Contract To My Happiness

Chapter 3

Isabella’s POV

The driver, whose name I don't remember, took me to the hostel where I was staying to pick up my few belongings.

The truth is, taking that job had saved me from a heavy burden. My savings were gone, and I was on the brink of being homeless, but now things seem to be shining for me.

I have a job, a roof over my head where I can sleep peacefully, and food to fill my stomach every day.

I have to endure as much as I can. I must not give up so easily.

Although, I won't deny that Mr. Sebastián scares me a little. He seems like a cold, sharp, and quite intimidating person.

But I find it strange how he refers to his daughter. She is his daughter, right? He never treats her with love or even a minimum amount of affection. He simply treats her as if she were a burden in his life, his worst misfortune.

From the conversation I had with him a few hours ago, I can deduce that it's all because of the death of his wife. Which, even without knowing the little girl, already makes me feel sorry for her. I know what it's like to live without the love of your parents, to feel alone and helpless. Therefore, I promise myself that I will do my best to get along with the little girl because, from what I heard from my new boss, she is a real whirlwind. But what five-year-old isn't?

But well, I will give it my all, and everything will be to get what I want.

Once I have all my things ready and in my hands, we started the journey to the house where I will be living in the coming days. I hope it won't be as terrible an experience. Although, given my condition, I could work for a mobster just to have a home and food.

That's how desperate I am.

I see how we are getting closer to a huge mansion. Just the entrance is enormous, and in the background, you can see a huge house. It has beautiful gardens, with trees and flowers everywhere, creating a beautiful image with all its colors.

I could imagine that the little girl must roam a lot in these places, which gives me a clear idea of things to do with her every day.

Without realizing it, we arrived at the entrance of this huge mansion, where several people are already present. I imagine to welcome and give me instructions for my new responsibilities.

Upon arrival, the vehicle parks, and I proceeded to get out, but the driver, whom I now know is named Nelson, opens the door for me.

I gave him a timid smile for his gesture. No one had ever done that for me, which causes a slight blush on my cheeks. I kept my head down, so they don't notice. I don't want to embarrass myself on my first day.

"Follow me, Miss Davis," Nelson kindly said.

I nodded my head and timidly followed the path he indicated.

I stopped when we reached where the other people were. Most of them looked at me kindly, except for one woman who looked at me with disgust and indifference. But I tried not to pay attention to that.

"Good afternoon, everyone. As I told Maria over the phone, today, Miss Isabella Davis joins the staff of the house. She will be in charge of Miss Bianca as her nanny," Nelson introduced me to everyone, but I continued to look at my hands because I am so nervous.

"Pleasure to meet you, Isabella. I'm Maria, the one in charge of making everything run smoothly around here. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask for my help." Maria approaches me and took my hands when introducing herself.

She radiates warmth, so I looked at her and gave her a delicate smile. “Thank you very much, Mrs. Maria... and the same goes for me. If you need anything from me, feel free to ask," I replied kindly, and she gave me a warm smile followed by a small hug.

"Come, let me introduce you to the other people who work here. This is Lorena and Rebecca, both helping with household chores. This is Rubén, our gardener. And over here, we have the security guards, Juan, Mauricio, and Carlos," Maria pointed out.

Wow, there are quite a few names. I'll try to remember them all as soon as possible.

Although there's one name I already learned, and that's Rebecca's, the girl who looks at me disdainfully and I don't understand why.

"Nelson, Paulina will be here in a few minutes with her things. I told her we already had a new nanny, so she decided to leave right away," Maria informed Nelson.

Then I saw a beautiful young woman coming out. I think she's Paulina.

"Nelson, get me out of here, please," she pleaded, and when she's about to continue on her way, she stopped by my side and assessed me from head to toe.

"I hope you can endure that little demon long enough. I wish you all the compassion in the world."

Her words surprised me. I don't think taking care of a five-year-old girl can be that terrible, or can it?

God, you know how much I need this job, so give me the patience I need to endure long enough.

"T-thank you," I replied timidly and surprised.

“Good luck, you'll need it,” she finished saying to me and left.

After the introductions, Maria took me to what will be my new room. It is on the first floor, almost at the beginning of the huge staircase that this mansion has.

The house is majestic, quite large, and with the most modern articles that can exist. It will take me some time to get used to all of this. I'm not used to being surrounded by so much luxury. I am a simple woman.

"Welcome, Isabella. This is the room you will be staying in from now on. I'll leave you a few minutes to unpack your things. Once you're ready, meet me in the kitchen so I can show you everything else. When the girl arrives, I can introduce you to little Bianca," she said with a smile, and a doubt pops into my head.

"The girl isn't here? Where is she?" I asked Maria before leaving the room.

"She's in private classes. She'll be back around 8 in the evening for dinner. But don't worry, once you're ready, I'll tell you everything you need to know," she reassured me, and she finished leaving me alone in this immense room.

