Babysitter
Orm's POV
Orm woke up feeling... bored.
It was the weekend, and for once, there were no work obligations, no social events forced upon her by her father, and no urgent business matters demanding her attention.
She sighed, rolling over in bed, staring at the ceiling. What the hell do people even do on weekends?
After a few minutes of scrolling through her phone and finding nothing of interest, she got up and decided to hit the gym. A solid workout would at least keep her occupied.
After a quick shower, she dressed in a sleek, all-black gym set—sports bra and leggings, paired with her designer sneakers. Orm never put in effort to be noticed, but she knew she was.
As she walked into the gym, she felt the usual stares. Men and women alike turned their heads as she passed, but she barely acknowledged them. It was always the same—people admired her, wanted her, but no one could actually have her. She was untouchable.
An hour into her session, she was already pushing herself through weights and cardio when her mind started to drift.
She thought about her father's words again. You need to get married soon.
She scoffed.
Marriage? Love? She didn't believe in those things. Relationships were just transactional, a game of power and control. And if there was one thing Orm refused to do, it was let someone have power over her.
Still, her mind wandered to a certain someone.
Lingling.
She smirked at the thought of her personal maid. The grumpy woman who always seemed unimpressed with her, unlike everyone else. Lingling treated her like a troublesome burden rather than a desirable heiress.
Whatever, Orm thought as she pushed through another rep.
Her weekend was free, and she was going to make the most of it.
Lingling's POV
For Lingling, weekends weren't for rest—they were for extra income.
She had the day off from Orm's ridiculous demands, but that didn't mean she was going to sit around doing nothing. She was back at her old job, waiting tables at a small but popular restaurant.
She never minded working hard. She grew up knowing that if she wanted something, she had to earn it. Unlike Orm, whose entire life had been handed to her on a silver platter.
Even though she was now working for the spoiled heiress, Lingling made sure to keep her side job. Extra money was always useful, and she had no plans of getting too comfortable with Orm's ridiculous salary.
By the time her shift ended, she was exhausted. She finally arrived home, threw her bag on the couch, and collapsed onto the bed.
And then, her phone buzzed.
Lingling groaned, already having a bad feeling.
She picked up her phone and saw a message from Orm.
Orm: Come pick me up. I'm at the usual bar.
Lingling stared at the text for a moment before groaning out loud. Unbelievable.
It was her day off, and yet here she was, being summoned to babysit a fully grown woman.
"Un-freaking-believable," she muttered as she forced herself up.
She changed into something decent, grabbed her jacket, and called Orm's driver. "We're picking up your boss. Usual bar."
The driver, clearly used to this routine, simply responded, "Understood."
At the Bar. Lingling entered the bar and immediately scanned the room.
It didn't take long to spot Orm.
The woman was sitting at a VIP table, chugging alcohol straight from the bottle, her usually sharp and confident demeanor completely melted away by the influence of liquor.
Lingling marched over, grabbed the bottle from Orm's hand, and sighed. "That's enough. Let's go."
Orm blinked up at her, swaying slightly. "Lingling... you came." She smirked, her words slurring. "You're so... responsible. Such a good little maid."
Lingling rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Now get up."
Orm pouted like a spoiled child. "I don't wanna go home."
Lingling sighed. "Fine. Where do you wanna go?"
Orm smirked lazily. "Hotel."
Lingling gave her a deadpan look. "Are you serious?"
Orm leaned in slightly, her breath reeking of alcohol. "I don't take people home when I'm drunk."
Lingling groaned but obeyed. She signaled the driver, and soon enough, they were headed to one of the luxury hotels Orm frequently used.
When they arrived at the hotel. Getting Orm out of the car was one thing. Getting her into the hotel room was a whole different struggle.
Orm, being taller and heavier than Lingling, made the whole process incredibly difficult. She was half-dragging, half-carrying the heiress through the hallway, ignoring the curious glances from the hotel staff.
Once inside, she dropped Orm onto the bed with a loud sigh.
"God, you're a pain in the ass," she muttered, stretching her sore arms.
Orm giggled drunkenly. "You like my ass, though?"
Lingling groaned. "Unbelievable."
She removed Orm's heels and threw a blanket over her.
Just as she was about to leave, Orm grabbed her wrist.
"Lingling," Orm mumbled, her voice softer than usual.
Lingling sighed. "What?"
Orm stared at her, eyes heavy with intoxication but also something else... something Lingling couldn't quite place.
"Do you think I'm lonely?" Orm asked suddenly.
Lingling blinked, caught off guard by the question.
"I mean..." she hesitated. "You kind of bring it on yourself."
Orm chuckled weakly. "Yeah... maybe."
Lingling sighed and gently pried Orm's hand off her wrist. "Get some sleep, Orm."
She turned to leave, but before she could, she heard Orm mumble something under her breath.
"...Stay."
Lingling froze.
"What?"
Orm had already closed her eyes, her breathing slowing.
Lingling stared at her for a moment before sighing. She pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down.
"Just this once," she muttered.
She crossed her arms and leaned back, watching as Orm drifted off into sleep.
And for the first time, Lingling wondered—who was the real Orm beneath all the confidence and arrogance?
And why did she suddenly care?
__________________
Orm groaned as she stirred awake, her head throbbing slightly from the alcohol she consumed the night before. She squinted at the dimly lit hotel room, realizing it was still dark outside. The bedside clock read 5:03 AM.
