The Bad Maid (Completed)

Chapter 6. Desperate Times and Desperate Situations

"Hgn hello?" A groggy voice came from the other end.

"Hi dad? I'm sorry to wake you but, the motel is infested and they're going to put a tent up tomorrow. Is there any way I can come live with you until it's back down?"

"Huh what? What's happenin? Slow down hun."

After she explained the situation to him he let out a sigh. "I'm sorry pumpkin, I don't think we can do that. Your grandmother moved back in with her caretaker. There's not enough room to fit you here now."

Helena frowned. "Oh, it's okay Dad, don't worry about it. Tell grandma I said hi though."

"Will do. I would send you another check but, it's already enough with your grandmother moving back in. I'm so sorry, stay safe out there pumpkin."

"I will don't worry." She replied and then added, "I love you."

"Love you too.

After she hung up, Helena whined and then went back inside the motel to try to recover her belongings. "I just have to wait until my first check, that's all. Then I'll be fine."

The next few days she spent sleeping inside the car parked a few streets away from the mansion to stay on time, sneaking into gyms to shower when no one was looking, and then occasionally using the Daville's bathrooms to brush her teeth and fix up her hair before anyone had a chance to say anything.

She only ate snack foods like granola bars or fruit from gas stations for breakfast and mostly cup of noodles or chips for dinner. She alternated her pants and shirts when she needed to go in public to try to wash her clothes once a week to save on laundry. "Less than a week to go. I can make it." She told herself.

Sleeping in the car eventually took a toll on her. It was making her back stiff and uncomfortable. Little by little without realizing, she was late to work by a minute at first from the lack of sleep. Down the line she got banned from 3 different gyms and before she knew it four days had passed since her last shower. Eventually she used up the rest of her money for food too.

"Oh no what am I going to do now?"

She thought about using the mansion's fancy washers and dryers to at least wash her uniform, but there was no way she could get away a second time wearing regular clothes during work hours. She did her best to press it out as cleanly as possible each day, but from the amount of work and cleaning she was doing, she was starting to sweat through it and even smell a bit.

"Okay, one hour and we're done." Madame Lidiya told her one day. "I need to run to mansion and dry clean Daville's sheets. You go mop cafeteria."

As she dragged her feet along the way, Helena realized her body and mind couldn't take it anymore. With a pail of water and a mop in hand, she set them against a wall and sat down at the first table inside the cafeteria. "I'll just rest my head down for a second...that's all."

A few maids walked by whispering to each other, plugging their noses but Helena didn't care. Her eyelids slowly drifted close.

Some time went by and the cafeteria slowly started to fill up. Someone's laughter woke her up but they instantly went silent when she pulled her head up. Helena looked around groggily while rubbing her eyes. Before she knew it, she glanced ahead to see a lady in a red blazer headed in their direction.

Crap! I can't let Mrs. Daville see me like this! She instantly climbed to her feet, desperately looking for her cleaning supplies to make it look like she's been working the whole time.

"You, Heilana. Come here." Mrs. Daville beckoned.

"Yes Mrs. Daville!" Helena rushed over, defeated. It was only a matter of time. She saw over Mrs. Daville's that Alice was laughing to herself before running off in the other direction.