Chapter 15
Sean wanted to step in but could not say anything since Hailey was willing to help. After all, Hailey didn’t want Alyssa to figure out too soon that she was her frenemy.
The two of them went into the kitchen together. Alyssa leaned against the door, saying, “Wash the meat first and cut it into slices to marinate. Wash the meat with cold water. Hot water will spoil the meat. Then, scrape off the fish scales.”
Hailey was so busy following Alyssa’s directions that she was about to explode angrily, but she couldn’t lose her temper. She could only smile and say, “Alyssa, don’t just stand there giving orders. I can’t do it right. Why don’t you help?”
“I’m on my period. I’m not feeling well, Alyssa said. Hailey resigned herself to continue listening to Alyssa’s orders.
The meal preparation took four hours, resulting in a total of ten dishes. Hailey quickly found it overwhelming. She cut her hand three times, and her arms and face were splashed with hot oil, causing countless blisters.
After the meal, her delicate makeup was ruined, replaced by a face full of grease and
smoke.
Alyssa, on the other hand, was still fresh and clean. Although she had no makeup, she looked even neater and more glowing. When the meal was finished, Alyssa said, “So tired, oh, more tired than I would be if I did it myself. I have to go and rest. I’ll skip the dinner. After that, she turned and went back to her room.
Hailey resigned herself to serving the food on the table.
Megan’s crew showed up and caught Hailey setting the table with dishes. A few of them hadn’t met Alyssa before and ended up confusing Hailey for her. Knowing Megan wasn’t too fond of Alyssa, they decided to back Megan up by tossing a few disses Hailey’s way every chance they got.
“Ew, that’s so nasty. Hey Megan, why is your brother’s girlfriend cooking with her makeup on? I’m too scared to eat this food. Her eyelashes might end up in it.
“She’s just a housewife–no wonder she bugs Sean so much. No guy would want her. Sean is a nice guy, though. He’s way out of her league and still wants to be with her.”
“I didn’t watch the video today, but I heard she stood her ground and threatened not to cook for you. So, why did she end up cooking after all?”
“Look at her. She looks like one of those mean girls at high school.
While talking, one of them tried the dish and said, “If the cooking were good, it would be fine. Turns out she’s not only ugly but also a bad cook.”
“I feel bad for Sean. How did he end up with such a woman?”
They were talking so fast and loud that Megan couldn’t even stop them, and Hailey overheard everything
Hailey was so upset she ended up crying. That was when Megan finally said to her friends, “Hey, can you please stop? She’s Sean’s secretary, here just to lend a hand. You know how it is with businesswomen, Cooking’s not really their thing. They’re not housewives, after all
Her friends were embarrassed. In the end, the meal wasn’t even delightful, mainly because the food wasn’t tasty.
Alyssa was chilling in the room with the AC on, wearing a facial mask, listening to Megan’s friends making fun of Hailey. She felt great.