CHAPTER 34: CHANGES (4)

The night before, after Geneva had left. Suzie hovered around the door in the empty corridor.

’What if Miss Shelby never comes out?’ she asked herself almost frantically and paced up and down the corridor.

"Actually, she should not come out! The haters in the estate will be ashamed if they do the deed! Hahahahaha," she laughed quietly to herself as her face blushed a deep shade of red, imaging what the husband and wife could be doing behind the closed door.

She slowed down her steps and placed her ear on the door while giggling like a silly little girl.

’Will they be doing it like they show on TV? Heeeeheeheeee....’

After a short while, a disappointed look crossed her face when she did not hear anything.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approaching the door was heard.

"Ahhh, what do I do?"

She turned her head around anxiously, trying to find a hiding place. Her dilemma was that the corridor was too long, and she would never make it to the bend at the end before whoever came out would. Taking a chance, she hurriedly crouched beside a flowerpot a few meters from the door.

It was a bad hiding place, obviously. The pot could hardly cover even half of her crouched frame. She closed her eyes tightly. It was as if no one would see her if she closed her eyes! The ridiculousness of that was unfathomable.

She peeped out as the door swung open and saw Shelby step out in her lacy pyjama.

Shelby’s hair was a mess. It looked like it had gotten a jolly time under someone’s hands.

Suzie stretched her neck a little when her mistress briefly paused and saw her slightly reddened and fuller lips.

’Oooooohhhhhh.... Someone’s been busy!’

She thought with a smile. Shelby quickly entered her room and closed the door. Within that split second, Suzie had noted everything. "Clenched fingers, red ears, tousled hair, slightly reddened eyes, skewed pyjama... Miss Shelby is being so shy! If they started it! They should have finished! Why did she come out?"

Even though she was not obscured in her hiding place, Shelby was too caught up in her emotions to see her. On the other hand, Suzie noted all these features and thought Shelby had had a good make-out session with Ian. Of course, Suzie went to report her findings to Geneva. But this time, she learnt her lesson and waited till morning. That was the longest night of her life. She itched to gossip but knew that her employer had to know first!

"Suzie?"

"Huh? Miss? Sorry about that. I zoned out a bit."

"How did you-"

"Miss, I didn’t know it. You just confirmed my guess!"

"What?!"

"I’m kidding! I saw you yesterday."

"You-"

Shelby covered her face and ran to the bathroom. Suzie looked at her retreating back and shouted, "Miss Shelby, you have to try harder!"

After the bath, Shelby saw that Suzie had already arranged all the art supplies in one unused small wardrobe on the side. She also had set up a tabletop easel and a few colours and paintbrushes on her outside balcony. A small, covered food trolley was in one corner of the room. She smiled at how thoughtful her assigned maid was.

’I’ll paint something meaningful to give to Mum on this as a thank you!’ She thought as she settled behind the vanity. Suzie walked up behind her and started to help her dry her hair.

"Miss Shelby, I -"

"Just call me Shelby! How many times must I say this? We are just around the same age, so please drop the formalities!" she chided softly but firmly.

Suzie paused and looked at her through the mirror helplessly, "OK, Shelby, I love your hair. It is so silky and soft. I envy that you can keep it this long and beautiful."

Shelby closed her eyes and let Suzie do her magic on the hair. She listened absentmindedly to Suzie’s chatter until the name that was starting to become a bit of annoyance popped up: Aliya!

"... I heard that you two are nothing alike! But your hair is as long as Miss Aliya’s. I have heard the way that some of the maids- "

’What does that statement mean? My hair is as long as hers? Most people have long hair so what’s the big deal? Why do they all want to keep comparing me to a dead woman!’ she thought.

Just then, a scene from the previous night surfaced in her mind, and then she started thinking more deeply about Ian’s act of running his hands through his hair like it was some fetish.

’Could it be? .... naaaaah, I’m just overthinking this!’

"Did you ever meet this Aliya person?"

"No, Miss... Shelby. I didn’t, but -"

"What can you tell me about what you’ve heard of her?"

"Oh! I heard she loved jasmine flowers and always smelled like Jasmine. I think the jasmine shampoo you use will increase your chances with Master Ian. Oh, they also said that her hair was always let loose like yours! And she loved her kids and -"

"Suzie?"

"Yes, Shelby?"

"Can we try a different hairstyle for today?"

Shelby held Suzie’s gaze through the mirror, but she was deep in thought, ’Did he kiss me yesterday because I smelled like her.... like his dead wife or whatever she was to him?’ The thought of that hurt so bad.

Despite everything and the humiliation she felt at his hands the previous day, she felt that, at a point, he had been genuine in as much as that sounded ridiculous to her. She wanted to believe that Ian had held her for herself, even if that was for just a moment. However, from her short conversation with her maid, it felt as if the jerk of a husband thought that she was his dead lover!

"Yes, of course, Shelby, what would you prefer? Should we let it loose like Miss Aliya supposedly did?" she asked, bubbling with excitement. ’At this moment, I have to help Shelby gain the upper hand and secure a place with Master Ian so that I will also have a smooth life!’ Suzie thought.

"No!"

"Huh?"

"Cut it all," Shelby said calmly.

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