Chapter 62: Laura’s Worst Day Ever.

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Laura’s Worst Day Ever.

"Ma, I was only waving at the bin man who came to collect the rubbish," Gift explained.

Laura looked her over from head to toe, eyes narrowing.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, ma."

She folded her arms. "Well, I want to check your room."

Gift’s heart skipped a beat, but she controlled her expression.

"Of course, ma. Please, follow me."

She led Laura towards her small room. Gift stood quietly near the door while Laura began looking around, from the bed to the small wardrobe, then to the table beside the window. She looked as though she was searching for something specific.

She opened the wardrobe, moved a few clothes aside and examined the small table. Then something caught her attention.

She picked up a Cartier bracelet and held it between her fingers.

"Wait a minute. Isn’t this the Cartier bracelet I bought for Jeff on his birthday?" she asked.

Gift’s stomach tightened.

"Ma..."

"Where did you get this?"

"I found it while cleaning. It was somewhere around the house. I kept it because I wanted to show it to you."

"You found it while cleaning?"

"Yes. I didn’t want to leave it lying around because someone might step on it or misplace it."

Laura stared at the bracelet for a moment.

"I thought as much. If I catch you flaunting yourself around my man or trying to get his attention with that big backside of yours, I will use a surgical blade to cut off the excess fat!"

"Never! I promise I won’t do anything like that. I’m only here to do the job that brought me here. I’m sorry."

Laura gave her a wicked look.

"Obviously, a crop growing in size does not mean it is fit for consumption. What would Jeff even want with a common maid like you?"

Gift lowered her head. "I’m sorry, ma."

Laura scoffed, then slipped the bracelet inside her pyjamas pocket.

"Sorry for what? I haven’t even accused you of anything yet."

Gift remained silent.

Laura moved around the room, sniffing like a hungry snake searching for its next meal.

She suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. "What’s that smell?"

Gift blinked. "Smell, ma?"

"Yes. Can’t you smell it?"

"No, ma. I just cleaned the room last night."

"I don’t think so. Ever since I entered this room, I’ve been perceiving a very offensive smell. Honestly, the odour smells like a dustbin left in the sun. It’s terrible. This smell could chase me out of my own house."

Gift lowered her head, trying hard to control her expression.

Laura covered her nose. "Personal hygiene is very important. You should learn to take proper care of yourself."

Gift pressed her lips together.

_You and I know I’m naturally clean. That’s why Jeff can’t seem to resist me. Meanwhile, you spend a fortune on skincare products, yet your skin looks like cracked walls,_ she muttered under her breath.

Laura’s eyes narrowed. "Did you say something?"

Gift raised her head. "Nothing, ma’am."

Laura glanced at her wristwatch. "Anyway, make sure my son gets to school early. I have several appointments, and I’ll be leaving the house early. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure he’s ready on time."

Laura picked up her phone and gave Gift one final look before walking towards the door. She stepped outside and banged the door behind her.

Gift remained silent for a few seconds, listening to Laura’s footsteps as they disappeared down the corridor.

The moment she was certain Laura was gone, she raised both hands in the air.

"What a narrow escape!" she whispered, breathing out in relief.

She shook her head and let out a long breath. "This woman is a war machine. Every day she keeps dropping bombshells."

At about 8:30 a.m., Laura was already dressed and ready to leave. She wore a luxurious Dior gown, paired with black designer sunglasses and an expensive handbag. Her makeup was perfectly done, and her hair was neatly styled.

She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her earrings before picking up her phone.

Just then, her son walked into the room.

"Mum, are you leaving already?"

She turned and smiled. "Yes, darling. I have several meetings to attend today, and I don’t want to keep anyone waiting. Have you had your breakfast?"

"Not yet, Mum."

"Then make sure you eat before going to school. I don’t want you leaving this house on an empty stomach."

"Okay, Mum. I’ll miss you."

She rubbed his head gently. "I’ll miss you too, darling. Be a good boy, and listen to everything your teachers tell you. I’ll see you later."

"Okay, Mum."

Her son hugged her briefly before running back towards the sitting room, where Gift was waiting for him.

Gift opened her arms and welcomed him warmly. "Good morning, sweetheart. Have you had your breakfast?"

"Not yet. Mummy said I should eat before going to school."

"That’s right. Come on, let’s get you something to eat."

Meanwhile, Laura’s phone began to ring. She glanced at the screen. Bruno.

Her expression immediately changed. She answered the call.

"Hello?"

"I’m already at the spot waiting for you," Bruno said.

"Okay. I’ll be there shortly."

She ended the call and took a deep breath. She wasn’t happy about meeting Bruno, however, she needed to hear what he had to say and settle whatever problem he was bringing to her.

Laura opened the front door and walked towards the garage.

She owned several luxury cars. A few were gifts from her late husband, Darwin, who had bought them for her years before his death. Even the magnificent mansion she lived in was one of the properties he had given her.

She walked towards her Mercedes-Benz, unlocked it and settled behind the steering wheel.

