From refurbished furniture to carefully curated pieces that are worth a fortune, Yiling must have spent a lot of time and effort for her castle. One would ask how did she afford all of these stuff.
The furnishings may be different but they all came together. In a eccentric way, the entire living area looked really cool.
If I have to choose a word for the opulence of the furnishing in the house, it would be class.
It’s classy. Real classy.
I wished I have more time to linger around and enjoy the living hall but I was ushered towards a study on the ground floor.
Kamal knocked and opened the door.
The moment I laid my eyes on Yiling, I could feel my breath being taken away again.
I don’t believe my eyes.
She’s all dressed up. On a fucking Sunday no less.
Yiling was standing up and reading something on a file.
Hong, Declan, Seven and even Aaron are in the study, each of them taking a spot which I assumed is their regular position. Hong sat on a plush armchair with his legs dangling over the armrest while his back rest on the other.
Seven sat on a desk, his legs swinging casually.
Kamal spun himself on an old stool near the door that would look perfect in a old hairdresser shop if it’s metal stand is not in gold. Declan remained standing, looking every bit like the dignified butler that takes care of the estate for Yiling.
Aaron is the only one in a suit. He too remained standing and all business like.
Yiling wore an apricot coloured full body dress. The top looked like a regular blouse with short sleeves that are a little puffy. The translucent material of the top part revealed a hint of the 2nd layer she wore underneath.
I could feel myself getting an erection again looking at her and I felt like such a pig.
The sheer see-through material ended at her slim waist before giving way to a long bias cut dress that ended at her ankles. She was wearing heels, a mule heel in white and I could see that all her toenails are painted.
Yiling looked like she had visited a salon before coming to the study. Her hair is nicely tied up and styled. She wore a pair of oversized gold rim glass with the chain of the glass dangling down the side of her face.
She looked amazingly hot.
I snapped out of my stupor when I head the door shut behind me.
Yiling : let’s begin….
She spoke without even looking at me.
Declan : Boss…. Ermmmm…
Aaron : Boss… there’s an outsider here…. Should we….
Yiling : I said let’s begin….
She took a seat in her chair and orientated her chair away to the side while waiting for her men to start talking.
Hong looked unsure.
He alternated looks between Declan, Yiling and me.
It’s obvious what these people are about discuss is not meant for my ears.
Declan : Boss…. How about we let Jackson apologise properly…. So he can…
Yiling slammed her folder on the table and I jumped.
She definitely has anger management issues, perhaps much worse than Seven.
Yiling : Hong….. how much did you collect this week… ?
Hong looked at Declan again and Declan shrugged his shoulders.
Hong sighed and replied.
Hong : 2.7 million….. we are short about half a million because a courier got caught…..
My eyes widened as I realised what was happening.
This is not good. If I knew what was happening in the group, there’s no way she will let me go that easily.
I tried to go for the door only to see Kamal shake his head at me.
Kamal : don’t piss her off… stay…
I turned back to hear Hong started explaining that they have another shortfall of 1 million because their friends across the causeway are unable to make the trip that week due to tightened security.
My mind was racing and I could see Yiling turning his attention to Aaron. It was his turn.
Aaron pulled out a black bag the size of a hashbrown and handed it to Yiiling.
Aaron : The lab result came back…. These are not as pure as the previous batch…….
Yiling : I will call the general about this personally… leave it to me…
That’s it.
I’m a dead man.
I’m fucked.
I knew it. They are fucking smugglers. Criminals.
Declan started talking about the payment due.
Declan : Hong has it packed for delivery already…… 100kg separated into 20kg packs…. They are requesting an increase of 10% for next month…..
Oh god I’m really fucked this time round.
100kg. Hong mentioned something about measuring money by weight.
A million in 100 dollar bills is about 10kg. That meant they are about to pay someone 10 million. And they are doing this every month.
Jackson : errrr…. Maybe I should excuse myself…. ??the topic of discussion don’t seem to be centred around gardening. ..
I interrupted the meeting only to see Yiling throw me a death glare before pointing the gold-plated letter opener she was toying with at me.
Yiling : I’ll deal with you later…..
Fuck
The meeting went on for another 30 minutes and I followed the discussion from hearing about who has a broken limb following a turf war to Yiling’s staff stealing from her. I know which vessel is carrying stuff meant for North Korea and which vessel is going to take those stuff from that vessel in international waters.
From names of Cambodian generals making their way down and transiting to another country to corrupt Chinese officials wanting to launder their money, I heard them all.
I realised I could no longer sustain an erection even when I looked at how beautiful Yiling is when I heard Kamal chip in that they intercepted a shipment of rifles coming in through their north western channel.
Kamal : It’s all in the warehouse now…
By the time the meeting concluded, I was perspiring in the temperature controlled study.
At a comfortable 23 degree, I could feel sweat rolling down the insides of my shirt.
I have to be smart about this. Apologise sincerely, act dumb, tender my resignation and fuck off.
Yiling : Anything else… ??
