01. The Life of Valeria Ruiz

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"Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life."

-𝐿𝒾𝓈𝒶 𝒲𝑒𝑒𝒹

Don't read the old comments

* * *

They say that family will always be there for you, and will always love you no matter who and what you are. They will protect you from any harm. Are they wrong? yes, they are. Not every family loves their own. Not every family protects their own, and certainly, not every family will be there for their own. If that were true, there would have been no orphans. Indeed, Valeria should be grateful to have a family, but a mother who doesn't love her makes her less grateful.

Her father, on the other hand, is a coward. He loves his daughter deeply and Valeria knows that. She loves him too. But he never stopped her mother, and never will.

* * *

Valeria

Seville, Spain

I was born on February 10, 1998. According to my father, I was a happy child. I used to always smile and giggle. But as I grew older, I doubted that I was ever happy.

It is September. The weather is starting to get colder and I am living for it.

I don't understand how some people enjoy summer. I get that you get to go to the beach and swim, but still. It's too hot.

But again, just like I don't get them, they also don't get me.

I write a note, telling my father that I am leaving to work, and stick it on the fridge with one of the magnets, an 'I LOVE ISTAMBUL' magnet I got from Mrs. González when she traveled to Turkey.

She's a lovely woman. You'll see.

I wear my white Nike Air force I finally got on my birthday last year from the outlet store, and head outside to start my walk to the bus stop. I always leave an hour early because my house is far from the González's. I first need to walk to the bus station, which usually takes ten minutes, then take the bus to a near bus stop near the González's mansion, and that takes twenty minutes, and final fifteen minutes' walk till I reach their house from the second bus stop to their house.

I like to arrive at least fifteen minutes early, just to have time to change my clothes and get ready for my shift. I work from 8 AM to 6 PM. But Mrs. González is kind enough to give me a two-hour break whenever I want them. My salary is also great, but my mother snatches almost all of it, leaving almost nothing for me. She doesn't work, and neither does my father. I need to pay the rent and other expenses.

When my father was working, we were living comfortably. I was going to enroll in the university and study psychology. But when he had an accident, which left his right hand paralyzed, he had to stay home because no one would hire him.

My mother, on the other hand, doesn't want to work. She claims that she wasted most of her life being a mother and now wants to live comfortably, doing absolutely nothing.

I hop into the bus, swiping my card to pay. As affordable as it is, it's still too much for me because I use it every day. Mrs. González had offered before to let her driver take me home, but I was ashamed to agree. She doesn't even know where I live and doesn't know where my money goes. She pays me well and I was ashamed to tell her that at the start of the month, I have almost nothing left.

I reach the next bus stop and go in. The area that we were in, is nothing compared to the area that we are in now. All the mansions and villas are lined together, with a huge space between each one. Trees covered the fences of each house for privacy. The González mansion was standing alone, with no houses around it. That's why I have to walk to it from the bus stop because no bus is allowed to go there.

I step out of the bus and start my walk. I breathe in the beautiful smell of nature around me and appreciate the peace that follows.

I love my job. One because I get away from my mother, and two because the people that I work for are amazing. I never thought that rich people treat their maids like their own family. There's always this stereotype that rich people only look up and not down. They don't treat their employees well and fire them at the smallest mistake. But Mr. and Mrs. González are not like that. They are good people.

I finally reach the beautiful two-story mansion. You might think it is small because it's two-story only, but trust me, the house is huge. I don't stay eight hours, excluding my two-hour break, for nothing.

I open the kitchen door with the key Mrs. González gave me, and walk in. I head to the bathroom to change my clothes. When I put on my uniform, I make sure my appearance looks good and my hair is tied well. When I finish, I go to the room they provided for me and put my bag there. Because I am a part-time maid, I don't get to live here, though, I wish.

I walk back to the kitchen and start doing breakfast. Usually, Mrs. Santino, the head maid, helps with the breakfast, but she is on leave. Her grandson is sick and she needs to take care of the rest while her daughter takes him to the hospital.

