iv- Five years later
1898 Words
Chapter Four
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Nothing would beat the scorching heat of Paitti City in the middle of a summer afternoon.
The sun was so high up and its rays, shining down, were blazing as it touched Marionette's sensitive skin.
She brought a hand to cover her eyes while looking ahead the sloping road, heading uphill. "Wow... this heat is seriously killing me!" She sighed, panting heavily.
It didn't help that she has to walk this road; in a few more steps, before reaching her destination while carrying a heavy load of fabric back home.
These are materials she collected at the city plaza. She got everything at a cheap price thanks to the end of the month event, of the clothing bazaar.
They badly needed it to finish all the clothes, which was left on stock, and halfway done because of the shortage of budget.
Thank god though, it seems that her luck worked before they lost clients and she was able to buy cheap-priced fabric without compromising the quality of their creation.
However, it seems her luck came with an expiration and eventually wore off. Because unfortunately, when she was done packing what she bought and as she was on her way to go home, there were no transportation vehicles that was willing to let her ride. All public vehicles refused to take her as a passenger and advised her to hail a taxi instead, because of the overwhelming amount of fabrics she had with her.
Marionette sighed violently, remembering the rejection earlier. "I only have a few rolls, they're so mean!" She whined.
Pushing the cart, she heaved another deep, soul wrenching breath.
"Thankfully, I found this four-wheeled tool."
She gave a full forced push, once again climbing the road.
Just like she said, Marionette found a wooden cart among the dump of clothes and instantly pulled it, putting it to good use. Stacking the rolls of fabrics inside and since the distance from the city plaza to their house was quite manageable, she decided to walk home.
But life has never been easy on her, ever since she was a child. Because the short distance felt like a long journey on a deserted land; with the hot temperature, she felt like she was a chicken getting roasted until it was toasted under the sun.
"Ohmygod. Isn't she the Valentine Household's only daughter?"
"Where?"
"There! The one pushing the cart, wearing... shabby clothes."
"Shhh! She might hear you! But haven't you heard the news?"
"About what?"
"Her, Young Miss Marionette, she was kicked out of the mansion four months ago because all of their properties had been solicited by the bank. Their Enterprise was at the brink of bankruptcy three years ago; in order to salvage it, she mortgaged all of their lands, real-estate and even the Valentine mansion in order to be able to fund and support the Valentine Enterprise. But unfortunately, it was a worthless sacrifice that went straight into the drain. It got even worse when she had lost all the things she mortgaged. From what I actually heard, the enterprise went down the ranking of efficiency; it appears that sooner or later, they will unavoidably declare bankruptcy and close the enterprise for good this time."
"That's really sad. Poor Marionette, she was once envied by most women for having everything; desired by men for her beauty but look at her in a dire situation. Before, there were people serving her, not letting her feet touch the dirty ground but now… oh, she's even doing labor work by herself."
"What a doomed fate."
"Such a tragedy."
Marionette bit the inside of her cheeks, trying to hold herself back.
"Patience is virtue, Marionette. Patience."
She had no energy reserved for such atrocious behavior.
Let them talk.
Let them think based off of a mere hearsay.
They needed a subject for a conversation, she's just being kind, granting them the honor of narrating the story of her life, on their own version.
She didn't give the people she passed by any attention. As they shamelessly talked about her as if they weren't aware their voices were loud enough, and within her earshot.
Because they never truly cared. They won't ever worry about her, nor will they even care knowing the truth.
As soon as she arrived home, Marionette plopped down the front yard; onto the grassland that felt like a soft, comfortable mattress to lay on at the moment.
She's exhausted. Very.
It was as if her soul was sucked out of her body by a demon. Gone was the glow; the aura of a sophisticated maiden who learned proper delicadeza. She's no longer a demure, meek nor a proper lady of a rich household. Marionette Valentine is now a low-level, ordinary citizen. A commoner living a difficult life, barely making any cents to go by.
Five years ago, exactly a month after she turned eighteen, was the day the heavens took away her parents on a plane crash.
It was a sudden death. In a moment of lightning, her life met a drastic change.
"Young Miss Marionette?! Goodness, get up from there! The ground is dirty!"
The middle-aged woman, her loyal maid; she treats more like a mother, peeked from above shedding the light from the sun.
It woke Marionette up from her trance.
Rasha has grown white hairs over the course of the years, but her subtle features and tender ways makes her lovelier for Marionette.
"It's okay, Nana Rasha. I'll charge up a bit and get up."
"No silly, you have to get up now!" She nagged, but her soft voice and gentle tone was reassuring Marionette.