Yiling made eye contact with each of her lieutenants before turning to me. She exhaled slowly prolonging the agonising stare she gave.
Yiling : you…..
Yiling got up and walked slowly towards me with her hands behind her back.
Jackson : I’m sorry…. I’m really sorry….. it was a misunderstanding….. ermm… bad judgement on my part….. please forgive me….
Yiling looked at me without saying anything.
I looked at Declan and the guys, hoping they would come to my rescue but they all looked away.
No one fucks with the boss.
Yiling : ok…. I forgive you…
My eyes lit up immediately.
Jackson : really ??!! great….
A smile broke on my face and I decided to follow up with my resignation.
Jackson :and erm…. I’m too ashamed to continue working here…. After my terrible mistake…. i…. I would like to tender my resignation…..
I held my breath, half expecting Yiling to reject me.
She nodded.
Yiling : Ok…. Fair enough….
Immediately, I felt as if a heavy weight has been lifted off my chest.
Jackson : ermm….wow… that’s great.. thank you… thank you so much…. For the opportunity…. Ermm… I hope you love the garden….. hahaha…
Yiling smiled and replied.
Yiling : I do like it…. It’s nice…
Seeing that the atmosphere has relaxed a notch, I could not help smiling.
Jackson : thank you…. Ermm.. you… you look amazing by the way…. Love the dress…..
I pointed to her, gesturing from top to toe trying not to appear awkward.
Jackson : nice… very nice… this look really… suits you… very classy…
Yiling turned and slowly walked away before turning to say that usually when she’s dressed up, no one will mistake her line of work.
Yiling : I would think I look more like a working professional…. Instead of a prostitute….
The smiled immediately disappeared from my face.
I’m threading on thin ice now.
It’s best to shut up.
Yiling : Well… you want to leave… I won’t stop you…. But you have to pay for the damages to the place…. The walls…. The chipped ceiling and doors…
Jackson :what !!! I didn’t cause those damages…
Yiling looked at me with a sly smile and I know there is no use arguing.
Jackson
k… fine… how much….
Yiling looked up at the ceiling and she bloody plucked figures out of thin air.
Yiling : The wall…. The door…. Ceiling… lights…my bag…. I’ll settle for 300 thousand….
Jackson : what !!! are you fucking insane… ?
Yiling : did you just curse me…. ? on second thought…. 400 thousand…
Jackson : are you high ?? I can patch up those walls and ceiling with shit from a DIY shop…!!…
Yiling : 500…
I took a step forward and Aaron immediately came in between Yiling and me.
Hong held onto my arm and Seven looked like he was about to restrain me. The guys motioned for me to sit down on the couch.
Yiling was smiling, she’s obviously enjoying this.
Ok, calm down Jackson.
I need to calm the fuck down. She’s fucking with me.
Jackson : ok… be reasonable….i mean…. come on….
Yiling : I am being reasonable….
Jackson : I can’t possibly….
Yiling : do you want me to go up to 600 ? haha…
I’m really fucked now.
Declan : Boss…. Maybe…
It only took a sideway glare from Yiling and Declan immediately kept his mouth shut, putting up his hands and backing away.
My mind was racing to find a way out of this.
Even with a 5k pay as a gardener, it’s going to take me half a lifetime to pay it off.
I could not believe my ears as Yiling used the back of her index finger and graze the side of my cheek the same way I did hers the night before.
Yiling : I don’t usually do this Jackson…… but you are my type…
My jaws dropped and I looked at her in disbelief.
She wanted me to work for her and pay off the fucking debt she pluck from the air.
Nothing could describe the look of delight on her face. It’s obvious she was enjoying herself tremendously.
I could see her fighting back a satisfactory smile now that she had me.
Yiling : you are no longer our gardener….
She pushed the pointed tip of the letter opener at my chest. Yiling leaned forward in a passive aggressive manner bringing her face right beside mine.
She is so close I could smell her.
A mixture of sweetness, from the fragrance she used to the shampoo she washed her hair with.
Yiling paused for a second, as if she wanted to emphasise how fucked I am before speaking slowly and softly in my face.
Yiling : You…… work for me now……
I blinked several times, unable to process what is happening.
As if things could not get worse, Declan tried to lighten up the atmosphere with a broad smile as he pulled out a card from his pocket.
Declan : well…. Jackson … hahah…..just as well….. here’s the employee login ID you asked for….
…………………………………………………………
I held onto the card Declan gave me and I totally zoned out after.
It was a total zone out. I was just staring at the card with my own personal email address.
La Bella Vita is embossed in black on the white card and Declan had scribbled my login details in ink on the plain card.
La Bella Vita, the good life. This must be the name of Yiling’s company.
I remember people talking around me for a bit before Yiling left the study. The rest of the guys followed her and I was left alone to let the news sink in.
I can’t do this.
I can’t risk going to jail. I cannot break the law. I need to take care of my grandfather.
I have to find a way to get out of this place.
I don’t even remember how I ended up back at the farmhouse. I probably sleep walked back the way I came or something.
