'You need to get a divorce no matter what. You can always start afresh afterward,' Zara said over the phone while they were on a call. Patricia had spent the entire morning arranging her room and only took a break later in the afternoon. They had been talking for over an hour, with Patricia recounting everything that had happened over the past three days.
"I will, once he's back," she responded, taking a deep breath as memories of the last few days washed over her. She hadn't seen any of it coming, but given the way she grew up, she should have been used to life throwing tangerines at her.
'I will come visit tomorrow and bring your favorite snacks,' Zara said, trying to cheer Patricia up.
The call ended, and Patricia felt the familiar weight of loneliness settle over her. Looking out the window, she realized it was nearly dinnertime and decided to take a shower. The fact that she was back in his house, and even living there was still hard to believe. Well, life is a mystery.
Judging by the silence, Roman was probably still at the hospital, so she figured she would eat downstairs alone which brought her joy.
She took off her clothes and stepped into the bathroom. After bathing, she began washing her hair when the water suddenly stopped running. She hummed in frustration, wondering what had gone wrong.
She reached for the tap, moving it up and down, but nothing came out. Panic began to rise. How could a wealthy man's house run out of water? She couldn't even remember the last time that had happened to her, maybe ten years ago, back when she and her mother lived in a worn-out house.
"Ahh!" She cried out as soap accidentally got into her eyes. Blinking furiously, she backed away from the tap and tried to find the towels.
With her eyes closed, she stretched out a hand, but instead of a towel, she knocked over a bottle. She cursed softly, fumbling around again. This time, her hand landed on a larger bottle, and she let out another frustrated cry.
"Ahhh!!" She screamed.
On her third attempt, she finally grabbed the towel and exclaimed, "Yes!" She quickly wrapped it around her body and wiped her eyes. Though her vision was still blurry, she managed to open them slightly.
Exiting the bathroom, she paused at her door, listening closely to see if anyone else was in the house. Hearing nothing, she assumed she was alone and started walking toward the house telephone. The maid, Maria, had told her to call if she ever needed help.
After a few moments, she spotted the phone tucked into a corner opposite the kitchen. Just as she was about to approach it, her eyes caught sight of a shadow, someone standing in the kitchen.
Her eyes widened when they met those familiar dark gazes, her heart skipping wildly. How was he home?
Roman stared at her blankly, then slowly lowered his gaze, making her shrink back in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing. He looked at her like he was trying to make sense of what was happening, but his intense, scrutinizing gaze made her want to disappear. It was so piercing, so intimidating, that she clutched her towel tighter. She wasn't exactly endowed, nor did she think she had any striking features so what could he possibly be staring at? Her hair, still covered in foam?
When she looked down at what he was doing, she was surprised to see him cooking. She wondered why he was using the downstairs kitchen instead of the one upstairs, which was out of reach to her by his orders. And even more surprising was the sight of him cooking at all. He didn't seem like a man who would know his way around a kitchen.
"Ermm…The tap suddenly stopped working, so I wanted to call Maria," she said at last, breaking the silence as she pointed toward the telephone.
Roman said nothing. He merely turned his gaze away and resumed what he was doing. The lack of attention brought a wave of relief over her. She turned her back to him, walked to the telephone, and dialed Maria's number.
…
"Yes, thank you," she said, then hung up.
As she turned away from the phone, she gasped. Roman was suddenly just a few steps in front of her, and her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. Now that he was closer, she took a proper look at him. He was wearing casual pants and a loose white shirt that clung to his torso, revealing the outline of his abs. In that moment, he looked more like an ordinary man than the feared and revered figure people whispered about. She imagined others would kill to be in her shoes yet here she was, desperately wishing to get away. Truly, one man's food is another man's poison.
"Come downstairs when you are done," he said before turning to leave.
She also turned to go, but the moment she took a step, she lost her balance and slipped.
"Nooo!" She screamed, throwing her hands into the air and bracing for the impact.
But Roman caught her just in time, suspending her above the ground. She panted, breathing heavily as she slowly opened her eyes only to meet his annoyed gaze. His red hair stood out strikingly, and for a brief second, she found herself wondering if it was natural or dyed.
Lost in her curiosity, she didn't even notice when he pushed her upright until she was standing on her own again.
"Thank you," she said and just then, her towel slipped to the floor.