Her first destination was the private lounge where Bruno was waiting. After their meeting, she planned to visit her lawyer’s office.

She drove out of the compound, navigating the beautiful streets as she headed towards the private lounge.

Within a few minutes, she arrived.

Bruno was already seated at a corner table. He wore a simple shirt and blue Levi’s jeans. A beautiful young woman sat a short distance away from him, quietly scrolling through her phone.

A bottle of champagne had already been placed on Bruno’s table.

Laura adjusted her sunglasses before approaching him.

"Hi, Bruno."

He looked up. "You’re here."

"What’s going on? You scared me yesterday. I hope you understand that I don’t have the whole day to waste here. Please, whatever it is, be brief. I have somewhere important to be."

She pulled out a chair and sat down, placing her handbag beside her.

Bruno leaned back and studied her face.

"Alright. Let me go straight to the point. I need another ￡80,000."

Laura stared at him. "What?"

"You heard me. I need another ￡80,000."

"Are you out of your mind? What exactly do you mean by another eighty thousand pounds? Didn’t I already pay you?"

Bruno shrugged. "Things have changed."

"What things?"

"All my accounts, with thirty million followers across different social media platforms, have been taken down because of that video. Do you understand what that means? I’ve lost a lot of money already."

Laura’s mouth fell open. "Impossible! You must be crazy, Bruno. Where will I get that kind of money? Do you think my money grows on trees?"

Bruno chuckled without humour. "You should have thought of that before coming to me. Listen carefully, Laura. I didn’t come here to beg you. I mean business, and the payment must be made within three days."

Her fingers tightened around her handbag. "Are you threatening me?"

"Call it whatever you want. If you fail to pay, I’ll release every trace and piece of evidence I have and I’ll make sure your company stops getting deals from top brands. You have no idea how much damage I can cause."

Laura felt her stomach tighten. "Bruno, you can’t do this to me. We had an agreement! I already paid you ￡30,000 a few days ago."

"￡30,000 to take away my only source of livelihood? I’m giving you another opportunity to protect yourself. Three days, Laura. Don’t make me regret giving you that much time."

Bruno picked up his glass and took a sip. He then glanced towards his girlfriend, who was sitting a short distance away recording them. He subtly signalled to her.

She immediately stopped scrolling through her phone, got up to join him.

The girl approached their table, leaned towards Bruno and whispered, "Baby, I’ve captured every moment."

"Okay, darling. You did well because if you want to dance with a snake, you must wear boots," Bruno said, staring at Laura.

He picked up his belongings and was about to walk away with his girlfriend.

Laura immediately stood up and tried grabbing Bruno’s shirt, to stop him from leaving.

Bruno stepped backwards, glaring at her. "If you dare touch me, I’ll increase the amount to ￡200,000!"

Laura froze.

"For your information, many of the people you’ve duped have already reached out to me. Someone like Mia Hayes, for instance."

"You monster!" Laura spat angrily.

Bruno held his girlfriend tight. "Laura, have a nice day."

He turned and headed towards the entrance door with his girlfriend.

Laura returned to her seat, still staring into space. She couldn’t believe what had just happened.

The name he mentioned touched a sensitive part of her heart, but she could not afford to show weakness in public.

She took a deep breath and forced a calm expression onto her face.

She watched as the girl swayed her hips in her short dress while walking away. The girl even glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was watching her.

"If I had known this video would cause me so much trouble, I wouldn’t have attempted it in the first place," Laura muttered under her breath.

For the first time in a long while, she felt completely helpless.

Immediately her thoughts were interrupted by a waitress approaching the table.

"Excuse me, ma’am."

Laura slowly raised her head. "Yes?"

"Will you be paying for the champagne?"

Laura blinked. "What champagne?"

The waitress pointed towards the empty glass and the bottle on the table. "Your companion ordered it earlier, ma’am."

Laura looked at the bottle. She hadn’t even noticed that Bruno had been drinking.

"Really? And who told you he was my companion?" she asked sharply.

"He told me you were on your way and that you would be paying the bill," the waitress explained.

"You sound very unprofessional. What if I deny knowing him?"

The waitress became nervous. Laura noticed her eyes filling with tears.

"How much is it?" she asked reluctantly.

"It’s ten thousand pounds, ma’am."

Laura’s eyes widened. "Ten thousand pounds?"

"Yes, ma’am."

She closed her eyes briefly and pressed her fingers against her forehead.

Was this a joke? Had everyone suddenly decided to drain her account?

The waitress waited patiently beside the table.

"I’ll pay with my card," Laura said.

"Alright, ma’am, thank you," the waitress replied politely.

She reached for her handbag, wondering how much more trouble the day would bring.

Just then, a notification popped up on her phone. It was a message from her company’s team informing her that the models scheduled to shoot for the Evergreen Collection in two days had cancelled their appointments. They said the brand asked them to leave when they went for the catalogue photoshoot, because their agencies contract had been cancelled.

Laura’s hand trembled as she read the message.

"Oh my God! No, no! This can’t be happening!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief.

She quickly read the message again, hoping she had misunderstood it.