Laughing at the panicked Rasha, Marionette carefully stood up. Her head was a little woozy as soon as she stood on her feet.
"Young Miss, if you want to lie down there is a couch inside the house. Please."
This time, Rasha sounded a little more serious.
Sometimes, this Young Lady does questionable ways on how she responds on a certain situation
Marionette nodded, "I will, I will."
After all, Nana Rasha was just worried about her. Being the only one of the few who treated her with sincerity; her and her husband, butler Cain were the only ones who remained by her side even through everything that happened.
"You silly child! I told you that Cain and I would collect the fabrics instead, but you still go ahead and did it yourself. Now look at you! You're so sweaty, and tired." She proceeded to nag.
"But it's fine now. I even got an extra roll because I used my charm~" She boasted, goofing around.
Placing her arm on her waist, Nana Rasha looked mad but in reality, she was just worried about their Young Miss. She's not used to such heavy, and taxing work.
Rasha's eyes found the cart and wondered. "What about this cart? Is it a giveaway?"
"Oh-uhm..." Marionette contemplated, while wiping her face that was drenched in sweat. "No... I-uh-"
"Tell me the truth, Young Miss." Rasha threatened.
Without any chance of escape, Marionette avoided eye contact. "I walked home." She confessed in a tiny voice.
"You-WHATTT?" She exclaimed, shellshocked at what she heard.
Rasha was about to scold, and lecture Marionette. But her husband, Cain, approached them. Entering the waist-level wooden gate to their house, his forehead formed into a crease; uneasiness written all over his face. He had come back from delivering the orders to the clients.
Cain looked more refined, although his wrinkles becomes obvious when he smiles, but what she adores about him the most is his love for his lovely wife and for becoming a father to her.
"Marionette? Did you just get home?" He asked, worried.
"Yes, butler Cain."
"Uh-," He hesitated, looking from Rasha and then to Marionette.
He wanted to say something, but couldn't bring himself to speak the words.
"We should settle inside first. The food's already ready for lunch anyway."
Rasha beckoned the two to head inside.
Marionette and Rasha went first, while Cain remained and placed the cart with the rolls of fabric inside the garage before following.
The serious atmosphere was heavy in each of the three people of the household as they settled down the dining table, preparing to eat.
Ever since her parents died, Rasha and Cain cared for Marionette. They did their best to fill the role of her deceased parents, even if she had never felt the love from her real parents, receiving it from Nana Rasha and butler Cain is still heartwarming.
Once she left the Valentine Mansion, the couple took her in in their humble home, a distance away from her previous house. She thought it was better though, the mansion was too big for her alone, as everything disappeared. Having servants and maintaining a high-class life is a luxury for someone who doesn't know how to manage her wealth, not that she still had such.
Because in the present time, Marionette had graduated from College. Holding a degree in Design and manages a small atelier for her tailoring business. It was the dream she had to give up when she was young, as her father forbade her from pursuing this. He wanted her to pursue a business course instead, but since she had the freedom… she took what she loved in the end.
Cain's fake cough pulled Marionette back into reality.
She noticed the exchange of glances of the two. She sensed a weird atmosphere, as soon as one made a worried expression.
Wiping her mouth, after swallowing the food, she gestured her hands to let Cain speak freely.
"Say it, butler Cain."
The old man looked at his wife first, before finally speaking up.
"Mr. West came by earlier… and he..."
Her eyebrows rose upon hearing the name, she nodded firmly, for Cain to continue.
"He was persistent, on convincing you to go to the Enterprise; to present yourself to the board of directors."
"Is there anything else?"
"He also relayed that; you are only given a week to prepare your plans on how to make the Enterprise emerge to the top once again. Whether to change you or not as the rightful successor of the Enterprise, will be decided based off of this."
Marionette's breath was caught in her throat. She reached for the glass of water to drink.
They really wanted to expel her, off of everything which they owned before. It doesn't help that someone she trusted, and thought would be her ally was the first one to drag her down discreetly. The Valentine Mansion was of paramount importance, it was where Marionette grew up… though, not with the best memories. It may not be a place she may call home, but it was the only place where her memories with her parents lingered, and they took it away from her.
This time, they wanted the Valentine Enterprise. That was why they are subtly making their move. They were, surely, orchestrating this ‘meeting’ to make her embarrass herself in front of everyone; thus, it will make it look like she deserves to be withdrawn from the Valentine Enterprise.
But who said they can easily drive her away using their filthy ways? There's no way the righteous owner will let her place get taken by a phony.
- Writer