The next thing I remembered was Declan snapping his fingers in my face as I sat on the grass patch with a bag of fertilisers in hand.
Declan : Jackson …. Yo…. Ooei…. You ok… ?
Jackson : huh…. Yeah… yeah I think so….
Declan asked me to go home and have a good rest.
Declan : relax…. Boss is just kidding….
Jackson :You mean about me working for her…. ?
Declan : errr…. No… not that….
Declan went on to explain that whatever they said about money, drugs and smuggling and shit, it’s all fake. Just a rehearsed script to scare me.
Declan : it’s not real…. Ok…
I looked at Declan who kept a straight face. I don’t know if I could believe him.
Is he being serious right now, or is he trying to contain the damage they have done to my head.
Jackson :so…. It’s not real… ?
Declan : of course it’s not real…. You think making movie ah…. Bullshit one la…. it’s just boss messing with you….
Hong arrived alone and I could hear him asking me to fire up the hotpot. He’s hungry.
Declan : Hong…. Tell Jackson….. tell him it was a joke… that what we said earlier was not real…..
I have no doubt Hong is a man of many talents but lying obviously is not one of them but I have to give him credit for trying.
Hong gave Declan a raised eyebrow, took 2 seconds too long to react before breaking into a reassuring smile.
Hong : OF COURSE FAKE ONE LA !!!.. ah… errr… we… we just talk cock only…we have weekly … bonding…err… talk cock session……. !!! hHAHAHA… it’s fake…
His raised voice, lousy acting and awkward eye movements is too obvious a tell.
Hong : I TELL YOU !!!
He shot a quick sideway glance at Declan, I reckon he must be thinking how much bullshit he wants to spew at me.
Hong : JOKE LA… IT’S a JOKE !!!!…we…. we do this to newcomers… HAHAHHAHA…. Last time…. last time we do to Kamal also…..hahahha
Declan : yes Jackson … it’s just a welcome joke…. Please don’t take it to heart….
I sighed and nodded.
Jackson : Is the debt I owe Yiling a joke as well…. ?
Declan : I think it would be good if you call her boss…. Like the rest of us do….
Jackson : whatever…. Queen, Boss….i don’t care….
Hong : relax la bro…. this is a good place to work….. just don’t go around flashing your cock to people la… hahahaha
Jackson : great advice…. I wouldn’t have done it if you didn’t send Xiaoyu over …..
Hong : eh hello…. Like that say….. not fair to me ok…..if you flash your cock to Xiaoyu…. I confirm you happy man….hahahaha….. who ask you to flash your cock to boss… hahaah…
Declan stopped the banter and repeated his request for me to head home for a good rest.
Hong : please set up the Hotpot before you go…… kamsahamida….. ( thank you ) I love you deep deep….
I got the food out, and set up he hotpot for Declan and Hong. They asked me to join them and I told them I have no appetite.
Hong : You very funny leh Jackson….. you just got a promotion…. A new job…. Boss never bury you in the garden…. And you machiam like bad mood like that…. Hahaha… you very funny….
I never replied him and told them where the rest of the stuff are before I left.
I saw Kamal and Seven arriving at the farmhouse before I left.
Seven was obviously tickled by my actions in the dungeon the night before.
He did the same middle finger jabbing motion while laughing at me before gesturing to his privates and pointing back at the castle.
Great.
Kamal : oh…. Boss was just reviewing the footage of you middle fingering the cameras and flashing your cock again last night…… ahhaha….she wants to see you tomorrow morning at 10am…. Hahah…. Enjoy your weekend Jackson…..
The 2 of them walked eagerly towards the farmhouse and disappeared inside.
It was then the weight of how dumb I was finally started to sink in. Flashing and waving my cock on tape. Wow. I didn’t think I was capable of something like that. Now all she needed to do is to upload it onto the net and I will be famous.
It doesn’t feel like a Sunday to me, besides, there’s not much of the weekend left.
As I walked towards the exit of the estate and towards my car, I saw a figure staring at me from the corner of my eye a distance away.
A quick glance and I could see it was Aaron.
He had his hands in his pocket and he just looked at me without a word.
Out of courtesy, I gave him a wave to indicate I was leaving.
Aaron looked around trying to act casual but he’s checking to see If there are anyone in the vicinity.
He started to walk towards a direct intercept path base on where I was headed.
I slowed down as Aaron approached.
Jackson : hey…. What’s up….
Aaron : heading home… ?
Jackson : Yeah…. I spent the night in a dungeon….. I prefer a soft bed…
Aaron did not seem amused. I started to walk again and he fell in step beside me.
Aaron : what are you doing here Jackson ?
Jackson : Huh…. What do you mean… ?
Aaron : you know what I mean…
I gave him a raised eyebrow and took a moment to consider my answer.
He’s fucking talking in riddles.
Jackson : I’m the gardener….at least I was…. Then I fucked up…. Is that what you want to hear .. ?
Aaron kicked a branch off the path and said something I never expected.
Aaron : Boss likes you Jackson …. For some reason or another…
I snorted and laughed.
