Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

“Kath, I told you all week to see a doctor, but you wouldn’t listen. You kept insisting you were fine,” Ma'am Racheal said gently, supporting Katherine as she bent over the sink, vomiting yet again.

Katherine rinsed her mouth and slowly turned to face her. Her eyes were puffy and red, her face pale. She’d been throwing up for days, and her once-slim figure now fuller was now hidden beneath oversized clothing. Ma'am Racheal had noticed she hadn’t worn her maid’s uniform in days, but until now, she hadn’t asked why.

“I’m fine, Ma’am Racheal. Really. I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Katherine said, avoiding the older woman’s penetrating gaze.

This girl thinks she can fool me, Ma'am Racheal thought, narrowing her eyes as she studied Katherine's trembling hands and tired face.

“Is there something you want to tell me, Kath?” she asked softly.

Katherine swallowed hard. Her heart pounded. The truth sat on the edge of her lips, burning to be released. If she told Ma'am Racheal, at least she’d have someone in her corner, someone to lean on when everything came crashing down.

“Can I trust you, Ma'am Racheal?” she whispered.

“Of course, darling. You know you can.”

Katherine hesitated for a heartbeat longer, then finally breathed out the truth she’d been carrying alone.

“I… I’m pregnant. And the baby is Massimo’s.”

Ma'am Racheal gasped, a hand flying to her chest.

“Oh heavens... I knew it!” she exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and something else, joy. “You haven’t told him? Or anyone else?”

Katherine blinked, stunned. Why was she smiling?

“No, Ma'am Racheal. You know everything that’s been happening... I can’t. But... why are you happy about this?” she asked, genuinely confused.

Ma'am Racheal’s expression softened, her grin deepening.

“I understand your fear, and don’t worry, I’ll never breathe a word of this to anyone. That’s a promise,” she said firmly. “As for why I’m happy... you wouldn’t understand. Even if Massimo doesn’t know now, and may never know, I’m happy for him, because you’re carrying something precious. His child.”

Katherine stared at her, brows furrowed. But she chose not to question it further. She simply nodded, feeling a strange sense of comfort settle over her.

“Come on,” Ma'am Racheal urged, glancing toward the hallway. “We should head out before the others start getting suspicious. But from now on, you must be extra careful. I’ll do everything I can to protect you both.”

Katherine felt the tight knot in her chest loosen just a little. She hugged Ma'am Racheal, tears prickling her eyes. For the first time in weeks, she didn’t feel completely alone.

But just before they could step out of the washroom, a shadow shifted nearby. Unseen by either of them, a figure slowly backed away from the corner of the hallway where she’d been silently eavesdropping. A smirk tugged at her lips before she turned and slipped away.

Meanwhile, in Kassandra’s bedroom…

Little Thelma knelt on the floor, arms raised high above her head, trembling. Her tiny hands shook from exhaustion and fear.

Kassandra sat across from her, perfectly poised, a thin cane resting on her lap. Her lips were painted in her usual red, but her eyes were cold as steel.

“Raise those hands properly, you little brat,” she snapped.

“Mommy, please... I won’t do it again…” Thelma whimpered.

She’d only accidentally spilled a bit of juice on the bed, but even the smallest mistake never went unpunished.

Kassandra’s expression remained void of warmth. She wasn’t a mother. She was a monster. And though Thelma was too young to understand how she’d ended up with this cruel woman as a mother… she knew one thing for sure, this was not love.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“Ma’am! Ma’am, you won’t believe what I just heard!” a maid panted breathlessly, rushing in.

Kassandra didn’t flinch. She calmly flipped her long, glossy hair over one shoulder, not even sparing the maid a glance.

“You can go inside now,” Kassandra said to Thelma.

“Thank you…” she whispered before hurrying into the room.

The door barely closed before Kassandra turned, eyes blazing.

“How dare you barge into my room without knocking?” she snapped. “Just because I made you my spy doesn’t mean you get to forget your place, you worthless little thing. Understand?”

