This was not a romantic drama! I also didn’t want to be a Cinderella waiting for a man to lift me out of poverty. I didn’t want to rely on him; I wanted to be a woman he could be proud of, someone who wouldn’t embarrass him in front of others. I wasn’t that woman, and I never would be. There were plenty of sophisticated, wealthy women who suited him better, and I was sure many of them were interested in him. I didn’t want to cause trouble just because of a girl from the province like me.
I grabbed my phone and called my friend to be sure.
"Hello, Lyka!" I said when she answered.
"Ayyyy, Poppy! My beautiful friend is calling! How are you? Have you started flirting with your bosses yet?" She teased, and if she were beside me, I would’ve smacked her.
"You’re crazy! I have no one to flirt with, okay? My mom would disown me!" I retorted, and I heard her laugh.
"I actually have something to ask you."
"What? "How can you make a rich city guy fall for you?" She joked again, and I shook my head.
"No! Lyka, seriously!" She laughed again. "Tell me the truth… did you talk to Jagger while we weren’t home?"
She suddenly fell silent on the other end, and I didn’t hear a response right away.
"Hey…"
"Sorry, Poppy, I didn’t tell you. Your loverboy came back looking for you. But I didn’t tell you because I saw how much he hurt you. You’re my friend, and I didn’t want to see you get hurt again," she said sadly, and I let out a deep sigh.
"It’s okay, Lyka. It’s actually good that you didn’t tell me. It's also a good thing that you kept my whereabouts a secret. If you had, I might’ve hoped too much. I don’t even know why I thought we had a chance when he’s so wealthy. Do you know he’s actually one of my mom’s employers?"
"Really?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yeah, I was shocked too. He and his siblings own the house I’m working in now. If you were here, I bet we’d both be drooling over them!" She squealed, and I laughed.
"You’re so lucky!!! Can you believe it? Jagger is actually your mom’s boss. He really is rich! So, did you guys talk? What did he say? Now I feel guilty for not telling him where you were. You could have gotten back together! I support you all the way! I just didn’t want you to get hurt again. You know I have my own trauma with men like that."
"I know, but don’t feel guilty. I realized that we’re really not meant to be. Don’t tell anyone, okay? Especially my family."
"Of course! Don’t worry. And I’m always here for you. Who else would be there for us but two heartbroken girls like us?" She said, making me laugh again.
"Thanks, Lyka. Alright, I have to get back to work. Take care over there."
We said our goodbyes, and I hung up. I tapped both of my cheeks and strengthened my resolve. I did the right thing. I would forget everything and focus on my job so I could help my family.
As I was cooking dinner that afternoon, I was surprised when the house phone rang. I quickly answered it, and it was Sir Jordan calling.
"Poppy? Has Jagger come home yet?" he asked, making me pause.
"Not yet, sir," I replied. "I saw him earlier when I got home from the terminal, but then he left again."
"Alright, we’ll look for him. We might come home late."
I was about to respond, but the call had already ended.
A sudden worry crept over me, and I bit my lip, recalling the things I had said to Jagger earlier. Where did he go? Did he go to another woman? My heart ached at the thought.
Why was Sir Jordan looking for him? Did something happen?
I waited for them all night. I couldn’t even eat because, whether I admitted it or not, I was worried. I also waited for Sir Jordan to call again, but he never did.
I stood up from my seat when I saw the headlights of several cars entering the gate. Before I could even open the door, it swung open, and Sir Jordan and Janus entered, supporting Jagger, who looked completely drunk.
I was stunned when Jagger suddenly dropped to his knees in front of me and wrapped his arms around my legs.
"Poppy… Poppy… come back to me… Please…" He pleaded weakly, and I couldn’t find my voice.
I looked up at his brothers, who were just staring at us.
Did they know about our relationship?
- Writer