Jackson : You got to be shitting me… hahaha….
Aaron : I don’t mean that kind of like….. I meant she likes you as a employee….i can tell…. You’re someone she would like to have working for her….
Jackson :…oh please…. She probably wants to shoot me….. maybe bury me in the garden…
Aaron : I have worked with Boss for a while…. I know her…. I can read her like a book….. she has an eye for people….
Jackson : good for you…. Can i…. ask where is this conversation headed… ?
Aaron looked at me with an expression I cannot decipher.
I mean it’s obvious by now I’m not interested in carrying on this conversation about Yiling and what she thinks of me. If there is something Aaron wants to say, he might just as well just spit it out.
Aaron : I’ll be upfront Jackson…
Jackson : yes… please….
Aaron : you’re a smart guy….. you probably know the things we do… are… a little different…. From conventional companies you’ve worked for…. So I suggest you think carefully…..if you want to continue staying here……
I waited for Aaron to go on as he looked around again.
Aaron : Maybe you are curious… maybe you are in it for the money…. The power…maybe you are just interested in boss…. I don’t know… all I can say is a lot of people…. Are interested in her…..and just by hanging around… doesn’t mean….
Jackson : ok … ok…. Bro… wait… wait…wait a minute…. I just want to set the record straight….. I want to leave… I want to go….ok… there is nothing I want more than to leave this place….especially after hearing what you all talked about this morning…..
I pointed to Aaron’s hands bringing his attention back to the brick of stuff he was talking to Yiling about.
Jackson : The purity… of whatever is in that package….what is it… ? corn starch ah ? ….. tapioca flour… ? Honey… or bird nest… ?
Aaron did not answer me. He just shrugged his shoulders.
Jackson : I’m not a smart guy….. but I’m not stupid either…..Well… like you said…. You guys are up to no good…. And I’ve made my intent clear, I want to leave…. Yiling is forcing me to stay…. So…..
I told Aaron that if he can convince Yiling to let me go, I would thank him from the bottom of my heart.
Jackson : gum bo ? ( acceptable ? )
I started walking and I never expected Aaron to keep up with me.
Aaron : I’m not done… you don’t belong with Hong and guys…. They’re uneducated…. Uncivilised…. They’re practically hooligans….
Jackson : Kamal is a doctor…
Aaron : Was….. was a doctor…
Jackson : what’s your point… ?
Aaron looked around again, as he could not be more obvious that he don’t want anyone to see us talking.
Aaron : I’m very very close to boss Jackson……I know what she’s like…..We’re the same Jackson …. If you are going to stay here and work with Yiling…. It would be good if you have a friend ….. smart people like us belong together….
Jackson : I’m not smart… I’m probably the laziest….
I stopped before I finished and looked at Aaron , finally figuring out what he wants.
He just wants to make sure he gets his hand on me first now that Yiling has taken a fancy to me, according to him that is. At the same time, he is laying his claim of sort on the queen.
Jackson : Look Aaron…. There is a reason why…. I became a gardener….
Aaron : do share…
I did a drawing of a circle on the ground in between us.
Jackson : this…. This…… I hate this… I don’t like dealing with things like this…. I friend you…. You don’t friend me… he don’t friend who…. I don’t do this….. your clique…. My clique… their clique… this… this whole mess is why so many workplace are toxic environment….
I sighed and massaged my head with both my palms.
Jackson : Aaron… I consider you my colleague…. Hong, Seven, Kamal, Declan…. All of them are my colleagues…. There’s no clique….. lunch kahkis, or whatever…. I also don’t know why they like to come to the farmhouse for dinner and all but if you want to drop by, I will welcome you all the same….
3 other guards walked towards us and we waited for them to pass before going on.
Jackson : Yiling is beautiful… she is hot… and I know she is out of my league….for some reason like you said earlier…. She wants me to work for her…. I don’t know why…. I admit… I’m curious… there is a lot of mystery surrounding this place and the things you guys do….
Aaron : You have barely scratched the surface of what we actually do here Jackson….. if you are really curious…. I can show….
Jackson : yo… yo… bro…. brother…..I don’t care…. My curiosity alone is not a reason compelling enough for me to want to hang around here longer than necessary…. I have other priorities in life….
I told Aaron I’m really tired and exhausted. If there is nothing else to discuss, I would be on my way.
Jackson : chill man… dude…. I’m just the gardener…. The queen won’t be interested in me…. you got better chance…. Especially you are the only one in a suit….
Aaron nodded and put his hands back into his pocket as I walked towards my car.
This guy is crazy.
He’s sizing me up.
It’s almost as if he was afraid I would become Yiling’s favourite pet or something.
Come to think of it, it’s probably true. Hong, Seven and Kamal are running around all the time and I get the feeling they can’t wait to get away from Yiling but Aaron only seem too pleased to be around her.
He’s definitely interested in her. I don’t blame him, Yiling is hot.
I’m interested too, only if she wasn’t that mentally unsound.
On my drive home, I started to think about what I said to Yiling before knowing who she is.
