***Kai***
…
My first kiss.
It starts off sweet first, our lips greeting each other.
He brushes his lips on mine again, and presses harder and I can
trace the shape of his lips with my mouth.
My lips parted with a sigh and he takes that chance to
deepen our kiss, his tongue tentatively touches mine.
My skin burns with a fever as he pulls me closer to him, and
I can feel the heat of his body.
His hands roams the curve of my hips as his mouth continues
to devour me.
I forget about the spectators around us and focus on his
touch on mine. His skin, burns on my skin.
This devil, this damn devil, somehow manages to get under my
skin and turn my entire world upside down.
I sink my hands into his soft hair, and I pull him closer. I
can’t get enough of him.
Charles gives that deep-throaty laugh. “No wonder Prince
Charming cease to see other women when Cinderella arrives. Because she
outshines everyone else with her presence alone.”
“Prince Charming is a very lucky man then, to have such a
woman by his side.”
“Cinderella is lucky too. She had nothing until the prince
took her hand and gave her everything.”
“You know, Cinderella has never looked for Prince Charming. She
just wants to get away from her life for a little while.”
“What are you saying?” Charles asks me.
“The prince is looking for his princess, but Cinderella just
wants to live freely. The fact that she ended up giving her heart to the
prince, is the greatest gift the prince can ever received.”
“When you put it that way… it’s possible.”
“Of course. I’m a woman. All your arguments are invalid.”
Charles chuckles slightly and my heart skips a beat. My body
is ignited with sparks of electricity coursing through me.
Seeing him looking happier makes my heart sigh in
contentment.
“Are you studying law?” I ask him.
“Hm?”
“I saw textbooks in your room the other day. I’m guessing
you’re studying to be a lawyer?”
“I received my law degree a year ago yes.”
“So… you’re a lawyer now?” I ask more confused now. Shouldn’t
he be working or something?
Charles’s face darkens as if clouded by painful memories. His
hold on my waist tightens and I wince slightly.
“There was this woman. She was my life. I didn’t want her to
live in this cold place like a caged bird, so I worked hard to escape and give
her the life she’d deserve.
So I studied to become a lawyer. But life has never shown
happiness.
She left and I went back into this house alone with no one
to accompany me but dust and empty rooms. No point being a lawyer now that I lost
the reason to get away from this place.”
I reach out and gently touch his cheek.
“Is that why you’re angry most of the time? The reason why
you’re so self-destructive?”
“Anger has always been a part of me. I… hate this wretched
life. I thought she could save me.”
“So she wasn’t able to save you?”
“If she had save me, would I be here talking to you?”
Charles says bitterly.
“Did you show her? All these… violence inside you. Did you
ever show her your darkness?”
“Of course not. I didn’t want her to see this…fucked up
being. She wouldn’t want my full package.”
“But how can you expect her to save you when you hid that
important part about you from her?”
How can she save you when she couldn’t see your broken
pieces? All this time, you’ve been showing her a side of you that doesn’t exist!”
Why can’t he see it, that he changed for her and pretended
to be good, when his darkness was buried deep inside him? How can love flourish
on the foundation of lies?
Charles breaks away from me, his expression angry.
“Shut up. You know nothing about me,” he says angrily.
“No I don’t but from what I learnt so far, you’re bad. You like
to fight and you’re a pain in the ass most of the time.
You see people like they’re your enemies and you have anger
inside you that makes you want to hurt people around you. And you probably like
it too because it makes you powerful.”
I take a couple steps closer to him.
“But you’re also good,” I say more gently now. “You care and
when you love someone, you give your entire heart to her. You hate to see
injustice. You’re strong and you can be gentle.”
I place my palm on his chest.
“This is you. The good, the bad, you’re both. The fact that
you only showed her your good side means you lied to her about you.
How could she love you when the guy she dated doesn’t even
exist? Even if both of you are married, it may not last since it’s a
relationship built on lies. She only knew the mask you put on for her.”
Charles grips my arm hard, his fingers dig into my skin that
it hurts. He brings his face close to me until we’re an inch away.
“You’re a bitch, you know that? You think you can just walk
into my life and try to psychoanalyse me like some damn shrink? You are nothing
to me. You don’t get to tell me how I think.”
“You don’t love her. Not really,” I whisper. “If you love
someone, you’d change for the better, but not completely change into someone
you’re not.”
“Fuck you.” Charles pushes me and I stumble back. I look up
to see Charles entering the mansion, leaving me alone. I miss his warmth
immediately.
I know it wasn’t my place to say that to him. He’s merely my
employer and tormentor. But I can’t stand seeing him drowning in his own sorrow
because of his broken love.
And in a morbid way, I’m glad she left him.
Because Charles wouldn’t save me otherwise.
…
It’s after 3am when the party is finally over.
I change back into my maid attire to clean up the mess.
The lights in the garden has dimmed and the only light that
shines this place is the moon.
The entire household is quiet as I clean up the place.
Everybody has probably gone to bed…
After finishing up with the cleaning, I’m about to drag my
feet to go upstairs, when I see a grand piano in the living room.
Without turning on the lights, I approach the piano, running
my fingers over the smooth black wood.
I sit down, my hands hovering over the black and white keys.
As I begin to play, the beautiful notes haunts the silent
air with its melody.
I play The River Flows in You by Yiruma, my eyes closes
slightly as I allow the delicate sweet notes to bask me with its tune.
In this moment, I feel like I don’t exist.
I am simply music. Like petals in the wind, I scatter
through the air into tiny particles.
When my fingers touches the last notes, I open my eyes and
find Charles leaning against the window sill, his arms crossed as he watches
me.
My heart jolts slightly, before moving at a faster pace.
The way he looks at me… he makes me feel naked.
My skin becomes too hot and it’s getting harder to breathe.
“I’m…I’m sorry. I wasn’t planning to play but…”
Charles waves his hands dismissively.
“The piano hasn’t been used for years. It’s good to hear
someone play it.”
“I see…”
“It’s a beautiful tunes. You play very well.”
I nod slightly. “I’ve entered many competitions in the past
and won several awards.”
“Can you sing?”
“…Yes.”
“Then sing for me. Let’s hear how well this Cinderella sings.”
“What song do you want me to sing?”
“…Whatever you wish.”
I let my eyes feast on him. My emotions are still in a mess.
I like the way he looks at me, as if I’m the only woman in this world.
It makes me feel… loved.
He undoes me each time and I don’t know how to stop these
emotions bursting inside me.
When he says my name, my heart answers with a song.
Taking a deep breath, I sing Fly Me To The Moon, my fingers
gently playing the keys.
I feel his eyes on me but I focus on the song, letting my
voice resonate through the entire room.
As soon as I finished, Charles gets up and walks towards me.
His hand gently touches my neck, tracing my collarbone,
before trailing towards my jaw.
His eyes are no longer violent and dark, but instead, they
are gentle.
He bends and brushes my lips with his.
My head tilts up to receive his kiss, my hands reaching out
and wrap around his neck.
I hear his ragged breathing mixed with mine. I moan in his
mouth which makes him kisses me harder.
Ever since I met him, my world is spiraling out of control.
He dominates my thoughts and my body aches to feel his
touch.
“We’re going out tomorrow,” he says. His hand buries in my
hair, pulling out the pins, and my hair tumbles down in the red waves.
“Where?” I ask.
“Anywhere I wish.”