TAMING THE COLD-HEARTED BOSS

Chapter 01: The Weight of Silence Maggie and her little sister Lucie both sat there, their eyes fixed on the piece of bread lying on the table. With sadness in her eyes, and a real desire visible in little Lucie's gaze, Maggie picked up her cup of warm milk and quickly drank it all, much to the little girl's surprise. As soon as she put the cup down, Maggie sighed and a big, expressive smile appeared on her lips. "Oh! I'm so full! I can't eat anything else," she pretended to be full. "You can have it, my Lucie. Your big sister isn't hungry anymore. I'm full," she said, happily pinching her cheek. "Go ahead, take it," she insisted. "And what about you, Maggie?" the little girl asked in her small, worried voice. "I'm full, sweetheart. The warm milk took up all the space, so go ahead and eat it," she replied with the same smile. Lucie nodded slightly and did as she was told. She took the piece of bread and ate it with appetite, enjoying every bite as if it were her last. Maggie watched her sadly, fully aware of the situation her family was in. "Take your time, Lucie. I'm going to finish getting ready, then I'll go see Mom and Dad before I leave. Okay?" Lucie nodded. Maggie leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Then she stood up and slowly walked toward the hallway. But just before taking another step, she turned for a moment and looked at little Lucie eating her breakfast with such appetite. In Maggie's eyes was a light that screamed more than her words could ever dare to say and more than her heart could bear. "I'm sorry, Lucie... Your big sister will do everything to make our life better... everything, sweetheart," she thought, wiping away the single tear that rolled down her cheek. With a heavy heart, Maggie headed toward her parents' bedroom. "Gérard, try again. It can't go on like this!" his wife shouted. "Natacha, calm down. That i***t will answer me eventually," he said as he dialed the number again. Suddenly, he pulled the phone away from his ear and let out a small cry of anger. "What is it? He still isn't answering, is he?" his wife asked worriedly. "These people can't be trusted at all... I should have known after all these years of doing their dirty work," he said, his expression hardening with anger. "This is not going to end like this!" he suddenly shouted, his anger rising. Then, suddenly, the door opened. They both turned around quickly, caught off guard. "Dad, Mom, I'm already leaving for the orphanage," Maggie announced with a smile. Her mother and father stared at her for a moment, as if surprised, but then their expressions quickly turned into shocking indifference. "So what?! Can't you see you're interrupting us?" her mother snapped. Maggie's gentle smile disappeared instantly, replaced by deep confusion. "I... I was..." she tried to speak before being abruptly interrupted. "Shut up!" her father added. Maggie clasped her hands against her chest, her eyes lowered. "What kind of manners are those, Maggie? How many times do we have to tell you to knock before entering?" her father said harshly. "No, she's simply too stupid to remember all those basic manners," her mother added. Tears were already filling her eyes. With her head still lowered, Maggie quickly wiped them away before raising her face. In front of her stood two parents who clearly were not happy to see her. She wiped her eyes again, then said: "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. I knocked on the door, but you didn't hear me, and since I was already leaving, I allowed myself to come in. Forgive me. I... I'm leaving." Her mother continued to stare at her coldly. "I hope my Lucie at least got to eat breakfast," she said harshly. "Yes! Mom," Maggie quickly replied. "Very well. And when are they going to pay you at that place? Uh... that orphanage?" "Uh, Mom... uh..." Maggie stammered, troubled. "Answer her!" her father cut in. "Uh, Dad, Mom, it's the beginning of the month. I won't get paid until the end of the month," she answered. "Damn orphanage!" Gérard exclaimed. "And in the meantime, what are we supposed to do, Maggie? Look at how difficult things are. You can see it yourself, can't you? How are we supposed to survive on that tiny salary they give you, and only once a month?" Natacha exclaimed, clearly angry. "Mom... I... I'll find another job, I promise. Don't... don't worry. Mother Superior is doing everything she can to pay me on time, but don't worry... I... I'll do everything I can to try to give you a little more." "Start by asking her for an advance. That will help us," her father said. "But... I..." "But what? Do what your father is asking you to do. If you really love us and truly consider us your family, you would bring us more money... Look at our neighbor. Look at how she brags about everything her daughter does for her. Start thinking about our interests, Maggie. Look, even Lucie can't go to school because we don't have enough money. We barely even have enough to eat." "Yes... yes, Mom. I'll do my best... I... I'll ask for an advance, but please be patient. Mother Superior is very kind, and she'll do everything she can. Believe me." "Now, Mom, Dad, I'm going to go... I have a lot of things to do," she said quickly. She wiped her eyes and put her smile back on. Then she walked toward her mother, opening her arms to hug her. Unfortunately, her mother simply turned her back without showing her the slightest bit of affection. Maggie pulled her arms back, then immediately smiled again, determined not to let it upset her. She turned toward her father, who also turned his back on her. The poor girl pulled back again. Her sad eyes settled on her parents as they continued to ignore her. Maggie took a few steps back and said in a soft but gentle voice, calm, with a touch of sadness and resignation in her tone: "Dad, Mom, I'm leaving. I'll see you tonight." Maggie turned around, her heart heavy. She walked as quickly as she could toward the door. And once the door closed behind her, she could no longer hold herself together and burst into tears. But she knew that crying would not help her with parents who valued her less than what she could bring them. So she covered her mouth, crying bitterly while trying to hide the pain that was far too heavy for her to carry. With her heart hurting and tears streaming down her face, Maggie was under far too much pressure. Despite everything, she knew she had to do whatever she could to make sure her parents and her little sister never went without.