Sexual parts aside, I thought about the questions I asked her.
Is she lonely at the top ?
Who does she confide in ?
Who does she talk to ?
Does she even have friends ?
She’s so opinionated about right and wrong, that there exists a grey area where you cannot simply judge just by looking at things on the surface without seeing the whole picture.
What has she gone through in life that shapes her perspectives in that manner ?
I shook my head and filtered into a merging lane on the road.
Whatever it is, she’s messed up.
I got home and went to the Singapore pools betting outlet to check out the winning prize for the lottery on Monday.
This is desperation talking.
Great, it’s a bit over 700k.
If I win, I can pay Yiling and get the fuck out.
I don’t remember the last time I bought a ticket but that day, I spent $70 on 10 sets of lottery numbers.
I looked up into the sky and did a quick mental calculation.
6 numbers out 49. Fuck, that’s like 1 in 13.9 million chance for each combination. Well, I got 10 tickets. 10 in 13.9 Million seems better than 0 in 13.9 Million if I don’t try.
Desperation drives people to do stupid things it seems.
13th April 2015
Monday.
8.30am
I arrived at the farmhouse early well prepared to clean up the mess the guys left after their meal. I was surprised to see everything all done, the pots and cutleries are washed and aside from some stray bits of vegetables on the floor, the table is clean.
I checked the fridge and saw that it’s almost empty before making a list of stuff to get during my shopping trip.
Heading to the garden, I did a bit of work before making my way over to the castle.
The perimeter guards saw me approach and they no longer stopped me.
It seemed as if word has spread that the gardener has just been promoted or something. Or maybe video of my cock waving is being shared on their chat groups.
I took the same route in through the extension wing and headed to the same walk in shoe wardrobe.
A helper was there wiping and dusting off Yiling’s shoes and she smiled at me.
Jackson : Hi… morning…. Is Yiling in…. ?
She seemed surprise that I called her boss by her name.
Helen : Morning Jackson …. I’m Helen… boss is in the study….
Jackson : oh…. Eerrr… how do you know my name ??
Helen laughed as she put back a pair of stylish sandals before pulling out a pair of running shoes.
Helen : Everybody knows you now Jackson…. Hahaha…. After what you did….
Oh god.
I could feel my face flush red, it’s so fucking embarrassing.
I sighed and thanked Helen for pointing the way.
Helen : Keep your pants on Jackson …. Boss’s guards are there today….hahah
I waved without turning back as I approached the study.
I knocked twice and the door opened for me.
I was left staring at the chest of a large woman. I had to look up to see her face. She’s got to be close to 2m tall. She’s a fucking giant.
Dressed in a black polo shirt and track pants, she looked like she was just about to hit the gym. My eyes went to her biceps and I could not help looking at my own. Fuck, her arms are like the size of my thighs.
I swallowed a gulp of saliva as I look at her chest, or breast, I can’t tell, it’s been merge into one I think. Her jaws are squarish and she has a scar running down the side of her right cheek from the spot close to her ear horizontally to her nose.
Cindy : what do you want… ?
She’s fucking terrifying to look at and her voice would have been perfect as a voice actor for the giants in Jack and the beanstalk.
Yiling : Let him in Cindy….
Cindy is a nice name, a great name, but definitely not for someone looking like her.
She stepped aside and the next girl I saw is the total opposite of Cindy.
The petite girl is about 1.6m in height, wearing only a sports bra and a pair of leggings, she has her hair tied up in a short pony tail. She looked at me in a much more friendly way than Cindy did.
She’s hot too.
The pair of leggings she was wearing is white in colour. White.
Plastered tightly against her legs and shapely bums, it wreak havoc on my groin. She knew I was checking her out and she looked away in a seductive manner. I watch her reach over to take 2 files from Yiling who was partially hidden by the open door of a cupboard.
When she turned, her firm ass did a jiggle that made me want to smack it. I could tell she is fit, maybe more so than me.
Yiling : Send those by Courier today…. It has to reach by 2pm Candy…. Thanks…
Ahh, Candy.
I wonder if she is as sweet as her name.
Candy smiled shyly at me as she walked past me while hugging the files close to her chest.
Candy works out, her muscles are defined and something tells me behind that lean physique lies a naughty minx that would titillate your senses if you press the right button.
Candy tiptoed a little as she walks by me a little too close for someone who has never been introduced and I could hear her whispered a playful ‘hi’ before disappearing out the door.
Candy : Hi Jackson…
The sweet voice of Candy was still tickling my eardrums when I heard another familiar voice in the room.
Xiaoyu : Morning Jackson ….
I gasped and turn only to realise Xiaoyu was there as well. She was just resting quietly at the corner of the room.
She was lying on the couch with a white singlet on and I could see the contrast in colours of the black bra she was wearing underneath.
Her slim long legs are drawn up as she fiddled with her phone, Xiaoyu was wearing a pair of short running shorts that is threatening to expose her sensitive bits if she made any adjustments.
We made eye contact and she gave me a wink before returning to her phone.
