Chapter 3

“I can't believe Second Madam was kicked out just like that. Damn! These rich families and their never-ending dramas.”

“I heard Sir never loved Second Madam. He has always had his eyes on that beautiful lady who just walked in. It's a pity that Second Madam did not know how to make Sir love her as she loves him. I still think Sir looks better standing beside Miss Thalia than with Second Madam Laurie.”

“You all still call her Second Madam? Didn't you hear the head maid say never to call her that again? They're getting divorced soon. Come to think of it, we get to live in the mansion and she gets to sleep in the Attic. I think I now have more authority than that woman.”

“True! True! Boohaha!”

Their words of mockery reminded me more of my situation. I've now become a laughingstock in this house. I closed my eyes and opened them. I took a deep breath but couldn't control the tears that rolled down my face.

What am I supposed to do? Watch my husband get coveted by a scheming vixen? Even though I know Zane isn't trying and never cared to make this marriage work, I did.

I worked hard and won't stop at this moment. I'll make sure Zane returns to me and cancels his plans for a divorce. No matter what may come by, I won't give up on my marriage.

“Oh, Miss Rayne, you're here!?”

One of the maids spoke. The tone of her words was filled with mockery.

“Mhmm…”

I smiled softly.

“I want to cook today for your Master.”

I was ready to begin my preparations when another suddenly stood in front of me with her arms spread sideways.

“I'm sorry, but earlier, Madam made an announcement that you should, under no condition, be allowed to cook any dishes in the future. Your task henceforth is cleaning the bathroom and scrubbing the floor.”

I was stunned. My heart seems to have left my chest. Mother really… I felt tears trickle down my face, but I managed to control them.

“Don't worry, I'll just make something for myself.”

“I'm sorry, I also can't allow that. In this mansion, you're no longer the young mistress, and thus you can only eat and drink what is given to you, and that'll only be after you've completed your daily chores.”

My heart shattered at her words. I clenched my fist together as I prevented myself from gritting my teeth. How could they do this to me? I turned around to leave but was stopped by her.

“Miss Rayne, you need to scrub the floor of the young Master's bedroom.”

I didn't look behind and hastily walked away, afraid I might break down in front of them. That maid was Kora, the one maid I treated more like a friend and a sister than a maid…

**In the Master’s Bedroom**

“Zane. Haha!”

“Shh, don't shout babe… There are people in the mansion.”

I pressed my ear against the door, my heart pounding in my chest. Zane's deep chuckle mingled with Thalia's girlish giggle.

"Oh Zane, you're so funny!" Thalia's voice gushed.

I gripped the mop in my hands tightly, knuckles turning white. This was supposed to be my job - to clean Zane's room. But how could I enter now, with them in there together? The thought of seeing them made me physically ill.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked softly. The laughter abruptly stopped.

"Who is it?" Zane called out, his voice suddenly cold and formal.

"It's... It's me," I said quietly. "I'm here to clean the room."

There was a long pause. Then Zane's voice again,

"Fine, come in then." Zane's voice was laced with irritation.

I hesitated, my hands trembling on the doorknob. Steeling myself, I pushed the door open.

The scene before me was like a knife to my heart. Zane lounged on the bed, his shirt unbuttoned, while Thalia perched beside him, her hand resting casually on his chest. They both looked at me with barely concealed disdain.

"Well?" Zane snapped. "Get on with it."

Swallowing hard, I began to mop the floor, keeping my eyes down.

"Oh Zane," Thalia purred, loud enough for me to hear. "When are you going to get rid of these... inconveniences? I can't wait for us to have the house to ourselves."

Zane chuckled. "Soon my love, very soon!”

*

I finished mopping the last corner of the room, my arms aching and my spirit crushed. As I gathered my cleaning supplies, ready to flee this suffocating atmosphere, Thalia's sickeningly sweet voice cut through the air.

"Oh, Laurie?" she called, her tone dripping with false politeness. "Before you go, be a dear and clean the bathroom, won't you? Make sure you scrub the toilet thoroughly."

I froze, my back to them, fighting to keep my composure. How dare she? How dare this woman, this intruder, order me around in what was once my home?