The maid, who’d came in smiling just moments ago now trembled under her mistress’s glare.

“Y-Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry,” she stammered, bowing her head.

Kassandra’s eyes narrowed, studying her. Then she spoke again. “Now, tell me… what made you so eager to break in here like a wild dog, hmm? What news could be so exciting, dear spy?”

The maid’s lips twitched with a nervous grin as she leaned in slightly.

“You won’t believe this... but that stupid maid, Katherine—your husband’s wife, she’s pregnant,” she said with twisted glee. “I overheard her confessing it to Ma’am Racheal, the head maid.”

Kassandra shot up from her chair as if struck by lightning. Her eyes widened with rage.

“What did you just say?” she hissed. “Who the hell is pregnant?”

The maid took an instinctive step back, suddenly regretting saying it.

“I-I said... I overheard Katherine telling Ma’am Racheal that she’s pregnant. Nearly two months gone now…”

CRASH!

A glass shattered against the wall as Kassandra hurled it with a scream of fury.

“What the actual fuck! Pregnant? Katherine? With my husband’s child? No! No, that’s impossible!” she barked, pacing like a caged beast.

Her breathing grew heavy, her jaw clenched.

“She can’t be pregnant for Massimo. He would never stoop so low… not with her! Are you sure?”

“I—I don’t know for certain, ma’am,” the maid stammered. “But… I heard rumors that before you married the master, Katherine was inseminated with his sperm while he was in a coma.”

Kassandra froze. Could it be?

She turned slowly, her voice low and deadly. “Has she been seen with any other man?”

The maid shook her head. “Not really… but I did hear she used to be engaged to Young Master James. Though ever since Madam Elizabeth sent him abroad, they've had no contact.”

Kassandra exhaled sharply, her fingers tightening into fists.

“Listen to me carefully,” she said, her voice now a dangerous whisper. “I don’t care who the father is. I don’t care if it’s James Massimo, or a damn ghost. That baby is a threat to everything I’ve worked for, and I want it gone before the day ends.”

She stepped closer, her eyes glinting with cruelty.

“Do you understand me? I don’t want any surprises. No mistakes. That pregnancy ends today. You know what to do.”

The maid nodded, her face pale but obedient. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good,” Kassandra hissed, turning away. “Now get out of my sight.”

As the maid backed away, Kassandra’s lips curled into a twisted smile.

******

Dinner at the Hollingsworth estate was always an elaborate affair, filled with lively chatter and clinking silverware. Laughter echoed around the grand dining room as family members engaged in cheerful conversation. But at the far end of the long table, Katherine sat silently, nibbling at her food like a shadow.

Her thoughts were miles away, until she felt that burning sensation of someone’s eyes drilling into her. Slowly, she looked up... and her gaze collided with Kassandra’s. The woman was glaring at her with a venomous intensity that made Katherine’s skin crawl. She quickly looked away.

But fate wasn’t done.

As she turned her head, her eyes locked with his.

Massimo.

He wasn’t glaring… but he was staring. Hard. His expression unreadable, his eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to figure something out.

Why does she look so… different? he wondered, tilting his head ever so slightly. She looks… fuller.

A beat passed, and then another thought struck him. Wait….how do I even remember what she first looked like before? he muttered to himself under his breath.

He didn’t know why, but something about her unsettled him. Something that made his chest tighten with an emotion he couldn't name. Hatred, maybe. Or... something worse.

“Honey?” Kassandra’s voice cut sharply through his thoughts.

He blinked, pulled out of his daze. Kassandra was smiling sweetly, though her eyes were anything but.

Massimo turned to her and offered a curt nod. But his gaze kept flickering back toward Katherine.

At the other end of the table, Uncle Ryan smirked as his eyes drifted to Katherine. She visibly tensed under his gaze, recalling the vile proposition he had made days ago. He had asked her to steal something buried deep in Massimo’s private files in exchange for freedom. But she had refused.

He hadn't spoken to her since. But now, that same chilling look from that day was back on his face.

