Elizabeth Garret watched as Juliette bolted out of the room so fast, the last thing she saw was her dark hair flying behind her.
Unfortunatley, the oldest lady in the house was having a seizure and Elizabeth could understand how that could be a cue for an emergency.
However, what she couldn’t understand for the life of her was why everyone else seemed to be still sitting there, completely useless and speechless, looking like fools.
It was probably the annoyance that danced on the tip of her nose that she quickly snapped, unable to help herself. “Shouldn’t you be calling a doctor or something?”
The man of the house—the uncle of the girl they were here to see—falters, blinking rapidly. “Yes, yes. That’s exactly what I should be doing.”
Thankfully, he found a little curtsy to grab a phone and call someone, probably for a doctor or ambulance.
Afraid they are ruining their impression in front of the older woman, Isabelle tries to smooth things over. “That doesn’t happen normally. I take very good care of my mother-in-law. She’s just very old, and ever sick.”
“Then why are you still here?” Elizabeth grunted instantly.
Isabella’s eyes widen. She stutters like her husband. “I…actually…this…you…you are right. I…I should be going. You please sit. I’ll go and see.”
After Isabella runs off to God knows where, Elizabeth rolls her eyes, huffing out unhappily. “These people are idiots.”
“It sure looks like, Madam.” The butler standing behind her mumbles just as quietly.
“Maybe we should leave,” the young man sitting on the sofa across from her says casually. He shrugs, his handsome face one for amusement. “This is a waste of time anyway. I don’t know why we are even wasting our time with this family. They stand nowhere near our status.”
“Shut up, Charles.,” Elizabeth glared. “You’re not here to pass judgments. Just do your damn job and look pretty.”
Charles rolled his eyes. “Well, no one’s here to look pretty for. So I guess I’ll be taking a small break. If you don’t mind, Grandmom, of course.”
Elizabeth didn’t have time for his nonsense. “Just leave.”
Charles didn’t need any more encouragement. He stood up, nodded at the older man standing, and left, already whistling his way out.
“I can’t believe I have to choose between him and James.”
The older man finally spoke. “I don’t understand, madam. Why are we still here? The family is facing a family emergency and it seems like it’s going to take time for them to attend to us again.”
“I know, Allistair,” Elizabeth said, as her eyes lingered in the direction Juliette had disappeared into. “I can’t stop thinking about the look on that girl’s face when she heard about her grandma.”
“What did you see, Madam. If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Something that cannot be explained, Allistair.”
Allistair didn’t have any more questions to follow up on. He simply nodded.
Elizabeth knew what she needed to do next. She stood up. “I want to see what’s happening inside.”
Old Allistair was quick to come around and stand next to her. “That might seem impolite, madam. Don’t you think?”
“I know. But I won’t be able to make a good decision until I see this for myself.”
Allistair had no other choice but to agree. He always agreed with the old madam.
Elizabeth left the hall and walked down the hallway, she remembered Juliette and that servant rushing to. She finally came across a door that seemed to wide open and peeked inside.
What she saw, stunned her to the bones.
Juliette seemed to be working on a needle while two of the maids held down the old woman lying on the bed. Her old body seemed to be jerking uncontrollably, her eyes rolled back. It seemed like she was seconds away from parting with her soul and having a meeting with the god.
But that same look on Juliette’s face had sharpened. All doubts, confusion, and unsureness seemed to have vanished from her face, replaced with something that could only be called iron will.
She pricked the syringe and then ran a hand through her grandma’s head.
“It’s okay, Grandma. You’re going to be okay. Just hold on. Just hold on, please.”
Then, she injected the woman’s arm with that needle and pulled out, tossing it into the dustbin.
The sick woman started to calm down, her eyes rolling back to normal. She struggled to breathe, and Juliette didn’t waste time pulling the oxygen mask over her mouth.
“It’s okay, Grandma. Just breathe. Slowly. Yes. Like that. You’re doing so great. So so great.
Elizabeth didn’t know why, but she had a smile on her face. An expression she had long forgotten.
Juliette grabbed the napkin from the table and wiped what looked like vomit from her grandma’s clothes. Then she grabbed some more napkins and wiped the old woman’s face, her mouth, her hands, and even her fingers. Then she tossed everything into the bin and pulled the sheet over her grandma, who seemed more relaxed than before.
When Juliette started to leave, her grandma held her hand, as if urging her to not leave.
Elizabeth watched everything happening without saying a word.
Juliette smiled and sat back on the bed, raking her fingers gently through her grandma.
“Why don’t you just let me go?” The ill woman spoke, after pulling the oxygen mask for a second, smiling gently.
Juliette put the mask back on, kissing the woman’s forehead. “Because it’s not your time yet, Grandma. It’s not your time.”
