Chapter 12: Secrets
Gina
I watched as Folashadé stormed out of the office and slammed the door furiously. I understood why she would be upset, she could possibly be getting fired, but that all depends. I have to speak to Master Vincent about all this.
I heard Tiffany snicker as she stood up, turning to leave. I wasn't done with her.
"Tiffany, sit back down," I demanded authoritatively. She immediately did as I said.
"Tiffany, are you or are you not sleeping with Master Vincent as well," I asked. I was afraid she was also having an affair with him. The only thing that would make her different from Folashadé is that she hadn't end up pregnant. Either way, if she is having an affair with him too, I truly feel sorry for Miss Melanie.
She frowned as her nose twitched. "No. No I'm not," she whispered. I could hence the anger in her tone.
"Then why were you concerning yourself with their affairs," I asked challengingly, eager to know the answer. If she wasn't sleeping with Master Vincent herself, then why was she so worked up?
"Because, I love Vincent! I should be the one to carry his baby," she yelled as she rose from her seat.
What has gotten into this girl? She doesn't even know the meaning of Love.
"Tiffany, you're going throu-" She interrupted me.
"No, Gina, I'm not going through a phase. I do love him," she said in a much calmer voice. She pressed her middle finger against the edge of her eye. In response, I gently slid the box of tissue on my desk closer to her.
"Vincent and I... we had our own secret affair," she said, sniffling as she reached for a tissue.
Her words nearly caused my eyes to pop out of their aging sockets. Was I hearing correctly? Tiffany and Master Vincent? I about had a heart attack when I found out about Folashadé and Vincent. But, two maids!? What was he trying to prove!? He's getting married in half a year. He should know about commitment by now!
"When," I asked quietly. I just couldn't believe my ears.
"It was actually six years ago..."
Flashback
Tiffany
I was a thin sixteen year-old girl, young and naïve, just like everyone else my age. I was the youngest maid in The Windsor Castle. But, I wasn't proud of it one bit.
The day I first met Vincent was a week after I started working there. The other maids there told me he did a lot of partying out with his friends because he'd just graduate from his all-boys academy. I envied and admired him. I couldn't even finish secondary school.
After six months of working here, he made a move on me. I had always had an infatuation with him, I just never decided to push it.
It was around 1:00 a.m. that I couldn't get any sleep. Food kept jumbling through my mind. I was never capable of sleeping with an empty stomach. I got up out of bed and decided to make myself a sandwich. After eating my sandwich, I realized I wasn't really tired so I decided to go for a walk around the castle. This was an exquisite castle, so who wouldn't want to see such magnificence.
While I was walking through the front courtyard, I heard one of the gates close nearby as well as the sounds of tires driving away. Quickly I hid behind a large fountain. I watched silently as Prince Vincent ran his hand through his dark hair and chuckled.
"Come on out," he demanded softly.
That nearly made my heart stop. He knew I was there so no point in hiding anymore.
I timidly stepped out from behind the water fountain with my hands crossed behind my back. He smirked and made his way closer to me. The speed of my heart pummeled heavily through my ribcage.
"Ah, you're the new maid, eh," he asked huskily as he moved a strand of my brunette hair out of my face. I shivered against his touch. It was mesmerizing.
"You're very beautiful," he whispered dangerously close to my ear. Luckily it was dark out, otherwise I'm sure he'd smirk at my deep scarlet cheeks.
He leaned down a little further so our noses were touching. Oh dear, I could hardly breathe! Why was he doing this to me!?
He then pulled me against his muscled body and tilted his head so his lips hovered over mine. We were breathing one another's air.
"Do you want this," he breathed.
I inhaled the scent of alcohol into my mouth and nodded. "Y-yes," I finally spoke.
His lips crashed down onto mine and my arms immediately wrapped around his neck. Our tongues entwined as his hand traveled up my nightgown. I let out a low moan and ran my fingers through his hair. He lifted me into his arms, never breaking our kiss. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he sat us on the edge of the fountain. My feet dipped into the cool water of the fountain which caused another moan to escape through my lips.