What’s in those files? she wondered. Why is it worth so much to him? And why would he risk using me, of all people?

Just then, a cheerful voice pulled her from her storming thoughts.

“Hey, Katherine! I made this especially for you,” Rose, one of her favourite maid, chirped, stepping forward with a bright smile and a tall glass in her hand.

Katherine blinked. “Rose? Thank you… but how did you know I needed a drink right now?” she asked, playfully.

Rose giggled. “Call it intuition! I tried out a new homemade mix in the kitchen today, and since you’re kind of the special one around here now, I figured you should be the first to taste it.”

Katherine smiled, touched. “That’s so sweet of you. Thank you, really. I owe you one.”

She took a sip, and her eyes widened.

“Mmm! This is delicious!”

“I know, right?” Rose replied with a sly smirk, casting a quick glance toward Kassandra, who returned the look with a subtle nod.

Neither Katherine nor anyone else noticed the silent exchange between the two women.

Only Uncle Ryan and Massimo’s sister, Amy, arched their brows slightly. They didn’t understand what’d just passed between Rose and Kassandra, but something about it felt… off.

From across the room, little Thelma watched everything unfold. Her young face was etched with worry. She stared hard at the glass in Katherine’s hand, lips pressed tightly together.

Later that night…

Katherine sat on the edge of her bed, speaking softly with her father on the phone. Her voice was tired but calm.

Beside her, Ma'am Racheal quietly folded and arranged freshly washed clothes into the wardrobe.

Just as the call ended, the door creaked open gently.

Thelma stepped inside, her small frame barely making a sound as she climbed onto the bed.

Katherine turned to her, startled.

“Thelma?” she blinked in surprise.

The little girl gave her a bright smile and waved. “Hi, beautiful ma’am.”

Her voice was soft… but it held the same warmth, the same kind sweetness that Katherine had seen in her sister’s smile.

Katherine’s heart melted a little as she returned the smile.

She sat upright on the bed, her brows furrowed as she stared at the little girl standing before her.

What’s she doing here? she wondered. Does Kassandra even know she’s here? Or Massimo?

“What are you doing here, young mistress?” Ma'am Racheal asked gently, sitting beside Thelma.

The little girl offered another smile but it was a fragile one, thinly veiling the sadness behind her young eyes.

Katherine’s heart clenched.

This girl… she was so familiar. That warmth, that aura… it was unmistakable. No matter what anyone said, no matter the circumstances, Katherine knew. Deep in her bones, she knew.

This child was her sister.

“I... I want to tell you something,” Thelma whispered, nervously twisting her fingers in her lap, her wide eyes fixed on Katherine’s.

Katherine smiled gently and straightened up, brushing a stray curl from Thelma’s face. “Go on, my lo—”

But she didn’t finish the sentence.

A sharp, blinding pain tore through her abdomen. She gasped, doubling over as a scream ripped from her throat.

“Katherine!” Ma'am Racheal shot to her feet in panic, reaching for her as Katherine collapsed forward, clutching her stomach.

Thelma’s eyes went wide with terror, frozen in place.

“Katherine! Talk to me. What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Ma’am Racheal cried, trying to lift her up, but Katherine could only writhe in agony, one hand pointing weakly toward her belly.

Her body trembled. Her breathing was ragged. It felt like her insides were being twisted, stabbed, and set aflame all at once.

And then, Ma’am Racheal gasped.

A dark crimson stain spread across Katherine’s gown, trailing in horrifyingly down her thighs.

“No… oh God, no—” Ma'am Racheal's voice broke. Her hands trembled as she gripped Katherine’s shoulders, her eyes wide in disbelief. “The baby… oh heavens. THE BABY!”

Thelma screamed, backing away from the bed as panic overtook her tiny body.

“Help! HELP!” Ma’am Racheal shouted, her voice echoing down the hallway as she shook Katherine’s unconscious body.

But before anyone could come…

Katherine’s head lolled to the side.

Her eyes fluttered shut.

And everything went still.