I start by chopping strawberries, blackberries, kiwis, and mangos into two slices, and put them in the fridge to remain cold. I also make some orange juice and put it in the fridge as well.

I then work on the omelets. Their breakfast intake isn't huge. Mrs. González doesn't like to waste food, so she always tells us to make enough food for them to eat. No need for extras. She also tells us to make for ourselves as well if we want.

I prepare two plates for the omelets and start taking everything to the dining room.

Once everything is ready, I walk to the living room to call them for breakfast.

Mr. González is sitting on his usual chair, with a newspaper in his hand. His wife, Valentina, is sitting beside him, reading her second book this month.

"Good morning," I say.

"Good morning, Valeria!" Valentina beams, placing her book on the side table beside her.

"Good morning, Valeria," Mrs. González's husband, Gabriel, greets back.

"Breakfast is ready."

"Okay, honey. Can you please wake Sofia up? I have been trying to for the last thirty minutes," Valentina says.

"Of course, ma'am."

I head upstairs, the sound of my short heel against the floor is the only noise I could hear. I stand in front of Sofia's room and knock gently on the door. When I don't hear any sign of her being awake, I push the door open and quietly go in.

She is spread on the bed as if she has been in a train wreck. Her golden hair looks tangled and messy, but still somehow looks beautiful.

"Ms. Sofia?..."

"Ms. Sofia?"

"Mhmm..."

"Breakfast is ready," I say, hoping she'd somehow wake up at the mention of food.

"What's breakfast?" she mumbles enough for me to hear.

I fight the smile back before calling her name again.

"Gosh...Ria, you talk too much in the morning."

"Sorry..."

"And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sofia and not Ms. Sofia."

I only nod and give her an apologetic smile.

"Fine, I am up." She huffs as she gets up and walks to her bathroom. "By the way, I like your earrings."

"Thanks!" I reply as her figure disappeared.

I go back down and inform Valentina that Sofia is coming shortly.

Valentina and Gabriel have three children, Sofia, Sarah, and Lorenzo. Sarah and Sofia are fraternal twins. Sarah is studying fashion design in France, while Lorenzo is living temporarily in the United States, doing some business for his father.

"Valeria, since Rosemary isn't here, come join us," Valentina says.

My heart thumps at the sudden request. I suddenly feel uncomfortable as all three sets of eyes are on me.

"Umm, I don't want to intrude." I fidget uncomfortably.

"Nonsense! Come here, darling," she insists.

I gulp from nervousness as my feet walk their way. Sofia's smile makes me feel a little better about the situation, but still, it feels awkward.

I sit beside her and I earn a satisfied grin from Valentina.

"Great! Let's start," Gabriel announces, diving into the plate.

Valentina starts filling my plate with the omelet that's supposed to be for them and adds fruits to the smaller plate. She pours orange juice into my cup and smiles, "Here you go."

"Thank you, Mrs. González. You didn't have to."

"Oh, honey, I know how shy you are. If I didn't fill your plate, it would stay empty," she jokes, making me smile, while Sofia and Gabriel laugh.

"That's true!" Sofia comments.

I am so hungry that I keep reminding myself to take it slow because I know myself well enough to know that I'd finish this plate within seconds, just like Mr. González.

"By the way, Lorenzo is coming in two days. He's staying for good this time," Mr. González says.

"Oh my god, Gabriel! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Valentina excitedly scolds.

"I forgot, honey. Sorry," he replies, making her smile.

"Ugh, why does he have to come right now," Sofia comments.

"Sofia!" Her mother exclaims. "Don't say that. He hasn't been here in two years."

"He's annoying," Sofia says, looking at me. Is she talking to me?

"Don't listen to her, Valeria. My son is very polite and nice. I know you haven't met him since you started working here when he left, but trust me, you'll like him."

I really don't care if I liked him or not. But I know that as long as he's Valentina's son, he is going to be just like her.

I only nod, not wanting to comment on her son.

"Are you sure he's coming for good now?" Valentina asks her husband as she narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"Yes, honey. He's coming permanently."

"Hallelujah!"


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