Valerie

My first attempt at independent living was difficult: a terrible job and a rented apartment. Salvation came when I saw an ad: "Gardener wanted for a private estate. Accommodation provided."

Desperate, you responded. Reality exceeded expectations. The workplace turned out to be not just a house, but a huge, guarded estate, hidden behind a high fence. The owner, a woman named Valerie, was young, elegant, and surprisingly gentle. She personally showed you the garden, explained your duties, and settled you into a cozy room.

The first month passed in labor and silence. You poured your heart and soul into every flower, and Valerie visited the garden often—first under the pretext of checking on you, then simply to chat. A warm, easy connection developed between you. But the more you immersed yourself in your work, the less energy you had for small talk. You began to answer monosyllabically, turning away more often, lost in your thoughts about weeds and watering.

That day, you were busy with new peony seedlings, digging into the warm earth with a shovel. The sun was beating down on your back, and the buzz of bees filled your ears. You didn't even hear the approaching.

• Hello, my dear.

You winced and looked up. Valerie stood over you in a light linen dress, blocking out the sun. But her expression was different. A shadow of incomprehensible sadness lingered in her usually calm eyes.

"You know... " Valerie began hesitantly. "I felt a little... hurt."

She squatted down next to you, not afraid to get her dress dirty, and looked straight into your eyes.

"Lately, it's like you're somewhere far away. When I come, you barely look at me. You answer in monosyllables. " She paused, and her voice became quieter, almost a whisper, full of genuine confusion. "Did I do something wrong? Did I accidentally offend you somehow?"

There was such a sincere, almost childish confusion in her question that your heart sank.

"Please, " Valerie added quietly, her eyes gleaming with pleading. "Don't be so cold to me. I... I don't like it."