We had sex on that fountain, we did. But that wasn't the only time we've ever had sex. He would sneak me into his room and we'd have amazing sex till the morning after. Thinking about all of this makes my heart beat rapidly and a blood red blush to form on my cheeks.
Four years into our relationship, he told me his parents were sending him off to look for the perfect woman to court.
"Tiffy, I still love you," he whispered as he planted loving kisses on my shoulders.
"But, Vinny, what if you have to marry another woman," I asked turning around in his lap.
His light blue eyes stared back at me as if searching my face. "Love, no matter what, I will still love you, even if I have to marry another woman," he said, pulling a strand of hair behind my ear. "I love you, Tiffany."
I smiled warmly and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "I love you, too, Vincent," I said in the crook of his warm neck.
Six months after that, he just stopped seeing me. He didn't come to my room or sneak me into his. He stopped taking me out on my days off too. It's as if he just gave up on our relationship. This put me in a long state of depression. I cried while I cleaned, I cried myself to sleep, hell, I probably even cried in my sleep. I just cried so often my eyes grew permanently puffy.
Aimee noticed this and came to comfort me every night. She'd ask me what's wrong but I'd just shake my head. I didn't want to tell her and she would never push me to do so.
End of Flashback
Gina
I was speechless.
Was this what the Young Master was doing all those years ago? It couldn't be. I definitely need to talk to him.
"Oh my," I breathed in pure shock.
"I was lucky enough to never end up pregnant like Folashadé did. I'm not as stupid as her," she whispered.
She was right. She didn't get pregnant after four years of having an affair with him. But, Folashadé did. Folashadé's liaison with Master Vincent couldn't have been no more than over a year long, yet she already managed to have a lifetime consequence with him through that baby.
Technically, that child is Royalty. It has Royal blood running through its veins. Although, when it is officially born, it would be considered a bastard. That baby is still, nonetheless, of Royal ancestry.
"I never knew that Master Vincent was so cold hearted," I said standing up.
Tiffany nodded. "Folashadé will learn. Vincent doesn't give two shats about anyone but himself," she said gravely.
"Well, I'm going to discuss this with him myself. You tell her to stay in her room until further notice," I said, rubbing my temple with the pads of my fingers.
I heard Tiffany groan an 'okay' before closing the door behind her departure and locking it.
What is Master Vincent trying to prove?
__________
I knocked firmly on the Young Master's bedroom doors. At first I didn't get a response, so I knocked again. Still no response. I knocked again, louder this time.
"Yes," his voice rumbled through the door.
"Master Vincent, it's Gina, I need to have a word with you," I yelled into the door.
After a few seconds of silence, I heard his door unlocking and opening revealing a disheveled Master Vincent.
He looked miserable. His face was red, but his nose being the reddest part. His hair was a sloppy mess on his head. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy as they looked like they were mere seconds from pouring out tears. Had he been crying? The Young Master hasn't cried since he was a youngster.
I felt bad for him, but the way he's treating women are terrible.
"Yes, Gina," he sniffled.
"I need to speak with you," I said stepping into the room as he side stepped from the door's threshold.
"What about," he asked cautiously.
"Folashadé," I answered sternly. He visibly tensed as his eyes widened. "...and Tiffany," I continued. This time he looked away and bit his lip.
"What about them," he asked, voiding me of any eye contact.
"They got into an altercation over you...and Folashadé is pregnant...with your baby. She is also on the line of being fired," I answered soberly.
"What," he shrieked, snapping his head back to me.
I put my hand up to hush him as he did. I continued, "Tiffany has also told me about your previous affairs. Is that true?"
He stared at me as if I was forcing him to kill himself, but then he looked away painfully. His gaze stayed locked to the floor for a few seconds before he looked back at me to respond. "I did love Tiffany. But, I've moved on."
He wasn't making any sense; this man!
"How could you say you moved on when you're marrying Melanie, but having a rendezvous with Folashadé," I questioned sternly. He frowned, but it didn't faze me. I returned his black look with my own. "Answer me," I demanded. I didn't care that he was the prince, he was disrespecting women and I just find that sad.
"Gina, you will not question me! I am your mast-", he fumed.