I heard the open cupboard door closed and my jaws literally dropped when I saw Yiling in front of me.
I could not believe my eyes.
She wore a simple black sleeveless dress that revealed a good amount of her arms and neckline. The dress, not exactly tight, contoured and fit her body shape perfectly.
2 lines of pearls hung around her neck and her hair is tied up into a neat high bun set with a sparkling tiara. Yiling was busy flipping through some documents and my attention was drawn to that deep and sensual shade of red her lips are in.
My erection is starting to build as I look at her slender fingers close the files before picking up the pair of long black gloves that Audrey Hepburn wore for breakfast at Tiffany’s .
Oh fuck, that is it.
She’s going for that Audrey Hepburn look and she nailed it perfectly.
Jackson : wow….
Yiling looked at me as she slid on her long gloves.
Yiling : excuse me… ?
I snapped out of my stupor and shook my head.
Jackson : Nothing… nothing….
Xiaoyu : He’s drooling at you boss…. Hahaha
I turned and shot Xiaoyu an irritated look only to see her lift up her legs and cross them. I quickly look away in case I see something that will affect my chance of winning the lottery.
Turning back to Yiling, I could see her staring at me as she adjusted her gloves.
She put on both gloves before asking the room to be cleared.
Yiling : Leave us please… I want to speak with Jackson alone….
Cindy and Xiaoyu left the room shortly after and Yiling waited for the door to shut behind me before taking a seat behind the desk.
I waited for her to speak but Yiling was just looking at me while rotating herself from left to right in her chair. After what seemed like a full minute of staring at each other I finally broke the silence.
Jackson : what…. ?
Yiling : You don’t seem very happy to be here….
Jackson : maybe because I’m here against my will ?
Yiling : oh…. I was under the impression you are here because you need to repay your debt ….
Jackson : oh please…. It doesn’t cost that much to fix up those stuff…. I can do it with a couple of hundred bucks….
Yiling smiled as she rested her chin on her gloved hands.
Yiling : Well… the price is fixed… you can always leave…. If you finish paying….
Jackson : Well, just you wait….. If I win the lottery tonight… I’m out of here…
Yiling’s eyebrow went up together in an amusing manner as she gave me a sideway glance.
Yiling : I understand from the guys you seemed very resistant to the idea of working for me…… reluctant….might be a better word…
Jackson : I don’t do illegal stuff….
Yiling : have I asked any of you… ?
I was about to offer a retort when I realised she is right. She didn’t, at least not yet.
Yiling : You rejected my olive branch to you…. Even before knowing what I wanted you to help me with…..
She deliberately waited a while longer to see if I could rebut her, satisfied that the cat has gotten my tongue, she went on.
Yiling : let’s recap what happened shall we ….. you exposed yourself to me…. and if help did not arrive in time…. god knows what you would have done to me !!!
I could not believe she actually said that while doing a oopsie pose with her right gloves fingers partially covering her lips with an exaggerated expression of her eyes wide opened.
Jackson : WHAT !!… eh hellow…. I would never have forced myself on you if you are not willing… !!
Yiling : You tried to pay me…. not just with money… but… with a can …. Of…abalone…. ?
She folded her arms and shook her head, clicking her tongue.
Yiling : tsk… tsk… tsk…. You’re a pig….a cheap pig…
Jackson : i….i …
She’s right but it was a fucking misunderstanding.
Jackson : but….you have no right trying to shoot me… !!
I offered up the only thing my mind could think of and just spat it out.
Yiling : You mean it’s wrong… for a helpless woman to defend her honour…..after being flashed and treated like a whore… ??… so tell me now…. Are you right to assume I’m a prostitute or am I wrong to be angry…. ?
I knew this is an argument I would not win.
No point prolonging the pain so I gritted my teeth and suck it up.
Jackson : I’m sorry… ok ? …. I already apologised… and I’m doing it again now… I’m sorry….
Yiling : Accepted… ! …. Now you just have to repay your debt….. and we’re good…..
Jackson : I’ll work out an instalment plan….or if I strike the lottery tonight…. I’ll pay you back in full….
Yiling played with her gloves, amused at my optimism.
Yiling : You believe in gambling…. ? the lottery… ?
Jackson : I’m desperate…. I have no choice….
Yiling : are you that determined to get away from me… ? hahah … what are you afraid of ??
Jackson : I don’t know…. my instincts tell me…. tell me….
Yiling : Tell you what.. ?
I hesitate for a moment, wanting to choose the right words.
Yiling: that I’m evil ? ….
Jackson : what… ? no….
Yiling : Then ? …. I’m a bad person….i’m a witch…. ?
I just stared at Yiling without saying anything.
Yiling : and so… without knowing who I am…what I do… and why I do it… you condemned me ….. is that so… ?
Jackson : that’s too strong a word…
Yiling gestured with her index finger, asking if I have the lottery tickets with me.
Jackson : yeah… I do…
Yiling : Show me…
I pulled the stack of tickets out from my wallet. All 7 of them and handed them over to Yiling.
