CHAPTER THIRTEEN

DALLAS

I walked out of the bathroom, sidestepping the shreds of glasses. I made a silent prayer that Oliver doesn't try to hurt himself again. After working with him for a while, I figured out that he doesn't like to be touched. But I have never imagined that his allergy was this serious.

When I saw him running towards the bathroom, I thought he was deeply pressed and needed a release fast. I had laughed a little about it. I even made a mental note to tease him about it later. I had went to the living room to meet a puddle of puke on the floor. I had gotten mad at him. I thought he did it on purpose to retaliate for the way I spoke to him in front of his guest. I was going to pay him back. As I set to clean the puke, I heard a loud noise coming from the bathroom that Oliver ran into. It sounded like the shattering of glasses.

I rushed there to see that the door was locked. I went into full panic mode and broke the door. Oliver was standing by the faucet with broken glasses surrounding him. There was blood all over his bare foot but he didn't even seem to notice. He was washing his hand with extremely hot water that I could see the steam coming off, and peeling his hand with a large piece of glass. His entire hand was covered with blood but he didn't stop digging the glass into his skin.

My hand flew to my mouth and a single tear dropped from my eye. I quickly wiped it off so he wouldn't see it. I scolded him so I wouldn't cry. I already figured out what happened but he confimed it when he said his guest had touched him. I wondered what happened to him. What turned him to this? Why was he like that?.

I had so many questions. But I wasn't going to ask. He could have sent me out when I entered the bathroom but he didn't. He let me wash his wounds. He let me in. I was so deep in thought without paying attention to my surroundings when I bumped into someone.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Watch where you are going." Tabitha groaned. She stepped back and rubbed her temple.

"Are you trying to kill me, bitch?" she screamed in my face.

Tabitha never liked me ever since I started working here. It was very obvious that she had a crush on Oliver, she didn't even bother to hide it. I had a feeling she once asked him out but got rejected. She was taking out her anger out on me. What she doesn't know was that, the feeling was mutual. I never liked her too. She throws me disdainful stares everything she sees me. Sometimes, insults. I always make sure to retaliate against her. But today, I wasn't in the mood. I made to walk past her but she dragged me back.

"You aren't going to apologize?" She asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Sorry." I said simply and walked off.

I walked into the living room but she followed me. The bucket and the mop I was using to clean the puke before I heard the shattering of glasses was still lying on the floor. I didn't know where the first aid kit were, I have never needed them since I got here. But I know it will be a waste of time asking Tabitha. She would not tell me, and even if she did, she would ask too many questions that I wouldn't be able to answer. I checked the shelves of the TV stand and found it on the top drawer. I grabbed it and made to walk out when she stopped me.

"Why do you need the first aid kit? You are not hurt." She asked, crisscrossing her eyebrows.

God, she is nosy. I ignored her and wanted to walk out when she grabbed my arm. I took a deep breath while contemplating one million ways to turn my hairpin into a murder weapon.

"I'm talking to you."

I cracked my head for a believable lie. I couldn't posssibly tell her that her boss gave himself third degree burns and nearly scrubed his skin off with glass just because a girl touched him. She might be aware that Oliver doesn't like people touching him, but I don't think she knows how he actually reacts to touch. Considering how he locked the bathroom door, it was clear that he wasn't used to people witnesssing his episodes.

"I uhm... Mr Kang ordered me to bring it." I said.

"Why would he ask you and not me?" She asked.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" I gave her a hard glare.

I walked away before she could say another word. I hastened my steps towards the bathroom. Oliver wasn't inside when I got there. Panic surge in me, my thoughts racing to several bad things that might have happened to him. There were bloody footprints everywhere. I followed the footprints up the stairs.

The bloody footprints led to his bedroom. I took a deep breath and placed a gentle knock on the door. I waited patiently for his response. A part of me was terrified at the thought that he might have tried to hurt himself again. I knocked again, a bit harder this time.

“Come in.” His voice came weakly.

