Contract To My Happiness

Chapter 6

Isabella’s POV

I have been awake for at least an hour. The alarm hasn't gone off yet, and my mind can't stop remembering what I saw last night.

I couldn't sleep. It was the first time I slept so comfortably and peacefully, which was strange for me. In the middle of the night, I decided to get a glass of water from the kitchen. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice what was happening there. When I turned on the light, I expected anything but what I saw.

It was my boss, having s*x with Rebecca. Now, I understand why she looks at me so badly. She thinks I'm going to steal the boss from her, but she's completely wrong. I don't want anything with men, especially not with someone like him. I just want to do my job and that's it.

Although...I couldn't help but look. They were naked, for God's sake. It was only logical that I would see more than I wanted to. My eyes had a life of their own in that moment.

My boss has an amazing body, you can see the hours he spends at the gym. Toned torso, strong legs and arms, an enviable behind, standing tall and nicely round, and well... that... quite impressive, I suppose. I don't know about sizes, but his seems bigger than average.

My body reacted in a way I didn't recognize. I looked at him a couple of times until I realized what I was doing. I'm so embarrassed about all of this, especially because he saw me looking. I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea.

He apologized, but I don't think it's necessary. It's his house and his body. He can do whatever he wants. I have no right to judge anything, although of course, I don't think what he's doing is right.

Because I can see that for him, it's just s*x. But I don't think Rebecca thinks the same. I think she expects something more from him. The bad thing about all of this is that now she's going to hate me even more. I interrupted their moment.

After what I saw last night, there are three things I must do from now on.

First, forget what I saw for the sake of my mental health.

Second, act professionally and only focus on my job.

And third, keep my distance from my boss. Seeing him arouses things in me, and after last night, I won't be able to look into his eyes without imagining his naked body.

Also, it didn't go unnoticed for me how he looked at and analyzed my body. When he did that, I felt his gaze burning wherever his eyes went. It produced a completely unfamiliar tingling sensation in me. That's why it's best to stay away from him as much as possible.

Although, I don't think it'll be that difficult. From what everyone told me, he practically never stays here at home, so it'll be quite easy to avoid him.

I let out a sigh when I heard the alarm go off, which snapped me out of my thoughts and made me realize I have to get ready for the meeting with my boss.

Last night, before going to bed, Nelson told me that Mr. Sebastián wanted me to meet with him in his office today at 7 in the morning to discuss my contract.

I don't want to, not after what I saw a few hours ago, but well, when it rains, it pours.

I quickly got up, take a relaxing shower that helps calm my thoughts and nerves.

I chose a simple outfit consisting of plain blue jeans that fit my body perfectly, a black blouse with a not-too-pronounced V-neck, tie my hair in a high ponytail, don't wear any makeup, just apply lip gloss, and pair it with simple black sneakers.

My outfit isn't flashy at all, it's quite simple, which I like. I don't like drawing attention to my body, so I try not to show too much. Besides, my job is to take care of a child, so I also need to be comfortable, and this outfit gives me that comfort.

I saw on my watch that there were only a couple of minutes until seven, so I head towards the office. I quickly found it but stayed in front of the door trying to calm my breathing and control my nerves.

After sighing as calmly as possible, I lightly knocked on his door, waiting for permission to enter.

"Come in," a hoarse and cold voice responded. Everything about him makes me nervous. I sighed one last time and enter.

As I entered that unfamiliar place, I kept my gaze down. I don't want to look directly at him. It makes me nervous and reminds me of last night, and I don't want to turn as red as a tomato in front of him.

The palms of my hands are sweating, so I discreetly wiped them on my pants.

"Please, sit."

I saw from the corner of my eye that he points to the chair in front of his desk.

I did as he instructed without hesitation. I took a seat, and I felt somewhat more relaxed. But when I lifted my face to look at him, I saw that he's studying me with his gaze. This made me extremely nervous, and the calmness I felt disappeared.

"G-Good morning, Mr. Sebastián." I tried to start this meeting to finish it as soon as possible, manners first, after all.

“Good morning, Isabella. Did you sleep well?”

That question triggered immense discomfort in me and shame took hold of my face. I felt my cheeks burning.

“G-Good, Sir, the bed is very comfortable,” I said as best as I could despite my nervousness.

The bed is very comfortable? What the hell was that? Although, thinking about it, what else could I say? It's not like I could tell him that I still couldn't get his naked and toned body off my mind, or that I could still feel his eyes roaming my body.

No, of course I can't say that, and by pure instinct, I closed my legs and bit my lower lip while fidgeting with my fingers. I became even more nervous about my thoughts, as if he were capable of reading my mind.