Jackson : Why don’t you take one…. If you win…. Consider my debt paid…. You can keep the change…
Yiling flipped through the tickets and shook her head as if she was appraising some school work done by a kid.
Yiling : I don’t understand why…. people bother…
Jackson : Hope…… it’s hope….. someone will win… it might as well be me…
She laid all 7 tickets out on the table and asked me to pick one.
Jackson : What… you’re a magician now… ? you going to make me a winner…? Is that it ? ….
Yiling said nothing and gestured to the tickets with her chin.
Fuck, she looks so good doing that with her arms folded.
It’s frustrating to look at her sometimes. That amount of overflowing confidence in her is astounding.
I randomly picked one and Yiling collected the remainder and tore them up.
Jackson : What the hell !!!… what if I win !!!… those cost me $7 dollars each !!!
Yiling said nothing and took the only ticket on the table, looking at the set of numbers printed on the ticket.
Pulling out her drawer, she selected a phone and made a call while keeping her eyes on me.
Yiling : It’s me…. I need to make a payment…. 2, 16, 22, 23, 36, 39, 41…
She hung up after that and said it’s done.
I laughed and rolled my eyes and her childish antics.
Yiling threw the ticket back on the table before standing up.
Jackson : hahhaa…. I don’t believe this…… you are… ermm… hahah
Yiling : full of shit… ? haha
Jackson : exactly….hahaha
Yiling : We’ll see…. What happens….. if you win… ?
I chuckled at her confidence and shook my head at her.
Jackson : If I win…. I’ll pay you…. And …. I’ll work for you… for the rest of my life… hahahah…
Yiling : deal !….
Jackson : What if I don’t ??
Yiling : Guess we’ll know tonight….
I laughed and walked out of the study.
Bullshit.
Bullshit with a capital B.
Something like this would not even make it into the plot line of a C-grade porn script.
Since nothing was asked of me, I went back to my garden and did what I usually do.
I marked out a new plot for some plants removed weeds and took measurements for a new smoking area in one of the houses leading to the castle.
As the hour drew closer to 7pm, the time of the draw, I could not help but think of how confident Yiling looked when she did what she did.
She’s hot, confident and my heart seemed to be beating at twice the rate it usually does. I don’t know what she has that effect on me. How can someone be so beautiful that just by looking at her makes me feel I became dumb.
Predicting the lottery ?
It’s bullshit. It’s 100% bullshit. No way she can do something like that.
It’s just her messing with my brain.
I went back to the farmhouse, took a shower and when I emerged, it was 7.30pm
I was about to head to the cookhouse for my dinner when I could not resist checking the results of the lottery draw that evening.
I went to the official webpage and I dropped my phone on the table barely a few seconds later.
My heart was slamming so hard against my ribcage. I pinched myself to make sure I was not dreaming. I slapped myself twice.
With trembling hands, I picked up my phone again as I looked at the numbers being displayed on the webpage.
I checked the address where the winning ticket was sold, it was the same place where I bought mine.
Jackson : oh fuck….
I opened my laptop and checked the result again on a few other mirror sites.
The results are the same.
It took me 30 minutes to calm down before I made my way back to the castle.
This is a trick. A fucking trick.
She must have hacked my phone, my laptop, causing them all to display a phoney website or some shit. Hackers, expert hackers.
There must be a way to do it.
I walked right up to one of the perimeter guard and ask if I could borrow his phone to check the lottery result.
He showed me the same set of numbers I saw on my phone.
Jackson : ok…. Thank you…..
I stopped at the entrance of the castle and called a friend of mine.
Jackson : Eh bro…. how are you….
I had a short chat with the old colleague and asked if he happens to have the lottery result. I know he’s a fervent supporter of the tote board, from lottery to F1 races, if it’s gambling, he will have tried it before.
When he read out the winning numbers to me, I felt as if my legs were about to give way. I thanked him and promise to catch up with him soon.
I called my grandpa after that for a chat and I too, asked him for the winning numbers. He took a while, talking to people around him before he managed to find a fellow resident with access to the internet.
Grandpa : Singapore lottery ?? not Malaysia lottery?? I have been buying Malaysia one lately….
Jackson : No… no.. Singapore one….
When the winning numbers were read out to me, I could feel blood being drained from my face.
I entered the house and felt like Alice heading into wonderland.
How far down does this rabbit hole go ?
Helen was carrying a tray of tea and making her way towards the study when I walked into the living hall of the castle.
Helen : hi Jackson ….
Jackson : Is she in there…. ?
Helen smiled and nodded her head.
I followed Helen into the study and Yiling was right there, punching numbers onto a calculator before writing something down on a notepad before repeating her actions.
She raised her head slightly to look at me before thanking Helen for the tea.
When the door shut behind me for the 2nd time that day, I realised I was totally defeated. How did she do that ?
It’s magic isn’t it ? Black magic ?
Yiling was no longer in her Audrey Hepburn outfit, she has changed out into into a pastel pink night gown with intricate lace trimmings. Her hair was tied up casually into a messy bun.
