Anya’s cry was not a typical one; it was more of a soft whimper.
“Auntie, I’ll return to the mansion. I just wanted to see Lola.”
“Lola. Always your Lola! I told you not to come back here for a year!”
I quietly approached the source of the noise. I could hear only two voices, so I assumed it was just Anya and her aunt.
“Auntie, where’s Lola?”
Then I heard a crack from a whip and a groan followed. I stopped in my tracks and peeked into the room. There stood a woman in front of Anya, pale-faced and furious, holding a whip.
Anya, on the other hand, was silently crying, kneeling in front of her. I furrowed my brow. I hadn’t expected someone to be whipping Anya. She seemed composed, timid, innocent of the burdens in this world. I realized then that she was enduring pain too.
“Go back to the mansion!” the woman shouted, kicking Anya.
Anya slammed onto the bamboo floor. “Where’s Lola, Auntie?”
“Where? Of course, your Lola is in heaven now!”
Anya stopped crying for a moment and looked up at the woman. “What, Auntie?”
The woman took a deep breath and stared scornfully at Anya. “She passed away yesterday. That’s why I sent you to the mansion, so you wouldn’t cry in front of me. Now go back there! What will the housekeeper say? I promised her you’d work there until old age!”
I narrowed my eyes at the woman’s words. She had promised this to Simmy? I looked at Anya. She was still sitting on the bamboo floor, silently crying. She seemed oblivious to the pain from the whips.
Just then, the woman aimed the whip at Anya again, so I stepped into the small room and said, “Don’t whip her again.”
The woman’s hand froze in mid-air. She looked at me wide-eyed, clearly shocked to see me there. But her shock soon turned to anger. “Who are you? How dare you enter the homeowner’s house? Are you a thief?”
I furrowed my brow but remained silent. I walked closer to Anya and called her. She looked up at me with teary eyes, then stood up, wincing and clutching her arm-I assumed the whip had struck her there.
“Miss,” Anya managed to say.
I nodded in acknowledgment and glanced at the woman. She was still seething with anger but refrained from using the whip again. Instead, she set it aside.
“Who is this, Anya? Did you bring an ally?” the woman demanded.
Anya gulped hard. “Auntie, this is Miss Azora, Don Alibata’s daughter.”
The woman blinked, then scrutinized me from head to toe. Finally, she bowed before me. “I’m sorry, Ma’am. I didn’t know you were Anya’s employer.”
I didn’t say anything, but I pulled out my wallet and took out some bills, letting them fall to the floor.
“Don’t bother Anya anymore,” I told her. Then I looked at Anya. She was still staring at the bamboo floor. “Let’s go,” I said, turning to leave the way I came.
I heard Anya’s footsteps behind me. I smirked. Now I knew that Anya was truly innocent. It was her aunt who had made promises to Simmy. It seemed I could trust this girl.
I opened the back door of the taxi and got in. Anya entered from the other side. Then, the taxi headed up the hill. We were on our way to Badian.
I looked up at the sky. It was blue, with clouds drifting in one direction. It didn’t look like it would rain that night, perfect for night swimming. I grinned at the thought. I hoped the beach would allow their clients to go night swimming.
The drive was smoother than I expected, but it was already past one in the afternoon when we arrived at the beach. I sighed deeply; it had been a long drive indeed. Out of courtesy, I invited Anya and Robert to lunch at the resort’s restaurant. At first, they hesitated, but I insisted, leaving them no choice but to accept.
We walked to the reception area. “A cottage for two, next to the beach,” I requested from the same woman I had met earlier.
She looked at me, recognition dawning on her face. I smiled and handed her my credit card. “And please reserve a table for three at your restaurant.”
The woman blinked, then shook her head. “Ma’am, there’s no need to pay. Your stay here is complimentary as per the manager’s instructions.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Are you looking down on me?” I squinted. “I can pay for my visit!”
“Um… Ma’am, your stay is free of charge.”
I squinted even more, then smirked. “Free for me? Well then, I’ll pay for the other cottage and for my guests’ meals.”
The woman glanced at Anya and Robert standing behind me. Her name was Sofia, as Japen had mentioned. She swallowed hard.
I chuckled slightly. “Here, take my card and charge it all.”
She reluctantly took my card and processed the payment. Then she handed the card back to me with a timid smile. “Your two cottages are ready, and the table for three is reserved. Please enjoy your stay, Ma’am.”
I smiled at her and motioned for Anya and Robert to follow me. I knew where the restaurant was from my previous visit.
As I walked, I couldn’t help but wonder why Sofia insisted I shouldn’t pay for my visit. Was there something I didn’t know? Did it have to do with Japen? But that seemed impossible. I doubted Japen could afford to cover my visit to this beach resort. I sighed. Well, I should just enjoy myself at the resort.