I opened the door and the scene I saw broke my heart for the second time. He was siting on the bare floor with his head hung low, blood oozing out of his hand and feet. His hair disheveled and clung on his forehead with sweat. He had unbuttoned his shirt. I had never seen him like this. Vulnerable, helpless, so different from the cold and calculating Oliver I was used to seeing. He didn't raise his head when I entered. The context was clear, he didn't want me to see him vulnerable.

I knelt beside him and start to dress his wounds. I made sure to wear gloves and also to not touch his skin. I started by removing the tiny shreds of glass stuck on his wound. Then I cleaned the wound and bandaged it. I proceeded to his feet, cleaning the blook with utmost care. There were just a few cuts and were not as severe as his burnt hand.

"I've given you first aid. I'm going to ask Ms Tate to call your doctor. There might stil be some pieces of glass in your hand."

He nodded. I made to stand up and leave but he stopped me. He tugged at the edge of my uniform. Our gaze collided. His eyes held so many emotions, gratitude, sadness, and pain. I softened my expression as I stared at him. He shut his eyes and opened it back and suddenly all those emotions were gone.

"How did you break the bathroom's door?" He asked.

I was a bit suprised with his words. I didn't expect he would bring that up right now. Less than two minutes ago, I was tendering to his wounds and now he was questioning me about a door. I couldn't answer immediately as I stared at him, confusion written all over my face.

"You are not answering." his voice came, interrupting my thoughts.

"Why are you asking me that right now?"

"One of my properties was damaged by one of my domestic workers. It's only proper I know how it was damaged so I can think of a befitting punishment." He shrugged his arms.

There, people. The certified, award winning jerk, Oliver Kang, is back to the land of the living. The man I can't help but loathe. How can anyone like this man? I suddenly feel sorry for Tabitha and the millions of girls that has a crush on him. I would rather crush him to death with my fist than have a crush on him. Asshole.

I gave him a tight smile.

"How about 'Ms Valencia, thank you for saving me from burning myself to death or self amputating my hand. I owe you one'? A little thank you wouldn't kill you, you know."

"Why should I thank you? You merely did your job."

"Uhm... Last I checked, the schedule you handed me with the list of my services to you includes, cleaning, personal fencing training, and chess games. I don't rememeber seeing 'saving the boss from self destruction' on the list."

"Well, now it is." he said and smirked.

"Now, how did you destroy my property?"

"Why do you care so much about it? It is just a door." I scoffed.

"Considering the fact that I bought it at about five thousand dollars, I wouldn't call it just a door. It is a very valuable item."

My mouth hung open. Five thousand dollars? For an ordinary bathroom door?. He was just bluffing. There is no way the door was that expensive.

As if reading my mind, he said,

"I'm not bluffing. Now answer me, were you with a hammer?"

"No, I had a foot."

Now, he was the one that looked surprised.

"You broke a door with your foot?"

I rolled my eyes at his dramatic behaviour.

"I might look small, but I am very strong. I had a black belt in taekwondo. Besides your door was really fragile."

"You really are something, little monkey."

"I am." I smirked. "You should go to the hospital and get a proper treatment. I gotta go get back to the work I was actually employed here for. Bye."

I flipped my hair in an attempt to make a dramatic exit when I bumped into Tabitha. Again. I swear, that woman needs glasses.

"Watch where you are going." I groaned at her.

She ignored me and rushed to Oliver. She knelt beside him. I commended her incredible ability to keep her hands to herself.

"Mr Kang, are you okay? I saw bloodstains on the stairs. I didn't know you were hurt. We should go to the hospital right now." She rushed her words.

"I'm fine. Can you move back a little?. You're too close." He said harshly.

"What do you want?" Oliver sound bored.

"I think we should go to the hos-"

"What do you want?" Oliver interrupted rudely.

Tabitha swallowed hard, her eyes landed on me. I pretended like I wasn't listening in on them and walked out of the door. But Tabitha mentioned a name that made me halt in my steps. Mason Castillo. The monster in my own nightmare that I just can't seem to escape from no matter how fast I run.