Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“I can’t allow Sterling continue doing this to me. I think I have to do something fast before he returns.”

An idea popped in to her head and she grinned mischievously.

“Of course something did happened,” she said and burst in to laughter.

Few minutes later, she left the room to the living room. Walked past Assistant Li who was watching a movie in the living room and went inside the kitchen.

He thought she was going to make something for Sterling as she had said not knowing she went in there to get something which she hide in a bag.

“What’s that?” Assistant Li asked her as she emerged from the kitchen but she rolled her eyes and walked away.

He wanted to follow her in to her room to see the Mischievousness she was going to do but ignore her.

He would only waste his time there as Isabella was full of tricks.

As soon as she entered her room, she locked the door so no one would come in when she’s doing what she wanted to do.

Isabella already knew what Sterling was afraid of seeing, something that always scared him and send him in to a terrified state.

She brought out the knife which she had put inside the bag, two oranges and a plate.

She dropped the oranges on the plate and then cut them in to half.

When she was done doing that, she left the room to the balcony to see if Sterling was back or not.

She stood there looking at the gate to see when Sterling would return.

Some moments later, the gates opened and three cars drove in.

Her face lit up when Sterling stepped out of the car and made his way to the apartment.

She hurried back in to the room, unlocked the door and ran back to the table where she put the plate of oranges.

When she heard his footsteps on the stairs, she picked up the knife and made a little cut in her finger.

She allowed the blood to start coming out and when it didn’t come out, she pressed her finger, making the blood drop on the plate, the knife and the oranges too.

Then she let out a loud scream and started crying.

Sterling who was about to turn the handle of the door to his room heard her scream and cry.

He was so startled by her voice that he thought it was his Mum who had returned.

He already forget Isabella was in the house.

Isabella’s cry increased and he went in to her room to check what was happening.

Sterling was shocked when he saw the blood coming out from her hand.

He hurried to her, grabbed the knife from the table and threw it on the floor.

“What’s wrong with you, why would you let your finger get cut by a knife?”

He was so confused that he couldn’t help but scolded her.

“I… I wanted some oranges,” Isabella cried.

“You should have allowed the maids do it. Why would you,” he gasped.

Sterling hurried out of the room and in no time, he returned back with a first aid kit.

“Come here.” he helped her to the bed and made her sit on it and then he brought out the tools he would use on her.

Isabella kept pretending she was in pain as he dresses her finger.

“I’m so sorry for making you do this, I didn’t know my finger’s going to cut.” She sniffed.

Sterling sighed. He put back the tools inside the box and then dumped the blood stained cottons in the trash bin in the room.

He returned back to the bed where Isabella was staring at her bandaged finger and shook his head.

What great pain she would was in at that moment. Sterling thought.

He hates to see blood or to see someone injured. Sterling started to get terrified when he sees blood since the day he was playing with Assistant Li years ago.

They were chasing each other around the house when he slipped and fell.

His forehead started bringing out blood and it was too much that it scared him.

“Are you still feeling any pain?” he asked her and she nodded her head. “It hurts a lot.” She sniffed.

Sterling held her finger and examined it closely.

“Should we go to the hospital so the doctor would look at it properly?” he asked her, turning her finger to see the dressing.

( It’s the maids fault)

“I… I don’t think so. You’ve already tried your best and I know it will work.” She sniffled again.

Sterling lifted up his eyes and looked at her. The tears on her face reminded him of his Mum who would always shed tears whenever he was sick.

“Be careful from now, Isabella. Don’t go near knife again,” she nodded her head.

But was that all he could say to her? Isabella was surprised. She thought he was going to ask her why she brought the knife to her room.

“The maids didn’t want to cut the oranges for me that was why I brought it to my room.”

Sterling who was already on his way out of the room paused. He turned around with a surprised look.

The maids refused to do as she wanted?

“They only listen to my command whenever you are around.” She sniffed.

But that wasn’t right. How can they not listen to her order when he isn’t at home?

Sterling left the room without saying anything to her.

Isabella thought she lost and had started cursing herself when she heard Sterling screaming at the maids in the living room.

Her face lit up, she stood up from the bed and ran out of the room to go see what was happening in the living room.

When she went there, the maids were all kneeling on the floor and confused Assistant Li stood beside the sofa looking at Sterling.

Assistant Li was much more confused when he saw Isabella, holding her bandaged finger.

When did that happen? He was shocked. But then, he remembered when he saw her entering the kitchen and came out holding something in a bag.

Was that a knife? Or was it something that she used to cut her self? He was confused.

“Sterling, let them be,” Isabella said to him sadly.

