Maid To Be

My gaze stayed focused on the worn-out shoes worn on my feet, and I bit my lower lip firmly, sensing the anxiety that was seeping into every part of me.

As though something would suddenly appear from one corner, my gaze remained scanning the surroundings.

Standing before a mansion's gate for the last twenty minutes, I was unsure whether to press the bell or turn away.

While there was a part of me that wanted to turn around and take the circuitous route back to my house, the other part of me knew better. Either this or returning to my unending misery would be the alternative.

That's not what I wanted.

Before long, I saw the sinuous placard that read "HELP WANTED!" over the grand gate.

This sign had obviously been up for a very long period because the text had started to fade and it appeared sufficiently damaged.

Regardless of the situation, there was no going back now.

With trembling feet and fumbling fingers, I reached forward more slowly and cautiously and slapped the wall-mounted bell with my hands.

My eyes were roving the surroundings, and thoughts that were threatening to drive me insane had now found abode in my head.

I had been forced to leave home at the early hours of dawn, searching for someone to hire me. No matter what the job was, I was ready to take it up.

Instead of looking for whose floors to scrub or what restaurant to wait at, every single person I encountered turned me away, refusing me right away, stating I was too young and should be in school.

For the past three hours, it was yet the same response I received from each job opening I stumbled upon.

I was exhausted at this point. In fact, I would stop the hunt and give my hurting legs some rest if I had to deal with one more setback.

Suddenly, a voice boomed loudly into my ears, making my entire body tense up.

"who are you?" Bellowing from the microphone, was the voice.

Another significant thing that demotivated me was the way they sounded.

"I'm here for the job," Came my response.

"what job?" Uttered the voice.

"Huh?"

"I don't remember asking anyone to come here for a job." The voice yelled, sounding like a woman's.

"'Help wanted' is written on this sign out here. I immediately said, questioning whether I had rung the correct bell-which, of course, I had.

Then she followed with a yell, "Oh that!"

"Come on in then" The woman had eventually agreed, voice growing lower.

The gate growled at my form, its hinges squealing, as it slowly pulled open, making way for my figure.

It screeched so loud, and as if it had a mind of its own, it grumbled upon my entrance. Perhaps, this inanimate object was tired of life, and would rather be anywhere than giving way for people, and then shutting back to its position.

If it ever needed anyone talking to, I would in fact, give my ears up, listening to it tell me its sweet little tales, Cause I, in fact was just the perfect person to come close to any wee turmoil the weak gates had been through.

Ah, how wonderful my life is.

Excellent in every way.

My gaze was drawn to the splendour of the home as I pushed myself closer.

It was truly lovely, and that is an understatement of the highest kind.

To describe the specifics of the house that was positioned in front of me, the most suitable candidate would be someone with a gentle disposition and an aptitude for storytelling.

The home was very powerful, with intricate designs carved into it. The closer I got, the more power it imparted.

Who would dare possess such beauty?

I've never believed that individuals who are wealthy actually exist, at least not in my immediate vicinity, despite the fact that I hear enough stories of them every day.

Colourful flowers bordered the mansion, and a fountain in the middle of the spacious structure poured water over the white ducks that circled the miniature pond.

If this doesn't encapsulate luxury, I'm not sure what would.

My legs sprung up, and my eyes tore from the object of appreciation, as I saw the form of a chubby, hefty woman staring blankly at me from the wide doorway.

The woman, who I deduced to be in her older years of life, was holding a big wooden spoon in her hands while wearing an apron.

My feet kept moving forward, approaching her shape, but my eyes would not meet hers.

"Mrs. Williams will see you now," she uttered, while stepping aside to allow me proceed.

A mess I was, as I found myself lost on how to work the door. It made a lot of noise upon my entry, and as if that wasn't awkward enough, all the while the woman gaped at me with muddled eyes.

Once more, the moment I went in, the interiors of beauty were bestowed upon my eyes.

The living area was decorated in a stylish and uncomplicated manner, doing well complementing the space.

As soon as I heard the echo of heels and voices, I straightened my dress and ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to appear more put together for whoever had come to visit.

