CHAPTER 8
788 Words
GILDA'S POV
The air in the car felt heavy, pressing into my lungs until breathing became a chore.
“Where are we going?” I finally asked, realizing I hadn’t even thought to.
“To my office,” he said flatly. “Do you have a problem with that?”
His voice was calm but cold, the kind that didn’t invite argument.
“I don’t,” I whispered. What would it matter if I did? I was already in the car.
The ride stretched on, each turn pulling me deeper into uncertainty. By the time we stopped, my stomach twisted in pain and the world tilted slightly.
“Boss, she doesn’t look okay,” his assistant said.
“What’s wrong with the young lady?” His tone softened, just a bit, enough to surprise me.
“I’m fine,” I lied, then winced. “Just tired. And hungry.”
“Come,” he said simply, and led me into a restaurant so grand I had only ever dreamed of stepping inside.
If Vera and her mother saw a picture of me here, they would think it was a lie. Maybe a Photoshop.
“Get something to eat,” Seth Williams said. “I don’t want you fainting on me.”
“I’ll try not to die in your arms,” I muttered under my breath.
He didn’t react, just gestured to the waiter. I ordered quickly and ate fast, ignoring the guilt that came with each bite. Let him pay, he could afford it.
When I was done, I wiped my hands. “I’m ready.”
He looked at me for a moment, almost smiling, though I couldn’t tell why. “Let’s go.”
We drove again, and when we stopped, I caught my breath. His office towered beside the city’s biggest film theatre, its glass walls gleaming under the afternoon light. I’d passed this place countless times, always wondering what it looked like inside.
Now I was walking through the front doors.
People stared as we passed, whispering. My chest tightened. Maybe Vera had found a way to ruin me here too.
In his office, he gestured to a chair. “Sit. Be comfortable.”
I hesitated before asking, “Why am I here?”
He leaned back. “Because of my niece. She’s the reason.”
I frowned. “Your niece?”
“Yes. She needs someone to care for her, and she chose you".
He slid a document across the desk. My name was printed neatly at the top. My fingers trembled as I flipped through the pages, a contract filled with promises that seemed too good to belong to me.
I looked up. “This can’t be right.”
“Why not?” he asked, a faint smile on his lips. “Everything there is for you. Be her nanny, and you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted.”
His voice softened, almost pleading. “Please. My niece has been really sad and sick. Her father, Japhet, is losing sleep over her. I just want her happy again.”
Japhet.
My pulse stuttered. I’d be working in his house. Seeing him every day.
At least it was better than leaving my life with Vera and her mother, or even with the old man as a wife.
I swallowed hard and tried to sound indifferent. “If I agree, you’ll keep your promises?”
He nodded. “All of them. You have my word.”
I took the paper again and studied the listed benefits, Fame, money, lead roles, even Recognition. The kind that could make a person forget where they came from. He was going to make me famous, and then Vera and her mother got to watch me on television.
It was everything I’d dreamed of. Everything Vera and her mother swore I’d never touch.
I had to act like I was thinking hard about it. Of course, I was thinking of the place I was going to pass the night if I turned down the request.
“Fine,” I said at last. “I’ll do it.”
He smiled, relieved. “You made the right choice.”
I stepped closer to confirm his words, wanting to hear him say them again. But then, a faint scent reached me, something musky and bitter, familiar in a way that made my skin crawl.
My breath caught.
The smell dragged me backward in time, to a memory, a sad memory I didn't want to remember.
I stumbled a step away, heart pounding, the edges of the room closing in.
The more I looked at Seth Williams, the more I remembered that night, the night I was pinned down on the bed and made love to.
- Writer
