Sabrina, feeling utterly exhausted from their journey, decided to retire to bed earlier than usual. Kenneth, understanding her need for rest, granted her permission to do so and even promised her a movie date the following day to make up for their disrupted plans.
She was about to prepare their breakfast when a messenger from the main house came bearing a message from Lorraine. Kenneth’s mother asked them to join her for breakfast. She wanted to refuse but Kenneth said it wouldn’t be a good idea to refuse so they hurried up in preparing themselves.
When they arrived at the breakfast room where the entire family was gathered to eat breakfast together, Sabrina exchanged a concerned glance with her husband. Her mind was racing with thoughts about the sudden invitation to join them.
“Take you seat, Kenneth. Sabrina, you too,” Lorraine instructed.
Sabrina eyed the vacant seat across Daniel and Isabelle. If only she had no idea about Isabelle’s affair with her husband, then she wouldn’t mind seeing Isabelle’s face up close. She didn’t want to sit across from the woman but she had no choice. Everyone was looking at her. So, when Kenneth moved to take a seat, she did the same.
“Let’s eat,” Gabriel announced.
Then, the servants started to serve their breakfast. As she eyed the cutleries in front of her, Isabelle suddenly opened her mouth to speak.
“Just eat however you want to eat, Sabrina. We won’t mind,” Isabelle stated.
Lorraine smirked, while Daniel cleared his throat. Then, Gabriel said to focus on the food and minimize the noise. At that moment, Sabrina realized just how much they had underestimated her.
In the middle of eating breakfast, Lorraine suddenly spoke.
“Starting today, please move in to the main house, Kenneth,” Lorraine informed them. “The West Wing needs a total renovation for father’s sixtieth birthday.”
“Is that so?” Kenneth asked, then he glanced at Sabrina. “What is your opinion about this, Sabrina?”
“Her opinion doesn’t matter, Kenneth. Move in within today, okay?” Lorraine said, totally ignoring Sabrina at the moment.
In front of his family, she was being humiliated. Once again, she glanced at Kenneth while waiting that he would say something to his mother for embarrassing her in front of everyone, but he went on eating. Occasionally, he would speak with Daniel, but most of the time, he would steal a glance at Isabelle.
For Sabrina, adjusting to a new living arrangement in the main house meant adjusting their routines, familiarizing themselves with a different set of surroundings, and potentially encountering new dynamics with the other residents.
“We will move in before lunch, Mom,” Kenneth said.
“Very good. Sabrina, please stay after breakfast. Assist the servants in preparing Kenneth’s room,” Lorraine said.
Sabrina just nodded because what else was there to say? Her opinion was not necessary!
Just like what Kenneth had promised to his mother, they moved in back to the main house before lunch. Lorraine asked her to stay and supervise the servants in preparing their room, but Sabrina didn’t expect that she would be treated as a mere servant in the main house. Although, she got to share a room with Kenneth, that’s all there was.
In the morning, she had to get up early, and worked alongside with the servants. Heather was already worried about her, but she couldn’t just leave Kenneth. His involvement with Isabelle and some other women forced her to endure everything. She hated Isabelle so the last thing she would do was to divorce Kenneth. Besides her hate for Isabelle, divorce was prohibited in the family. So, Kenneth tried his best to make everyone believe that he has a happy marriage.
Whenever she wanted to complain, Lorraine or Sanya would stop her from seeing Gabriel McBride. She had no idea why were they trying to stop her from divorcing her husband when in the first place, they didn’t like her! They treated her like trash!
Days became weeks, and weeks became months, and then a year has passed. Unlike her parents wedding anniversary where they would have a party at home, Kenneth didn’t even bother to greet her on their anniversary. No greetings on her birthday, either. He really acted as if he didn’t care about her.
Then, she learned that Kenneth was not only involved with Isabelle but with other women as well. As she discovered his nonstop betrayal she decided to be cautious around him. She believed that Kenneth was not crazy about women. Besides, she was starting to teach herself to fall out of love from her husband. Her obsession with Kenneth McBride should stop! Honestly, she had no idea how to do that because Kenneth was a pro in keeping her by his side. He didn’t want to let her go, and yet, he wouldn’t treat her right!
Each morning, Sabrina busied herself with preparing breakfast before anyone else woke up. With determination, she carried the chaffing dish to the dining hall, even if it felt heavier than her own body weight. She exaggerated the weight to herself, but she disliked receiving any assistance from any servants. Their hands were already full as it was, and she didn’t want to add to their workload.
Once everyone had finished their breakfast, Sabrina retreated back to the kitchen to prepare for lunch and dinner. After his family sampled the dishes she would usually cook for him in the West Wing, Lorraine instructed her to be in the kitchen to oversee the cooking, but she ended up being the cook and everything! Sometimes, she wondered if Lorraine was trying to kill her spirit or what.
Every day, she would eat her meals in solitude, finding solace in her own company. However, she longed for someone she could talk to over the phone, someone who could keep her company. She tried calling Heather several times but her friend was probably busy. Initially, Sabrina wanted Heather to become busy because she didn’t want her family to contact Heather.
One day, as Sabrina prepared vegetables for their favorite soup, Kenneth suddenly appeared in the kitchen. Though he remained silent, his presence was impossible to ignore, especially with his signature woody fragrance lingering in the air. After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Sabrina snapped at him, demanding to know if he had something to say.
“Are you avoiding me, Sabrina?” he asked.
“There’s no reason for me to do that, Kenneth. You are my husband,” she answered.
“”Oh really?”
Sabrina responded by stating that she simply wanted Kenneth to ignore her. She liked it that way, maintaining a safe distance between them. “I know you are busy at work, Kenneth. Just don’t mind me,” she said.
“I want us to get along well,” he explained, revealing his desire for a closer relationship. “It’s strange that we live under the same roof but don’t talk. My grandfather has already noticed that we seldom talked to each other.” “Can’t we go back to the way we used to be?” Kenneth pleaded, hoping for a chance to regain their previous connection. “I mean, we were fine when you worked for me as my assistant”
“I am still your assistant, Kenneth. Actually, it’s much worse,” she reminded him about her position in their household.
“Can I help with the vegetables?” Kenneth offered as Sabrina resumed cutting them.
“No, thank you. Why don’t you find something productive to do today?” she challenged him, as her discomfort with his presence remained. Besides, it was uncomfortable to have him in the kitchen.
“You don’t want me here,” he concluded, sensing her unease.
Sabrina felt a pang of guilt when she saw his frown and realized he had seen through her tactic. “No, you’re wrong, Kenneth,” she explained. “I am just not in the mood to talk to you,” she admitted.
“Is it because of Isabelle?”
“What do you think?”