A woman's profile emerged, and a man stood at her side, supporting her with his arms.

Her form waddleddown the endless steps while her white pumps clicked noisily.

She looked stunning in a white jacket that begged for compliments from the black, billowing trousers that engulfed her feet.

This woman was stunning, even though it didn't look like she was that old. Her beauty was quite breathtaking.

She was no more than forty, if my estimation of her age was accurate.

My eyes had quickly moved to the man's shape, his arms still encircling the woman's waist as she laughed at whatever he had said.

Her laughter stopped as soon as she saw my silhouette. Her eyes darted from the form of her husband to me, her face contorted in uncertainty as she stared blankly at me.

"And who's this, Tara?"

I quickly picked up on the accent in her flawlessly smooth speech. She spoke with such assurance that it made me shudder.

With her eyes aiming straight at me, she scrutinised my form, moving her focus from the top of my head to my feet.

"She's here for the job" The woman who had before led me inside the house answered right away.

"A job?...... How old are you?" Came the voice of the lady.

"Sixteen" Followed my response.

Staring blankly at my form, her words followed. "That's very young."

As for her previous companion, the man moved aside and began to pace about the living room, constantly looking at his wristwatch.

"We're gonna be late" I could hear him calling from across the room, attracting the woman's attention. She glanced at him for a little while before turning back to face me.

With a tone that suggested that this could be difficult for you to understand, Nevertheless, you would receive it, she emitted a sigh,

"Dear."

"I don't this job is for you" She said those words that, since the morning, I had come to hate.

"You're quite young," she said thereafter. "Now I wouldn't want the police banging at my gate accusing me of misusing a child"

She paused, moving her eyes through mine as if to see the hurt in my eyes.

"Pardon me, but I have to leave now"

My gaze trailed her as she moved away, hands reaching for the yellow luxury purse perched on the couch. Before I knew it, she had turned to face the other woman who was still in the room and was paying attention to everything that was being said.

Tara, please make sure everything is in order. Additionally, I believe we discussed having Kate start her weekly grocery shopping."

One could only presume she was the lady of the house based on the way she conducted herself and her passionate representation of Power. She has to be the 'Mrs Williams' mentioned before.

"Of course, ma'am" Tara immediately trailed behind, wiping her hands on the apron that was fastened around her big waist.

I was unaware that I had dropped on my knees until Mrs. Williams's warm-looking eyes looked down at my form.

"Madam! I must have this job. Anything you ask of me, I'll do. Whatever you want."

It wouldn't take long for me to start crying, as I could feel my own voice falter and become quiet.

I observed the man on the other end move towards me as his eyes shifted from his wife's shape to mine.

"Is everything alright here?" He asked.

Before long, Mrs. Williams had turned to face him, letting out a quiet sigh.

"Yes, my dear. I'll be there shortly to join you.

She quickly turned to face me.

"I can't let you work here." Those were the words I heard.

"I will require your parents' full consent to proceed if I am to even entertain that idea. I can't offer you the job without that."

"Besides, shouldn't you be in school now?"

"where are your parents?"

I averted my face, and tears quickly welled up in my eyes.

"Dad won't be in the picture, for as long as there is"

She quickly realised what I was hinting at, as I noticed her abrupt shift in demeanour.

"And Mom's in the hospital critically ill."

A prolonged silence ensued, during which her gaze remained fixed on mine.

"Oh, my! Get up," she'd yelled, her voice filling the room.

Her tone of compassion only made me lose the emotional war I was fighting with myself.

"You should be with your mother" I heard her remark, "She needs you."

Only if it were that simple.

It was not what anyone would want, being in that hospital ward, watching their own mother writhe in agony.

I had prayed every night in the hopes that a miracle would occur. Anything at all! just something to make me happy again. But I was exhausted already at this time. That loud voice was screaming inside of me, telling me to get going so my mother could see the next Christmas.

"Please, ma'am! I implore you. Please don't turn me away. My only chance is this." I was crying uncontrollably as I looked up at the woman who represented the last shred of hope I had for my job search.

