Flames of a lie

Chapter 6

"What's wrong? What's with that look on your face," she asked with furrowed brows as she saw the tragic look on my face. I looked at her with my face full of distress. I don't know how to tell her that I on my own have walked inside the lion's den. She kept looking at me as I kept quiet thinking about how to tell her because I knew she would freak out after knowing the truth. 

"Sage you are making me worry now. Just tell me what's wrong," she asked in her afraid voice as she saw the look on my face. 

"You remember that Mall guy I threw a milkshake on. He was in the judging panel," I asked while looking here and there if someone was listening to me. 

"Yeah I saw him, he was looking at you like he wanted to throw you out of the competition," she said as she remembered how he was looking at me throughout the competition. 

"He is going to make my life hell for the next six months," I exclaimed, pulling my short hair in frustration. 

"Thank God, that's what is making you worry. I thought there was something else big troubling you. Don't worry about him, Sage, he is one of the chefs here like you will be from tomorrow. Don't think too much about him, see at the bright sight. I know you can fight with him, you didn't let his vile thoughts become your reality. You won the competition and rubbed it all over his face. I know you can deal with him in the same way as you did today and if he tries to give you more trouble then you can complain to Mr. Xanthus he will surely help you" she said in her firm voice trying to cheer me so I won't stop in the track of my new beginning. She gave me a smile saying to have faith in myself but I know her faith in me will poof out by the second she will know he is the same person she is asking me to go for help. 

"Sage, why do you still have that look on your face? Forget about him and cheer up and let's celebrate," she said with a bright smile on her face. I can't keep this big thing to myself. If I don't tell her now she will be mad at me afterward. 

"That milkshake guy is Xanthus Villin," I said in my low voice while looking at her. 

"What! What are you saying" She almost shouted but lowered her voice as some people looked in our way and I mumbled a small sorry to them. 

"Let me ask you again. I think I heard something wrong. The guy at the mall on whom you threw the milkshake and put money in his pocket for dry clean is Xanthus Villin. The Xanthus Villin the owner of chains of a restaurant in which one we are sitting now" she asked in her shocked voice while looking at me with her big questioning eyes from whom cheerfulness was completely gone. 

"Yes he is the same as the Xanthus Villin" I exclaimed exasperatedly while exhaling loudly. When I confirmed it her mouth was a little ajar in pure shock. She tried to say something a few times but then she again shut her mouth thinking about the gravity of the situation I was stuck in. I was caught in a cage like a mouse who was trying to eat a small piece of cheese. 

"I d--don't know what to say," she said while suturing a bit. "You are caught in this because of me and what he--" she in her anxious voice and didn't complete her sentence as she looked here and there if someone was listening to our conversation when she was assured that no one was listening to us she looked back at me with the same anxiousness in her eyes. 

"What if he discovers you are a girl dressed like a boy," she asked in her whispering tone. The anxiety in her voice was making me more anxious. I looked at her worried face. Her words made me anxious too but If I get scared after coming this far then it will be the beginning of my downfall. I need to be strong and protect my disguise for the next six months and once it's done I will vanish in thin air with no connection with anyone. 

I'm here to make money and I don't know if the path I'm walking is right or wrong. The only thing I know is that I want to help my family and this is the best way to help them in this crisis. All the thoughts were running in my brain in all directions. I took a deep breath to calm myself first before assuring her.