However, over the following days, I noticed something had changed. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but the atmosphere around Simmy had grown tense. She no longer sneered or scolded me. When I passed by, she would ignore me completely. It was strange. What had happened to Simmy all of a sudden?
“I overheard them talking last night, Miss Azora. Don scolded Madam Simmy-”
“Don’t call her Madam. Just Simmy.”
Anya blinked, hesitated, then nodded. “They talked about what happened when Simmy made you kneel in the living room. Don was furious about it.”
I reached for my tea cup and took a sip, gazing at the distant mountains. The sun was setting, casting a gentle breeze on my face. The faint scent of wildflowers from the nearby forest wafted in. Placing the cup down, I turned to Anya standing beside me, also gazing into the distance.
“Did Dad say anything else to her?”
Anya shook her head. “I didn’t hear more because I had to leave my hiding spot. But I did hear a name. Anthony Clasiso? I’m not sure if I heard correctly, Miss, but that’s the last thing I heard from Don.”
I swallowed hard upon hearing that name. “Anthony Clasiso,” I whispered, turning back to the view.
Anya shifted. “Yes, Ma’am. Anthony Clasiso was the name I heard from Don, but I didn’t hear anything else because I was already far from them.”
I furrowed my brow and clenched my fist, feeling my fingers tremble. Why had Dad mentioned Anthony to Simmy? Was that why Simmy suddenly turned hostile towards me? What did Dad say that made her change her behavior? Why?
I bit my lip and let out a deep sigh. “You can go back,” I told Anya.
I saw her nod in my peripheral vision as she turned to leave the balcony. I was left alone in that quiet place. The only sound was my own breathing. I closed my eyes as the soft rays of the sun warmed my face.
“What are you up to, Dad?” I murmured.
Opening my eyes, I stayed there until dusk. When the clock struck six in the evening, I decided to leave my room and find Simmy. I wanted to ask her what she and Dad had talked about the other night.
I found her in the living room, engrossed in reading something. I walked up to her and asked, “Do you know Anthony Clasiso?”
Simmy tried to turn a page but stopped midway and looked at me. Her eyebrow raised, and a smirk played on her lips. I crossed my arms. There was the arrogant Simmy again.
“Anthony Clasiso? Isn’t he your boyfriend?”
I clenched my fist. Did Dad tell her that Anthony was my boyfriend?
“You’re saying things out of line,” was all I managed to say.
Simmy smiled, setting the magazine down on the coffee table. She stared at me, arms crossed. Her smirk returned to mock me. “I heard that child is already dead. I didn’t even notice you mourning for your boyfriend. You should have told me so I could sympathize with you, Azora.”
Rage filled my head, and without thinking, I slapped her cheek. “You have no idea what you’re saying. You’re the one always trying to seduce Dad!”
Simmy laughed, rubbing her cheek. “We’re talking about Anthony Clasiso here. How did the conversation turn to me and your father?”
I pointed at her sternly. “Don’t you dare mess with me, Simmy.”
I turned away and walked towards the staircase. I hurriedly climbed the stairs as I heard Simmy’s laughter behind me. That woman! How dare she talk about Anthony to my face like that?
That night, I didn’t leave my room. I asked Anya to bring me a tray of my favorite food. I dined on the balcony, enjoying the city lights in the distance. Later, I read novels to pass the time before finally going to bed.
I stared at the dark ceiling for a while. Today was a holiday, but tomorrow would be a regular school day. I had to prepare myself to face Skylar again. Before climbing into bed, I received a message from the class representative that our Logic Design professor would be present tomorrow, so we needed to arrive early. I sighed and closed my eyes.
The next day, Simmy continued to be hostile towards me, ignoring my presence but clearly itching to bully me again. I smirked at her and headed straight to the kitchen.
I quickly finished breakfast and looked around. Anya wasn’t there. Where was she?
After breakfast, I called one of the maids. “Where’s Anya?” I asked.
The maid hesitated but finally answered, “Anya’s outside, Miss. She’s watering the plants.”
I sighed in relief. I had been worried that something had happened to her. I stood up and walked outside the mansion to the garden. Anya hadn’t shown up when I woke up earlier, which was unusual. I had asked her to come to my room first thing in the morning, so this gardening thing felt like she was hiding something from me.
I found her in the rose garden. “Anya,” I called out.
She stopped watering and turned to face me. When she saw me, a smile slowly spread across her lips. “Miss Azora!” she greeted, rushing over to me.
“Why are you here? Who told you to water the plants?”
Anya bit her lip and glanced around. “It was Simmy, Miss.”
I raised an eyebrow at the mention of that woman’s name and rolled my eyes. She must have seen how Anya served me, so she sent her to the garden. I sighed and pushed that thought aside.
“Any news?” I asked.
Anya gulped and glanced around again. I couldn’t help but smile at her cautiousness. She had learned to be careful with her words, which was good for her own safety.
When she was sure no one was around, she faced me. “I heard some gossip from the maids, Miss.”
“Gossip?”
She nodded. “I heard it early this morning, but Mrs. Susana quickly told them to hush.”
“What’s the gossip about?”
“They say Simmy has a lover, Miss. His name is Anthony.”
“A lover?” I chuckled slightly. “What? Doesn’t she have a husband?”
Anya gave me a wry smile. “I think they mean Anthony Clasiso. One of the maids overheard Simmy and Don arguing. Anthony’s name kept coming up. The maid thought they argued because of Anthony, and that’s why rumors spread about Simmy having a lover.”
My expression turned blank in an instant. “Do they really think Simmy and Dad are involved like that? And even gossip about Anthony, who’s deceased? My fist clenched tightly.
I hadn’t realized such gossip was known to almost all the maids in the mansion. But they were silenced, so I wouldn’t have known unless Anya told me.
Did this kind of thing happen often in the mansion? Maids spreading rumors but keeping quiet when the owner was around, so the owner remained oblivious? Huh. They were quite something.