The workers at the wine Factory where Jessica worked alongside Emerald had been Summoned by their boss. Their boss Mrs. Mary had something important to them but she was yet to show up. After twenty more minutes, she was standing in front of them dressed elegantly.
"I would apologize for keeping you under the sun but I have something important to say to all of you. I want to introduce you all to the new supervisor around the wine factory. She would be in charge of everything here whenever I'm not around. So, you must obey what she says at all times.""She would check and inspect all progress around the wine factory." Mrs. Mary finally let out as a lady dressed averagely trudged in. One could mistake her for a market seller instead of a supervisor at a huge factory like this. "This is Clara," Mrs. Mary let out, making Jessica stunned. Not only Jessica but Emerald too."She is going to be the supervisor around here and would be in charge of operating the wine factory. So, anything and everything that has to do with the work around here would be handled by her. The salary, your working hours, you can discuss it with Clara. Is that clear?" Mrs. Mary asked."Yes boss," they all murmured."Clara, I would leave you in charge." Mrs. Mary let out before leaving. "Listen up everyone. This is a wine factory and not a place to rest, there is no room for laziness and I would not tolerate slow snails and most of all gossip and stupidity. You all should get to work this minute." Aunt Clara let out firmly as the workers trudged to their various work. Jessica was about to leave when she heard her name. She knew exactly why her aunt was calling her but she wouldn't pick a fight with her here. "Jessica," Aunt Clara called, making Jessica gazed at her without letting a word slip out of her mouth. "You have got some backbone don't you? You thought I wouldn't hear from the neighbours that you have sent my step son to the city." Aunt Clara muttered and Jessica wondered what that had to do with her. "Mother, that's brother's choice," Emerald, who had been standing quietly all along chipped in. "Shut up and stay out of this young lady," Aunt Clara exclaimed. "I didn't send him there, it was his decision and not mine. He was offered a work with a higher pay check and he accepted it so he could give a better life to his family." Jessica clarified even if she was getting tired already. "Is that your eldest daughter with Travis?" Aunt Clara asked, staring at the little girl clenching to her mothers leg. "Yes, this is Rose." Jessica muttered, patting her daughter's hair softly. "May you suffer the same fate I went through Jessica. I hope Travis won't come back for you," aunt Clara let out bitterly before walking away. "How can fate be so cruel? If mother works here aunt Jessica, it pure trouble." Emerald blurted out worriedly. "Mother, who is she?" Rose asked curiously. "Uhh, she is the stepmother of your father. Your aunt Emerald's mother." Jessica explained. "How do you mean mother?" Rose asked yet again. "It means your grandfather had my mother as a second wife." Emerald explained. "So, grandfather had two wives? How is that possible?" Rose asked smartly."Baby, you are too young to know stuff like that, when the time comes you will understand." Jessica said packing her daughter's cheeks and a wide grin appeared on her face. "It is a good thing that my father has only one wife and that is you mother, no one else." Rose muttered, making all of them chuckle."You both should head on before we get punished for not paying attention." Jessica said as they walked back to their various duties. *****************"The fruit should be separated into those baskets Emerald before we stack them." Jessica muttered. "What are you doing Jessica? Who told you that you could be slow, haven't I told you to do your work without gossiping and that I hated stupidity and slow snail? Look at all this fruit. They are stacked yet to produce wine, what have you been doing?""Until now, you are still slow at everything you do." Aunt Clara yelled. "Mother, can you stop that?" Emerald muttered. "I have told you not to interfere Emerald, this is between me and Jessica. This good for nothing woman has to pay for what she has done to me, because of her. Your brother threw me out of the house." Aunt Clara yelled angrily. "Aunty, that wasn't my fault. It was you who treated me badly and even right now, you are still treating me badly." Jessica muttured. "This is just the beginning Jessica. I haven't begun my sweet revenge for what you have done to me, don't forget that you destroyed my family Jessica. You better hurry up with stacking all this before you lose your job," aunt Clara yelled before stepping out. "What's going to happen? It seems mother is really furious at you, it is surprising that mother wasn't even qualified for anything but she got this job. How did this happen? You have to tell my brother about this aunt Jessica," Emerald said gawking at Jessica who rubbed her forehead. She seemed to be getting a headache already. "I don't want to tell him because he would only end up getting worried and that might distract him from whatever job he might be doing." Jessica let out. "That's right but why don't you quit your job here at the wine Factory and get one else where? You are good with whatever you do and I know that you would find a good job." Emerald said, taking the stacked fruit to the side. "You know I can't do that Emerald, the huge debt our family owes Mrs. Mary hasn't been settled yet. I just have to accept my fate." Jessica muttered."We should stop chatting already before we get scolded again." Jessica muttered, Emerald gawked at her for a while before signing.It's been three days since aunt Clara started working as the supervisor at the factory and Jessica had been through more than hell with her. "Clara, where can I find Jessica," Mrs. Mary asked, trudging inside the Wine factory where a hundred of workers were busy extracting wine. "Jessica, the boss wants to see you," aunt Clara let out, making Jessica nod before leaving what she was doing to head toward her boss. ."I think you should continue with what you were doing," Mrs. Mary told aunt Clara who nodded but still hangs around to eavesdrop on their conversation. "You asked for me Madame," Jessica muttered. "Jessica, I'm happy with the outcome of your work here at the factory, the grapes and strawberries are well stacked and the wines are being extracted just flawlessly. Whatever that you may be doing! Please continue to do so." Mrs. Mary praised as a wide grin appeared on Jessica's face. "Yes madam, you have given me this job and it's only right that I do my work well," Jessica l
