The fight

Her body ached, her eyes sore with tears as she opened her eyes to the noise coming from the large room known as the maids' quarters.

Through her blurry vision, she could see the tall, fair skinned middle-aged woman standing in front of her. Her face wasn't visible enough but she could easily tell this was the maid who had brought her here last night.

“Madam, you've been assigned to the kitchen this morning,” the middle-aged woman spoke with a calm but serious tone.

Samantha rose her head slowly and her short brunette hair could be seen, dangling all over her face.

“I'm so weak,” she spoke with a low pitched tone, recalling how she had cried herself to sleep on the cold tiled floor last night.

“It's an order from above, unfortunately there is nothing I can do to help your situation,” the lady continued sternly.

Samatha licked her dry lips slowly and dragged her body up from the floor. She looked around and could see some of the maids in blue uniforms, sitting on their respective beds, staring at her.

She dragged her frail body up the floor and took a deep breath while staring at the lady in front of her.

“Shall we?” The lady asked at once.

Samantha nodded slowly and followed behind as she walked out of the room.

Walking into the large kitchen, the smell of pastries and fresh vegetables filled her nostrils.

All eyes were turned in her direction and all activities seemed to slow down at her presence in the kitchen.

“You all, turn to your duties!” The middle-aged lady ordered and everyone looked away from Samantha immediately.

She quickly sensed the woman to be the head amongst them and she buried her gaze to the floor as the woman turned her attention towards her.

“Now, you'll scrub the kitchen floors this morning, and then wash all utensils used in preparing breakfast for the family. As soon as you're done here, you'll receive your next assignment,” she said to her.

Samatha remained silent with her gaze still on the floor.

“Anna, get her all she needs to work on the floor,” the woman said to a young slender blonde haired girl who was chopping carrots.

Samantha watched as Anna returned with a bucket and a floor brush for scrubbing.

“Here,” Anna said and dropped the equipment on the floor.

“I'll be back to supervise,” the middle-aged lady said and walked out immediately.

Samantha knelt on the floor and wiped the tears that escaped her beautiful hazel eyes. She could hear the maids gossiping as she began to scrub the floor slowly. The floor wasn't that messy, but she knew it was just a punishment from Mrs Clyde. What has she gotten herself into? She thought as she sniffed and continued scrubbing.

“Who would have thought she would become a maid overnight?” She heard gossip from the maids who were assisting the male chef in the kitchen.

“Serves her right, she thought she was the most beautiful woman in the city to be chosen as sir Ryker's bride,” one of the maids remarked in whispers.

“Be nice, Betty, she probably never heard about the Clyde's family,” another lady remarked.

“Neither did she know what awaits her,” the third lady said.

“She didn't bother to find out why she was the only girl who applied,” Betty said with a mocking laughter as she looked at Samantha who wasn't paying attention to them.

“I heard she's from the countryside, so she probably didn't know,” Anna commented.

“Of all the beautiful girls in Avena city, she was the only one who applied to be sir Ryker's bride, and she was happy, thinking it was luck on her part,” Betty continued with laughter.

“Oh, poor thing, I pray she doesn't end up like madam Essa,” Anna whispered to the other maids.

Samantha raised her head quickly and her eyes met with that of the women who were gossiping in whispers. They all looked away immediately and her heart began to pound.

“You all, quit the gossip and continue with your duties!!” Rick, the male chef ordered and Samantha could hear the ladies throwing insults at him while carrying out their duties.

“Essa, she doesn't end up like madam Essa,” she muttered the words of Anna as they echoed in her ears again.

**

Seated regally around the large dining table, the whole family could be seen, having breakfast in a serene, well coordinated setting.

“It seems Ryan has left already,” Sophia said to her mother as she sipped from her cup of coffee.

“Oh, that'll be goodnews. Enough of his nuisances already,” Mrs Clyde sighed and rolled her small grey eyes.

“How can I leave so soon without breakfast?” Ryan's huge voice came down the large staircase and they all turned to him.

Ryker's brows gathered deeply, seeing his brother walking down the stairs, still dressed in his white pajamas.

“Good morning brother, good morning mother and my beautiful sisters,” Ryan greeted with a smile as he joined the table.

He made a silent chuckle, seeing the frown on their faces, except for Sophia who smiled wryly.

“I asked you to leave,” Mrs Clyde groaned.

“This is my father's mansion, and I alone have the right to decide when to leave and when to come in,” he said with a smile as he grabbed the jam jar.

“You lost that right a long time ago,” Mrs Clyde reminded him.

He kept silent and spread jam over his slice of bread which he munched gently. He looked around and pulled a surprised face.

“Where's your new bride? Samantha or whatever she's called?” He asked, looking at Ryker.

“And how's that your damned business? Hmm?” Ryker fumed.

“She's supposed to be beside you, having breakfast, right?” Ryan chuckled.

“Are you here to mock me?” Ryker snarled, hitting his fist on the table.

The girls gasped and looked at their mother at once.

