Alice staggered into the house, she thought to proceed to her room until she remembered in this world, she has a family, it's only right she checked on them.
As she tried to guess which way was their room, Mariah approached her, curiosity etched on her face.
"Welcome ma'am, how was it? Did you win? were you hired?" She bombarded her with questions making her chuckle.
It felt good to hear her concern.
"Calm down Mariah, give me a break."
"So you were asking if I was hired."
"Hmmmmm was I?" She asked, smiling mischievously.
Mariah whined, stomping her feet playfully.
"Come on pleeeeease."
"I was hired, infact I started today." She announced happily.
"Really." She yelled hugging her happily.
"Tell me details, how was it, how did it go?"Mariah asked again unable to stand still.
Alice laughed before she replied.
"Not now, I am tired and I have to go greet Mum and maybe check on Bethany and Peter. We'll have that discussion later. Okay?"
"Okay, I'll prepare a celebration meal in your room, you look famished." She replied jokingly.
" Thank you " Alice squealed.
"You are the best. Before that can you show me mum's room, as weird as it sounds I have no idea where it is." She added laughing at the end of her statement.
"Okay." She replied energetically and lead the way.
As they walked, Alice let her eyes wander. Because of the load of work she had to do, she didn't get the time to appreciate the beauty of White's mansion.
It was majestic with the golden and red colour combination,the drapes, the marbles, the wallpapers everything was just right. Every hallway they took was different from the other, while some loooked royal and ancient, some looked modern and stylish. One part even looked like it was decorated for kids.
Lost in her world she didn't even know when Mariah stopped Infront of a door.
"Alice, Alice." She called, snapping her back to reality.
"We are here." She told her.
"Oh, Forgive me, i was just admiring the view." Alice confessed chuckling a bit.
"I still do that after working her for 2 years, the house is on another level I tell you." Mariah told her.
This made Alice laugh, shaking her head.
"Thank you Mariah." She said and Mariah nodded, taking her leave.
Alice proceeded to knock.
"Who's there?" Her mother asked behind the door.
"It's me Mum, Alice." She replied.
"Okay, Come in." Alice entered, admiring the room.
'It is also different.' She thought.
As she furthered inside, she found not only her mother on the queen sized bed, but Bethany and Peter were seated on the other side each looking into their phones.She couldn't help the stab that piecrced her heart at the sight but she ignored it.
'I can't always get what I want, I should focus on the positive aspects of my life' she thought.
Putting on a big smile she moved closer.
"Hello Mum, I just came back from work so I came to check up on you. "
"Work?" She asked, making Bethany and Peter look up from their phones.
"Yes Mum, I started today." She explained.
"Wait! I am lost, started what work excatly and where?" She asked, now they were all looking at her, though they didn't voice out their questions, curiosity was clear on their faces.
"Oh, I got the job at JoDa and I was asked to start immediately." She replied happily.
"You must be kidding."Peter hissed.
"Unfortunately, I am not." She snapped.
She was tired of his disrespect, she hadn't done anything to earn his dislike, if he was doing so because he loved Bethany just like how it was mentioned in the book then how right is it?
'I am also his sister and if I don't deserve his love, then I deserve his respect.' She thought.
Bethany stared at Alice in surprise and anger.
'Did she say she got a a job at JoDa, The JoDa I know, Adam gave her a Job?'
Peter stood up from where he was sitting.
"How dare you speak to me that way?" He asked, closing in on her.
At this moment, Alice hated how short she was, she peered at her mother hoping she would stop this madness but she just looked on nonchalantly.
'I am on my own then.' She thought.
Mustering the most intimidating stance she could, she looked up raising an eyebrow at him.
"Your acceptance doesn't matter to me Peter, I was born 4 years before you were and you can do absolutely nothing about that. If you don't like me, fine. But never should you ever disrespect me again. I am fed up with your nonsense." Alice didn't blink as she warned him, she didn't bother to look at their mother or Bethany's face.
'I had given them the chance to prevent this.' She thought.
Peter stared at her for a while, pondering on his next move. The look in her eyes made him re-think, he was no longer feeling so confident but he didn't want to cower, if he does, she would take him for granted.
Alice watched the dispute in his eyes, she felt satisfied, he didn't cower but at least he was reconsidering. She spared a stunned Mrs Emma and Bethany one last glance.
"I think I have overstayed my Welcome. Goodnight Mum, Bethany, Peter." With that, she walked out, her head high. She had to keep the facade at least till she left the room.
