Chapter 3: Not a prince, but a monster
"Let me guess, that's 'Unity' by Alan Walker".
Clarisse looked up to see the new maid,
" You're humming Unity by Alan Walker right?",
" Yes", she nodded slightly,
" Didn't know you know the song",
" I love it, there are some songs I can relate to, and they're my best songs", she said spreading the panties and the new maid assisted her, " thank you",
" It's nothing, my name is Abigail",
" That's a nice name, can I call you Abby?", She asked sweetly,
" I'd love that", Abigail grinned, " whose panties are these?",
" Alice's panties",
" You wash it with the washing machine right?",
" No, she does not like that",
" Huh? She does not like it? But yet she can't even wash her panties?", Abby scoffed disgustedly, " if I'm the one I'll tear off three out of it and tell her It was a mistake".
Clarisse chuckled, "That's too bad, I can't do that",
" Why? You have nothing to lose",
" Maybe, but I can't let anything hinder my wedding, I just have two more days, I've endured it for years, can't risk ruining this lifetime opportunity".
Abby's heart sank upon hearing that, does she just call that nightmare a lifetime opportunity? No dear, if anything you should ruin it with all you've got. She wished she could tell her but her eyes only got teary with her lips sealed. Clarisse saw the teary eyes and smiled patting her shoulder.
" You should be happy with me friend".
Did she just call her friend? It's even more tempting to tell her everything.
" Why should I be happy?",
" Because after a suffering is a fairy tale", she said and giggled,
" A fairy tale?",
" Yes, though I do feel like novels exaggerate, they are fictitious but tempting, some times we would wish to be in that position, where there will be a prince in shining armor coming to rescue a lady in distress, and in novels it's always a billionaire marrying a lady in distress in an arranged marriage, you know the case of marrying someone you've never met, but turn out to be the person you need most in your life, becomes your shield and land, the warm embrace you've always wanted, that comfort zone, my life is going in that direction, I can't ruin".
She said with a smile and teary eyes but Abby started crying, she pulled her closer and embraced her warmly, hoping this was the embrace she was talking about cause the fairy tale she was expecting was never coming. She wanted to tell her that the person coming was not a prince but a sex offender.
Clarisse broke the hug, "Stop feeling so emotional, I know you're happy with me", she said and picked up the next cloth to spread when a jotter fell and Abby picked it up for her.
She saw some drawings and exclaimed,
" Did you draw these?", Feeling amazed as she flipped the pages,
" Yes, they are dresses",
" I can see that, they look so beautiful", she said, " you're talented, never knew you were a fashion designer",
" That's my little secret",
" Have you sew any?",
" I don't have a machine so I use a needle and thread and it takes time",
" Have you sew any?" she, She repeated eagerly waiting for what she wanted to hear",
" Yes but",
" Where's it?",
" I can't show you",
" Why?",
" I use needle and thread so... it's not looking so good".
Abby wrapped her arms around her hand grinning and very curious to see the dress, her instinct was telling her the dress would be breathtaking with what she had seen in the drawings but Clarisse was hesitating.
" Show me! Show me! Show me!", She cried causing Clarisse to giggle.
" I guess you're making friends and getting stupid".
The rude and angry voice of Alice ruined the moment and they immediately come back to their senses. They let go of each other and face her with their head bowed.
" Seeing two stinky rats together is not bad after all but not when you've got to pick my dress", she yelled and took a step after the other to her, she stepped hard on Clarisse's toes causing her to winced, "You know who I hate most, freeloaders like you who are utterly useless", she whispered into her ears before turning sharply at Abigail, " And you? What are you waiting for? Get out of my sight",
" Yes ma'am", she said and hurried away gritting her teeth.
Clarisse swallow hard, blinking her eyes countless times. Alice was about to turn away when she saw the jotter and picked it up. Clarisse's heart began to beat fast getting anxious and watched fearfully as Alice flipped through the pages and she could see the look of disgust on her face.
" Is this what you've been using your time for?", She glared at her, and quickly Clarisse dropped her head shaking and praying Alice didn't tear the book, " I asked you a damn question", she fired,
" N..no".
Scoffing, " I've never felt ridiculous as much, can't believe a piece of trash can make me speechless, I get that you know how making money feels like or know what money is if not you won't waste my father's money on a trashy stuff, did you know how much this cost", she suddenly yelled startling her.
It's not from your father, that was the jotter from my Dad, it was one of my gifts for my 12th birthday. Clarisse said in her mind.
Alice hit her on the head with the jotter with every word she said, "If a beggar and a homeless trash like you did not even know anything, you should at least know that it's bad to waste someone's hard-earned money on a trashy stuff like this".
And with that, she dropped it into the soapy water.
" No oo", Clarisse screamed as she quickly fell on her knees and removed the book, wiping the water off with her dress but they'd almost gotten fully soaked.
Seeing her helplessness Alice felt satisfied and walked away, " I'm giving you two minutes to meet me in my room, you're dead if you made me get to the party late".
Clarisse wept as she kept trying to wipe the water but two of the drawings had already been ruined.
" No oo", she sobbed, spreading them on the lawn and hoping the sun would dry them without them getting ruined and running off to Alice's room.
" I'm Sorry", Abby sobbed in guilt, she was watching everything happening and was overwhelmed with guilt, she felt it was her fault for letting the jotter get seen.
" I should do something", she said to herself, " I should help her, I can't let her get married to that monster, I should do something to help her".