Bullied Cinderella - Hollie Hutchins Page 0,23

“How are those plants coming along? Using the new fertilizer I asked you to use?”

“Yes sir,” he answered with a straight face, but I knew he was lying as I got closer. The plants were alive and well, which wouldn’t be possible if he had done what I asked.

“You’re sure you’re using the right stuff?”

“Yep.” He nudged a nearby bag with his foot.

I examined the contents and knew it was the botched recipe I gave, but he obviously saw through my trick and was using something else on the plants. I guess it proved he knew what he was doing and that he was smart enough not to talk back to me. But it didn’t make my morning anymore entertaining.

I waved my hand at him and huffed off. The worst part was that I walked away, I actually felt guilty about the whole thing! I thought back to Lucia’s accusation of me being childish by pulling these pranks on the staff. Sure, it was the only way to have any fun around here but it also ensured that these people stayed on their toes and did their jobs right. Why the hell should I feel guilty!? And what was this woman doing to me!?

The truth was, Lucia hated me. Which was a rare position for a woman to have. Even if I was cruel to her and made her cry, most women would still jump at the chance to fall into bed with me. Not Lucia. Which was fine. My mother hated her anyway, and she wasn’t fit to marry into our family. And now that she was more than just a servant...I couldn’t seduce her either. Not that she ever seemed open to such a possibility in the first place.

Being rejected by someone like her would be more than I could stand. She was beneath me, even with all of her money. She would have no right to refuse me, and yet I was certain she would. It was all so maddening to think about, and before long I had no desire to do anything but go back to bed.

Later that evening after a long nap and a big dinner, I retired to our basement parlor with Jorge and Dario. I was feeling more like myself again and ready to have some drinks and shoot some darts. Just normal stuff that I used to enjoy thoroughly before that horrid woman showed her face around here.

“I heard she inherited the money from her American father,” Jorge was explaining in between throws of the darts in his hands. “He bought the property, giving Elaina the status to marry Marco Perez.”

I let out a loud, growling sigh. “Please don’t tell me we’re still talking about her!” They both ignored me and carried on.

“You certainly wouldn’t have guessed who she was just a few weeks ago,” Dario replied, staring off with a dreamy look in his eyes. “She looked incredible.”

“She sure did. She looked so...elegant,” Jorge concurred while making the outline of a woman’s curves with his hands.

“Her sisters are awfully hot too. It’s a shame Elaina is spoken for.”

Jorge perked up. “You take the younger one...Jada. I’ll go for Lucia.”

“No way. I was the one who rescued her from the shed and proved her innocence! If Lucia is going to be with any of us...it’d be me!”

“Enough!” I bellowed, snatching the darts from them. The only thing more infuriating than not being able to get away from my own thoughts about Lucia was not being able to escape them constantly talking about her. And I definitely wasn’t going to sit around and listen to them go on about her body and argue over which one would claim her. It was enough to make my blood boil.

“You know Mother would never approve of either of you laying a finger on Lucia Chavez, and the fact that you two are still so enraptured by her says a lot about your class.”

“Screw class,” Jorge shrugged. “She’s hot.”

“Well when every acquaintance to our family looks down on you for marrying someone so lowly, you’d care then,” I argued, wishing he’d just shut up. I wanted to punch him in the face, but thought better of it.

“You sound just like your mom,” Dario chuckled.

“The woman knows what she’s talking about. The Chavez sisters may look all high and mighty now, but they came from nothing.”

“Well, not nothing,” he argued. “Apparently their father was very affluent in America.”

Jorge was always quick to side with me, and, thankfully, had