Chapter 5

Jillian POV

A bitter, hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat, cutting through the numb shock. He had truly, completely stripped me bare. Reduced me to less than nothing. All my dignity, all my carefully constructed composure, shattered around me. Fine. If he wanted a monster, he would get one.

My gaze swept over the housemaid, a young woman who looked away, visibly uncomfortable. Then, to the other servants who had gathered, their faces a mix of curiosity and disdain. They were all Aida's people now. Damian's people. No longer mine.

"You," I said, my voice dangerously calm, pointing at the maid. "Get rid of all this. Restore my room. Put everything back the way it was." My eyes hardened, landing on the dog bed and toys. "And anything that doesn't belong to me, throw it out. Now."

The maids glanced at each other, then back at me, an unspoken challenge in their eyes. No one moved. The silence was thick, charged with defiance.

"What are you waiting for?" I demanded, my voice rising, a tremor of rage running through it. "Are you deaf?"

An older housekeeper, a woman who had worked for the Ramseys for decades and always treated me with a thinly veiled condescension, stepped forward. Her chin was held high, her eyes cold. "Mrs. Ramsey," she said, her tone laced with disdain. "We cannot touch Miss Reyes' belongings. These are her pets' things. Mr. Ramsey explicitly stated they are not to be disturbed. And as for your room... your new quarters are in the servant's wing. It's best if you accept Mr. Ramsey's arrangements."

My hands clenched into tight fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. My face flushed hot with humiliation, then cooled to an icy mask. The venomous words, the open disrespect, cut deeper than any physical blow. They saw me as weak. They saw me as disposable. A discarded wife, no longer worthy of even basic courtesy.

It was a chilling realization. Damian didn't just abandon me; he allowed everyone to abandon me, to stomp on my dignity. He had stripped me of my home, my family, my standing. But he wouldn't strip me of my last ounce of self-respect.

"Very well," I said, my voice a low, dangerous growl. "Then you're all fired. Every single one of you who dared to defy me. Pack your bags. You have until morning."

A gasp rippled through the group. The old housekeeper's face went white.

I turned on my heel, ignoring their stunned expressions. I pulled out my phone, my fingers flying across the screen. I called Hildegarde, keeping my voice steady, masking the raw pain and anger that threatened to consume me. I told her about the maids, about the changes to the house, carefully omitting the gruesome details of Cristopher' s death and Damian' s direct involvement, shielding her from the full extent of his cruelty.

Hildegarde listened silently, her breathing growing heavy. "I understand, my dear," she finally said, her voice tight with suppressed rage. "Consider it done. My people will be there within the hour. They will handle everything. Don't lift a finger. And remember what I told you. You are a Ramsey by marriage, and still a Castillo by blood. You have rights."

Within an hour, a stern-looking woman and a team of formidable staff arrived. They efficiently, silently, cleared all of Aida's belongings from the main areas of the house, restoring the decor to its former state. The dog bed, the toys, all gone. My room was returned to me, pristine and untouched, as if the pet room had never existed. The defiant housekeepers, including the old one, were swiftly, coldly, dismissed.

The stern woman, Hildegarde's personal assistant, approached me. "Mrs. Ramsey sends her regards," she said, her voice respectful. "She wanted me to tell you that this house, this property, is still yours. And no one, not even Mr. Ramsey, has the right to treat you otherwise. Your safety and comfort are her priority."

"Thank you," I said, my voice soft. "Please tell Hildegarde I'm grateful. I only want what she promised me." My divorce. My freedom.

I retreated to my reclaimed bedroom, the silence a stark contrast to the chaos of the past few days. I found my mother's small, intricately carved wooden box, containing her few precious heirlooms. I carefully placed Cristopher's urn beside it, side by side, forever together. My two greatest losses, now enshrined in my heart. I sat there for a long time, tracing the patterns on the urn, remembering Cristopher's laugh, his boundless enthusiasm. A deep, aching sorrow settled over me, a familiar companion now.

After a long, hot shower, I emerged, wrapping a towel around my hair. I paused, my eyes widening. Damian was sitting on the edge of my bed, his back to me, his shoulders hunched. He had never once, in eight years, stepped foot into my bedroom, let alone sat on my bed.

"Get out!" I shrieked, my voice sharp with shock and disgust. I instinctively clutched the towel tighter around me, a sudden wave of primal fear washing over me.

He flinched, turning slowly. His eyes, usually so cold and unreadable, held a flicker of something... confusion? Annoyance? "Jillian, what's wrong with you?" he asked, his voice low, his brow furrowing. "Why are you reacting like this?"

He stood up, taking a step towards me. This was the man who had always kept a polite distance, who had always respected our unspoken boundaries. Now, he was in my private space, his presence unsettling.

For eight years, I had craved his touch, his presence, his attention. Now, the mere sight of him, the thought of his proximity, made my skin crawl. It was a painful echo. He used to care like that.

A strange, unfamiliar irritation crossed his face. "Did you go running to Hildegarde?" he demanded, his voice hardening. "Is that why she sent her staff here? Did you complain about Aida being here?"

My heart sank. He was here for Aida. Not for me. He was here to defend her, to accuse me. Again.

A bitter, humorless laugh escaped my lips. "Of course," I whispered, the realization hitting me with the force of a physical blow. Of course, he would assume the worst of me. Of course, his first thought would be about Aida.

I thought back. Every single time he had initiated a conversation with me, every single time he had sought me out, it had been about Aida. Her comfort, her happiness, her well-being. Never mine. Never about us.

I had been so stupid. So incredibly, pathetically blind. I had spent eight years loving a ghost, a fantasy, while he poured all his real emotions, all his genuine concern, into another woman.

I said nothing, just stared at him, my face expressionless. My silence seemed to irritate him further. He took another step, reaching out for my arm. "Jillian, you need to go to Hildegarde and clarify things. Aida is very upset. This is your fault."

My body reacted instantly, instinctively recoiling from his touch. It was a visceral, involuntary movement, a deep-seated revulsion. I pulled my arm back as if his touch burned me.

He froze, his hand suspended in the air. A flicker of surprise, then a deeper, unreadable emotion crossed his face. His jaw tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek.

"No," I said, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. "I won't. I have nothing to clarify."

His eyes widened slightly, a strange flicker of confusion in their depths. He seemed genuinely bewildered by my refusal. A new, unfamiliar anxiety seemed to grip him, a subtle tension in his posture.

The sudden ring of his phone cut through the tense silence. His eyes darted to the screen. Aida. Her name flashed across the display. He answered, his face instantly softening, morphing into a mask of tender concern. "Aida, my love? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

He listened for a moment, his brow furrowing. His gaze, when it landed on me, was cold, accusing. "Jillian, you did this, didn't you? You deliberately targeted her." His voice was a harsh whisper, filled with contempt. "You need to go to Hildegarde's. Now. Explain yourself."

He reached for my dresser, his hand casually pulling open the top drawer. His eyes fell upon the small, intricately carved wooden box, my mother's heirloom, now containing Cristopher' s ashes. He picked it up, his fingers brushing against the smooth, polished wood. He didn't know what it was. He just held it, casually, carelessly.

"I need you to go to Hildegarde's," he repeated, his voice firm, his eyes fixed on me. "Or else..." He held up the box, a silent, chilling threat.