"I'm so sorry, I can't." And she had it destroyed in a split second.

I briefly believed that I would collapse onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, and then pass out from sheer fatigue, but the man's few remarks in the room gave me the boost I needed to resurrect my energy quickly.

"Oh dear, let her have the job!" He said.

I had never really paid attention to him until this point. He had an accent, just like Lady Williams, except his was thicker.

"She's too young to work here." trailed the Lady's voice, eyes becoming wide at what she would have thought to be a ridiculous choice.

It's okay, my dear. I'll have things all worked out. Can we just go now?"

"Oh, Sir" I jumped to my feet, turning to face him. "I'm beyond grateful"

Before I knew it, I had managed to get a tick from Mrs Williams's intense stare.

To say that I was happy wouldn't do the immense joy that surrounded me at this justice.

This served as my last chance, my save.

I could repay all the outstanding expenses from the hospital, obtain a second job to go along with this one. Unless the Williams were prepared to give me tens of thousands of dollars for a task that I had just started.

I had no idea how much money I would get paid for my employment here. All I could hope was that it met my standards.

"Honey, I have a bad feeling about this" Lady Williams's quiet voice emerged as her hands gripped her husband's.

"Helping a girl in need is not a terrible thing at all. We will now be late if we don't hurry." He answered.

At his words, she let out a sigh and turned to face me.

"Tarawill give you instructions. She is in charge of the kitchen, so you should make sure you treat her with the utmost respect. Just to be clear, at the end of each month, I will be giving her your paycheck.

I grinned as I nodded, responding to every word she said.

I emphasised "Thank you so much" for the nth time, my voice trailing behind her figure.

"Tara, we're heading out immediately. Verify that everything is in order, then inform"

She halted, her eyes narrowing as she turned to face me.

"what's the name?"

"Nia," I called right away, my eyes brightening at her picture.

"All right. Educate Nia here on what to do" She hardly had time to complete her words before her figure started to move away.

"Yes ma'am!"

Mr. Williams's figure moved closer to the door and pulled it open for his wife to emerge, his own figure trailing behind.

Tara cried out to them as soon as their shapes passed the entrance, "Come with me."

She bounded off, bum swaying from side to side, and all of a sudden there was stillness between us.

I trailed closely behind her, keeping my hands clasped together and my gaze turned away from her body so as not to draw attention to her little show.

After a few minutes of meandering around hallways, we eventually came to a very large room, which I recognised as the kitchen after noticing the various objects strewn all over the space.

Individuals dispersed in various directions, with rumours circulating nearby.

Every one of them was a woman.

Each and every figure was wearing an apron tied around their waist, their fingers caressing something.

At the entry of Tara and I, they quickly turned around, staring at me for a considerable amount of time as if they were trying to figure out who this girl was who had the audacity to interrupt their intense routine.

"This is Nia, she recently joined us," Ms. Tara said to the individuals occupying the space.

I could feel their eyes scouring every inch of me. With each scrutiny shifting between them, I was desperate to know what was going through their minds.

"Mary over there is the cook" She poured. "She assists me in the kitchen over here."

I instantly turned to look at the woman who Ms. Tara was pointing at.

Her hands busied themselves kneading a dough, her entire body covered in flour. She clawed at the batter smudge on her apron with her index finger.

"That's Abigail, Suzy, Kate, and that's Denna."

"You and Denna will work together on cleaning tasks. "Now, grab an apron and get to work right away," she said sharply.

With her hands tugging at an apron and then tossing it over to me, I observed the one named Denna

She moved towards a rack at the far end of the kitchen, eyes all the while laden on me.

"Turn this on. I'll show you where to begin"

Some wreck I was.

Figure pacing the living room, not even halfway through the task, and I looked like a complete disaster.

After doing the same exhausting routine of dusting, scrubbing, and brushing for hours, it was only right that I finally gave my sore body a break.

With a brief sigh, I fell into the velvety sofa, sinking into its comfort.

Alright, perhaps I had anticipated too much. I have to say, I never imagined that earning money would take so much energy. The worst part is that you're working for the money to resolve an unresolved issue rather than for your own benefit.

