Chapter 12

"It's okay Gloria. I just feel so bad. I kept blaming myself for her death." Charlotte explained to Gloria while mixing the flour and butter.

"You shouldn't blame yourself ma'am. I don't know what happened but I'm sure it was not your fault." Gloria turned to the cabinet to bring out sugar.

"You can't understand Gloria. Preheat the oven please." Charlotte requested.

Gloria preheated the oven while Charlotte took a medium sized bowl. She combined the eggs, melted butter, sugar,flour,vinegar and vanilla extract. She blended it and poured the mixture into a pie shell.

"Should we put it in the oven now?" Gloria asked opening the oven.

"No let's wait a little." She said washing her hands that has been covered with the mixture. The other maids walked in and were surprised to see Charlotte baking.

"Ma you shouldn't be doing this. You should have called me." Ashley said taking the bowl from Charlotte's hand.

"It's okay Ash. Its fun working with ma'am. She is super nice and I'm sure you'll be comfortable with her when you get to know her more. " Gloria said increasing the heat of the oven.

"Let's make our pie." Charlotte said taking the pie into the oven. They all waited in the kitchen for forty five minutes.

"It's ready now." Charlotte said wearing the gloves then bringing out the pie from the oven.

"Hmm. This smells so good ma. You are such an excellent baker." Ashley commented.

Charlotte puts the pie on the table.

"I'm not that good Ashley. I just tried my best. I'm sure you'll be better." Charlotte said smiling.

"Let's go to the dinning and eat this." Charlotte said and she served herself and all the maids in the kitchen.

"Is this enough for you?" Charlotte asked everyone.

"It's okay ma'am. Thank you." They all chorused.

They all took a plate each and walked to the dinning and sat.

"Mr Tyler must not meet us here." Sheila said and Gloria grunted eyeing Sheila.

"Why?" Charlotte asked staring at all of them one after the other looking for answers.

"Seriously tell me please. Why?" Charlotte asked again munching her pie slowly.

"He hates it whenever we disturb his personal space. He likes staying alone most of the times. He even works for hours alone." Sheila said.

"And whenever he brings a woman home. He hates it when we interrupt either by mistake or knowingly." Ashley added.

"Hmm." Gloria cleared her throat to distract Charlotte.

"Are you okay Gloria?" Charlotte asked stretching a cup of water to her.

"I'm fine ma. I just choked a little." Gloria said and they continued eating their pie in silence.

They finished eating and the maids took the plates to the kitchen.

Charlotte walked upstairs.

Ashley dropped her plate in the sink as Sheila and Gloria walked in.

"Why did you tell her that?" Gloria attacked.

"What did I do?" Ashley asked as Sheila started to wash the plates.

"Why did you tell her Mr Tyler brings women home? What's your problem?" Gloria asked almost screaming.

"What? I did the right thing. She has to know the kind of man she is married to." Ashley said walking out of the kitchen.

"It's none of your business." Sheila added.

"If you don't take your time here I'll have you sacked." Gloria threatened this time yelling.

"As if you can." Ashley screamed back.

Charlotte laid on the bed thinking about her sister Phoebe as tears ran down her face down to the bed sheets.

"I miss you so much." Charlotte said with a shaky voice.

"I don't even know what I'm doing here. I'm ruined. I'm finished. This is the end for you Charlotte Jenkins. This is the end." Charlotte said and she choked on her saliva. She coughed and continued to talk to herself.

"I lost my sister and I'm married to a beast."

She stood up and took her phone from her bag which was still on the floor. She saw missed calls and text messages from her mother and father. She hissed.

"What do they want?" She asked herself as she read the message.

"Burial! Now they are asking me to ask Tyler for money. What kind of parents do I have?" Charlotte asked herself.

She called her mother.

"Hello mother. What do you think you are doing? I should ask the person who killed my sister for money? How low can you both get for money?" Charlotte said with clipped tongue.

"I am sorry Charlotte but we don't have money to keep paying the hospital anymore. We have to take Phoebe's corpse away from the hospital." Sophia explained.

"I'll take care of my sister's burial myself and please don't call me." Charlotte said dropping the call.

"I doubt if they are my real parents. I have to find a job. I can't just sit here all day." Charlotte said to herself.

****************************

Tyler Dalton is sitting in his office looking worried.

"Why did her sister have to die now? I never intended to pay her hospital bills but why did she have to go now?" He questioned himself.

He adjusted his tie and shifted his gaze towards the clock hanging on the wall.

"She was really mad this morning. I could see the rage in her eyes. I have really messed up. I was really mean to her."

"I don't like her,i mean I hate her but I didn't know things will turn out this way." He kept talking to himself not noticing Gwen's presence.

Gwen tapped his shoulder and he jerked.

"Hey." He greeted casually.

"Hi sir. I just wanted to check if you needed anything." Gwen said winking at him and shaking her boobs.

"I'm fine you can leave now." Tyler said raising his legs on his table and resting backwards on his chair.

Gwen bends to kiss him but Tyler pushed her backward.

"I said I'm fine. Don't you understand English?" Tyler yelled.

"but..

"Get out now!" Tyler yelled standing up and pointing to the door.

Gwen walked out of Tyler's office angrily as her heels makes some creaky sounds.

Tyler sat and continued to soliloquy.

"Should I apologize to her? No I wont. She ruined me too. I am no longer known as a bachelor. I'm no longer on the ladies list." He said to himself.

"Should I go back home to comfort her? Nah she doesn't need it." He said and shifted his focus to his laptop.

"What do we have here? Nothing?" He said closing the laptop.

"I'm going crazy here." He said tugging his hair.