Mrs White said nothing minutes after Alice had left, she was too stunned l, too angry to even move a muscle.
Peter however kept ranting until Bethany screamed at him to stop.
"Get out Peter!"
"Go get drunk or sleep."
"Go do something to calm down."
Bethany stood up and left the room, Peter following right behind her.
They all needed to calm down.
Alice walked to her room willing herself not to cry, she had cried too much in just two days, her eyes didn't deserve such.
Immediately she entered her room, the delicious scent of food assaulted her nose and unconsciously, she began to salivate.
"Yes, think of food, food is life, food doesn't hurt, food is amazing" She chanted.
Quickly, she went to open the covered plate.
"Wow, Amazing." She moaned.
Barely sitting down, she began devouring the food when she stopped. There was something below the plate, carefully, she drew out a paper.
"Bon Appetit Ma'am, make sure to rest well, you now have a a job to fulfill." Read the note.
Alice paused, smiling sheepishly.
"Thank you Mariah." She whispered.
Bethany tossed on her bed. It was 8 pm, more than two hours after the episode with Alice but she still felt as angry as she had then,she needed a a confirmation, she needed to know if truly, Alice had landed a job at JoDa.
Ignoring all rational thinking, She picked her phone and called Adam, Thank God for his father's insistence for them to share numbers.
The phone rang for a while before he picked up.
"Hello." His gruff voice came through the receiver.
Bethany rolled her eyes.
'Grumpy as always.' she thought.
"Hello." She replied.
Adam was surprised to hear a female voice through the reciever.
"Who is this?" He asked.
"It's Bethany, Bethany White." She replied.
'Another White?'
"Okay?" He replied nonchalantly.
Bethany felt blood rush to her cheeky, if only she hadn't let desperation take over her common sense.
She has already called, she could as well just chew up the embarrassment.
"I just want to inquire something about my sister." She explained as polite as she could.
"Pardon?" He asked. Of course he knew who she was talking about, but to him, she isn't Bethany's sister, she is his employee, Alice White.
"My sister, Alice, Alice White." She explained trying her best to keep her anger out of her voice. If only she didn't need this information.
"Okay." He replied in the same manner of nonchalance.
"Did she really get a job at JoDa." She finally voiced out her question, holding her breath as she waited for him to answer
He took his time before he said
"Yes."
"How?" She yelled before she could stop herself .
Adam removed the phone from his ear and looked at it.
' Was she drunk.' he thought.
"How every other person gets a job, if that's all Miss White, I have to go to bed." He cut the call and and sat on his bed.
'I should stop picking calls from unknown numbers.'. He thought.
Bethany sat on her bed waiting for her most awaited phone call, she hadn't gotten any the previous day and they had told her the result would be out latest the today.
She needed to get this job, now her priorities have adjusted, it wasn't just because of Bruce or because she wanted to make name for herself. She needed to show Alice her place. She had made one mistake of underestimating her so she had gone easy on her, bit she wasnt planning to repeat it again. She would make her realize she didn't stand a chance, she never did.
She thought of how Adam had humiliated her last night, all because of Alice.
'I really need this Job, I can't afford to fail, not now.' she thought.
Suddenly her phone rang and she hurriedly picked it up, she was delighted to see an unknown number.
"No Bethany, Calm down" She told herself.
"You have a reputation to protect, Do not let your desperation win, Do not make the same mistake as last night." She cautioned herself quietly.
Taking a deep breath, she picked the call.
"Hello, Miss Bethany White."
It was his voice, she couldn't mistake that voice even in her sleep, infact the anger she had nourished since yesterday began to dissipate on hearing it.
"Yes, May I know who I am speaking to? "She asked, faking ignorance.
"Its Bruce Williams, CEO of B&W." He responded, his voice ever so cool.
"Oh my, Good morning sir."She greeted politely.
"Good morning Miss White, how was your night?" He asked, she could feel the smile in his voice.
"It was good sir, yours?"
"Likewise. Miss Bethany, I am glad to inform you, you are hired. You can report today but you will officially start tomorrow." He announced happily.
Bethany faked a squeal, he might have kept her on edge but she knew she was going to get it.
"Thank you sir, I'm really grateful, I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Take your time Miss White and I didn't give you the Job, you got it yourself." He assured her smiling to himself.
"Still sir, Thank you." She replied, blushing.
"See you at the office Miss white." He told her.
"See you too Sir."She replied happily.
'Alice, the game has just began.'