"Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge," Lady Loretta said. She was a 70-year-old woman, and it was her only son's birthday.
"Okay, Ma," Miranda answered. As a 22-year-old woman, she wore pink and black shoes and assisted the other maids.
It was 5 p.m., and they were preparing a birthday party for Derrick Luis, the only son of the Luis family. Out of seven daughters, Derrick was the only son.
Many guests were already present in the Luis family mansion. Among them were top admirers, business partners and their family members, and relatives—but the birthday celebrant wasn't home.
***
In a magnificent five-story building, Derrick Luis was still in his office on the fifth floor when his phone rang aloud, interrupting his work.
"Hello, Mother," he answered the call.
His mother responded, "Derrick, you know that today is your birthday. So where are you?"
Looking at his wristwatch, Derrick observed it was 6 p.m. He replied, "At the office, Mother."
"Come home, Son. It’s your birthday, and we did a lot just to make today special—to mark your new age of 25."
"Mom, I am not interested in birthday parties. Why can’t you understand my perspective?" Derrick murmured. His mother was already old, so he couldn’t blame her.
"I understand. Please, come home quickly before the guests start leaving. If I had known you would stubbornly stay up in the office until this time, I shouldn’t have allowed you to go to work today, knowing it’s also your birthday."
"Mom, I cannot set work aside for a party. Who will look after Dad’s company?" Derrick muttered again.
His mother responded sadly, "You are right, but during your father’s prime, he didn’t skip home for work. He attended parties—or where do you think I met him?"
Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother’s words. "Fine, Mother. I will be home now," he said, and the phone call ended.
"Running a multimillion-dollar empire at this age, and my mother still wants me to prioritize a party over work. Tch." Derrick mused. He stood up from his exclusive office chair, shut down his monitor, grabbed his suitcase, and elegantly left his office.
Arriving home in a brand-new Prado Jeep, Derrick got out of the vehicle and made his way to his family’s mansion. He could hear the sound of music and frowned after seeing many guest cars parked inside his late father’s estate.
Moving forward, Derrick arrived at the mansion’s exterior. He rang the doorbell, and the maid pulled the door open for him.
"Welcome, Master Derrick," the maid greeted.
Derrick ignored responding to the maid’s greeting and was ushered in by his mother, who was in the living room with many guests.
"Welcome, son. Happy 25th birthday to you," she said.
"Happy birthday, Master Derrick!" All the guests in the living room toasted to the new age of the young master.
"Thank you all," Derrick replied and wanted to retire to his bedroom to rest, but his mother stopped him. "Derrick, it’s still your birthday. Come cut your cake and make a wish."
Pausing at the staircase, Derrick looked back at all the faces of the guests—his seven elder sisters, all married with children, and his staff.
Derrick wanted to protest again that he was not a kid and didn’t want a birthday party. However, he gulped down his protest as silence fell in the crowded living room.
Approaching his cake, which was placed in the center of the living room, Derrick cut it, and the guests all beamed happily, clapping for him.
"Happy birthday, brother," his sisters cheered, and he replied, "Thank you all."
"That’s not all, Derrick. Make a wish," his mother urged him again.
"Oh, Mother. I am not a kid," Derrick finally protested, but his mother walked up to meet him as they all stood in the living room.
"No one said you’re a kid, but you’re still my baby, so make a wish," his mother pleaded with an assuring smile.
Not wanting to make his mother sad, Derrick wished for a long life, a happy family, and a prosperous business.
"Happy birthday to you again, Master Derrick. We wish you all the best," the guests said, and the toasting continued as the guests resumed drinking and chatting happily.
Derrick excused himself from the living room and went back to his bedroom on the top floor of the mansion.
Meanwhile, among the maids, Miranda had a crush on the master of the house. She was not the only one crushing on Derrick, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
She openly gawked at his handsomeness. "Too handsome for one person," Miranda thought. She had observed Derrick; he seemed very hardworking. He didn’t have time for women and mostly focused on his business alone.
Derrick did not even have a girlfriend, and Miranda was dripping wet in her core, wanting him to notice her. She was a poor girl and came from an orphanage home. After five years of serving the Lady Loretta as a maid, Miranda wanted a classic life. She didn’t want to return to poverty.
In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress in cheap clothes. There was no competition, as all the daughters of the Luis family were married—including Derrick’s most immediate elder sister, Nicole Luis.
"Come on, Alexa, I want to introduce you to my brother. I fear he might be gay. Why won’t he have a girlfriend at this age? Don’t you find it weird?" Nicole spoke to her friend as she brought Alexa along to her brother’s birthday party.
Alexa worked as a secretary in the Luis Group, and she would admit that she hadn’t seen any young lady come to the office to visit Derrick.
"I don’t think he’s gay. Master Derrick is just too busy to notice any woman," Alexa replied. She wore a red dress and black shoes. She had arrived at the Luis mansion just after Derrick left the company.
Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick Luis. She wanted him, as she was just 22 years old. She knew that having a man like Derrick as her husband in the future meant she wouldn’t need to work much or struggle to get by—his wealth was enough to cover all her lifetime expenses.
"Alexa, what do you think of Derrick? Do you not have a crush on my brother? If my sisters hadn’t spoken to me about introducing you to Derrick to work as his new secretary after my leave, do you think I only accepted you based on friendship alone? Come now," Nicole grabbed Alexa’s hand and led the younger woman to the top floor, where there were no guests.
Alexa was nervous. For the year she had been working as Derrick’s personal secretary—based on Nicole’s influence—she hadn’t crossed the limit nor tried to get his attention.
Derrick was mean, and Alexa feared what he would do to her if she dared to cross the line.