The servant's daughter and the aristocrats' son engage in a prohibited bond.
Melanie moves in with her mother to work in the Kingstons' household, who have just had their son, Kai, come back from a mysterious absence.
After Kai walks in on her at...
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‘Melanie is Sebastian Martinez’s daughter’ spread like wildfire in the hallways of Kingston University.
Everyone was giving me unusual looks and whispering about me whenever I passed by. They concluded that Ryan was my half-brother too, who I hadn’t seen the entire day. He knew better than to come during the heated events. I was the centre of the spotlight the entire day.
Eleanor Kingston was desperate to push her son out of the label ‘a maid’s daughter boyfriend’ that she quickly spilt the news. She didn’t come back to my place over the weekend. Maybe she finally approved of me as an aristocrat’s daughter.
“Are you really Ryan’s half-sister?” an unfamiliar voice asked beside me as I shoved my books inside my locker.
She was the first person who dared to ask me for assurance. I didn’t know her. I flashed a tight, uncomfortable smile and nodded.
“But Mr Martinez has never openly talked about having another wife. Was your mother his mistress? Are you an illegitimate child?”
I gulped. It never crossed my mind to think of it that way, or even if it did, I didn’t imagine the public would interrogate me about it. However, in a world sensitive to wealth and social ranks, I shouldn’t be surprised. It was inconsiderate of Eleanor to spread the news without regard to the Martinez’s privacy. Still, no one could point fingers at her as she spread it behind the curtains. It started with a small flame and ended up all over the place.
Massie came up to me, panting. “I have been looking for you, Mel. Let’s go.” She took my hand and dragged me out of that conversation.
Massie took me out to the garden. Fresh air filled my nostrils, and birds chirping soothed my anxiety. She sat down on the grass under a big tree, finally calming down and taking a much-needed breath.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Remember, you’re not obligated to answer anyone. This is your private life. I’m sorry it happened that way. I came to school, and everyone was talking about it.”
“It’s fine,” I whispered. “I don’t really care. It’s just overwhelming.”
And I feel lonely going through it without Kai, I wanted to add. I missed him. I missed entering campus hand in hand. I missed being so close to him to smell his special cologne and be engulfed in his warmth.
After what happened at Massie’s, I was glad I woke up first in the morning. I gave his peacefully sleeping features one last kiss and left as if I wasn’t there in the first place. I told Massie I didn’t remember how I ended up there, but it was all lies. I was glad it started and ended smoothly just like that—like a short-lived affair or a one-night stand.
Massie and I relaxed against the tree, and she offered me a carton of juice and said we could leave campus if I wanted. She was a sweetheart, and I was happy we had a solid friendship growing.