I have never had so much space in my life. I swear, this room is the size of the house I used to live in with my mother.

I began to explore it, marveling at everything I see. It doesn't have grand things, but it's enough for me.

There is a huge king-size bed, a bedside table on both sides, a desk in one corner with a comfortable chair. In the window area, there is a cozy armchair where I imagine myself reading in my free time, accompanied by the outside scenery. It has a small balcony, comfortable and big enough for me. I can already imagine myself there, enjoying the sun or the moon, depending on the time.

I see two doors. When I open one, I noticed that it's a huge closet. Wow, I'll never be able to fill all the space here. And behind the other door, there is a huge bathroom where I can see a shower and a bathtub, double sinks, and everything else a bathroom should have.

The tones are warm, earthy colors, and some grays. Nothing too ostentatious. I like it, I like it a lot.

Once I finished my tour, I went to the closet to start storing my few belongings.

The first thing I'll do when I receive my first salary is to buy more clothes and personal items, especially decent clothes. I'm not sure if I'll have to wear a uniform. I'll ask Maria about that detail later.

Once I finished, I went to the bathroom to freshen up, change into something more comfortable and light, and went in search of Maria.

The good thing about being on the first floor is that everything is easily accessible. I found the kitchen almost immediately, and when I entered, I saw Maria talking to the friendly little girl I saw at the entrance.

"Um, hello, I'm here," I said, and they both turned to look at me, giving me a warm smile.

"Very well. Did you leave all your things in order?" Maria asked me lovingly.

"Yes, that's right. I don't have many things, to be honest," I replied shyly, blushing slightly.

"Very well, my dear. Let me introduce you to Lorena again." She positioned herself next to me and introduced me to the girl.

"Hi, Isabella, it's nice to meet you. I hope we get along well. I already feel like we'll be good friends," she said with enthusiasm, and it's quite contagious.

"Thank you, the pleasure is mine, and I hope the same." She has a good aura. She's very friendly and cheerful. She must be around the same age as me.

"How old are you, Isa? I can call you that, right?" She smiled with a certain nostalgia because no one had ever treated me with so much affection. All of this is something new to me.

"I'm 22, and yes, you can. You'll be the first person to call me that, but I like it."

She was surprised but gave me another radiant smile and started jumping a little.

"You see, I told you we'll be great friends, and now I can say that I was the first one to give you a nickname." She smiled happily about her achievement. If only she knew the reason why I never received one before, I don't know if she would be so cheerful.

‘Enough, Isabella, forget the past. Now you have a very promising future by the side of these people,’ I scolded myself because it's true. Now I am surrounded by kind people, or at least that's what I can see.

"Wonderful, I hope to have the privilege of calling you that too," Maria said with feigned annoyance.

"Yes, of course, you both can call me Isa," I said confidently and with a shy smile.

"Perfect, now let's go. We have many things to do," Maria said, and I nodded in response.

"See you, Isa," Lorena said, waving one of her hands and smiling at me. I returned the gesture.

We left the kitchen, and Maria started indicating which door is which. I've lost count of how many doors she has pointed out to me. I'll have to dedicate a whole day to explore the house and memorize everything.

When we reached the second floor, we stopped at a room, and upon entering, I could see that it's the room of the little girl I will be taking care of. It's huge, much bigger than the room I'll be staying in from now on.

It has a huge princess bed, lots of toys and stuffed animals, all perfectly arranged in the room, a desk and a computer.

Why on earth does a 5-year-old girl need a computer? The rich and their things.

It has a tremendous closet with clothes, jewelry, and accessories of all sizes, colors, and designer brands. At least my new boss takes good care of his daughter, because he may not give her love, but he provides her with all material possessions imaginable.

It also has its own bathroom and a huge balcony. I shook my head at the enormity of it all, and the fact that it's all in such large quantities. Having the same thing in different colors seems like a waste of money to me. Wouldn't it be easier and more economical to have it all in just one color?

It also has its own television, a small gray sofa that looks very comfortable, and a small bookshelf full of all kinds of books. She seems like a very spoiled girl. She has everything in excess.

A 5-year-old girl should be playing in the garden and with friends, not locked up in a room. From what I can see, this is where the little girl spends most of her time. I think we'll have to change that in the near future.

“The girl, after coming home from school, has different classes in the afternoon every day.”

I looked at her surprised by what she tells me.

Poor girl, she must spend all her time studying.

“What do you mean? What other classes does she have?”

She looks at me and sighs, as if she understands my concern about what she mentioned.

“Miss Bianca, after her morning classes at school, comes home and have her lunch. Then, on Mondays, she has piano lessons at 4:00 p.m., on Tuesdays, French lessons at 4:30 p.m., on Wednesdays, painting or art lessons in general at 3:30 p.m., on Thursdays, Italian lessons at 4:00 p.m., and on Fridays, dance classes at 3:00 p.m.”

