Chapter 254: Let’s see if you can accomplish what all the others have failed to do.
"Miss. Kensington has arrived!"
The announcement immediately drew everyone’s attention. One by one, the candidates rose from their seats and greeted Maria respectfully as she entered the room.
Maria acknowledged them with a slight nod before letting her gaze sweep across the assembled candidates. Her eyes moved from one person to another until they settled on Clara.
For a brief moment, her gaze lingered on the woman wearing glasses and a simple, professional outfit. A faint scoff escaped her lips before she looked away.
Meanwhile, Paula, who had been the first to straighten her posture, seized the opportunity to make an impression.
"Good morning, Mrs. Kensington! I’m Paula. It’s such a pleasure to meet you in person," she greeted her with an enthusiastic smile. "You’re even more beautiful than you look in those business magazines!"
Maria paused and turned towards her.
Her gaze travelled over Paula’s heavily made-up face and carefully styled appearance. For a moment, she simply stared at the woman before raising an eyebrow.
"Clint, tell me something," she said, turning towards her assistant. "Are we interviewing tutors today, or have I accidentally walked into a beauty pageant?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Paula’s smile stiffened.
"I... Mrs. Kensington, I was only—"
"Please, save it," Maria interrupted, waving a hand dismissively.
Paula’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had expected her compliment to earn her some favor, not become the subject of ridicule in front of the other candidates.
Unable to find a suitable response, she pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze.
Standing beside Maria, Clint could only shake his head inwardly.
He had witnessed countless interviews over the years, but Paula’s attempt to flatter his employer had been particularly awkward. Her excessive makeup and overly familiar attitude had hardly helped her case.
Maria, meanwhile, had already lost interest in Paula. She adjusted her sleeve and looked towards the remaining candidates.
"Since everyone is here, let’s get started. I’m looking for someone capable of teaching my son, not someone who can spend hours in front of a mirror."
Her gaze swept across the room once more.
"Now, let’s see who among you actually has the qualifications for this job."
Clara studied the woman standing before her, the same woman she had once worked alongside to secure all the shares registered under Laila’s name in the Sterling Group.
Maria had always despised Grace, not because of her close relationship with Laila, but because she had ultimately become Jonathan’s wife.
Laila and Jonathan had been childhood sweethearts, and their relationship was something everyone around them had taken for granted. However, what few people knew was that Maria had secretly harbored feelings for Jonathan for years.
When Laila fell seriously ill and the doctors declared that her condition was beyond recovery, Maria had finally seen an opportunity. With her sister’s days seemingly numbered, she believed she might finally step into Laila’s place and marry the man she had admired for so long.
But just when she thought her dream was about to come true, Jonathan shattered her hopes with a single announcement.
He would marry Grace, fulfilling Laila’s dying wish.
Just like that, Maria’s dream of becoming Jonathan’s wife crumbled before her eyes.
Her resentment towards Laila deepened, while her hatred for Grace grew even more intense. In Maria’s eyes, Grace was nothing more than an orphan who had once lived under their roof, running errands for the family.
How dare someone like her marry Jonathan?
Unable to accept the outcome, Maria turned to manipulation. She fed Gloria a series of lies, twisting the circumstances surrounding Jonathan and Grace’s marriage until the older woman began viewing them as the ones responsible for the family’s misfortune.
Eventually, her schemes achieved their purpose. The Kensingtons severed their ties with the Sterlings, leaving years of friendship and affection buried beneath resentment.
Watching Maria now, Clara couldn’t help wondering whether the woman had ever regretted the damage she had caused.
But then again, Maria hadn’t been reborn with memories of her past life, unlike Clara, who remembered every wrong thing she did in the past causing pain to the people whom she now loved.
She had returned to this life with a purpose—to make up for all the false, and giving grace justice was one of them.
Clara slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the emotions stirring within her. She couldn’t afford to let her past grievances interfere with the reason she had come here today.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Maria once more.
This time, her expression remained calm, concealing the thoughts she had no intention of revealing.
"My son is upstairs. Whoever manages to win his approval will get the job," Maria announced, her gaze sweeping across the candidates.
In the past, she had selected tutors based on their qualifications, academic achievements, and professional experience. However, after watching one tutor after another fail to get Zane to cooperate, she had finally decided to let her son have the final say.
This time, she wanted someone who could handle his temper and stubbornness without giving up after a few days.
The announcement left everyone in the room stunned.
They had heard the rumors about Zane Kensington, and none of them were particularly eager to face the young master. Still, the salary Maria was offering was generous enough to make the risk worthwhile.
For some, this job could mean a significant improvement in their lives.
While the other candidates exchanged anxious glances, Clara remained remarkably calm. Unlike them, she wasn’t overly concerned about the money. She was more interested in discovering what kind of person awaited her upstairs.
***
[Twenty minutes later]
"Get lost! You good-for-nothing woman!"
Paula stumbled down the stairs, looking as though she had just survived a disaster. Her carefully applied makeup was smudged, her hair was disheveled, and her earlier confidence had completely vanished.
"This is ridiculous!" she muttered furiously as she hurried towards the exit. "I was wrong to think a pretty face could charm anyone. That boy is a monster! There’s no way anyone can tame him!"
She stormed out of the mansion without sparing another glance at the people watching her.
Paula wasn’t the first candidate to suffer such treatment. Those who had gone upstairs before her had also been sent packing, each leaving the mansion looking more defeated than the last.
Now, only Clara remained.
Maria turned her attention towards the young woman, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Your qualifications aren’t particularly impressive, she thought, recalling Clara’s profile. But you do have considerable experience working with children.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
Let’s see if you can accomplish what all the others have failed to do.