Renee’s pov“Yes,” Zelda said. “And smart.”I sighed and looked at my hands before looking up to see the birds in the trees.Then Zelda spoke again.“Renee,” she said.“Yes?”“What is it you really want?” she asked me, her voice low.I blinked. “What do you mean?”“Do you want Dacre, or do you just want her gone?”“Both.”Zelda smiled. “Good answer.”She slowly got up and cleaned her dress before looking at the mansion.“How about we go inside and try the new shoes I bought. They go perfectly with the bag you picked for me.”I stood up too. “Alright.”As we walked into the mansion, Zelda stopped and looked at me again. “Just promise me, Renee.”“Promise you what?”“That you won’t rush and do anything stupid, I need you for this mission. I won’t have Katherine ruin it… but I also won’t let you bring the house down in flames either.”“I promise,” I said.Zelda nodded. “Good. Now come. Let’s go inside and talk more.”We entered the house as my head was filled with plans. This wasn’t abo
Renee’s povI thought about it. It made sense.“What will this woman do?” I asked.“She’ll start with small things. Tell Katherine lies. Make her feel crazy. Then she’ll create problems between her and Dacre. Maybe make it look like Katherine is cheating. Or stealing. Something big.”I smiled and nodded. “I love this idea. But what would she want for this service.”“She owes me a favor. But we’ll pay her well. Don’t worry.”I smiled. “This could work.”“It will work,” she said. “You just need to act innocent. Don’t fight with Katherine. Don’t speak to her unless you have to. Let this woman do the work.”I leaned back in my chair and sighed.“Good,” I said. “I’m tired of pretending to be sweet. I want results.”“You’ll get results,” she said.We sipped our drinks and smiled at each other.“This is why I called you,” I said. “You always have the best ideas.”She laughed. “And you always have the best drama.”We both laughed together. But deep down, I was serious. I would bring that girl
Katherine’s povJust then Grace stepped in front of me with a big smile on her face. “Mr. Dacre got them for you,” she said proudly.I gasped. “What?”“Yes, he ordered them this morning before breakfast,” she said. “He said you need new clothes, and nothing but the best.”I walked into the room slowly. My bed was full of clothes. The chairs too. There were hangers on the curtain rails, and even shoes on the rug. I didn’t know where to look.I went to the bed and picked up one dress. It was deep purple with tiny stones on the neckline. I saw a tag. A brand name I had only seen in magazines.“These are real,” I whispered.Grace laughed softly. “Of course. Mr Dacre only buys real things.”I smiled. “This is… wow. It’s too much.”“You deserve more, ma’am,” she said gently. “You’ve been through a lot.”I nodded. I touched a white blouse and then a soft scarf. I looked around again. The room had never looked this bright.Just then, I felt someone staring. I turned slowly.In the middle of t
Katherine’s povI sat in the dining with a feeling passing through me. It was funny seeing as I could see him across from me.Dacre sat there, reading something on his phone while the new maids walked around and served us breakfast.They moved differently from the others. These ones were quieter. I could see their neat uniforms and how new they looked. i picked a spoon and turned the tea in front of me as I looked up.“I didn’t even know you’d fire them and hey new ones, and how did you get the new ones so fast?”He looked up at me and smiled, just a little. “Many people want to work for me,” he said simply. “I put up a post. They all came running.”I laughed again. “That makes sense. This house is like a palace.”He smiled and nodded. “And you are the queen.”“We aren’t married, you know.”“Yet you have my child.”I felt something buzz within me as I smiled.“Are you okay?” “Yes,” I said with a nod. “I feel better today.”He smiled and got up to meet me as I watched him, wondering
Zelda’s povI was pacing in my room, back and forth, my slippers tapping on the cold tiles. My mind was not at rest.Something was wrong.I had felt it since yesterday and now I looked at Renee who was at my dresser.“You’re walking too much, Zelda,” she said lazily. “You’ll burn a hole in the floor.”I didn’t answer her.I was angry. Something didn’t feel right. The house felt too quiet. The air was heavy. The staff were avoiding my eyes. That always meant trouble.Renee called out suddenly, “Mabel!”She waited.“Mabel!”No one answered.She frowned and stood up. “Where’s that stupid maid?”I turned and watched her walk to the door angrily. She opened it and yelled, “Mabel! Are you deaf?!”A few seconds passed before another maid came walking slowly. She looked nervous.“Madam,” she said and bowed.“Where’s Mabel?” Renee asked. “I’ve been calling her for ten minutes!”The maid swallowed. “Madam… Mabel has been fired.”“What?” Renee asked, her voice sharp.I narrowed my eyes. “Fired?”
Dacre’s povThe next morning I woke up with a clear mind.I had work to do.I woke up, showered quickly and put on a fresh black shirt and trousers. I didn’t have breakfast.I just went straight to my study and locked the door behind me.The screen was there. The footage was there. All of it from that horrible day.I went to the table and sat down as I pressed play again and watched.I saw Katherine fall.I saw no one help her.I saw her pushed. I saw the other maids laughing.I watched the driver lie. I watched everyone treat her like she was nothing. Like she didn’t matter.And that’s when I smiled.They were done.I went to my house phone and pushed a button. In a minute I heard a soft tap at my door.“Come in,” I called.The young maid slinked into the room, eyes downcast. “Yes, Sir?”“Get me Grace.”“Yes, sir.”She bowed and left as a few minutes later, Grace walked in. She was the head maid. Older than the rest. More experienced. Quiet. Loyal.“Good morning, sir,” she said, bo