Damn, poor girl. Doesn't she have any free time to play?

“My God, does a 5-year-old do all that?”

She looked at me and nodded in response to my words.

“Yes, that's right. That's the program her deceased grandmother left for the girl, and Mr. Sebastian requested to keep everything the same despite her passing,” she said with a sad tone.

“But... why so many things? She's a child. She should be playing in the afternoons, not taking all those classes or workshops,” I gave my point of view, as I am truly horrified.

“I know, believe me, I feel the same way as you. That poor girl has no life,” she said, looking downcast.

“Maybe that's why she's so rebellious and mischievous,” I said, more to myself than to her.

“I think the same. That poor little angel has never had anyone who truly loves her in her short life. Her mother passed away, her grandmother was obsessed with perfection, and well, her father doesn't even acknowledge the little girl. She has never had a real person who loves her, that's why she has such a rebellious attitude.”

It hurts me to see her living that life, and in some way, I see myself reflected in her.

I didn't have all these luxuries, of course, but I did have a lot of lack of affection in my life. Very few people showed me genuine feelings, the rest simply abused me and my patience.

I never experienced what a mother's hug feels like, or hearing "I love you" or even a simple "good morning." Those were the things that I longed for more as time passed, but they were the things I received the least.

I sighed sadly, remembering what my life has been like, but I hope things change now, and I will try to make that girl happy, even if it's just during the time I work here.

“What about the father? Doesn't he spend time with her?” I curiously asked Maria, but she shook her head.

“The father lives working. He doesn't love the girl because he blames her for his wife's departure, so no, he has never shown her even a hint of affection. He only looks at her with hatred and resentment.”

Wow, what a terrible situation.

I can't justify or criticize his actions because I have never lost a loved one like he did, losing his wife. But I also don't think that the girl deserves this kind of treatment. She didn't ask to come into this world, much less lose her mother at the very moment she came into it. I think Mr. Sebastian is too blinded by the pain of his loss to see beyond that.

I think my job won't just be taking care of the girl and making her feel like a 5-year-old. I think I will also have to help my boss regain his heart and feelings for his daughter.

“The girl wakes up at 7:00 a.m. from Monday to Friday to go to school. On weekends, she's allowed to wake up later, but not past 10:00 a.m.”

I nodded and mentally took note of what she told me. “Noted,” I said, pointing to my head.

“At 7:00 PM she has dinner most days, except one when she arrives later, but generally by 8:30 PM she must be in bed sleeping, after completing her personal hygiene routine.”

I nodded again. “Noted,” I mentioned again.

“You must prepare everything for the girl. Be attentive to what she may need or arrive at. Check if she has homework and make sure she does it. Make sure she eats all her meals and respects all the established schedules, absolutely everything. Mr. Sebastián gets upset if he sees the girl awake outside of her designated sleeping hours.”

And I am aware that it's not because she will rest less, but rather to prevent any disturbance.

“Noted. At what time does he usually arrive?”

We left the room and continued walking on the second floor, stopping at the farthest room.

“That depends. Mr. Sebastián doesn't have a fixed schedule. Some days he can arrive at 9 PM, other days at midnight, and on some days, he simply doesn't come,” she said, pointing to the room which I think belongs to my new boss. It's all very dark here. Everything feels sad and depressing in this room.

“Does he sleep here?” I asked curiously, although I think I know the answer.

“Yes, and I should mention that he doesn't like to be interrupted or have anyone enter his room. Everyone is forbidden, except me.”

I nodded in response. “Noted, I won't appear here.”

She smiled amusingly at my panicked face.

We went back to the kitchen, where Maria started preparing dinner with great agility. I'm amazed watching her.

“Maria, do I need to wear a uniform?” I asked, realizing that everyone else is wearing one.

“No. In your case, you don't need to wear a uniform, but you should dress appropriately and comfortably.”

I nodded in response. “And what will I do while the girl is at school or during her afternoon classes?” I asked to clarify if there's anything I'm not allowed to do around here.

“Not much. Your responsibility is the girl and everything related to her. You should keep her belongings clean and organized, always be available for her. You don't have to participate in her classes, so in general, your mornings will be quite free. I recommend reading to pass the time, unless you are studying something.”

How I wish I were studying.

“Hmm, then I'll see what I can do in my free time... If I wanted to cook a dessert, could I do that?” I asked curiously, because that's something I love doing. I learned during one of my part-time jobs over the years. I know many recipes.

“Of course! I'm not very good at that, so I'm happy to let you use the kitchen and make us some treats.” She smiled happily, and my heart jumped with excitement.

“Great!” I smiled happily and started thinking about what I could make this week.

“You'll do well. I have a lot of faith in you. You look different from the other nannies. Just trust yourself, and you'll see how everything turns out to be a success.” She's already cheering me on even though she doesn't know me.

I feel a knot in my chest with her warm welcome. I hope everything goes well, it's what I desire the most.