Ruffled ~ H.S

Twenty-Eight

A/N: Hello, this was more of a filler chapter than anything else, but I hope you like it anyway, even though I don't really.

"Well, Janice. Welcome aboard," I gave our new maid a warm smile, "I'll see you next week for your orientation, and I'll have another maid assigned as your floor partner until you get used to the place. Sound good?"

"It sounds perfect, Miss Winter," she flashed me a bright grin, "thank you so much. I've admired the work you've done for this hotel for so long, and I can't believe I'm a part of it now."

I let out a chuckle. "Honey, you've already got the job. No need to suck up to me anymore," I winked at her – and she let out a laugh.

"Alright. Sorry," she said with a giggle, "until next week, ma'am."

"Until then indeed," I stood up and shook her hand warmly, "thank you for your application."

I escorted her to the door and instructed Noelle to show her the way back to the lobby. After that, I made my way back to my desk and sat down at it – sighing softly and pulling up the staff rosters on my computer so that I could start working out a possible schedule for Janice.

However, I had to jump and gasp a little as the doors to my office suddenly burst open – making my head jerk up to see who it was that had busted through my doors so brashly.

"You just blatantly refuse to stay away, don't you?!" Anne Styles hissed at me with a piercing glare, "Always hanging around our family like some sort of horrible smell!"

"Mrs Styles," I had to speak in a low, soft voice to stop myself from snapping right back and demanding why the fuck she was here, "won't you come in?"

"Oh yes, there you go, being all charming & polite again, like you're an innocent little girl who's never done anything wrong!" Anne huffed, "it's almost as if your shocking behaviour at your engagement party never even existed!"

"Of course...the engagement party," I cleared my throat quietly, "listen, Anne...with all due respect, what Harry & I did at the engagement party, we thought was only fair given the circumstances."

"Oh, don't you give me that, girl!" She spat at me, "What you & my son so despicably did...humiliating those poor girls during such an event...I am more than positive was entirely your idea!" She pointed an accusing finger at me, "Whatever you did to my son...it would've given you absolutely no trouble in coaxing all those secrets out of him! And don't even get me started on that horrible speech he made about how much he 'loves' you, which I'm certain was your doing, as well!"

"Look, Anne, from the way I see it, I didn't even feel as if I had a choice that day," I replied as calmly as I could, "because of what you did...inviting not one, but seven of Harry's exes just to make me uncomfortable, there's no way I would've been able to enjoy myself at a party that's supposed to be held in our honour. Because of what you did...I figured out that someone had to be humiliated before the party was to end, and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be me. Not at my own engagement party. It's my basic right to feel welcomed, and deserving of that party – not the complete opposite."

"Harry could be marrying any one of those girls instead of you!" Anne seethed, "Any of them would fit with him perfectly...they're all beautiful, they all admire him a great deal, and they're all very financially secured – and practically set for life! And yes – they may have made a mistake or two in their past...but that doesn't mean they can't change! And they would change for him! But now they won't even get the chance! Because you somehow managed to get him to pick you over all of them!"