Fiona pulled the cloth from her eyes and it hung loosely on her neck. The woman just stood at one spot, staring at her like she had seen a ghost. The glass vase which she held was left shattered on the floor.
"What are you doing here?" Gloria questioned while looking at the shards that fell to the ground. She had dropped the expensive vase as she didn't expect to see anyone in the room.
"What are you doing in Hazel's room?" Gloria asked a second time as she walked towards Fiona.
"I was just cleaning ma'am. Lara told me I was supposed to clean this room." Fiona managed to respond even though she was shaking.
"And that's why you're trying on her clothes?" Gloria pulled the blindfold off Fiona's shoulders.
"I'm sorry ma. It was a mistake."
Gloria was boiling over and trying hard to resist the urge to slap Fiona.
Gloria turned away from Fiona and directed herself towards the door.
"Lara!" She screamed multiple times.
Lara hurried along the steps until she came to the room where they were.
As soon as Lara entered the room, Gloria pulled her roughly and gave her a dirty slap.
Lara's face was bent to the side, while Fiona covered her mouth with her hand. She raised her head, revealing her crimson cheeks from the spot where she was hit.
"How long have you been working here? Yet you still don't know the rules." Gloria shouted at her while pointing a finger in her face.
Gloria held her ear, pulling it as she drew her closer to herself. "Another day, you're going to come for a raise because of your sick mother."
Lara held onto her reddened ear with one hand as pain radiated from it.
"I'm sorry ma." Lara tried to apologize.
"How many times have I told you that no one steps foot in this room without my permission?"
"I forgot. Please, I'm sorry." Lara pleaded with her hand still nursing her bruised ear.
"You're fired!" Gloria said with a tone of finality.
Lara's eyes widened and she fell to her knees, begging.
"Please ma'am. I really need to take care of my mom. I don't have anyone else." She touched Gloria's feet.
"I gave you many chances, but you kept messing up." Gloria kicked her hand off her feet.
"Please," Lara continued to beg, hoping that Gloria would show her mercy. Lara knew that she wasn't working in a conducive environment. But the pay was the only thing that she used to sustain herself and her sick mother.
She lifted her hand to touch Lara's feet once more, but Gloria stepped on her fingers.
Lara screamed in pain and the weight of Gloria's feet hurt her fingers. She knelt on the floor, trying to nurse the wound, while tears gushed down her face.
"Please ma, don't sack her. It's all my fault." Fiona chipped in as she pleaded on Lara's behalf.
"Shut up before you make me fire you as well." Gloria snapped at her.
Fiona locked her lips and didn't say anything else. Gloria turned to Lara whose face was red from crying. She looked at the girl and didn't have any empathy for her.
"Get out of here." She thundered.
Lara saw that there wasn't any hope, and all her pleas were falling on deaf ears. She stood up from the floor with Fiona's support, while struggling to stop crying.
Both of them walked out of the room. Lara went to the room where her things were and started packing.
"It's okay, please stop crying." Fiona tried to comfort Lara who had been crying the entire while, even as she packed her things.
"You won't understand." Lara lamented. "My salary has been due for about 3 months. I was expecting to be paid soon, but now, everything is gone." Lara complained as she cried.
Fiona felt sorry for her. If she had some money, she would have given it to Lara. But for someone who recently came out of prison, she barely had any properties.
"At least, ask her for your pay for those months. She can't be so wicked."
"She wouldn't give me that money no matter what, but I'd still try." Lara said as she held her bags in her hand, ready to leave.
Lara walked out of the room, ready to confront Gloria about her overdue three months salary.
"What are you still doing here?" Gloria turned to look at Lara with a disgusted look as she stood behind her.
Lara stuttered, unable to get the words right as she wished that Gloria would listen to her.
"Please ma. I need my payment for the past three months." Lara said as she swallowed hard.
Gloria clapped her hands together and laughed loudly. Lara already knew from her expression that she wasn't going to give her the money.
"Have you forgotten about the money you stole when you worked here?" Gloria remained her.
Lara knew that there was a time where she was ruined financially and when cleaning, she saw money kept in a corner and decided to take it, but unfortunately, she was caught.
"Maybe, I can just call the cops on you and announce your theft to them. Jail would suit you." Gloria said sarcastically.
"But I really need that money." Lara continued to lament.
"Leave my sight!" Gloria shouted at her before she could complete the last statement.
Lara saw that there was no need trying to defend herself. Gloria was actually the wicked person that she proved herself to be.
Fiona watched everything that happened from a corner. She felt sorry for Lara, but she couldn't do anything to help. One thing still disturbed her, what was so special about the room that Gloria sacked Lara for letting someone inside. And who was the blind girl that inhabited the room.
As Lara walked past Fiona, she felt like asking Lara about the room and what was so special about it. But seeing the state which Lara was in, she concluded that this wasn't the best time to throw questions.
"Goodbye." Lara said dryly as she sniffed and cleaned the tears with the back of her hand. She headed to the exit of the house and pushed the door open.
"Wait." Fiona called out, causing her to pause abruptly. Lara turned towards Fiona, her eyes glassy with tears. "You can't just let go of everything. She has to give you your money. This is unfair!" Fiona said, feeling the pain that Lara was going through.
Lara couldn't say anything, she already knew there wasn't a way out of the mess.
"Try involving the police about it, or report it to Felix, he would know what to do."
"It's of no use. She had already threatened to blackmail me because of a crime I committed." Lara said, releasing her hand from Fiona's and grabbing her bag.
"It was nice meeting you." She said finally and walked out of the house. As she reached the fence, ready to walk out of the gate, someone walked hurriedly and ended up bumping into her.
She dropped her bags and fell to the ground. The man halted his hurried steps and stretched his hands to help her to her feet. But as he looked at her, he squinted his eyes and asked. "Are you leaving?"