She blinked, rubbing her temples, and let out a sigh. She could tell she wasn't at home—not that it was surprising. She rarely went home when she was drunk, preferring the privacy of a hotel where no one could scold her.
As she turned to her side, expecting the emptiness of the bed, her eyes widened at the sight in front of her.
Lingling.
Fast asleep in the chair next to the bed, her arms crossed over her chest, her head tilted slightly to the side, her face peaceful in slumber.
Orm felt something unfamiliar stir inside her.
She didn't know what it was, but she knew one thing—she had asked Lingling to stay. And Lingling actually did.
A small, genuine smile tugged at Orm's lips.
She sat up slowly, careful not to make too much noise. Her gaze lingered on Lingling's face. She looked exhausted, and for the first time, Orm actually felt a little guilty.
I really am an asshole.
She shook her head at herself and reached for the hotel blanket at the foot of the bed. Carefully, she draped it over Lingling's sleeping form, tucking it around her shoulders.
Lingling shifted slightly but didn't wake up.
Orm hesitated for a moment before whispering, "You're too nice for your own good."
She wasn't sure if she was talking to Lingling or herself.
Orm's POV
Orm sat back on the edge of the bed, staring at Lingling.
Why had she asked her to stay?
Why did it matter that Lingling did?
Orm wasn't the type to need people. She had grown up learning that attachments were just weaknesses waiting to be exploited. But seeing Lingling there, sitting beside her all night, something about it made her feel... different.
She sighed, running a hand through her messy hair.
Shaking her thoughts away, she reached over and gently nudged Lingling's shoulder.
"Hey. Wake up."
No response.
Orm frowned slightly.
She tried again, this time pressing her palm lightly against Lingling's cheek. Still, no response.
Orm exhaled sharply before muttering, "Unbelievable."
With a surprising amount of gentleness, she slipped one arm under Lingling's legs and the other around her back. Slowly, she lifted her up, carrying her over to the bed.
Orm wasn't sure why she was being so careful. Normally, she would just shake someone awake or leave them be. But with Lingling... she found herself acting differently.
She laid Lingling down, adjusting the blanket over her, before standing back.
She stared at her for a few seconds longer before shaking her head.
Without another word, she grabbed her toiletries and headed to the bathroom.
The cold shower helped clear the remnants of alcohol from her system, but it did nothing to clear her thoughts.
Why was Lingling always on her mind lately?
Why did she feel strangely... content knowing she had stayed?
Orm exhaled sharply, turning off the shower. She wrapped herself in the soft hotel robe and ran a hand through her wet hair.
After stepping out, she walked toward the living area of the suite, deciding to let Lingling sleep longer.
She dropped onto the couch, sighing.
Her father's words from the gala echoed in her mind again.
"You should pick someone soon. You need to settle down."
Orm scoffed at the thought. Marriage? Settling down? As if.
And yet, as she closed her eyes, the only face that lingered in her mind wasn't of any of her past lovers or flings.
It was Lingling.
And for the first time in a long while, Orm found herself not entirely sure what that meant.
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Lingling groaned as she stirred awake, her body sinking into the plush softness of the bed. She stretched slightly before blinking up at the ceiling, momentarily confused.
Wait.
Why was she in bed?
The last thing she remembered, she had dozed off in the chair next to Orm's bed.
She sat up abruptly, rubbing her eyes, and scanned the room. That was when she saw Orm sprawled on the couch, still fast asleep, her robe slightly open, revealing a toned leg.
Lingling shook her head at the sight.
"Did she... carry me to bed?" she wondered, her brows furrowing.
She was about to wake Orm up but then glanced at the clock. 11:37 AM.
Her eyes widened.
"Shit, I overslept."
She never slept this late—especially not when she had things to do. But then again, this was the first time she had ever slept in a luxurious king-sized bed, wrapped in silky sheets, in a perfectly air-conditioned room. Maybe that's why her body refused to wake up earlier.
Lingling sighed and grabbed her phone, quickly texting Becky:
"I can't make it today. Something came up."
She knew Becky would probably have a hundred questions later, but she didn't have the energy to explain anything right now.
Her gaze drifted back to Orm.
She knew better than to wake her up empty-handed. Orm was already grumpy in the morning—waking up with no food or coffee would just make her insufferable.
Lingling walked to the hotel phone and called room service, ordering a full breakfast set with coffee and fresh juice. She figured if Orm was going to be hungover, she might as well have something good to eat.
After placing the order, she took a deep breath and hesitantly approached the couch.
Lingling's POV
Lingling crouched slightly and reached out, gently shaking Orm's shoulder.
"Boss, wake up."
Orm groaned, her brows scrunching together. "Mmm... leave me alone. I'm still sleepy."
Lingling sighed. "Uhm... can I go now? I already ordered food for you."
Orm didn't respond.
Lingling took that as a yes and turned around, grabbing her bag. Just as she was about to take a step toward the door, she heard it.
"Stay."
Lingling froze mid-step.
Her back was still turned, but her mind was racing.
"What the hell?"
She stood there, contemplating her life choices for a solid three seconds before closing her eyes and exhaling.
Then, making sure Orm wasn't looking, she clenched her fists and silently punched the air.
After calming herself down, she slowly turned back around.
"...Fine."
She sat down in the chair across from the couch, arms crossed, staring at the still half-asleep woman in front of her.
She had no idea why Orm asked her to stay.
But one thing was for sure.
She was getting pulled deeper and deeper into Orm's world—and that was dangerous.