“Fake?” The female attendant’s lip curled. “You think we have time to doctor footage just to frame a spoiled little brat like you? Please. We’ve been doing this long enough to know your type. Loud, arrogant, and broke.”A woman shopping nearby whispered to her friend, not bothering to lower her voice. “Disgusting. Coming in here, flaunting money she clearly doesn’t have.”Sophia’s cheeks burned, her vision blurring with rage and shame. She reached for her phone, desperate. “I’ll call Taylor—”Before she could finish, an older woman arrived and slapped her hard. “What? Regretting now? Calling for help?”“What the—”Another store employee sneered. “Search her. I bet the bracelet’s still in her purse.”“Don’t you dare touch—!”Two clerks lunged for her bag, yanking it out of her hands.They flipped it open, scattering her lip gloss, compact, and a few crumpled notes across the floor. And there it was—the diamond bracelet, gleaming under the store’s harsh lights.The only problem…it was b
“I love this. How much for it?” Sophia gaped at the beautiful diamond bracelet on display, her eyes as wide as saucers.“Wonderful choice, Miss. This is a very unique piece we received only yesterday. One of a kind, really.” The shop attendant took out the glittering bracelet from under the showcase and set it on the counter. “200k only.”“200k?” Sophia’s eyes flew wide. The bracelet was stunning, no doubt, and it would certainly turn heads if she wore it on her birthday in a few days. But 200k? Spending that much on a single piece of jewelry meant her dad wouldn’t give her another cent. He’d barely handed her 150k that morning, and the rest she only had because her mom had slipped her some from her secret savings.“It’s just 200k, Soph. Just go for it,” her friend, Taylor, spoke with an air of arrogance. And why wouldn’t she? Taylor happened to be the only daughter of the Sutton family, the heiress who was never short on money. To think 200k wasn’t a big deal for her proved how loade
The whip fell harder and harder every time.No matter how much Juliette braced herself for the next one, it still stole her breath away, made her whimper, and wish for this torment to end. But Isabella and Sophia were monsters born in human flesh. Quite literally. They didn’t have a heart or the need to even pretend that they did.Juliette gritted her teeth, swallowing the cry Isabella and Sophia were so desperate to rip from her throat. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t—give them the satisfaction. Maybe that was why, even after more than fifty lashes, they refused to stop, their cruelty relentless. It wasn’t until the door burst open and someone threw themselves between the whip and Juliette’s broken body that the torment finally paused.“You’re going to kill her!” Grandma Maple sobbed, her frail frame shielding Juliette as best as she could. One of the lashes struck her instead, making her flinch and cry out in pain. “Just… just let her go, Isabella. Show some mercy. She’s only a child.”Is
After meeting Madam Garret, when Juliette reached home, she found Aunt Isabella and Sophia in the dining room. As she walked past them, she heard her name being called.“Where are you coming from?” Aunt Isabella asked in a stern voice, as if she had been waiting hours just to say it.Juliette stopped. Turned. And flashed a fake smile. “Where do I always come from at this hour? From work, obviously.”“What’s with that tone?” Sophia dropped her fork as loudly as possible, making Juliette almost wince. “Do you have a death wish?”Did she? Juliette shook her head. “Not really. Is that all? Can I go now?”She was almost free to mind her business when Aunt Isabella’s voice cracked through the air.“Stop right there!”Juliette wanted so badly to groan, but she held herself back from provoking them further. Not that she needed to try—just existing seemed to piss these women off. Speak a single fact, and they would blow up like a volcano.“Sure.” Juliette turned back around, smiled, and tilted
On the rooftop of the Blue Diamond restaurant, James Garret sat with his cousin, Declan Davidson. A tumbler of whiskey rested in his hand as he looked down from the building, his dark eyes fixed on a certain car.“How long has she been in there?” James asked, swirling the glass slowly, almost lazily.Declan looked up from his phone, confusion etched across his face. “Who?”James turned his head, giving him a single, cutting look.Declan straightened instantly. “Oh. Her.” He checked his watch. “Almost half an hour. Why?”“Hmm. Something seems odd,” James muttered, turning his gaze back to the car.“Why do you say that?”“Grandma would never waste that much time on anyone,” James muttered, his voice low and flat. “Something’s off.”Declan set his phone on the table and leaned back. “What else would they talk about? The marriage, of course.”“But why talk to her?” James mused, frowning. “Why not come to me?” As if the thought struck a nerve, he glanced back at his cousin, those dark eyes
Juliette nervously threaded her fingers through her hair, her heart pounding like a drum. She looked out the car window at the posh road, where a fine building loomed over her and her ride.She swallowed for what felt like the hundredth time, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel. “It’s okay,” she whispered, trying her utmost to assure herself. “It’s all going to be okay. All I have to do is walk in there, greet her, and when Madam Garret looks calm enough… just speak my heart out.”Yeah. That sounded easy enough.If only it were in reality.When Juliette had called the Garret residence, a heavy male voice had answered. From his tone, she had guessed it was the family’s butler. What was his name again? Allistair… something, right?Either way, she’d asked to speak with Madam Garret. He had politely put her on hold, then returned exactly five minutes later with instructions. She was to meet Madam Garret at the Blue Diamond restaurant—a place only the truly wealthy, families l