“Oh, Ryan, you claimed to know Sam, didn't you?” Mrs Clyde smirked.

He nodded while munching his bread.

“How come you never knew she had a disease?” Mrs Clyde asked with a mocking smile on her face.

“A disease?!!” Ryan exclaimed.

“What?..uh?.. Have you slept with the bitch?” Claris laughed.

He stood up immediately.

“Where is she?” He asked almost immediately.

“In the kitchen, with the maids, that's where she belongs,” Sophia said.

His face pulled into a frown and he stormed out of the dining room immediately.

Standing in front of the kitchen door, he saw her kneeling on the floor, her fragile hands scrubbing the floor as gentle as she could. Her sleek white dress was soaked with perspiration and his heart shattered immediately.

“What are you doing?” He asked, walking into the kitchen majestically.

The maids greeted him as he walked in but he paid little to no attention to them.

She raised her head at the sound of his voice and her face was covered with her messy hair which she tried to wade off her face.

He couldn't bear the sight of her sore eyes and he knelt before her immediately while everyone watched with keen interest.

“What are you doing?” He asked in a calm but angry tone.

“I'm..I'm..scrubbing the floor..,” she spoke, trying to look away from his face.

“Get up and walk with me,” he ordered firmly.

“I..I can't, I'm not done yet,” she replied.

“Get up and walk with me!” He thundered and pulled her up immediately.

“Sir..she can't..,” Betty tried to counter him as he dragged Samantha with him to the door.

“If you dare say a word!” He fired, his charming blue eyes now burning with rage.

Betty and the maids retreated backwards and he turned and stormed out with Samantha.

“Call Madam Kate immediately!!” Betty cried to the rest of the maids.

“You can't do this.. I'll be punished severely for disobeying orders!” Samantha cried as Ryan's huge arms pulled her carelessly along the passageway.

“Some orders are meant to be disobeyed,” he said angrily as he continued to drag her along.

“Ryan!!” Ryker's bold voice called angrily behind them.

Samantha's heart skipped at the sound of his voice and she fell on her knees immediately and began to sob.

“What do you think you're doing with my wife?!” Ryker slammed, walking towards him slowly.

“Your wife? Or your slave?” Ryan scoffed, grabbing hold of Samantha and pushing her behind him.

“She is my wife and my slave and you can't interfere!” Ryker fired.

“You think I'll let you do to her what you did to Vanessa, uh?” He scoffed again.

A punch from Ryker sent him staggering backwards and Samantha rushed towards him and helped him regain his stance.

He wiped his lips immediately and looked at Ryker who was still coming closer. Without a word, he charged at Ryker immediately and they both fell on the floor, rolling over as Samantha began to scream for help.

Mrs Clyde and her daughters showed up in the passageway at once and they all rushed towards the men who were still on the floor, exchanging blows.

The bodyguards rushed in to separate the men and Mrs Clyde charged towards Samantha immediately.

“It's not enough that you tricked us, now you want to cause a rift between my boys?!” She slammed and sent a hot slap on Samantha's cheeks.

“Mother!!” Ryan screamed as he tried to escape the men who were pulling him backwards.

“You bitch!! You need to leave this mansion!!” Claris cried and pulled Samantha's hair backwards while she let out a sharp cry, followed by heavy slaps from Mrs Clyde.

Ryan couldn't take it any longer, with all his strength, he broke free from the men and rushed towards his mother and Claris who were dealing with Samantha. His strong arms pulled Claris away and she fell, hitting her bum on the floor.

“Ouch!” She cried and some of the maids let out a quick laugh which they buried immediately as she gave them a fierce look.

“Mother, you should stop it! Don't make me go the hard way!” Ryan yelled at his mother who was still hitting Samantha on the floor.

“Or what would you do, uh? You junkie!!” Ryker fired, walking towards Ryan but Sophia pulled him back.

“Ryan, have you not done enough harm??!! Go back to rehab where you ran away from and don't ever show your face again!!” Mrs Clyde yelled in his face.

“This is my home!” Ryan defended.

“You're a junkie, and you're not welcomed here anymore. Father wasn't even proud to call you his son before you killed him!” Ryker fired.

“Yes, go back to rehab!! You don't belong to the Clyde's family anymore, you good-for-nothing son!!” Mrs Clyde slapped him on his chest.

He remained silent as he watched the whole family rain insults on him one after the other.

“And you,” Mrs Clyde turned to Samantha who was still weeping on the floor.

“You caused all this! Get up and return to your duties immediately!!” She yelled.

“She won't,” Ryan said calmly and walked over to Samantha.

“Are you asking her to disobey my orders?” Mrs Clyde scoffed.

He remained silent while standing in front of Samantha.

“You know what, mother, let them be. They both deserve each other,” Ryker said with a smirk. “One is with a disease, and one is impotent,” he added and gave an absurd laugh before turning away.

Ryan remained silent as they all laughed and walked away one after the other, leaving him alone with Samantha who was weeping heavily on the floor.