She followed Vivian into the meeting room, and five other women soon entered after them.
The supervisor with them said, “Here are some of the candidates we’ve shortlisted according to your request, Ms. Crowe.”
They were all domestic helpers with the good reputation of Monsoon backing them up, aside from the last one the same maid who was almost misblamed earlier. S
Lulu was actually surprised that she was included.
It was only then that Lulu had the time to study the tanned, scrawny maid.
She noticed Lulu staring at her and lowered her head further.
She certainly stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the other recommended maids. But just as Lulu was about to ask for her name, Vivian called out from the other side, “I think I’ve made up my mind. Don’t you agree, Wendy?”
Lulu looked up to find Vivian standing with one of the other maids, whose cheek was covered in thick makeup and wore lipstick that completely did not match.
While, in her defense, she did put on makeup before coming, her overbearing attitude was clear and Lulu already had a bad impression of her. Moreover, Lulu would not allow a woman wearing thick makeup around when there was a baby in the house.
“No. Let’s keep looking.” She refused without hesitation.
Vivian, however, felt as if her authority had been challenged and was not about to give in to a mere babysitter.
Then, seeing Lulu had been hovering in front of that scrawny maid, she scoffed, “I think she’s fine-she ticks every box. What, would you rather have that bumpkin over there?”
The maid Vivian picked was getting anxious as well. She even started to reach out to take Vivian’s hand, but promptly withdrew and stayed still when Vivian shot her a look.
That gesture was not lost to Lulu-it seemed that Vivian was still stubbornly insisting on embedding another pair of eyes around Zachary.
It was even likely that Vivian arranged the maid to be there through unsavory means, which explained that hasty yet tasteless makeup. Staying silent, she took the scrawny maid’s file, skimmed through it, and asked bluntly, “When can you start work?”
Vivian’s eyes bulged right then, and she strode up to snatch the file.
Once she was done reading, she shrieked, Sue Lambert, was it? She’s an hourly cleaner, not a domestic helper! Who put her here?! I want to talk to the manager And get this bumpkin out of here!”
In reality, this was the first day Sue came to work. Naturally, she did not have the honors of being one of the best domestic helpers of Monsoon.
However, she had stable employment at a bigwig’s household before. As for why Lulu picked her, she was the exception compared to the other maids-they all had a lang list of employment history in their resumes, somehow neglecting the fact that employers needed a domestic helper that would stick around.
Nonetheless, the manager was in the room in under a minute, apologizing for his oversight for letting Sue in.
Lulu snorted-it seemed that Vivian had been constantly flexing her authority of being Zachary’s assistant.
She stayed silent and watched quietly as Vivian threw her weight around She had all the time in the world to play along, while Vivian really thought herself the lady of the Slate household.
Over the next five minutes, Vivian was ranting endlessly, accusing Monsoon of negligence. The NO
om manager was even nice enough to pour her a drink so that she could keep ranting.
When Vivian was done, the manager flashed a fawning smile. “Yes, of course, Ms. Crowe. I’m so sorry about this-as of this moment, she’s been released from this agency.”
Then, turning to Sue and suddenly looking all high and mighty, he beckoned for security to escort her out.
Seeing that they were done with their drama, Lulu asked, “Are you two done? Then it’s my turn.”
Vivian reared her chin at Lulu haughtily as she folded her arms before her chest, while Lulu simply smiled. “Since you’ve been let go, Ms. Lambert, how about I personally hire you? That’s a much better offer, without company management taking a cut out of your deserved pay.”
Sue’s eyes lit up right then. She actually thought there was no hope!
“Of course,” she replied as she nodded repeatedly. “I can start right now if you want.”
“No, you don’t have my approval!” Vivian snapped right then. “Wendy, don’t forget that you’re just a babysitter. This is not up to you to decide!”
Lulu asked in return, “If I can’t decide, is it up to you? A desk jockey-no, a secretary?”
Monsoon’s manager certainly saw that things were getting heated. However, he was not about to lose a major client like Zachary, and he promptly butted in, “You really should reconsider, ma’am. She’s a fresh recruit without the experience of our best domestic helpers, and you won’t be legally protected if you bypass an agency…”
“Either of you can talk to Mr. Slate if you take issue with my decision,” Lulu said, shutting them down. “He’s given me the authority to choose, which I will exercise.”
Then, she turned to Sue and clapped her on the shoulder, gesturing for her to follow.
They got into the car right away and told the chauffeur to return to the mansion directly.
For all Lulu cared, Vivian could complain to Zachary all she wanted!
Since Lulu was in the backseat, Sue sat there as well, leaving Vivian seething.
However, she could not throw a fit because Star was asleep!
Along the way back, Sue told Lulu about herself.
She used to work for an elderly employer and was left jobless after the latter’s death. Then, tragedy struck when her husband was caught in a terrorist’s bomb- both his legs were amputated, leaving it up to Sue to make a living for the family.
Lulu’s expression was somber-she could empathize with Sue’s predicament.
On the other hand, Vivian was eavesdropping, working hard to find leverage to chase Sue away so that she could arrange for a maid she trusted.
Once back at the mansion, Lulu tucked in Star handily in her cribrand tiptoed to the door, closing it behind her.
Walking up to Sue, who appeared tense, she passed her a glass of water and said, “Let’s get you familiar with this place. Don’t worry caring for the baby will net responsibility, and yours is just housework.”
my She started to give Sue a tour around the mansion, informing her about the things she should do and when, completely ignoring Vivian, who was lingering stubbornly in the mansion.
Lulu had Sue settled in by the time Zachary returned in the evening, and she just needed to sign an agreement.
“This is the maid I’ve chosen from the agency today, Mr. Slate,” Lulu said, introducing Sue to Zachary while asking his opinion officially. “I’ve read her profile and resume, so is there anything you like to know or requests you have?”
Unexpectedly, Vivian emerged from the study right then, rolling her eyes at Lulu where Zachary could not see. “I tried to tell her, Mr. Slate-there were so many professional maids, but she had to pick someone without experience. I couldn’t stop her even though I just want the best for you and your baby-who knew she could be so stubborn?”
Lulu quietly watched her dramatic antics without offering a retort-it was amazing how Vivian’s foul mouth could be smelled for miles as soon as she spoke.
On the other hand, Sue was clearly grateful that Lulu was willing to give her a chance. Still, before she could speak on Lulu’s behalf, Lulu stopped her.
At the same time, Zachary asked coolly, “Why are you still here?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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