I kept my gaze anywhere but on him at all times. I don't want to look at him, it makes me uncomfortable.

“I'm glad to hear that,” he said, breaking the silence that had taken over the room.

“Hmm…” I don't know what else to say. I'm completely blocked.

“Isabella, I asked you to come because the work contract is here. I need you to read it carefully, and if there's anything you don't like, let me know so we can possibly make modifications,” my boss said with a loud and clear voice, which made me jump a little when he said my name.

He extended his arm along with the contract. I looked at it and tried to take it quickly, which accidentally caused our hands to touch for milliseconds. A current had run through me, and it seems like we both felt it because we looked directly into each other's surprised eyes, and we both moved away as if we were burning.

Now, I must be as red as a tomato, my face and body burn completely.

What the hell was that? I had never felt something like that with anyone, not even with the guy I was in love with for a long time. This is new and unknown to me, but I'd rather not think about it. I don't think it will lead to anything good.

“Read it at your own pace, and when you're ready, hand it to Nelson. You may leave.” He lifted my face when he heard his orders and I saw him looking annoyed. I don't know why, but it's best for me to get out of here.

“Y-yes, Sir, have a nice day.” I said goodbye without looking at him. I quickly stood up and practically run out of that place.

My heart was racing from what happened in there, and my face felt completely hot. I leaned against the door as I leave, trying to calm my breathing and regain control of my body.

What surprised me the most was how annoyed he was at the end. What did I do that I didn't notice? Did I say something I don't remember? Or maybe I gave him a wrong look? But I didn't even look at him, on the contrary, or maybe it was that, that I didn't look at him?

“What are you doing there?” I heard someone talking to me, which startled me and made me jump in surprise.

It's Rebecca, who looks at me with a face that could kill, her eyes go to my back, and oh no, I don't want her to get the wrong ideas.

“I... I...” What? s**t, the words won't come out.

“What were you doing in the boss's office?” She moved away from the place and tried to pass by my side. I don't have to answer her, but she stopped me by forcefully grabbing my wrist.

“W-what are you doing? Let go, please,” I asked her nervously at first, but I quickly regained my composure. I won't let her intimidate me.

“I’m asking you, what were you doing in the boss' office?”

This woman is crazy and obsessed with him, who clearly only uses her for one thing.

She tightened her grip on my wrist more and more, but I won't be intimidated by her. I gave her a hateful look to show her that she can't mess with me. I'm about to free myself from her grip and say a few things when we heard his voice.

“What's going on here?” my boss said, coming out of his office and standing centimeters away from me.

Feeling him so close makes me shiver completely. What the hell is wrong with my body when it feels his presence?

I shook my head at those thoughts. They don't serve me any purpose now.

“Miss Rebecca was asking me what I was doing in your office, Sir,” I said simply, without beating around the bush.

In many occasions, I may appear calm and submissive, but in others, I can't help but see myself as fierce. After all, with everything I've been through in life, I won't let anyone intimidate me, especially not a woman who is a little crazy.

Damn it, I haven't even been here for a day, and I'm already involved in problems. Of all the things I should do, staying away from my boss became the most important one. I want my time here to be peaceful and problem-free, which I will achieve by distancing myself from him.

“That's none of your business, Rebecca,” my boss responded, his voice cold and intimidating. It's impossible not to shrink in his presence when he speaks like that.

“But, Sir, I...” She tried to speak, but if I were her, I wouldn't. She just looks pathetic in my opinion.

“Rebecca, don't get confused. Just because I had s*x with you from time to time doesn't mean you can overstep your boundaries,” he said, even more annoyed than before, and I just wanted to leave. I shouldn't be listening to this, I feel like I'm intruding.

“Yes, sir, I just...”

Once again, he did not let her continue and approached us in a more intimidating way.

“What I do or don't do in my office with Isabella or anyone else is none of your business, I hope that's clear if you want to continue with your job,” he finished saying.

I could feel his breath very close to my neck. I don't want to move now and even less look at him, I can swear that he is very close to me.

“Yes, sir, it won't happen again,” Rebecca said through clenched teeth clearly annoyed with all of this, which she demonstrated by tightening her grip on my wrist.

“Aahh!” I couldn't help but scream because of the force she exerted. Damn, she grips tight.

“Let go of Isabella,” he said threateningly, which made her give me a hateful look before releasing my wrist.

“Have a good day, sir,” she said and left cursing a thousand demons.

I massaged my wrist, which has slight marks from Rebecca's fingers on my skin.

Damn woman! What fault do I have in all her s****l mess with the boss?

Well, none. This woman won't make my stay and work here easy, that's clear to me now.

“Are you alright?”

