A Dark Agenda: A Heart of Revenge

The first time I, Lucy White, met Gerald Lindt, I was kneeling on the floor and diligently scrubbing it. My demeanor immediately attracted him, and he couldn't help stealing a few glances at me.

The beautiful woman beside him charged toward me and slapped me hard. "Who are you trying to seduce, you vixen? Why would anyone wear a low-cut dress while scrubbing the floor?"

I cupped the cheek she'd slapped, looking tearful. Still, I held my head high, revealing my slender neck. I figured I probably looked like a pure white flower standing firm in the wind.

Everyone in the Somner family knew that Rachel Somner, the family's eldest daughter, was hypersensitive and got jealous easily. She was also Gerald's fiancée.

She stuck her nose in the air as she clung to Gerald and said coquettishly, "I hate pretentious people like her, Gerry. She's a peasant, yet all she thinks about is seducing someone rich so that she can climb the social ladder. She must be dreaming!"

She spat at me, making everyone around us laugh. Gerald and his entourage were used to this. He laughed and chided her, but that was it.

A trace of hatred flashed in my eyes. This was far from enough.

I kneeled on the floor and trembled as I reached for Rachel's expensive dress. "My parents died of illnesses, and my sister died in an accident. Ms. Somner, I… I only became a maid here because I had no other choice. Please have mercy on me!"

She avoided me, looking disgusted. She covered her nose and scowled. "So, you're a peasant who's cursed her family to death. Stay away from me!"

I stubbornly continued to reach for her, which only pissed her off more. She screamed and kicked me aside; I allowed the force to make me fall to the floor, knocking the pail of water over.

It splashed all over me, illustrating my voluptuous curves through my dress. I sneaked a glance at Gerald and noticed his gaze becoming interested.

I still didn't think it was enough, though. I looked into Rachel's contemptuous gaze as tears welled in my eyes. She was arrogant and unreasonable, while I was gentle and compliant—it made for a stark contrast.

The people around us started speaking up for me, which infuriated Rachel so much that she kicked me in the chest while screaming about me being a vixen.

The sharp tips of her heels were hard; they made me feel like I was getting stabbed. Still, I gnashed my teeth and endured the pain. How could physical pain compare to the pain in my heart?

My sister, Lila White, had probably experienced pain a thousand times worse than this before her death.

Finally, Gerald stopped Rachel when her heel almost hit me in the face. He barked at her to stop her rampage before taking his suit jacket off and covering me with it.

Then, he held me in his arms and turned to look at the stunned Rachel. He said, "I think your joke has gone too far, Rach."

In response, she stomped her foot furiously. Meanwhile, Gerald lifted me into his arms and strode into the elevator, taking me to his office on the top floor.

The drawn curtains kept others from seeing us in bed together. He traced my face with his fingers and scrutinized me, almost as if he were admiring a flawless masterpiece.

There was a hint of superiority in his gaze, though. It made me uncomfortable.

…

Lila's body had been destroyed beyond recognition when she was found. She'd still been a student then, and she'd run into a bunch of trust fund babies who were out for fun. Later, she'd been tortured to death.

Rachel was one of the culprits behind Lila's death. I'd kneeled outside the police station for a day and night, but all I got was a policeman saying impatiently, "She's the princess of Alden City, and her uncle is our direct superior. The only thing you can do is accept your miserable fate."

The Somner family was powerful beyond imagination in Alden City, so I couldn't do anything to them. All I could do was hold Lila's mangled body and weep.