Piper’s POV
“Good morning, Lily. Please take me to Jessie’s bedroom,” I replied.
I followed Lily into the mansion and up to the second floor. The staircase that connected the first floor and the second floor coiled beautifully near the living room. Each step was covered with a fluffy carpet so that our footsteps on the stairs made no noise at all.
That morning, the mansion looked deserted. I honestly hoped I wouldn’t run into Jay, considering our awkward encounter last night. And if I could hope, I didn’t want to see Megan either. But I knew it was impossible. Jay and Megan had become my bosses. Whatever Megan would say or do to me, I would take it. Everything I do is for Jensen and I need to pay his expensive tuition.
God, please help me, Jensen and my mom.
Lily and I walked down the not-so-long hallway. I saw that there were quite a few rooms on the second floor. Then we stopped right in front of a door with a small wooden sign that read ‘Jessie’s bedroom’ using pink paint.
A typical girl’s room.
“Miss Jessie, Ms. Smith has arrived. May we come in?” Lily asked as she knocked on the door a few times.
“Come in,” a voice answered from inside the room. It was a very cute voice. Considering her handsome father, I’m sure Jessie must be beautiful and adorable.
Lily pushed the door knob down and pushed the door inward. Once we stepped inside, the contents of Jessie’s room again amazed me. I felt like I was in the bedroom of a princess. The pink color dominated everything in the room. I didn’t see Jessie in the room.
“Lily, where’s Jessie?” I asked, confused.
“She’s hiding. I’ll leave you two alone. Please interact with her. Call me if you need anything. I’m always in the kitchen,” she said.
“Oh okay. I’ll try to approach her. Thank you, Lily,” I replied. Then Lily left, leaving me alone, who was confused about Jessie’s whereabouts.
“Jessie, please come out. Let’s get acquainted,” I pleaded as I searched for her under the bed, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, in the closet. And I still didn’t find her anywhere.
Where was she hiding?
“Jessie. I give up and you’re the winner. Now come out,” I pleaded as I looked around the room, which was spacious for a six-year-old.
My bedroom, plus Jensen’s bedroom alone, was not as big as this bedroom.
Then, from the direction of the pile of large dolls, a girl wearing a pink outfit with long hair that was left loose came out chuckling.
As her face looked at me and our eyes met, it felt like time stopped and my heart beat faster. I wondered if I was in heaven. Was someone playing a prank on me? But it didn’t seem possible that someone or Jay or Megan was playing a prank on me by showing me a girl who had the same face as Jensen.
How could that be? That time, I confirmed that Jensen’s twin sister had indeed died, and I saw her buried. Was it possible for two people with no blood ties to have the same face?
“J-jessie?” I stammered.
“Yes, Ms. Smith. May I call you Piper?” she asked. Her voice was soft and beautiful. Her eyes were blue as the ocean, her lips red as a cherry, her skin white as a porcelain doll, her hair brown and wavy. She was the same as the girl’s version of Jensen.
“Y-yes, you can call me Piper. Can we sit and talk?” I asked.
She smiled and pulled me by the hand to a couch near a large mirror that looked out onto the back patio.
“We’ll just sit here. My name is Jessie Lee Adams,” she said as she invited me to shake her hand.
I accepted her hand and replied, “Piper Smith. You’re pretty as a doll.”
“Really? Everyone who sees me says so,” she replied. My heart filled with something that I can’t describe in mere words. At that moment, it felt like I was looking at my six-year-old daughter. Maybe if Jensen’s twin sister hadn’t died that day, she would have been beautiful like Jessie.
“Piper, are you daydreaming?” she asked as she touched both my hands. Her tiny hands felt so warm and I suddenly became so melancholy that tears started streaming down my face.
“Piper, I’m not picking on you, so why are you crying? I’ll get you some tissues,” she said as she got off the couch and walked to the nightstand. A pack of tissues was on it. Then she handed me some.
“Are you having a problem?” she asked as she sat next to me and looked at my face intently.
I shook my head and tried to stop the tears from falling. I missed my daughter. Sometimes I felt like the world has been unfair to me, but I still try to believe that one day maybe my life and my family’s life will be better.
I can’t live for myself. I had Jensen to prioritize, and he was half my soul.
“Here’s the tissue again. What exactly happened to you? I’ll call dad here so he can calm you down. Just a moment,” she said as she ran to the door.
However, Jay opened the door to Jessie’s room, and he found Jessie running towards him.
“Dad, please help Piper. She is crying,” Jessie said as she touched her dad’s arm.
How embarrassing. For the second time, he has to see me in a mess. First in a drunken stupor. The second time was crying. I was such a fool.
“Oh, what happened to her? Did you play a prank on her?” Jay asked as he took Jessie’s hand and closed the door.
“No, I didn’t. When she saw me, she just started crying. And she hasn’t stopped crying since. Talk to her, dad,” Jessie replied as she pulled Jay’s hand to walk towards me.
Then Jay sat next to me very close. If Megan sees us like this, I’m afraid she’ll misunderstand and accuse me of nonsense and get mad like crazy.
“Piper, are you okay? Is your family okay? If you don’t feel ready to work, for Jessie’s sake and yours, I’m giving you the day off to get better. How about it?” Jay asked in a soft and sexy voice.
“I-I’m fine. I’m sorry I made a bit of a fuss and inconvenienced you. I’m ready to work,” I replied as I wiped the tears from my eyes.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I’ll be in my office if you need anything. I’ll take the day off for you,” he said with a smile. His cherry-red lips were sexy, and for an instant, it mesmerized me. There was something about him that differed from any man I’d ever known.
No way, Piper. You can’t. He’s Megan’s husband.