"Oh for fuck's sake, Vincent," I flailed my arms. I only ever used Master Vincent's first name only when I was upset. "You can't expect me to go around accepting the fact that you're disrespecting my employees! Hell, you're even disrespecting your own damn fiancée! I thought you were better than that!"
His countenance slowly softened. He almost looked like he was going to cry. "Gina..." his voice sounded hoarse and broken, but no tears fell.
"Vincent, do you even love Miss Melanie," I asked calmly.
He slowly nodded in response.
"What about Folashadé," I asked curiously, but still maintaining my calm demeanor.
"Yes," he breathed.
"And Tiffany," I continued.
He was quiet for a few seconds before saying, "what Tiffany and I had was in the past. I told you, I moved on. I was young back then."
I scoffed. Why does he act as if he is a decade or two older? Knowing what he did with Tiffany back then shows that this man still hasn't grown up. He's been with Miss Melanie for a year and a half now and he still hasn't changed.
"So it's between Miss Melanie and Folashadé," I countered. He looked away and blinked rapidly.
"I don't know. I'm getting married to Melanie. But, Folashadé is having my child. Honestly, I don't know what to do about all this," he nervously mused.
"So you want me to keep Folashadé here, even though she's giving you trouble with your relationship," I interrogated.
His brows furrowed. He stared at me as if I was a crazy woman. "Of course! Gina, I know Folashadé's problem, she has no one over here. Her only family is her brother and grandmother and they're in New York. I'm not so sure about her being able to spend four hundred pounds to fly over there and still have enough to spend in order to find him herself. I've seen New York, it's a very crowded city. And if something happens to her and-"
"Vincent, I understand," I cut him off. He really cared about this girl.
His eyes averted to the floor. "Sorry, I just can't imagine her out there by herself in her state," he muttered.
This brought up another question in my head. What about Miss Melanie?
"What about Miss Melanie," I echoed my questionable thoughts.
His head stayed bent, but his eyes snapped back up to me. "I'll postpone the wedding," he simply said.
Was he crazy!? He'd still get married even with Folashadé here!
"Why," I asked skeptically.
"I need time," he said dismissively. "Besides, my parents are scheduling an appointment for her," he added.
His parents knew!? And they hadn't said anything about it!? They must know, they're son is marrying soon.
"They know!?"
He nodded. "They know of her pregnancy. But, they think...Frank...is the father. She doesn't know how far along she is though," he explained. But I could hence a tinge of disgust when he said Frank's name. I thought well than to question about that.
"Very well then. I'll keep her," I said quietly.
His sad eyes slightly brightened.
"But, she'll have to be on maternity leave once she hits six months," I warned. She couldn't work while very much into her pregnancy. I didn't know what I was going to do with her once she gave birth. She couldn't possibly clean AND nurse her child. Some way, somehow, Master Vincent would have to step into the picture. But I knew that once that happens, if it would, all hell will truly break loose.
Before I could turn to leave, Master Vincent's large frame came rushing to me. He engulfed me into an uncomfortable hug and picked my own chubby frame off the ground.
"Thank you, Gina! Thank you, so much," his muffled voice boomed happily.
"Sir, put me down," I demanded, struggling to gasp for air.
He gently let me go and ran a hand through his hair, settling his breathing pattern as well. "I'm sorry, I'm just so happy that you're letting her stay. Oh, and please do not tell my parents," he pleaded.
"I was never intending to. But, Sir, do me a favor," I said, straightening out my uniform. He responded with an eager 'hmm'. "Give Folashadé some time. As for Tiffany, straighten things out with her before she does something drastic," I suggested, solemnly.
He visibly tensed, but nodded anyway. "I'll be sure to do so. Again, Gina, thank you," he said in high gratitude.
I nodded before leaving his bedchambers. These youngsters nowadays were just too much to handle. Tiffany, getting upset over a past affair that didn't end too well on her part. Miss Melanie, being absolutely oblivious to it all. Folashadé, being one of the main sources of this mess. And Master Vincent, still having the mentality of a sixteen year old lad, all the while being another main source. It wasn't obvious to him, but it was to me. I could blatantly see who he loved the most.