CHAPTER FORTY

DALLAS


It's been a week since Oliver left me in the kitchen after claiming that my whole body was his. I blamed my abnormal brain for how aroused his words got me.

I haven't seen Oliver since then. And Tabitha doesn't come around anymore. I heard from the guards that he went on a business trip.

A tiny part of me was hurt that he left without a goodbye. But I swallowed my hurt and convinced myself that he didn't have to. There was nothing between us except our contract. Whatever attachment I've grown over the months needs to be crushed to pieces. And that is what I did.

But before Oliver disappeared, he made sure to fire the catering service in the mansion and hired a live-in chef. Heather. She was around my age, only a few years younger. We instantly clicked. The first thing we bonded over was our mutual intolerance for Tabitha Tate.

To be honest, Oliver's stone faced assistant has a PhD in making enemies with employees on their first day. Being an intolerable bitch is her niche.

After I rescued Heather from being eaten alive by Tabitha's cruelty, we've spent more time together. The huge mansion was not as boring as when I first moved in. Heather is teaching me how to make some dishes, while I taught her how to make some Korean delicacies.

Well, I wasn't exactly the one teaching her. We'd facetime Lisa and she'll tell us how to cook. The only thing I can make is scrambled eggs and sandwiches. I only learnt how to make those because Lucien forced me to cook every day.

Today, Heather is teaching me how to bake a cake.

“Mr Kang is going to fire me on the spot if he sees you cooking. He specifically warned me to keep you out of the kitchen.” Heather said, a hint of fear in her voice.

“Well, there's no guest around. And I'm making myself lunch. He wouldn't fire you just because I'm making food for myself .” I shrugged.

I added the floury substances and mixed them just as she instructed, while she whisked the egg.

“Honestly, I was surprised when you said you were also an employee here. He delivered his threats with so much seriousness that I thought you were his wife, or someone really close to him.”

“I kind of have a history of going against his rules, so I'd say I'm more trouble than a wife.” I said and we both laughed.

“I admire your confidence. I wish I was as brave as you.” She sighed.

“Oh, I'm not that brave. Let's just say, I have a death wish.” I smacked my tongue and we bursted into another round of laughter.

“Now all you have to do is stir the mixture till it's smooth.” She instructed. And I do just that.

“Seriously though, how does it not bug you that you might lose your job? I've heard stories about how cold Mr Kang is. Half of my culinary school already worked for him, but they've never lasted a month with him. And yet you're still here after two months. It's commendable.”

I slowly reduced my pace and stirred the cake batter slower than necessary. I wanted to tell her that my time here is almost over but I kept mute. The mere thought of it hit me so hard and my heart stung. I don't understand what I've come to like about this place.

It was so huge and mostly lifeless, but these past few months have been the most alive I've ever felt since I left Korea. And I don't even know the reason for that.

It's certainly not the big mansion. Before Heather's arrival, I'm mostly curled up in my room, scrolling through social media, or chatting with Lisa.

It also couldn't be Oliver's constant brooding face or Tabitha's default rude behavior. I couldn't exactly place a finger on why I've grown so attached to this place.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and gave Heather an answer.

“I really don't know why he hasn't fired me. Maybe because I'm hard to get rid of.” I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. She chuckled.

“You're so fun to be with. I was really scared when I saw the job opportunity because of the rumors from Mr Kang's previous employees. But I just had to accept it because the pay was exciting. Now I'm glad I did. It's so nice to have someone like you as a coworker.” She gushed, her face full of smiles.

I flashed her one of my sweetest smiles.
“Aw, thank you. You're really nice too. And you're so pretty. I love your short hair. It's badass.”

She ran her fingers through her.
“Thank you.” She smiled.

“Okay now, we grease the baking pan with butter and transfer the cake batter to the baking pan. Then we put it in the oven for 45 minutes at 30 degrees.” She said,

I did all of that while she preheated the oven and set the temperature. We placed the cake inside.

“Are you hungry? Maybe we can grab a snack while we wait?”

"Let's do that." She agreed.

I brought out a few hotdogs from the fridge and put it in the microwave. Ever since Oliver tasted Mia's hotdogs, he made sure they deliver to the mansion regularly. I don't understand the reason behind it because I've only seen him eat it twice since that day. But he didn't stop the delivery. I'm the only one who eats it. Sometimes, I share it with the other workers in the house. Oliver has never complained.

I took the hotdogs out of the microwave and transfer them to a plate. I pushed a plate to Heather.

"Mm, this hotdog is the best I've ever tasted." She moaned as she munched on it.
"We receive the deliveries every day and yet I don't know where it ccomes from. I Google searched all the five stars restaurants in the zipcode, but the deliveries doesn't come from any of them. Does Mr Kang have a personal chef make them? If so, I really need the recipe."

"It's not from a five star restaurant and he doesn't have a personal chef."

I explained to her how Oliver learnt about the hotdog and immediately fell in love with it.

We were still in the middle of the discussion when Tabitha waltz into the kitchen.

"You both have a terrible habit of lazing around instead of doing your job. Mr Kang doesn't tolerate negligence. He'll fire you." she said.

"And yet, you're here on the other side of the mansion instead of the office area. Guess we're not the one lazing around." I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

She pinned me with a glare which I returned with the same intensity. She averted her gaze and turned to Heather.

"Mr Kang is back and he wants his lunch in thirty minutes. He has to go back to the airport so make it quick." She turned on her heels and walked out of the kitchen, swaying her hip.

Heather went straight into panic mood as soon as Tabitha left.

"Oh my God, he is back. This is the first time I'd be cooking for him. What if I get fired on my first attempt?"

"Okay, first, you need to calm down and breathe. You're just making him lunch, just like you've been practising all week. It's just brussel sprouts and chicken breast." I reassured her.

I stay with Heather and helped her prepare lunch. Well, I helped lift her spirits. That's also part of helping. She finished cooking before the time was up. The girl is a genius.

I went to my room to change out of my outfit. I was covered in flour and I smell of chocolate. I got to my room and took notice of the piece of paper laying on my bed. I picked it up and opened the envelope out of curiosity. My eyes got teary as I saw the content.

It was a first class ticket to Seoul.