By noon, Beverly had been on her feet for six straight hours.Faye's bell had rung fourteen times. Each summons more trivial than the last—fluff the pillows, the water isn't cold enough, bring different towels. A deliberate campaign of small cruelties designed to break Beverly down piece by piece.And it was working.Beverly's vision had started blurring around the tenth ring. By the twelfth, her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold the tray. Now, climbing the servants' stairs for the fifteenth time, her legs felt like they belonged to someone else—distant, unreliable, threatening to give out with each step.The bandages on her hands had soaked through hours ago, leaving dark stains on everything she touched. Her feet, already damaged from yesterday, had begun bleeding into her shoes. Each step left small red prints on the stairs that she'd have to clean later.*If I can make it to later*, she thought distantly.She reached the third floor and emerged into the hallway, sw
Last Updated : 2025-10-23 Read more