“No Isabella, allow me to talk to them. They are servants in here and are mean to serve you,”

Isabella sighed and stepped aside. Her face was that of a victim so pitiful.

No one would even know she was the one that did that on purpose because of the way she was acting.

“Mr. Hawthorn, we are so sorry master. But we have no idea what you are talking about.” One of the girls boldly said.

They were surprised as well because they haven’t seen Isabella that day. And she didn’t go to them to make them do anything for her.

Why then did she lie to their master that she sent them but they refused to work for her?

“Look at my hand, you caused this.” Isabella stamped her feet on the floor.

The maids glanced at her fingers and their jaws dropped. How did they caused that? They have no idea.

They didn’t even know she cut her finger. Why then was she blaming them for what they didn’t do?

“Darliny, I want them fired.” Isabella wrapped her arms around his arm.

Fired? The maids started pleading when they heard that word, fired. They don’t want to be fired, they like their job.

And it wasn’t their fault that Isabella got injured. Unless she was doing that on purpose just so Sterling would fire them.

“Please Mr. Hawthorn, do not fire us.” The girls pleaded.

“Don’t listen to them, Sterling. I want them out of this house now. I don’t want to see them again, I’m scared of them,” she said worriedly.

“They have been threatening me in here, just send them away.”

The way she was acting would convince you that the maids really said that.

Sterling didn’t like firing his servants, not those girls that were already used to everything in his house.

But what was he supposed to do? He has to fire them just for Isabella to stop Accusing them of what they knew nothing about.

That would only leave a black stain on the girls. And what would happen if he left them in that house? Isabella would do something terrible and blame it on the girls.

“Tomorrow, I want you both out of here,” Sterling said his last word and walked away.

“Mr. Hawthorn, no please.” The girls pleaded to him but Sterling was already on the stairs.

Assistant Li followed him to the room to plead with him on their behalf while Isabella stayed back.

“See? I told you I’ll get you out of this house,” she laughed shortly.

“This finger…” She showed it to them.

“I did it on purpose. This is to teach you girls how terrible I am.”

The girls stood up from the floor and wiped the tears in their eyes.

“Do whatever you like, Isabella!” they snapped at her.

Isabella was taken aback. How dare they speak to her and call her name like that.

“And uh, we are happy that we would be out of this house because of you. No regret about that.” One of the girls said.

“Just to let you know, Mr. Hawthorn isn’t going to marry you, you’re only wasting your time here.”

“He doesn’t like girls like you. You are full of pretense.” The girls hissed at her and walked away.

Isabella gasped, she was shocked. How could they have the audacity to talk to her that way.

----

“Big bro, are you going to send those girls away because of Isabella?” Assistant Li pointed to the door.

“Yes,” Sterling answered.

He dropped the first aid kit on the desk and removed his jacket.

“But why? Remember Mum likes those girls and they’ve been with us for years now,”

Sterling sighed. He knew that already and reminding him of Mum wasn’t a good thing.

His mind wouldn’t be at rest that night.

“This is unbelievable, big bro.” Assistant Li folded his arms.

Sterling turned around, unbuttoning his sleeves.

“Think about this, big bro. Those girls can’t leave. I’m already used to them and they are the only ones staying in the house with me when you are out,”

Sterling nodded his head, he knew that already. But he was already planning on how to make Assistant Li useful and not staying in the house all the time.

“I’ve thought about that too,” Sterling said and Assistant Li heaved a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness. I’ll go tell them that you’ve forgiven then even though they did nothing.” He turned to leave the room but Sterling stopped him.

“Not that, I’m talking about you, Assistant Li.” Assistant Li raised a brow.

“Why me?” he asked. “I want to make you useful, dude. From tomorrow, you won’t stay in the house all day long anymore. You’ll always follow me to the company.”

His face brightened up. Assistant Li has always wanted that but didn’t know if Sterling would grant him his wish or not.

“Are you serious right now?” Sterling nodded his head.

“Oh my goodness! Thanks so much bro,” Sterling smiled.

“But what about those girls? They can’t leave.” He reminded him.

“They have to, Li. But…” Sterling removed his clothe.

“Tell them not to go far as I’ll call them back.”

(Assistant Li’s dream come true)

“You are going to bring them back? Wow! You aren’t heartless after all,” he laughed. Sterling frowned and Assistant Li cleared his throat.

“I… I’ll go inform them and I’ll give them some money also.” He hurried out of the room.

Sterling shook his head. Aside from the maids, Assistant Mike and Isabella, no one knew he and Assistant Li were so close and also brothers.