Throughout the ride back to the Roman Empire. Travis couldn't help but ponder about what had happened a few minutes ago, the minute they got back he came down from the car before unleashing the question that had been bothering him to Manuel. "Manuel, what did we deliver back there?" He asked Manuel. "Travis, you can't tell anybody about this! Not even your wife. Our job is not actually to deliver those tools in those boxes but drugs, those cargoes with us are filled with drugs." Manuel let out. "Do you mean those were drugs?" Travis yelled in panic. "Would you shut up or keep your voice down? Not everyone in the factory knows about this man," Manuel exclaimed. "Come on Manuel. Why didn't you tell me that you were doing an illegal job here in the city? A drug syndicate for God's Sake." Travis muttered, stunned at what he had just heard. "Because I felt so sorry for you Travis, you were desperately in need of money right? You were even grateful that I brought you here and the boss g
"Father, does that mean you don't believe me?" Claudia let out in tears. "You would rather believe your trusted bodyguard than your own daughter?" Claudia asked her father who didn't allow a word to slip out of his lips as he gazed at the window. "Remember, that I'm the real victim here because one of your men almost raped me." She said as the sob became vital. Mr. Roman abruptly melted to his daughter's words shortly. It was definitely her words against a useless trusted bodyguard. He trudged towards her before placing his both hands on her shoulder giving it a gentle caress to calm her down."Claudia, that's not what your father meant." He muttered."Travis, thank you so much for saving my daughter." Mr. Roman said even if he wasn't still very certain. "I only did what anyone would have done," Travis let out. Mr. Roman gave a simple nod before swirling to leave but Claudia stopped him. "Father, thank you very much." She muttered but he said nothing before leaving. *************M
"Thank you for helping me out in front of your father." Travis let out to Claudia the minutes they were close to the stairs in the factory. "That was nothing but Travis, what were you and Tino fighting about, and tell me why you killed him?" She asked. Travis let out a sigh before speaking."You see Madame, I found out about the drugs that were hidden in the cargo," Travis said, making Claudia stunned and at the same time confused."Drugs were hidden in a cargo?" Claudia asked. "Yes Madam, unfortunately, we don't just deliver ordinary equipment to clients but i discovered that it was drugs. I was really bothered by my conscience so I thought of running away but then Tino confronted me, he thought I was leaving to tell the police." Travis explained. "So my father is involved in the drug syndicate?" Claudia asked."Wait, you didn't know about it?" Travis asked, a bit astonished. "I was having little doubt about the money father keeps bringing to the company but never had it crossed my
Claudia had ended up making Travis to drive her home. The minute they got into the huge mansion she asked him to come inside for a drink which he reluctantly agreed to take. "Here," Claudia said, handing Travis a cup of wine. "Thank you," he replied before sipping from the cup."Thank you so much Travis for taking me home and as well having this drink with me. You are such a caring person and this means a lot to me." Claudia said as they sat at the Italian expensive-looking chair. "Madam, I should be the one thanking you because you still tried to favor and protect me from what I did to Tino," Travis said."Alright, but can you please stop calling me madam? We are friends already. You know what? I'm happy with this new development between us because I was able to find myself a friend like you Travis." Claudia said. "You can imagine how happy I feel to have you here. This is how quiet the house feels ever since my mother passed away, dad was busy with his business to even care. Thin
Travis could not believe that he was expecting a baby from another woman. What was he going to tell his wife? He brought out his wallet before flipping it open. There was a picture positioned neatly on the transparent side. Travis stared at his family picture he had taken way back before he came to the city to work. his hands slowly rubbed the picture, what would he tell jessica?A tear slipped out of his face. He might have told Claudia that he did not have any regret towards the fact that she was pregnant with his child but that was a big fat lie, his wife Jessica was sure going to be very mad at him."Travis, the boss is looking for you." one of the workers said, Travis instantly cleaned his eyes before nodding. Travis' soul had left his body at the thought of seeing Claudia's father. had she told him already? Five Minutes had slowly slipped away.Travis has been standing outside Mr Roman's office for five good minutes. Now he was regretting not holding his hormones back that ver
Jessica and Rose had left for the only bus station in their town. They sat under the shade as they patiently waited for Travis's return, it had been an hour since they got here and there was no sign of Travis. "Mother, is father still going to arrive home today?" Rose asked tiredly. "Don't worry, your father will be coming home today because he made mention of that in the letter he wrote to us. Your father would be here to witness the arrival of your kid sister," Jessica ensured caressing her daughter's shoulder. Soon, there was a bus sound making them sprang up from where they had been sitting. "Mother, that must be, father," Rose muttered happily. The bus halted as the passengers began to get down one after the other. Travis stepped down before striding to his wife and daughter with a wide grin. He kissed his wife on the lips before hauling his daughter up for a tight hug. "We were beginning to doubt that you were ever going to get here," Jessica muttered. "Common, that is very
SIX YEARS LATER The expensive-looking mansion of the Romans was beautifully decorated in balloons and ribbons and a huge poster was visible that read happy birthday. Kids were seen dressed elegantly as they roamed around the garden area in which the party was being held. The adults were seen clustered in another direction chatting as they watched their kids keenly. "Happy birthday Baby, daddy loves you." Travis let out."Happy birthday princess. It's time to make a wish." Claudia let out stooping low to place a kiss on her cheeks. "Thank you so much mother and father, this is a great birthday party and I truly appreciate it. My wish is that we would always be happy mother," Amira let out causing a chuckle to escape Claudia and Travis's lips. "Alright, you can now blow your candles before they burn out," Claudia said urging her daughter who closed her eyes before blowing on the candles. The minutes the candles were blown out, a clap erupted from the crowd. "Come here," Mr. Roman