I was first dropped off at my friend's house, and then I safely made it home. It's heartwarming to see that the boys value the safety of us girls, and they are earning my respect from time to time.
It was around 10 in the evening, and I still couldn't sleep as soundly and safely as I wished. I decided to scroll through my feed. I installed my Instagram and Facebook applications, which I immediately regretted.
There were so many negative posts on my wall and tags. They were saying things about my father and making baseless accusations, insulting us because they claimed we have fallen and are no longer wealthy.
And you know what hurts the most, what hits the hardest out of everything?
It's the fact that even our friends and relatives turned their backs on us because we were no longer as rich as we used to be. We were no longer the ones they could use for money and power.
So I wished that we could go back to our old life. That time, if we were given another chance, we would know who is who, who can be trusted, and who can't.
I uninstalled those applications again. They're not good for my mental health. I couldn’t imagine subjecting myself to those accusations and belittling. Maybe it's best for us to stay away for now. If we were in Claybourne, they would just throw their hurtful words at us.
I felt like crying again, but I promised myself that I wouldn't let a single tear fall from my eyes. We will rise again, and they better be prepared when that time comes.
I was about to go to sleep when I saw that Dad was calling. It was only the second time I was able to talk to him since we arrived here with Mom. I missed my Dad. We're good people, so why are we facing this kind of situation?
"Dad..." I said on the other end of the line.
"Krystal, how are you and your mom?" he greeted me first.
I could hear how exhausted he was. If only we were by his side. But as Dad said, he'd rather work there alone than have our whole family experience the judgment that we never deserved.
"We're fine, Dad. We're enjoying this peaceful life. Don't worry about us. Have you eaten? Did you take your vitamins?" I asked.
"I am doing well. Everything is fine, Krystal, my princess. Just hold on tight."
"I believe in you, Dad."
We had a short conversation before he ended the call, saying he needed to rest because it was already late.
Then I fell asleep. I didn't want to think about what would happen again tomorrow. Just thinking about it made me feel Annoyed, mixed with rage and hatred.
The next morning, I woke up early. My eyes felt a bit sore from crying last night, but I looked okay.
I couldn't let myself appear less presentable, especially when I know that Logan has such a judgmental mindset!
I will not give that guy a reason to find fault in me. Never again.
Alice and I waited for a few minutes before we got into Andrew's car. Remember? He promised to pick us up, and he insisted on it. Although I didn't agree at first, I guess that's just how persistent the Lopez’s are. A first-hand experience of their stubbornness.
We were already in the car, and he was the only one in the driver's seat. No one sat in the shotgun seat because Alice and I were sitting in the back.
Andrew invited me to sit beside him, but I refused, knowing that Alice was a bit hurt again. It was obvious in her eyes. She likes this guy so much that I can't betray this girl.
While Andrew was driving, he kept asking questions, especially about me. Alice remained quiet, although she is usually talkative. I understand where she's coming from.
I can easily sense people's feelings, and I feel like Alice's feelings are being trampled upon.
I honestly thought Alice was so freaking Annoying from the start. Like, how can someone be so energetic?
But after that, I realized that it was just her nature. She's a happy person. She's so genuine, and that's why I consider her my closest friend after my old backstabbing friend left me hanging.
So I promised myself that if I find someone like Alice, I will support her.
I hope Andrew isn't giving me the wrong signals. Honestly, he's moving too fast. At this moment, he looks kind and gentlemanly, but the downside is, he reeks of a playboy.
That's why I'm setting boundaries early on.
We arrived at the estate around eight in the morning. Eda immediately greeted us and instructed us on what to do for the day. And I shouldn't have been surprised when I found out that my tasks were already listed.
"Here, Master Logan himself gave you the tasks, my dears. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask," she said with a smile.
I winced when I saw that the list of tasks for me seemed to have no end. I almost had a heart attack just looking at all the work I needed to accomplish.
That Logan! He planned this from the very beginning. Why did I agree to this again? If only that vase wasn't so expensive, I would've smashed it over that guy's head. How dare he!
I walked towards the garden to sweep. Thankfully, the weather was cooperative, so I didn't struggle too much. I'm still not used to this kind of work. Then Logan suddenly appeared. He looked at me as if I had made the biggest mistake of my entire life. Like, what the f?
"Sitting pretty there, I see," he said, looking at me. I didn't pay him any attention.
Instead, I closed my eyes and imagined that he wasn't there. A bit of rest is an option, okay? It's just a weird way of resting. I was just diving here when someone jumped right into the pool, and Logan probably thought I was drowning.
He suddenly pulled me up from the pool, straight to the edge, with his worried eyes. I don't know why, but I don't want to believe that the concern I see in his eyes is genuine.
Am I afraid that he's not angry, and I can stay mad now?
"You alright? Shit, I shouldn't have put cleaning the swimming pool on that list. Can you please be more careful next time? You're too accident-prone," he said with what seemed like an annoyance.
I wanted to say, "You fool, I'm not drowning," but I didn't want to ruin his apparent concern for me.
If he cares for me, does it mean something?
But I immediately dismissed that thought and erased such a possibility from my mind. Maybe if he genuinely cared for me, the heavens would open up. Logan?
Even in my wildest dreams, I wouldn't wish for that.
The next thing I knew, he was dragging me along. He handed me a towel and a set of clothes, probably belonging to one of the women here. Of course! He must have women here. What was I thinking? There's nothing surprising about that.
I didn't want to wear it. I had no idea which woman had worn that dress he was making me wear. But it was also a bad choice to walk around all wet from the water. I might get sick.
"That's clean, put it on," he said to me. It seemed obvious that I was hesitant.
I glared at him.
"Leave your room, I'll change in the bathroom,” I ordered.
"Then go change,” he said.
"You know, you're such a pervert, you know? I said get out!"
"Fine, damn it, as if you'd see anything."
How rude!
"And now acting like a deaf?" I gave him a disapproving look.
"I'm just taking a break, is that not allowed? There, see? I'll stand up now."
I stood up from my seat to clean up the remaining mess.
He just kept watching me, every move I made while I'm working. He's enjoying the view, right?
This beast of a man is thoroughly enjoying my struggle! I'll just leave him be, I really left without saying anything.
The next duty I have to finish is cleaning the pool. I couldn’t even have a decent break. What does he think of me? A robot? That guy is getting on my nerves.
Like really?
I grabbed the necessary cleaning equipment from the storage room. It's just a skimmer, to remove the leaves from the swimming pool. Once I got it, I quickly got to work. Now I'm experiencing what it's like to work hard.
I must say that this is an experience. Even though I'm annoyed, at least I can say that I didn't just indulge myself my whole life. I also learned how to handle cleaning equipment, and that's something to be proud of.
While I was cleaning, my foot suddenly hurt. I was squatting, so I accidentally fell into the pool. The water wasn't too deep, and my foot didn't cramp. I could still swim downward since I thought of taking a break underwater.