2

The silence was so loud that it overpowered the buzz in Nirvana’s brain..Her system was short-circuited and she could only stare at everyone like an idiot. The small smirk that laced Kaitlyn’s lips was a thorn that relentlessly dug into her side. She tried to open her mouth as she heaved lightly but her lips felt too heavy, she had no control of it anymore.

“Head Maid?” The other woman stared at her from head to toe in a condescending manner.

Indeed, her outfit at that moment was no different from that of a maid, considering the level of wealth and lavishness that the Jules enjoyed. But she wore what she could manage without Derek, he was the one who provided her with everything she wanted, it was just that lately he had no time to cater to her.

She understood how busy he was, he was going to come to her later and she was going to try and improvise on what she had but then he had to hand all the expenses to Kaitlyn who would rather die than provide her with what she wanted, the little she had was what she used to get what it could cover.

How did it get to that stage? She wasn’t aware either.

All she knew was that the only person she had since she woke up was Derek, he was all she ever knew—literally.

“Yeah, she had rendered so much help these days and had helped us catch some rival companies who had planted spies among our maids, so Kaitlyn thought that we could show appreciation to her by letting her dine with us.”

Those words caused the overwhelming blow because it was her lover supporting his wife like always. He would always do that, even if it meant bashing her, he would do that for Kaitlyn. Even if the protection and affection was fake, the pain Nirvana felt was real, there were times it didn't feel like an act.

She bit her trembling lips so hard that she could feel blood in her mouth, her eyes welled up as she heard another broken piece of her heart shatter once again because of his actions.

Yet, she couldn’t do anything.

She loved him too much to ruin his ambitions.

‘I should keep on enduring and supporting, all this is a sham, it is for a greater purpose, Derek is just playing pretend with Kaitlyn. I would get what I have always wanted later, I would be married to him soon after I have helped him achieve his goals.’ She chanted a sacred mantra, willing to believe it because it would be dangerous to consider any other possibility, she didn’t want to think of it, it shouldn’t cross her mind.

‘Derek’s marriage to Kaitlyn was to secure his post in the family, Kaitlyn’s identity as a Moore was what made it possible for him to gain control of some companies under his father's wings, his mother's were naturally his but his father needed a bit more work. Kaitlyn hasn’t been divorced because Derek was a few steps to his aims so she still had to stay, that was one of the reasons why I have to embrace it with zipped lips and have no reaction to whatever Kaitlyn does. I don't want to be inconsiderate and want the best for Derek, but this has gone on for five long years. How much do I have to wait? Waiting to become Mrs. Jules, how much time and effort does it require? No! Don't think, don't think.’

Nirvana's thoughts spiralled out of control and her face flushed into an uncomfortable red color as sweat dripped from her forehead.

“Oh really?” Nirvana could hardly hear Judith’s perky voice when it filled the room again. “I didn’t expect Kaitlyn to be such a sweet girl! Who thought of how kind she was to do this.”

Calvin tried to stand up but a glare from Mrs. Jules was enough to make him sit back and stay quiet, it was a threatening glare, one that promised a lot of bad things if he did anything out of place and knowing Mrs. Jules, those bad things would be done to Nirvana instead. He had no choice but to stay put.

“You are right, there were a few daughters of big conglomerates that would do that, and Moore stands at the top,” The man nodded in appreciation. 

Nirvana just swallowed the uncomfortable lump in her throat, she had just been used to adjusting Kaitlyn’s image and there was nothing she could do than nod her head like a fool.

“Here, to the best head maid to ever exist, I toast this glass of wine to you,” Kaitlyn spoke up, smirking at Nirvana, she raised a glass of wine in her hand. Nirvana forced herself to look in her face as she gripped the glass of wine tightly and raised it to Kaitlyn, her lips struggling to form a smile before she gulped down the wine which made Kaitlyn laugh, the guest also joined her in her laughter—bootlicking bunches.

The gathering was happy and joyful but Nirvana had never felt so mournful, it was as if she just sold herself and maybe in a way she just did. These people were part of the most important ones to Derek among his family members, yet in front of them, Nirvana was nothing more than a maid while Kaitlyn was the wife. Even if she finally gets married to Derek, she would be nothing more than the maid who shot for her spot after the real wife left.

There weren’t a lot of people, but there needn’t be, the humiliation worked perfectly well because in front of these people present did Nirvana want to be seen in the best version of herself.nShe glanced at Derek’s direction, their gaze met for a moment but it wasn’t long before he looked away because of what she assumed to be guilt.

That guilt didn’t last for long because Kaitlyn was already linking his hands with hers and forcing him to smile at her before glancing at Nirvana cockily.

‘Good job, Kaitlyn Moore, you really planned well with this. I will remember it and pay you back twice when I finally get married to Derek.’ She swore to herself, glaring at Kaitlyn under her lashes, the woman just smirked back at her as if she heard what she was thinking.

******

“You should help them take their coat to the car, shouldn’t you?” Kaitlyn raised a brow at Nirvana, dumping the coats of the three men in her hands as the guest walked out of the mansion with Mrs. Jules, chatting heartily.

Both of them stood at a corner, away from everyone else’s view.

“Why should I do that?” Nirvana raised a brow, she was at her limit of enduring her constant madness, she could let the thin disguise she wore everyday like a cloak drop to the ground right now, the tight rope snapped earlier and she wanted to get words out. She wouldn’t care about the aftermath, she would deal with that later.

“You are the head maid, remember? You should learn your duties.”

“If this is your way of trying to push me into the position of a maid?”

“What are you other than that in this mansion?” Kaitlyn scoffed. “You plate the dishes, wash the dishes, you are in charge of making sure the house is neat and you dare not say no when there is an errand needed to be done in this mansion. Do you see me doing all of that?” Kaitlyn readjusted her stance and regarded her seriously.

“I meant what I said earlier, you know? If you do something wrong, you are really going out. Let’s see how you would manage to survive without any source of income whatsoever.

You have no place to stay and your entire life savings is with Derek—to invest with.” She laughed sarcastically before she continued. “Your family are the last people that were going to take you back and it seems like you don’t know this, but I have all the things you would need to be employed and be considered a normal citizen of this city with me and I am sure you know how hard it is to try and create another one under the force that is me.”

Kaitlyn glared at her, and rearranged the expensive bracelets on her wrist whilst turning the wedding band around her finger in a show of dominance. After all, between the two of them, that was the most important thing. They heard the door shielding them close and from her peripheral view, she could see the silhouette of a man standing there, staring at both of them.

“So when I tell you to kneel, you would do that and when I tell you to bark, just be a nice dog. You, Nirvana Ryan,” She pushed her shoulder with her finger. “Are nothing but a useless stupid mistress that is willing to obey the wife of a man who doesn’t even love or care about her with hopes that she would get married to him. Don’t think I don’t know all your schemes.”