CHAPTER TWO
1107 Words
"Am Isabella, the third wife of Paul Samun," the lady said, breaking off the silence.
At that point, Rose was certain that she wouldn't be the last wife of Paul Samun.
"Nice to meet you, Isabella," she said.
Rose was led upstairs to her room.
The inward look of the house was as outstanding as the outside look. Only a wealthy person could afford to live in such a place, she thought.
She was about to take her bath when she heard a knock on the door. A young lady came in.
" Lady Rose, I am Helen, your personal maid," she introduced herself.
"Oh okay," she said, dumbfounded. She has a maid now????
"When I need anything, I'll let you know," she said.
"Okay my lady," Helen said as she left the room.
Not long later, Rose got dressed after taking her bath. She lay on the bed ready to fall asleep.
Her door was unexpectedly opened and Paul came in, he looked so different. He walked unsteadily into the room.
"Take your clothes off," he said, with a slurred speech.
Rose was lost. She had known he would come for her but she never thought he would, the first day.
She was left with no other choice but to comply. Though she was still hesitant.
"I said take off your clothes," he noted this time, impatiently.
He approached her and trapped her between his arms and the wall of the room.
Rose perceived a strong smell of alcohol as he was barely a few meters away from her. It seemed like he had gotten himself drunk.
"It's best
you cooperate unless I will do it with force," he said, with his hands under her nightgown.
Abruptly, Rose felt nauseous. She felt a sudden urge to puke. She suddenly found the strength to push Paul away and ran to the bathroom with her hand on her belly.
Rose felt a little bit better after vomiting. She cleaned up and went out. She was welcomed by Paul's gape, examining her closely and minutely.
She stood there under his gaze for what seemed like a decade.
"You had better treat whatever sickness you have," Paul said after a long stretch of silence.
"I'll be back some other day," he added as he left.
Rose felt relieved as she watched him walk out the door. She lay on the bed after a few minutes and fell asleep.
The next day, Rose woke up and got dressed with the help of a maid. On her way to the dining room, she came across Lucy.
"Aunty!" Lucy called, walking towards Rose.
"Aunt, can I ask you something?" she asked.
"Sure, what's the problem dear?" Rose said.
"Are you really wicked? You look too pretty to be wicked," she asked with a cute smile.
Rose was stunned by the question. She hadn't been expecting such words from the mouth of a little child.
"I am not wicked. Who told you that?" She asked Lucy.
"My mom told me, she also told me not to talk with you," Lucy said.
Rose crouched to the girl's height and touched her cheeks slightly.
"Lucy right?" Rose asked, unsure of the girl's name.
Lucy nodded.
"I don't know why your mom told you that but I am not wicked, okay?" she told Lucy.
"Okay Aunt, let's go to the dining area," Lucy said.
"I'm hungry," she added, rubbing her tummy.
"OK, let's go," Rose said, holding Lucy's hand as they walked down the stairs.
When they reached the dining, Lucy let go of Rose's hand quickly as her vision met her mother's gaze. She sat beside Clara while Rose sat beside Micah, opposite Winona, as they began to eat.
There were so many kinds of dishes on the table but Rose didn't seem to have an appetite. She forced herself to eat a little but she didn't go unnoticed. Clara noticed Rose's absence of appetite.
After her meal, she strolled around the mansion with a maid by her side until she was called by Winona, Paul's first wife.
They sat on the balcony as they discussed.
"I know you are new here and there are so many things that may seem different, just try and get used to it," Winnie said.
"Yes, Winnie, I will with time," she said.
"Also don't get scared by those two," Winnie said, pointing her finger inside the building.
"You have as many rights as they have," she added.
"OK thanks, Winnie for your kind words," Rose said, rising to her feet and heading to her room.
On her way to her room, she saw a childlike figure standing by her door.
On getting there, she realized it was Micah, Isabella's son, and it seemed like he had been waiting for her for a long time now.
"Aunty!" he said as Rose approached the door.
"I don't know what you want, but please stay away from my sister," Micah said.
"We don't need you," he added as he walked out without waiting for Rose's response.
Rose was stunned by the boy's words as she recalled them on her bed. She also remembered her encounter with little Lucy that morning. She wondered what they must have told them about her.
They are just little kids, for crying out loud; they shouldn't have these kinds of thoughts in their minds.
As Rose was about to read a book by her bedside, she felt a strong urge to puke. She went to her toilet bowl and vomited. After that, she sat down as she tried to catch her breath.
This nausea was becoming too frequent alongside the dizziness and sudden loss of appetite.
It only meant one thing, but Rose shook off the thought. She took her bath and slept for the night.
The next day, Rose, who had slept till noon, was awoken by the frequent knocks on her door. She lazily got up and unlocked it.
"Good morning Lady Rose," Helen greeted her politely.
"Everyone has had breakfast and has been awaiting your presence for a long time now," she added.
"So early? What time is it? Rose asked as she glanced at the wall clock in her room.
She was surprised at what she saw. It was fifteen minutes past one in the afternoon. She wondered how she had slept till such an hour and why they hadn't woken her up till now.
She quickly took her bath, got dressed, and made her way down the hall. As usual, Paul wasn't around. She was so hungry, she still couldn't believe she had slept till that time, it was so unlike her.
- Writer
