Chapter 3
Yeah, I was just a maid's daughter, after all.
Maybe I was never even in the running for Samuel from the very start.
The first time I came to the Jennings residence, I was only seven.
Going from a cramped shared apartment to this huge, fancy villa had me scared out of my mind.
I kept hiding behind my mom the whole time.
Just then, a clear, sharp voice rang out right by my ear.
"The mute mother and her mute kid," came the teasing words.
It was Samuel.
As soon as he finished, his dad swatted him on the back of the head.
My mom and I understood perfectly well how things worked.
Samuel's dad was always kind to us. He knew my mom couldn't speak and people bullied her for it, so he gave her a long-term contract and let us stay at the Jennings residence.
Honestly, we owed him a lot.
Even when Samuel said something rude, my mom would just respond with an awkward, sheepish smile.
At first, I really didn't like Samuel.
He was just a spoiled rich kid with a million flaws, always acting all high and mighty, looking down on everyone.
But then, one day, I got cornered by a bunch of punks in an alley.
"Hey, is the mute's daughter also a mute?" one of them sneered.
"Why bother going to school? You might as well just take over your mom's job and be a maid forever," another one mocked.
They knew the Jennings family treated me well.
So they'd always corner me and empty out my pockets.
That time, I just handed over my wallet, feeling totally defeated and helpless.
Just then, Samuel showed up.
He kicked one of the punks aside and swaggered in with a squad of bodyguards, looking like he'd just swooped in to save the day.
"Keep running your mouths and I'll rip your tongues out," Samuel threatened.
"I'll turn all of you into mutes," he snapped.
No one dared lay hands on Samuel.
The punks ran off scared shitless and never messed with me again.
That night, Samuel—normally so full of himself—actually cleaned up my wounds for me.
He reached out and gave my head a gentle pat.
"Seriously, you moron. If someone asks for money, you just roll over and give it to them?" Samuel scoffed.
"From tomorrow on, my bodyguards are going to walk you to school," he declared.
After that night, Samuel was still as aloof as ever, never forgetting to call me 'mute' like it was some nickname only he could use.
He'd always talk smack, acting like I was beneath him, but on my very first day at the Jennings residence, it was Samuel who helped me figure out the toilet and the shower.
The elite school had rules for everything.
On my first day, I was so nervous that my palms and feet were sweaty and shaking like crazy.
Samuel walked by, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Seriously, you're hopeless. Just stay behind me," Samuel scoffed.
He took it upon himself to introduce me to everyone and made it clear to the bullies in our class that they'd better back off.
"Hannah is with the Jennings family now. So listen up, don't touch her, don't talk crap about her, and don't even think about crossing the line," Samuel announced.
Samuel made it crystal clear to anyone who tried to mess with me that they'd better think twice.
Funny thing was, the one who looked down on me most was Samuel himself.
At the end of the day, I was still just the maid's daughter.
Late at night, I found myself alone at my desk, drafting love letters on Samuel's behalf.
The signature belonged to someone else, but every line I wrote carried the weight of ten years' worth of my own feelings for him.
Each word pulled me deeper into old memories, and as I wrote, all those secret emotions spilled across the page.
When my pen accidentally tore through the paper, the jagged rip felt like it had split open the decade of lies I'd been telling myself.
Samuel and I just lived in two totally different worlds.