My contract love story

Ashleigh smiled and replied, “Thank you.” Alana then grabbed Cameron’s hand, signaled to the others at the back, and turned to leave.

Samantha and Diane didn’t miss the chance to shoot her fierce looks as they departed, and soon after, the rest followed suit. The guy from earlier, along with other students from Ashleigh’s row, gathered around her once the classroom had emptied. She looked at them in confusion.

“Ashleigh, why did you do that?” the boys questioned, their frustration evident.

“Their work was incorrect, and I merely pointed it out to the professor,” she explained, which only seemed to heighten his frustration.

“I know that! But why did you handle it like that? You could have simply met with the professor privately and explained your observations. Instead, you did it publicly. You’ve attracted Alana’s attention, and this is the first time someone has scored higher than her. Now, she’s in last place. Don’t you see the issue?” he countered, and Ashleigh narrowed her eyes.

“Weren’t you the one who said you didn’t want to fail because of me? I helped us get the highest mark and ensured that everyone, including Alana and her friend, could learn from their mistakes. Everyone makes errors, no matter how brilliant they are,” Ashleigh pointed out. The boy scowled in response.

“See, Ashleigh, I don’t want to get into trouble because of you. We were fine with taking second, third, or even fourth place, as long as we stayed out of Alana’s way. But now, because of your actions, we might all be in trouble. You’re such a troublesome girl,” he remarked bitterly, and the other students voiced their agreement.

The last comment struck a nerve with Ashleigh. It reminded her of someone who used to constantly berate her. She stood up in anger, slammed her hands on the desk, and glared at the ungrateful group in front of her.

“What lovely people I have to work with today. At first, you didn’t want anything of mine affecting your performance and were upset about not scoring well. Now, you’re angry because we got the best score on the quiz. If you’re so eager to be mediocre, feel free to ask Professor Patel to adjust your scores to the previous ones. If you want to be mediocre just to avoid upsetting Alana, go ahead. But don’t think I’ll relinquish this grade for anyone. If you’ll excuse me,” she said, grabbing her things and leaving the laboratory as they watched in silence.

As she exited the faculty building, the words of the boy echoed in her mind, gradually morphing into Adrian’s voice. She reached the bus stop and waited for the next bus. When it arrived, she boarded and made her way back to her hostel. No matter where she was, Adrian’s presence loomed in her thoughts. She recalled how he had always criticized her actions, even though she had good reasons for them. Her heart ached with longing, and she wished she could hear his voice again. It had been three weeks since their last conversation at the mansion, and Adrian Cagliari had yet to contact her through Mr. Atkinson. She regularly charged the phone he had given her, hoping he would call or text. Despite knowing her new campus address, he hadn’t reached out. Ashleigh knew Mr. Atkinson had informed Adrian of her move to campus, but still, there was no communication. This lack of contact confirmed her fear that Adrian saw her only as a contract worker.

The bus stopped at the final stop in front of Ashleigh’s hostel, jolting her out of her thoughts. She paid her fare, got off, and signed in at the hostel. Upon reaching her room, Ashleigh found it empty and messy, with the lingering scent of perfume. Sighing, she dropped her bag and began cleaning up the mess her roommate had left behind. This had become her routine since Megan showed no interest in tidying up after herself. Apart from the mess, Ashleigh rarely saw Megan. Megan would stumble into the room at midnight, and by the time Ashleigh woke up, Megan would already be gone, presumably for classes or to go out at night. When both were in the room, Megan maintained a stony silence, refusing to engage with Ashleigh. Initially hurt, Ashleigh had grown accustomed to the situation. By the time she finished cleaning, the sun had set, and the night sky had emerged. Exhausted, Ashleigh collapsed onto her bed. As she relaxed, her phone rang. It was Chef Larry.

“Hi, Chef!” she answered, trying to catch her breath.

“Hi, Mrs. Cagliari. You sound tired. Did you work out?” he asked, his deep voice filling the room with concern.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Do I need to work out with a roommate like this? I’ve been cleaning up after her for the past few days since I arrived,” Ashleigh explained, and Larry chuckled.

“Well, that’s college for you. You remind me of my time there. My roommate had terrible hygiene and character. I still don’t know how someone can be so careless,” he joked, eliciting a small laugh from Ashleigh.

“Mrs. Ashleigh, you can always report the situation to your hostel managers. It’s a fancy school, so they should address your concerns,” he advised seriously. Ashleigh sighed.

“It did cross my mind, but I don’t want to seem like I’m giving in to her. I’ll talk to her calmly about this first. If that doesn’t work, I’ll approach the managers,” she reasoned.

“As always, you’re the boss!” he exclaimed, and Ashleigh rolled her eyes, turning to lie on her stomach. Her next words were on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated, staying silent. It seemed Chef Larry knew her too well and spoke up.

“Mrs. Cagliari, you can ask away,” he encouraged.

“How’s the mansion? Is everything going well? Is Susan okay? Are the staff doing well? Are there any complaints?” she started, but he interrupted.

“Everything is fine, Mrs. Cagliari. There are no staff issues that Mr. Atkinson can’t handle. Susan misses you a lot, but she’s fine,” he reassured, easing Ashleigh’s worries.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you staying away from home when it clearly seems to affect you? You’d be better off at home,” he asked. Ashleigh went silent.

“If it’s because of your disagreement with Mr. Cagliari, I can leave. I don’t want to be the reason you leave your home,” he said, echoing his usual concerns, but Ashleigh dismissed his doubts.

“There’s no need for that. What happened that night was clearly a misunderstanding. After all, Mr. Atkinson’s investigation found nothing suspicious about you, right?” Ashleigh mentioned.

He nodded, fully aware that the investigation results were negative because Mr. Atkinson had removed any compromising material after leaving.

“But still… let me go if it will resolve the issue,” Chef Larry said pleadingly, and Ashleigh shook her head, as if he were sitting beside her.

“No, and that’s final. If you bring this up again, I’ll make sure your salary is deducted,” she said firmly, and he promised not to mention it again.

“Are you still in contact with the boss? Has he called you?” Chef Larry inquired.

“Yes, we still talk, although he’s unhappy with my decision,” she lied, feeling a tightness in her chest.

“Are you sure? Because it sounds like you’re sad,” he observed. Ashleigh swallowed the tears welling up in her eyes before she responded.

“That’s nonsense!” she exclaimed, dabbing the tears from the corners of her eyes, though her silent sniffles did not escape his notice.

“I have to end the call now, Chef Larry. Good night,” she concluded, and after his final remark, she ended the call. Chef Larry smirked as he looked at his phone.

Although his initial plan hadn’t worked out as expected, the outcome seemed even more advantageous. The growing distance between Mr. and Mrs. Cagliari presented him with opportunities to exploit. Now, it was up to him to decide how to use this to his advantage.