I jumped when I felt his voice on the curve of my neck. My whole body is now tingling because of him.

‘Don't turn around. Don't turn around. Don't turn around, Isabella.’

I nodded my head, since the words don't come out of my mouth and if they did, I would probably stutter because of how nervous I am.

“Isabella?”

Oh, dear, how good my name sounds on his lips.

“All f-fine, sir,” I said as best as I can, feeling the touch of his hand on my arm. I closed my eyes tightly and mentally deny all of this.

I think it's best for me to get out of here and go see little Bianca.

“I'm... I'm going to see the girl. Have a good day, sir.”

I said goodbye without looking at him and hurried like a bat out of hell to my room where I tried to regain my breath and control of my body that was completely altered, feeling my heart beating uncontrollably, wanting to run away from my body.

What was all that?

I shook my head, preferring not to stop and think about anything. I'd better concentrate on starting my work day and going to Bianca, who must be waking up by now.

I put the contract away to read later and looked at my reflection in the mirror once again before leaving, now more calm after the avalanche of emotions I've experienced in less than an hour. I could tell that working in this house will be intense.

I'm about to climb the stairs when someone grabbed my wrist again and pulled me back. I almost lost my balance and fell to the floor. I turned to confront the culprit and the first thing I found was Rebecca's furious gaze on me.

Well, I didn't think it would happen so soon. This woman is crazy.

“What's wrong with you? What's your damn problem?” I told her, already tired of her childish attitude. She won't intimidate me.

“You, you're my damn problem... I want to see you far away from Sebastián. He's mine and I don't want your filthy hands on him. Is that clear?”

I looked at her, surprised, not believing what she's saying. Is this woman crazy or what?

I pulled away from her and faced her with my head held high.

“Neither you nor anyone else will tell me what to do, and I'm sorry that I am your damn problem, but you will see my face every day from now on and I plan to stay here for a long time... so, get used to it.” I assertively let out the words. She shouldn't think she could treat me however she wanted.

I continued on my way up the stairs in a hurry when I saw Lorena before reaching Bianca's room.

“Don't pay attention to her, she's just jealous.”

I shook my head, annoyed. “Jealous of what? I haven't even been here for a day and she's already making my life impossible,” I said between clenched teeth, completely annoyed with Rebecca's immature and childish attitude.

“She feels threatened by you, sees you as competition, plus she has the strange delusion that she's going to make Mr. Sebastián fall in love with her... which, we know is impossible. That man is cold as ice after his wife's death and the last thing he'll do is fall in love again, and if by some miracle that were to happen, it won't be with a woman like Rebecca.”

I listened attentively to everything she was telling me. Poor thing, expecting something from someone who will never give her what she wanted, and who only uses her as a s****l object.

“But that's not my problem. I just want to do my job in peace, that's why I'm here and nothing else... Besides, I don't understand why she feels threatened by me.”

She smiled as if to say, "It's not obvious", but no, it's not obvious to me. She must see the confusion on my face that I don't understand what she's trying to say.

“I mean, if the boss were to fall in love with someone, it would be with a woman like... like you.”

What she told me surprised me and my heart started racing again within my body. I fervently shook my head at that absurd idea. This man from what little I know of him, doesn't love anyone, not even his daughter. How could he be capable of loving someone else when it's clear from afar that he hasn't forgotten his deceased wife? And for what Lorena tells me to happen, he must start leaving his ghosts behind, and I don't see that happening anytime soon or ever really happening.

"Don't say that. It's completely crazy and impossible. I just want to do my work peacefully. I don't want problems with anyone. Plus, I would never be with someone who treats his own daughter the way he does. I know what it's like to suffer the abandonment of your parents, and what he does to his own daughter is wrong, very wrong," I said, annoyed as I remember what I've seen and heard, especially when I think about little Bianca.

"I'm not here to fall in love or get involved with any man, no matter how much Mr. Sebastian provokes a thousand emotions, sensations, and feelings in my body, I will stay away. I mustn't let him get close to me or me to him, that would be dangerous. I will only focus on Bianca and no one else, she is my priority."

"If you say so... but I won't deny that Rebecca is right. If someone can make Mr. Sebastian become the person he was, that would be you," Lorena said before continuing on her way, leaving me with a strange feeling and a bitter taste in my mouth.

I prefer not to think about it and enter the little girl's room, where she was already sitting in her bed awake.

"Good morning, Bianca. Did you sleep well?" I asked kindly, with a radiant smile.

"Hmm," she murmured. She's too young to be in such a bad mood and so early in the morning.

"Do you need help with your shower?" I asked, not letting her attitude affect mine.

I have decided to help her regain her childhood and happiness, which requires putting all my effort into achieving that.

