The Second Wife by Melinda Mulera (book club reads .txt) 📗

Chapter 4: worthless lowlives

The moment we arrived at the restaurant, the beaming gold coloured lights flashed against my eyes once I opened the door, nearly blinding me completely as I gazed around.

The front of the restaurant was mostly covered in marble-like floor tiles and ever green grass close to the walls.

It was definitely not the usual type of restaurants and to say I have never been here before is an absolute truth. I wouldn't afford even the grass.

"This way sir." A man suddenly appearing from behind said as he bowed a little. "Master Bronze had a special room built for the family as to not associate with others." The man said and I shot Mr Bronze a knowing glance that he smirked to, as though telling me, through his eyes, that he knows his family was rich.

He began to walk ahead while I trailed behind, marvelling the small statues all around the place far from each other. We stepped into a building with a dim maroon bulb with a bit of orange here and there, almost as though we were stepping into a wine glass. There was a reception up ahead where the lady quickly stepped out and bowed a little. She looked around her fifties and probably one of the many workers who lived to work for senior Mr Bronze. The man led us further into a small corridor and stopped at a glass door that led to a room with just one table in the centre of it all with only two seats.

"Your room, Sir." The man bowed and I glanced towards Mr Bronze who seemed to be awkwardly looking around.

"Is there a relative here?" He asked as he pointed to the first door we passed. "Why didn't you give us the first room?"

"Oh yes, your mother is here." He said as he bowed again. "Must I send her word that you want to see-"

"No." He said rather quickly and stepped into the room. "Just have the chefs prepare two of number one." I stepped in behind him and carefully closed the glass door as the man walked away with another bow.

I sighed as I glanced up at the ceiling, admiring the small glass chandelier with orange lighting coming from it. I glanced to the corner and noticed a beautiful egg-shaped pot with a hedge well trimmed to make it seem like the yoke of a boiled egg. On the other corner was a piano....

It disgusts me to see people this rich.

"Won't you sit down?" He asked and I glanced at him. He was already sited and leaning onto the table with his fingers laced together. "Sit down."

"I thought I had the freedom to look around." I said in a mummer as I sat down on the seat facing him. There was a glass vase that looked somewhat red with a blood red rose in it. I reached out to it, mesmerized by the colour and wondering if it was real, and it was.

"Never seen a rose before?" He chuckled as he tilted his head to the side while I stroked the petals softly, careful not to snap them off.

"How primitive do you think I am?" I asked as I took back my hand and stared at him from the rose.

"Very." He smirked then leaned back on his seat. "A wild one. One that doesn't listen when the boss orders it around."

"Did you just refer me to 'it'?" I asked as I crossed my arms and raised my brows. "I'm not an animal. Or your dog. Plus I work for your father, not you. You're acting like you own me." I said with a hushed tone when I realised he still has power in hiring and firing.

"I own you." He whispered with a nasty smirk spreading on his lips. "Want to bet?"

"How on earth do you own me?" I asked as I rolled my eyes a little and glared at him. "I don't remember selling myself to you."

"When signing the contract to work as a hostess, you signed under Avery Bronze, Not Raymond Bronze." He grinned. "And if you read somewhere in that contract, you are considered mine." He said and I clenched my jaw at him.

I didn't bother reading or asking who Avery was. In fact, I thought Avery was Senior Mr Bronze. After all, he was the one that gave me the contract to sign. I personally signed from him and not the manager.

"So, do you have any complaints?" He asked with a provocative grin and I sighed out as I glanced out of the large windows showing a beautiful garden behind them.

"No." I said then clicked my tongue. "Why did you add possession? Humans aren't items." I asked and he smirked.

"Well, it just gives me the right to boss them around even when their working hours are over. Gives me that privilege. I can call anyone I want at any time because they signed to serve me 24/7, 365." He grinned and I sighed out even more. "Plus, I get to take home whoever I want to work as any role I put them. I've taken a few that I found most enduring and placed them as my house maids after the previous did something utterly ridiculous." He chuckled and I glanced at him with furrowed brows.

"Ridiculous? What, did they try to kill you?" I asked jokingly and he shrugged his shoulders.

"They killed my girlfriend instead." He chuckled and I frowned at him. "They poisoned the wrong glass of wine. Well, they died in the end because I wouldn't let them live in jail and come out the next day, I paid a lot to have them killed and that took me a hell lot of money, talk about even paying their families. I had no sympathy for either of their families because they wanted to kill someone as important as me." He laughed with himself and I stared at him with wide eyes.

He paid the judges to kill them? Is that even legal?

"Who the hell did they think they were? Nasty low lives who couldn't get their hands on gold decided to try and kill one of the few people that actually mean something to this world. Of course I would throw all sorts of lawsuits against them to have them killed. They deserved to die. Not like they made the  world any different by existing." He clicked his tongue and I could notice the serious expression on his face. He really despised those people. Whomever they were.

"Just because people are poor doesn't mean they mean nothing." I said as I clenched my fists under the table. "That kind of hurts me..." I whispered but he eventually heard me and glanced at me with a much softer gaze.

‍​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‍