"Laurie," Zane's stern voice followed. "You heard her. Get to it."

Slowly, I turned to face them. Thalia was smirking, her eyes gleaming with smugness. Zane wouldn't even look at me, his gaze fixed on some invisible point on the wall.

"Of course," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Right away."

I trudged to the en-suite bathroom, my feet feeling like lead. As I pushed open the door, I caught a glimpse of Thalia wrapping her arms around Zane's neck, pulling him close. The door clicked shut behind me, but it couldn't block out their muffled laughter.

The pristine bathroom, with its marble countertops and gold-plated fixtures, seemed to mock me. This used to be my sanctuary, where I'd spend hours pampering myself, preparing to look beautiful for Zane. Now, here I was, on my knees, scrubbing the toilet bowl.

I held my breath. I couldn't bear to hold it in any longer. I burst out in tears, letting off the brush I was using to scrub the ground.

Why has it always been different when it came to me? Zane was never this gentle with me. Although, often, I give myself the excuse that it was his nature due to having so much work to do in the company.

Now hearing and seeing him being gentle to another woman, my heart could no longer hold the pain. Why?

I stood up from the floor and picked up the brush from the ground as I tried to recompose myself. I couldn't let anyone see me like this.

I suddenly noticed a gold button with a black circle ring around it. Weird, it looked oddly familiar. It was at the moment that I recall seeing the same gold button on our closet door, it seems to also be of the same design as the one attached to almost all the ties Zane has. But why does it seem like a golden eye? I reached closer to it and noticed it was pulsing a hardly noticeable tiny red dot.

Just when I reached to touch it, a voice echoed in the bathroom, jolting me out of my momentary trance…

“You've dreamt too much Cinderella. But I don't blame you.”

I didn't know when Thalia got into the bathroom. She walked closer to me, a smirk, playing on her lips.

“It must be hard watching Zane be intimate with me right?”

She trapped my chin, making me stare directly at her. “Tk.. tk… Zane has never been yours and he'll never be. He has always been mine. Look…”

She stretched out her pinky finger to me.

“I have him wrapped around my finger. He'll do whatever I ask and whatever I want. You're just a homewrecker who came between us. Now, it's time for you to leave.”

“If you waste any further time, you won't be happy with what I'll do to you.”

I felt a shiver down my spine feeling the viciousness in her tone.

I stared at Thalia, her words cutting deep into my already wounded heart. The brush trembled in my hand as I struggled to maintain my composure.

"You're wrong," I whispered. "Zane and I are married. We made vows…"

Thalia's laughter cut me off, sharp and cruel. "Vows? Oh, you poor, delusional girl. Those vows meant nothing to him. They were just words, a business arrangement. But what Zane and I have? That's real."

She stepped closer, her perfume overwhelming in the small space. "Let me make this crystal clear for you, Laurie. You are nothing more than a substitute for me. He used you to fill up the space after I left and now that I'm back, you’re nothing but a maid. A servant. And servants don't talk back to their betters."

Her hand shot out, gripping my chin painfully. "If you know what's good for you, you'll finish cleaning this bathroom and then disappear. I don't want to see your pathetic face around here anymore. Understood?"

I jerked my head away from her grasp, my cheek stinging where her nails had dug in. "You can't treat me like this," I said, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. "I'm still Zane's wife."

Thalia's eyes flashed dangerously. "Not for long, sweetheart. The divorce papers are being drawn up as we speak. Soon, you'll have nothing but a bad memory."

She turned on her heel, pausing at the doorway. "Oh, and Laurie? When you're done here, I want you to pack up your things. I'll be making use of the attic, so you have to look for somewhere else to stay.”

Fuckit!! I wanted to retort but just then, my phone on the counter rang. Calming my nerves, I picked up the call seeing it was from the hospital.

“Hello, Doctor…”

“What!!?”

With a pale face, I pushed Thalia out of the way and rushed out leaving the work incomplete.

**CITY HOSPITAL**

“Isn't there something else to do?"

“I'm afraid not, Miss Rayne. If Rafe doesn't get an urgent kidney transplant, we won't be able to save him.”

“Kid.. kidney transplant?”