Revenge Or Love ✔

05 Clara

Clara POV.

I stand still.

The eyes of the people around me fall on me, full of sympathy, gossip, and gloating...

But no one dares to come and comfort me.

After returning to New York, I lie on the small bed in the slum, check the balance on the card, and decide to find Arthur.

My salary has been spent, and there is less than 200 dollars in my card.

I could continue working as a waitress in the restaurant, but that salary is not enough for me, far from enough.

So at exactly seven o'clock the next morning, I show up at Arthur's doorstep on time.

I don't have the key here anymore, so I keep calling his name at the door.

He doesn't open the door, so I start ringing the doorbell.

Suddenly something hits behind the door, then falls to the ground, with a cracking sound.

Then comes Arthur's extremely irritable "Go away."

I think he must be going out, so I quiet down and sit on the steps outside to wait.

An hour later, the door opened. Arthur's hair is a bit messy, he holds the car key in his hand and walks towards the garage without looking at me.

He's going to the team training.

I watch his car disappear from my sight and immediately take a taxi to follow him.

When I arrive at the destination, Arthur is already on the racetrack, so I go to find Mateo.

Mateo bows to the team manager and then walks towards me, looking very angry: "What are you doing as an assistant!? He's an hour late today!"

My tone is quite sincere: "I'm sorry."

Mateo snorts coldly: "You also set a record. It's always been others who can't stand Arthur and resign voluntarily; you're the first one he's fired."

...Is this some kind of honor?

"I won't make him angry again." I say.

I think I've found the source of his anger in Belgium.

Suddenly the team manager calls Mateo from a distance, Mateo waves to the manager, then turns to me: "I'll give you one last chance, if he's late again next time, you can really resign."

"I promise to work hard." I bow quickly.

The next morning, when I'm making breakfast for Arthur, he happens to get up and open the bedroom door.

I turn my head and dryly smile at him: "Good morning."

Arthur is so furious that he laughs in the end; he crosses his arms and looks at me: "Who let you in? Where did you get the key?"

"Mateo gave it to me."

"Alright, now take out the key and put it on the table, then get out."

But I lower my head and wipe off the flour on my apron, then say: "We need to hurry, you can't be late today."

"Don't you understand what I'm saying!? I made it very clear, you're fired!" Arthur steps forward, grabs my collar, tears off my apron, and pushes me all the way to the door.

He opens the door with one hand, and is about to throw me out with the other.

I seize the last moment to grab the door frame, squeeze half of my body in when Arthur is about to close the door, and urgently say: "I'm sorry, I won't ever have any inappropriate thoughts about you anymore."

"Can you... can you give me another chance?" I pant.

Arthur stops, then looks me over: "Really?"

I hold up three fingers: "Really, I swear."

———

I've made peace with Arthur, more or less.

I say "more or less," because now my job has become even more difficult. Arthur was just picky with me before, but now it has turned into deliberate torment.

For instance, he asks me to grill fish for him. When he can't find any fault with the taste, he picks out a fishbone from the bowl, furrows his brows, and says, "You didn't clean the bones properly!"

Or he asks me to pick grapes from behind the villa, wash them, and bring them to him. After tasting one, he starts complaining, saying the grapes I picked aren't fresh at all.

Because of his torment, I'm seriously sleep-deprived.

When Arthur is training with the team, I'm yawning beside him. But yawning is contagious. Then the staff nearby, including the team manager, couldn't help but yawn.

So the manager waves his hand and asks me to take a rest.

Almost the moment I lie down on the sofa in the lounge, I fall into a deep sleep. When I open my eyes again, I see Arthur's fierce face.

I sit up abruptly: "Is the training over?"

"Do you know what time it is now? Where's my dinner!?" he frowns.

I apologize repeatedly, take out the lunchbox from my bag, and say, "It's still warm, please eat."

"I'm training hard outside, hot and thirsty, and you're sleeping in the air-conditioned room!?" He asks again.

"I'm sorry, really sorry, I didn't mean to," I apologize, yawn again, and quickly cover my mouth with my hand.

Arthur stares at me expressionlessly for a moment, "I won't eat, my neck hurts."

"Your neck hurts..." I pause for a moment, then stand up, "Oh, I'll go find the team doctor..."

But Arthur stops me, "I want you to massage."

"The doctor should... still be on duty, I'll bring him over right away."

"I said I want you to massage, don't you understand?" He furrows his brows, pulls me over, and puts my hand on his shoulder.

I tremble in fear, step back, but when Arthur looks at me, I quickly put my hand back.

The cold air from the air conditioner continues to blow.

I vaguely remember that Arthur didn't insist on eating the food I cooked at first; he used to often send me out to buy takeout for him. But now he wants me to cook for him every day.

Will massaging become the same as cooking?

My wrist gradually feels sore; I regret a bit, if only I hadn't shown him my massage certificate that day.

After finishing dinner, Arthur stays at the team to review the game with the coach until late at night.

I drive him home.

Arthur changes his shoes after entering, then goes straight inside to pour himself a glass of water; I stand at the entrance of the living room, hesitating whether to speak up or not.

He raises an eyebrow, "Something on your mind?"

Summoning courage, I say softly, "Can I sleep on the sofa here tonight? It's already past midnight, and I have to come over tomorrow morning to make breakfast for you..."

Arthur places the half-drunk water on the table, expressionless, "Stay if you want, but you know what you can do and what not, right?"

I nod repeatedly, "I know, I know."