"It's not necessary, I can do it myself," she said, crossing her arms seriously. It's incredible how much she resembles her father.

I ignored her words and went to the bathroom while adjusting the water to a suitable temperature for her.

I felt her enter the bathroom and huff at my action.

"Alright, I'll leave you to shower peacefully. I'll be waiting outside the bathroom door if you need anything," I told her and left, not giving her a chance to say anything.

I heard the sound of water while I look for her school uniform and left it on her bed. After a few minutes, I saw her coming out of the bathroom in a robe.

I turned around and let her dry her body and dressed calmly.

Once I felt that she has done that, I turned back and saw her sitting at her little vanity, about to comb her hair.

I stepped forward and took the hairdryer and comb from her. She looked at me astonished by my audacity, but she didn't say anything.

I started slowly untangling her hair while combing it. She has very beautiful and long hair.

"You have such beautiful hair." I gave her a compliment that made her lower her gaze, somewhat upset and sad by what I said.

Damn, did I say something I shouldn't have?

"I don't like my hair.”

Why? If it's so beautiful?

"And why is that? I think it's beautiful. I wish I had hair like yours," I said sincerely, but she didn't respond, just kept her gaze down.

We stayed like that for several minutes, in silence while I dry and comb her hair. I decided to break this awkward moment.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have, but seriously, you have a beautiful hair," I tried to change her expression. I don't like seeing her angry or sad. She should smile all the time.

"I don't like it. I have my mother's hair... that's what Sebastian says."

Damn, I didn't know that. I haven't seen any picture of her mother, so I couldn't have known.

"I'm really sorry for your loss, but I'm sure that wherever your mother is, she's happy to have such a beautiful daughter who looks like her. If I were a mother, I would think that way and be proud of my daughter."

"Sebastian blames me for her death."

My throat dried up with those words.

Damn, this is all so heavy, and it's sad to see how their lives are. It's clear that both of them have miserable lives, and it shouldn't be that way. They should be united and love each other.

What should I say? Should I say it's not true, even though it's clear from afar that it is? There is no word that can help in any way.

"Don't worry, there's no need to say anything," I heard Bianca say, looking at me through the mirror.

And so, I did. I preferred to keep quiet and continue with my task. I'm not a hairdresser or anything, but I know how to do some braids, and I did one that looks beautiful on her.

"There you go, you're ready to have breakfast and go to school. You look beautiful."

She lifted her gaze and looked at herself in the mirror. A special sparkle appeared in her eyes when she saw what I did. She touched her braid happily, and I catched a glimpse of a smile on her little face. Apparently, no one has dedicated enough time to simply do her hair.

“Do you like it?” I asked hopefully and with a huge smile, she sat on her seat and returned to her cold posture.

“It's not bad.”

It's not what I expected, but it's something and I'll settle for that, for now.

We went down together to the dining room, so she can have breakfast. I saw Maria leave her a plate with chopped fruits, a glass of milk, and toast with jam in front of her to eat.

I sat next to her and watched her eat calmly and very politely. It's clear that she was taught manners from a very young age.

After breakfast, I accompanied her to her room to brush her teeth. I took her backpack and went down with her to the entrance where Nelson was already waiting with the car door open.

I saw her get in and I got in after her. I saw a surprised expression in Nelson and Bianca. They did not expect me to come too.

“What are you doing?” Bianca asked, serious and surprised.

“I'm taking you to school,” I replied simply and signaled Nelson to start the trip.

The journey to school took about 20 minutes, during which we remain completely silent, but I feel Bianca glancing at me.

Once we arrived, I got off first with the little one's bag in my hands and extended the free one to help her get down.

She took it really confused and finished getting out of the car with my help.

We started walking to the school entrance. I adjusted her backpack on her back and crouched down to her height.

“I hope you have a fabulous day and learn many things. I'll be waiting for you at the end of the day,” I said with a smile, adjusting her hair and clothing, and finally giving her a kiss on her forehead.

It may not be necessary, but as far as I can see, she needs affection, and I will give it to her with these little details.

She walked away from me really surprised. She didn't expect anything of what I've done so far, but the good thing is that she hasn't pushed me away at any moment. She just looks at me confused, but nothing more.

I saw her move away and got lost among the other students. I won't leave until I see her entering through the huge doors that lead to the classrooms.

Once I saw her there, she turned around to look at me from a distance, and with unique enthusiasm, I raised one of my arms and waved goodbye to her, giving her a big smile that I hope gradually infects her.

She didn't respond and I didn't expect her to. She turned around and entered through the doors.

I sighed tiredly because of the whole situation. I hope that sooner rather than later, Bianca will recover what she has lost and can be a happy girl.