PACK YOUR BAGS AND GET OUT OF MY HOUSE.

011

Candy’s eyes darted wildly between Stanley and Charles as the laptop screen flickered, casting a pale glow across the room. The tension in the air was suffocating, thick with anticipation. I could hear the maids shifting uneasily, their whispers now reduced to shallow breaths as they waited for the inevitable truth to be revealed.

Candy, however, wasn’t going down without a fight.

"Wait!" she suddenly blurted, stepping forward and forcing a nervous laugh. "Mr. Stanley, there’s no need for this. It’s just a misunderstanding! Why rely on some footage when we all saw her go into your room?"

Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the confidence she tried so hard to maintain.

Stanley didn’t even spare her a glance. His attention remained on Charles, who was already maneuvering through the footage. The cursor hovered over a folder labeled Security—Room 306, and with one click, the file opened.

Candy’s panic grew.

"You don’t need to see it!" she insisted, voice rising. "I mean, what if the footage is corrupted? Or—or maybe it’s been tampered with! We shouldn’t rely on technology for everything, right?"

Charles didn’t respond. His fingers moved deftly over the keyboard, and within seconds, the footage began playing.

Candy’s desperation surged.

"This is ridiculous!" she cried, whirling around to face Stanley directly. "Sir, you know me! I’ve worked for you for years! I would never—"

"Silence!"

Stanley’s voice was sharp, final. It sliced through Candy’s frantic rambling like a knife, leaving behind a heavy silence.

Her mouth snapped shut, but her entire body shook with visible fear.

Everyone stood still as Stanley leaned forward, eyes fixed on the laptop screen. The room was so quiet that the faint hum of the laptop’s cooling fan could be heard.

Seconds ticked by.

Candy swallowed hard. I could see the beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her fingers clenching into tight fists at her sides.

Then—Stanley’s jaw tightened. His face darkened, unreadable, as he continued watching.

Whatever he saw on that footage had sealed someone’s fate.

The video played on for a few more moments before he reached out and, without a word, shut the briefcase with a decisive click. The sharp sound echoed through the tense silence.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I watched Stanley slowly rise from his seat.

I couldn’t breathe.

What did he see?

Did Candy somehow manipulate the footage to make me look guilty?

Was this it?

Was this the moment my life would completely fall apart?

I took an involuntary step back as Stanley advanced toward me, my breath catching in my throat. My fingers curled into my dress, bracing for whatever was to come.

But then—he walked right past me.

Instead, his sharp, piercing gaze settled on Candy.

And then on the maids who had so eagerly sided with her.

His next words sent shivers down my spine.

"Pack your bags and get out of my house."

The room exploded with gasps.

Candy’s mouth fell open, her face draining of color. "W-what?" she stammered, shaking her head as if she had misheard him. "No, no, no—Mr. Stanley, you don’t mean that! You saw the footage, right? You saw her steal it!"

Stanley’s expression remained cold, unmoving. "I saw everything," he said, voice devoid of any warmth. "Including you entering my room first. And taking my wristwatch."

Candy staggered backward, her legs trembling beneath her. "N-no, that’s not—I didn’t—"

Stanley ignored her, turning his attention to the maids who had so easily turned against me. Their faces paled, guilt evident in their eyes.

"I don’t tolerate liars in my household," Stanley continued. "If you’re willing to falsely accuse someone without proof, then you don’t deserve to be here."

A suffocating silence fell over the room.

Candy’s lips quivered as she desperately looked around for support, but none of the maids met her gaze. They all knew it was over.

With a final look of disgust, Stanley turned away from them and walked past me once more.

I exhaled shakily, my legs nearly giving out beneath me.

It was over.

Candy was finally getting what she deserved.

And for the first time in a long time—I wasn’t the one being blamed.