Chapter 5

“Pathetic woman!”

The sharp voice echoed from behind the door.

Rosemary swung open the bedroom door harshly, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Evelyn, who sat slumped in the corner of the room. Evelyn’s face was pale, cold sweat drenched her temples, and her eyes were barely open—as if her body was on the verge of giving up from exhaustion and pressure. But the moment she saw Rosemary standing at the doorway, the emotions she had long suppressed began to boil over.

Evelyn’s weak face turned fierce, glaring with fury at Rosemary.

“What’s your problem with my attitude? If you don’t like it, you’re free to leave this house!” Rosemary snapped mercilessly.

Her voice echoed off the silent walls of the massive house. Evelyn lowered her head—not out of fear, but because of the sheer weight she carried in her chest. She clenched the edge of her clothes tightly, holding back the urge to retaliate. But she knew, in this house, she was no one.

William began to feel uneasy. The quiet house suddenly felt... wrong. He descended from the second floor, hurrying to find Evelyn. His heart was restless, as if something terrible was about to happen.

From a distance, Rosemary saw William approaching. Her eyes narrowed slyly, then without hesitation, she grabbed Evelyn’s arm roughly and pinched it hard, making Evelyn wince in pain.

“Don’t you dare say a word to Mr. William,” she hissed sharply. “If you do, I won’t hesitate to ruin your life.”

Evelyn stayed silent, though her chest thundered. Her fists clenched so tightly her nails nearly pierced her skin. She wanted to speak, to fight back, but her life was too fragile now. She had no home, no money, not even her dignity. So she held it all in, even as her heart shattered again and again.

“Why are you taking Evelyn to the storage room, Rosemary?” William asked, suspicion in his tone. His brows furrowed at the sight of Evelyn’s disheveled state.

“Miss Evelyn got lost, sir. Thankfully I found her—she was stuck in the storage room,” Rosemary explained smoothly.

William stepped closer, his eyes softening as he looked at Evelyn. There was an unmistakable sincerity in his gaze.

“Is that true, Evelyn? How did you end up there?”

Evelyn nodded faintly, lowering her head to hide her invisible wounds.

“I’m sorry, sir. I was going to the kitchen to get some water… I must have made a wrong turn and got trapped in there.”

Rosemary smirked triumphantly as Evelyn lied to cover for her.

“What a fool this girl is! I love playing with her until she can’t stand living here anymore,” she thought, stifling a chuckle.

Though she was just a housemaid, Rosemary harbored grand ambitions. She wanted to be the lady of this house. She believed that once William noticed her beauty, everything would change.

“Rosemary, take her back to her room. Make sure she doesn’t get lost again.”

Rosemary nodded with a fake smile, then escorted Evelyn back to the guest room. This time, the room was far more comfortable than the cramped, suffocating one she’d shown before. But beneath the hospitality, danger lurked.

As soon as they entered, Rosemary slammed the door shut, yanked Evelyn’s arm, and shoved her onto the bed.

“You better remember your place in this house! You’re just Mr. William’s maid! Don’t even dream of winning his heart!”

Evelyn’s eyes widened, her chest pounding—not from fear, but from the anger beginning to scorch the edges of her patience.

“Oh, so you love Mr. William?” Evelyn asked coldly, her lips curling into a sharp sneer.

“So what if I do? I’m as beautiful as any top actress! Mr. William just hasn’t realized it yet.”

Evelyn let out a breath, then chuckled mockingly.

“You’re just a maid. But your delusions are too high, Rosemary. I actually pity you.”

Rosemary gritted her teeth, her face flushing with rage. In a flash, she raised her hand, ready to strike Evelyn.

“You deserve to be punished for daring to talk back!”

But before the slap landed, Evelyn caught her wrist and shoved it away roughly.

“Don’t you ever threaten me!” she snapped. “I won’t hesitate to tell Mr. William everything!”

Evelyn’s boldness stunned Rosemary. Doubt flickered in her eyes. But she wasn’t ready to back down.

“You’re standing up to me now? Aren’t you afraid I’ll make your life miserable?”

Evelyn stood up, staring directly into Rosemary’s eyes.

“We’ll see who regrets this in the end—me or you.”

A cold tension swept through the room. Rosemary instinctively stepped back. Evelyn no longer looked like the fragile woman from before. Her gaze was sharp, her stance defiant.

Without hesitation, Evelyn shoved Rosemary out of the room. The woman stumbled and fell hard in the hallway.

“Evelyn! Why are you being so cruel to me?! Why did you push me like this?” she shouted dramatically, loud enough for William to hear.

William, who was just heading their way, froze at the sight of Rosemary on the floor.

“What’s going on, Evelyn?” he asked, suspicion thick in his voice.

“Oh, sir! I was just showing Miss Evelyn her room, but she pushed me! I’m starting to wonder if she’s really a decent woman… Maybe she’s just pretending to hide her wicked intentions!”

Evelyn quickly tried to defend herself.

“Mr. William, it’s not like that! It was Rosemary who—”

“Sir,” Rosemary cut in with fake tears. “You’ve known me for a long time. I’ve always been loyal and honest. But this woman… she dares to accuse me like this in front of you.”

William let out a deep sigh, his face tense.

“Evelyn, don’t let my kindness go to your head. I won’t tolerate any chaos in my home.”

“Mr. William, I didn’t mean—”

“Enough, Evelyn! I don’t want to hear any more excuses!”

William’s voice was so sharp that Evelyn went silent. Her heart sank. She never expected that when she finally tried to stand up for herself, he would choose to believe someone else.

William walked away, leaving the two women in a heavy silence.

Rosemary looked at Evelyn and smirked in victory.

“Never argue with me, Evelyn. You’ll never win against someone like me.”