The Start

Hello, and good afternoon, Miss Iyves.

I'm Susan, Mr Winter's secretary.

We want to inform you that your application has been accepted.

We would like to inform you that, you can start working today, around 3.00 PM. Here is the address.....

I blink twice as I read the email I've received in the morning, what a way to start a day. Is it for real? Is this a fraud? If this is a fraud, they scammed the wrong person.

I read the mail one more time. Maybe I should buy a laptop. So I can read it better. Maybe my phone is too small, so I can't read it properly.

Which job is this?

I read it again.

"You're gotta be kidding me..." I smiled faintly. I got the best job. With the best paid.

I quickly ran to my bathroom to shower and get ready. As I saw my face in the mirror, I sighed.

"Damn it...it's swollen. How hard did she slap me? No wonder it's throbbing hard." Maybe she is a hulk. Damn you, hulk!

Ugh...

As I got out from the bathroom, I put on my loose black T-shirt with a black pants. Since my face is kinda swollen, maybe I need to put some band aid bandage on my swollen area and finish it with my cap.

I grab my handbag, did some final check if I forgot something and went out.

As I walk 10 minutes away from my home, I finally realised I forgot to cover my wrists. Damn it. Ughh!

I rummaged through my bag to see if I have an extra band-aid. I sighed.

Then, I made a decision to walk back home and get something to cover up my wrists. Wearing a long-sleeve would be a hustle since it's scorching hot lately.

"Maddison!" I looked up as I heard someone calling my name. Ahh, lucky.

"Mr Xavier, I was about to wire this month's rent. I'm sorry, I'm late, right?"

I could see a faint smile from his face, as I took out an envelope for him. He took it briefly and check the amount.

"You're going somewhere?"

"Ah, yes, I'm going to run an errand, and working..."

"Wearing that?" He looked at my wrists, more like looking at the ugliness on both wrists. "Aren't you going to cover that?"

"I am, I just forgot."

"..You should, it's quite.."

"Unpleasant, I know." I cut him before he could say more. I know, it is unpleasant. I could see he was talking again but my ears stop listening as I found it would be useless. Ugh, it's so hard to focus sometimes.

That just how I am...I just can't hear anything like that anymore. I don't know since when, but I stop hearing curses, nagged, dissatisfied, complaint, all the unpleasant words, bla bla bla and etc. I don't need someone to tell me how miserable my life is. Nor do I need someone to point out the flaw. Nor do I have to hear any blame that people put on me.

Cause I know it.

But little did I know, it's become worse since I can't even hear or focus on any sounds anymore. It's as if I lost my hearing, but that wasn't the case. It is as if some switch inside me has been turned off.

"...then I'll be going," he said, walking passed me. Maybe he already notice that no matter how many time he talked to me, I won't be listening.

I climbed the stairs to my house. The building is quite small, and the wall is awfully thin, you can even hear your neighbour's fucked, or yelling or laughing, whatever they do. You'll hear it. I used to hate it but the more I live here, the more I lost into my world, the silence world.

But the rent is hellish expensive for a small tiny house. Well...I'm not complaining. At least I have a home.

Click-click.

I pushed my door and hurriedly grab my wristwatch and band-aid. I glanced at the old envelope before I left.

-----

I looked at the huge building in front of me and my phone screen in turn. Wow...it's four times bigger than my house. No wonder...

For some reason, I can feel chill on my nape. The f-

I rubbed my nape with my back hand as I walked into the building. I hope nothing bad happened. The chill...I really have a bad feeling about this.

"Hello, how can I help you?" the staff asked right after I came closer.

"May I know where is the staircase?"

She looked at me dumbfounded. "Which floor do you..."

I squinted my eyes as I lose my focus. Hmm...what is she saying? Fuck my life for shutting down at the most important moment. "Uhh I beg you pardon?"

"Which floor do you want to go to, miss?"

"Oh, haha, um 56th."

"Then you can use the elevator..."

"I can't...I have some issues...may I know where is the staircase?"

She looked at me with a weird expression that I can't read. She shows me the way and give me a bottle of water. She gave me a smile as if she understood my problem.

"You might get tired, please take this with you."

I stared at the bottle. Even the staff is nice. Maybe because they worked with rich people? That they treat all people nicely?

Wait that's kinda rubbish.

"Thanks." I walked through the stairs.

People must think I'm crazy if they saw me right now...

After an hour and half of climbing, I finally reached the top. A penthouse.

I sat on the floor for a few minutes, to gain back my strength and breathe. I gasped for the air desperately, wiping off the sweat that drip down from my head, and hitting my legs a little.

Finally, I rang the doorbell and waited. Nobody answer.

"..." I rang one more time and heard some fainted sound from inside.

As the door open, I could smell a fainted this tantalising unique wood scent and sensual, a little bit characteristic with leathery, smoky and floral inflections. I know. What a way to describe a scent. What expensive perfumes, I can smell it even though we're five feet apart. Right in front of me, the tall and lean man was standing there with his eyes a little wide opened. Is he the son of the owner?

"I'm Maddison Iyves, the new housekeeper. Miss Susan asked me to come here right away today."

He just stood there and said nothing. Well, at least he has a nice body and abs. But, doesn't matter.

I glanced at the wall number. I'm not mistaken though.

"Aren't you too young?" he finally open his mouth. What a gentle sound.

"Yes, but I have enough experience to be a housekeeper. If you're worried about the age..."

"You so thin too." He grab my wrist as he said that. "Can you do anything with these hands?"

How annoying. And why on earth did he touch me?

"Yes, don't worry about it, sir. I can do my job pretty well." I said, controlling my voice. Hmm, he looked familiar for some reason.

He let go of my hand and walked inside the house, gesturing his fingers as a sign to follow him.

And the house...surprisingly, awfully messy. What the hell is happening here?

"Oh, we're having a party last night, but I'm too lazy to clean it up, my housekeeper just..." he paused, stopping in the middle of the living room. "Yeah, and you're going to start working today anyway. You can start now. I'll be in my room. Clean everything except my room..." he walked leisurely to one of the room, which I assumed his room.

"...you don't want to see something you don't want to see, right?" He said and chuckled. An annoying chuckle. As he open his door, I could see the thing that he mentioned I don't want to see. A naked woman on the bed. Why bother to give a warn when you showing off about it right after you said.

I sighed. If you really don't want me to see it, why the hell you open you bedroom door wide open?

Freak!

I took off my cap and put it down on the sofa along with my bag. I gather my hair up and tied it up.

Where should I start? Where are the cleaning tools though?

"...he can at least tell me where the tools or plastic bag were before he fucked her tho..." the scream that came out from the room is nothing new to me. I heard that kind of thing every day in my room too, since the wall is thin. I never knew that penthouses also have a thin wall.

It's not like I can hear it well. Soon enough, I heard silence.