She wrote with a gold pen capped with a furry pink ball of fur.
Yiling : yes… ? Jackson …
I had a lot I wanted to say. A lot I wanted to ask.
Nothing made sense. This is ridiculous.
However, as I stood in front of Yiling, I realised I was at a loss for words. What can I say man ?
With a trembling hand, I brought out the ticket and put it on her table.
That piece of paper, is now worth more than 700 thousand dollars.
Yiling continued punching numbers into the calculator and taking down more notes with her scribbles.
When Yiling spoke again, there was none of that condescending tone in her voice. There was none of that mischievous tone she had when she was toying with me.
She spoke in that same casual, yet matured manner, much like when I met her for the first time in the farmhouse.
Yiling : keep it….. it’s for your grandfather’s medical fees…. Bring him to a specialist….
I could not even bring myself to muster up a reply.
I just stood there, unsure of what to do or say.
Yiling shifted some paper aside, checked something she wrote against a list before going on.
Yiling : I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do Jackson…… not my style….. you can go back to your work at the garden tomorrow…..
Jackson : this….. i….. I can’t….
Yiling : it’s ok…. Don’t need to pay me back…
Yiling said it all without even looking at me.
She did not look at me not because she is upset or anything, she isn’t. I just know she isn’t.
She’s just busy and drowning in whatever she needed to do.
Within the span of a couple of days, she has thrown me totally off balance, everything that has happened to me so far sounded like something out of a movie script, and now she is offering to pay for my grandfather’s treatment.
What the fuck is happening here ?
I haven always known the importance of money, even more so after what happened to my grandfather but I’m not greedy. I’m not someone you can throw money at me and expect me to bend over.
Then again, She is not expecting me to bend over. I thought she would expect me to bend to her will, that was what she wanted isn’t it ? Why is she not using this to force me to work for her ? She totally had me.
Yiling continued working without stopping. She didn’t seem to mind I was there either.
She looked exhausted, a little worn out but she kept going.
She just kept going as if she didn’t have a choice to stop and rest.
I went over to the tray of tea Helen brought in earlier and poured Yiling a glass of tea. The aroma of the fruity tea leaves filled the room as I set the teapot down.
Yiling did not look like she had the time or was in the mood to talk, I did not want to disturb her work as well, so I just said my piece.
Jackson : I won’t accept something I didn’t earn….….but I appreciate the kind gesture…..
Yiling stopped what she was doing and put down her pen.
She looked at me for a couple of seconds, drummed her fingers on her desk a few times before looking at the ticket on the table. Yiling took the ticket and put it in her drawer.
She picked up her pen and went back to her work before adding ;
Yiling : …. It’s late… go back and rest…….
I backed away from the desk and after a few seconds of deliberation, I guess I really do want to know how deep down this rabbit hole goes. I have to.
i said the only thing I thought was appropriate at that time. It’s not much, but it’s enough to make Yiling, however exhausted she is, stop writing for a moment as she broke into a smile without looking up.
Jackson : See you tomorrow Boss…
………………………………………………………….
It’s Lunar new year eve tomorrow.
Year of the pig is coming to and end.
Wishing all good health, good luck, and have a smooth sailing year of the rat.
Huat ah !
James
Thank you for all the kind comments and support for my work.
Really appreciate the time and effort to leave a note of encouragement.
The ride is just starting, hope everyone would enjoy this as much as my previous works.
Apologies if i can’t reply every post but i do read them when i log onto sbf.
Enjoy the upcoming long weekend !
James
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Yardstick
If only life really fall into pieces that easily in reality. But how many of us can and will have a life like Jackson, who seems to have all the pieces of the puzzle placed before him. All that depends is how he wants to put the pieces in place.
But this is just life. Nothing is fair or even out. Each of us have our own shit, some we can handle, others that threaten to overwhelm us and some that ends it all for the ones who are unfortunate to ‘step’ on it.
Still, it is a really good read. A chance for many of us to enjoy the moment and escape reality for even that short few minutes. And I am just one of those who seek escape.
Sorry for being the spoilsport. Had a crap filled day at work. Literally, shitty. hahaha….
Thank you, Bro ILOCK.
Life is never fair.
Hope the year of the rat will be better for you.
Here’s a quote from a china animation show Nezha that i really like.
我命由我不由天.
Continue fighting.
You wouldn’t want a life like Jackson’s, when the pieces starts falling apart.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tai_zi21
Now this is my fav quote of the story from u…
Happy Chinese New Year to u my fav writer
Happy Chinese new year to you too.
I have a favourite quote too, but it’ll only come towards the later part when everything’s gone to shit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miraclebelow
Wah bro ilock, you never fail to take my breath away with your stories. Love how everything is intertwined together, story after story. Big fan of your work! Kudos!
Thank you !
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DDAMn
The best is yet to come thank u bro for the marvellous update.Happy CNY…to u.
Happy CNY to you too !
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Phython1
I am so. glue to. TS stories, funny and. Stylish
Thank you !