Page 5 of The Widower
4“It is strictly forbidden to enter the hallway that leads to my bedroom. I left a sign there that says, ‘Do not go beyond this point.’ Assuming you can read and comprehend, I’m pretty sure you’ll know exactly what to do when you see it.”
5 “There are days when I’m more stressed than usual.Yes, I can actually be even more unbearable—so do yourself a favor and stay away from me. Don’t even breathe next to me.”
6“You’re here to manage, not to touch things. To put it simply, you delegate tasks—you don’t go around handling everything yourself. Your job is to make sure nothing’s ever missing, and if there’s a failure in that… we’re gonna have a problem. Count on it.”
7 “Don’t bring anyone to my house! Consider this a warning—I don’t need to tell you what happens if it happens a second time, do I? (Yes, it’s the same as being late for your shift.)”
8“Never. Not ever. Under no circumstances ask about my past—neither to me nor to anyone who works here.Any comment about it and you’ll be fired. FIRED!”
9 “Any questions, talk to Helen. She’s been with our household for years and knows everything. You only got this job because of her—she refused to stay on as housekeeper herself since, apparently, I’m unbearable.”
10 “And last but not least—don’t bother me! Force of habit. I’ve learned people only remember important things when you repeat them.”
The man’s got a dark sense of humor—no doubt about that. But still, now I understand why no woman has managed to last more than a month working here.
“I’m telling you, he scared the hell out of me. I was too afraid to even finish a sentence.”
“Are you serious, girl?”
“Oh, and that’s not even the worst part. I didn’t mention the note—which looked more like a threat—that he pinned to the desk.” I took a sip of my orange juice, mentally going over the list of rules he’d written.
“You’re saying all that, and you haven’t even officially started yet.” Lauren laughed, and I forced a weak smile.
Lauren’s my best friend. She helped me through hell after Rudolph left me. We’ve been neighbors for years, we tell each other everything, and somewhere along the way we became inseparable. She’s short, redheaded, with light green eyes. I think she’s beautiful, but like so many women I know, she’s got issues with her body—though I’m always trying to lift her up.
I’m a bit different. My hair is long and black, reaching down to my lower back. I’m about five foot three, with dark brown eyes. I don’t go to the gym—no time—but my body’s decent enough.
Honestly, we women are never fully satisfied with how we look, so…
“I’m gonna try to ignore Colin as much as possible.”
“Isn’t that a bad idea?” She crossed her arms, her face lit with amusement.
“It’s what he wants, Lauren. I’ll just do what I’m told at work.”
“If you say so…” She raised her hands in mock surrender.
“I need the money he’s paying me, and I’ll do everything I can not to let his rude little comments get to me. Simple as that.”
What I didn’t know back then was that it would be anything but simple.
The next day was pure hell at Colin’s house.
A truck had just pulled up and was unloading furniture and boxes right in front of the main gate. I was running around like a headless chicken, completely clueless about what was going on. No one had told me anything. I didn’t even know where the furniture was supposed to go—or if it was even meant for this house.
“Isabelle!”
A man called my name—one of the security guards, I think.He didn’t bother with pleasantries, just handed me a sheet of paper and said, “Check everything. If anything’s missing, you’ll have a problem.”
And with that, he turned on his heel and walked off toward the garden.
What the hell is wrong with the people in this house?
After spending the last hour checking items off the list and trying to figure out where everything belonged, the truck driver—who looked just as irritated as everyone else around here—came over to me.
Surprising, right? Because clearly no one connected to this house could possibly be pleasant.
“Sign here! I’m running late.”
