Surviving the Devil

“You must be out of your freaking mind to use your tongue like that in front of Nathaniel Sinclair,” Frank said to me in the hallway after Nathan had dismissed and kicked us out of his room in the most unexpected way. “Wouldn’t it have been better to be touched by hellfire in the afterlife? Nathan would make sure you experience that while still breathing now.”
“In my defense, Nathan Sinclair didn’t get mad at what I said. He only asked us to leave fairly politely. Don’t you think that’s a good sign? Maybe talking back at him was exactly what was needed,” I explained myself.
Frank flicked my forehead ruthlessly.
“Ow!” I groaned. “What did you do that for?”
“I did that to get you out of Delulu land,” said Frank, folding his arms. “You think you are in some lame movie where an arrogant billionaire completely transforms when a poor girl shows him attitude? Wake up! Silence is the worst when it comes to the devil. It usually happens when he plans to make your life hell in twisted ways. He remains silent because he knows he has power over you.”
I covered my mouth in horror. Frank had burst my bubble. I was in no place to challenge an arrogant billionaire who was my only ticket out of a horrible life. But it was too late. I couldn’t take my words back.
“What can I do now?” I said, biting my nails. “Should I apologize to him? Beg for my life? Please. Frank, I can’t figure out Devil Sinclair in one night.”
Frank rolled his eyes at me. “Well, you should have thought about that before digging your grave.”
I lowered my head, and my lips curled downwards. Though genuinely troubled, I partly did that to gain Frank’s sympathy. Without the Devil expert, I couldn't survive.
“Everybody wants my help, but no one helps me around here. I should ignore your face, but my empathic heart doesn’t let me rest. Ugh!” Frank grunted. “Fine, I’ll help you to the best of my ability.” My face lit up. I wanted to hug him for his kindness, but I didn’t as I barely knew him, and he already wasn’t fond of me. “Now listen to me very carefully. As I know you have a bit of a slow brain, you should at least memorize all your duties. Turn to the book for the rest.”
My happiness vanished immediately. “That’s it? I thought you would share a cheat code or at least something better than this.”
Frank smiled at me like I was stupid. “Honey, the real world is unkind. The devil will challenge you until you lose your will to live. It is the only advice I can give. No one else ever had the guts to insult him and have a desire to stay at the same time.” He side-hugged me awkwardly and patted my back. “Good luck. It was nice knowing you, Ophelia.”
“My name is Amelia,” I agitatedly corrected him.
“Sure it is. I will always keep it close to my heart,” Frank whispered and walked away. Even though he was the most twisted ally I had ever met, he was helpful and kind. As there was no time to ponder over my new friend, I found a quiet place to study the book.
I spent the rest of the day learning about Nathan Sinclair. The man was so complicated that it felt like I was trying to get to know a dozen people. His mood swings were so unpredictable that Frank had included several scenarios in which things needed to be done differently according to how he was feeling.
My head spun when I went through his meals. It had so many options and specifications. He could lose his mind over the smallest mistakes.
By nighttime, I had lost all hope of surviving the next day. There was too much brand-new information in my poor brain that I could not organize. Overwhelmed, I retreated to my room and slept. It was close to Nathan’s room, as he could also need me during the night.
The next morning, I went straight to the devil’s den. I knocked many times, but there was no answer. Perhaps he needed more sleep that day. Before leaving, I decided to knock one last time. Once I threw my fingers at it, it opened a little. I might have put a little too much pressure on an unlocked door. I was expecting him to scream at me but received silence instead.
Feeling stupidly brave, I carefully peeked inside the room to look around.
“Looking for me?” a hair-raising voice came from behind me. In horror, I turned around and accidentally hit my back on the door badly. I was in pain, but the person before me had shocked me in multiple ways. Nathaniel Sinclair was standing!
“What? How? Sir, I thought…,” I began.
“How can I walk?” Nathan finished my sentence. “Looks like someone didn’t do their studying yesterday.”
“Uh, I did. I just wasn’t expecting to see it so soon,” I lied. “Rest assured, you can expect me to perform my duties well. I am fully prepared.”
A terror-evoking smirk appeared on Nathan’s face. “I see! I am looking forward to seeing you prove me wrong.” His words were kind, but from his smile to his eyes, everything spoke differently. “I want breakfast number four from Frank’s book. Bring the smoothie first.”
Even though he wanted me to fail miserably, his first order wasn’t difficult. All I had to do was check the book and inform the chef.
“I’ll do that right away, sir,” I replied with an obedient smile.
“Wait.” Nathan grabbed my hand when I was about to leave. “There is one more thing.” I could see trouble brewing in his dangerously sinister eyes. “Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
Nathan took me inside his room and began to search through his cupboard. What he was holding was far from my expectations. He had a shoebox.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Your shoes for the day,” he answered, removing the top. He took out one shoe to reveal a towering heel probably designed to kill feet.
“Thanks, sir. I have shoes. Can I keep these for another day, perhaps?” I requested.
“I am not giving you a choice. I need you to test these for someone. You must perform all your duties wearing them. Start by bringing me my smoothie and breakfast,” Nathan ordered.
I narrowed my eyes. That arrogant asshole didn’t only wish to test me. He wanted me to die a slow, painful death! It was a pity that my pretty feet would suffer first.