It was exhausting, I assure you.

Quite taxing, yet my heart ached to continue since there was still a purpose I needed to be here.

For a brief period, my attention was drawn to something shimmering on the wall: a glass frame holding a picture in which my figure was gradually approaching.

I stared at the beauty of the sculpture for a long moment, my fingers running along its borders and reaching forward.

I continued to look closer, hoping to see more of the painting, but all of a sudden I was startled by a voice coming from behind me.

I'd twisted around in a state of terror that made my bones tingle, and as I turned around, Denna's blank eyes were the only thing staring back at me.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

"Everything here is" Her voice didn't change in volume.

"I was only-"

Admiring it? It's alright. I'm not going to tell.

"I'm Denna by the way"

"Nia"

Even though Tara had already done the introductions, I was struggling to find my own speech as I extended my hands to accept her outstretched arms and tried to be sufficiently polite.

"You better move quickly before Miss Tara discovers that you haven't finished the chores,. You wouldn't want to annoy her, I promise." The girl warned me, speaking in a quiet voice.

It was so low you could hardly see the words. While she was speaking to me, there was something in her stare that I couldn't quite identify.

And Soon after, the sound of a vehicle pulling up in the house, had Denna scrambling towards the window to take a quick look outside.

"The kids are back!" Her remarks arrived quickly with panic.

"Kids? There are kids?" My voice sounded as shocked as hers did. And Denna had already shot off, putting everything back in place, while my gaze followed her form.

"Of course!" She sobbed.

"Is there anyone you believe resides in a home this size? In total, there are eight children"

"Eight?!" My voice came.

At that moment, three boys burst through the parlour walls with their shouts resonating. Humour was mingled with conversations.

My eyes were focused on observing every detail despite the cacophony.

While the other two ran up the stairs, oblivious to my figure standing in a living room corner, one of them had slumped into the couch, snatching off his rucksack.

"I'm tired and hungry" After making that statement, the child stood up and looked at Denna briefly.

Is there anything to eat? Anything?"

"Food is in the kitchen, Dylan. Miss Tara made your favourite" The girl followed with a quick smile on her face.

Her ever-widening grin, which never seemed to go away, gave the impression that she was merely trying to win the child over.

"Thank God!"

"It's like that lady reads my mind all the time" He exclaimed.

I watched him for a long moment, watching as he grabbed onto his backpack and was about to walk away when he suddenly stopped, turned around slowly and eventually looked at me.

I watched those eyes scour my profile as they looked directly at me.

With scowled eyebrows, he said, "You're new."

Before long, he had turned and gone, leaving Denna and myself alone once more.

"Those are the triplets." They are just eleven years of age" Once the child's figure disappeared, Denna's voice would undoubtedly follow.

"Triplets?"

"It appears that you are taken by surprise. Hold off until I tell you of twins'-Logan and Tyler. Well mannered young men, the duo happen to be the most comported of all kids, and they just happen to be sixteen"

"You know, they're all lucky." "Having parents who get them whatever they want, whenever" As she finished speaking, Denna reached for her cleaning brush, to resume her chores, perhaps, having been exhausted from the tattle.

And in that moment, came a figure sauntering into the living room.

It was a girl.

She had her head in the phone conversation, laughing softly while the object stayed glued to her ears.

Apparently oblivious to Denna and I, she had thrown her purse onto the couch, still left ignorant of the two insignificant figures who were staring at her with such disbelief.

Maybe a daze instead? I was well aware of my daze. Absolutely stunning was everything that went on in this house.

Still focusing on the cellphone conversation, the girl made her way up the steps.

"Are you done cleaning?" My attention was instantly drawn to Denna's voice.

"I should be"

I saw her smile as she said, "That's good, Nia." You appear to be learning quickly. I'm going to be in the-

Her words were lost in the sudden, terrifying scream that followed by the sound of heels clicking. The girl who had entered moments earlier quickly made her way down the stairs, her eyes filled with fear.

"Where are my keys?! Where are they? Where are those dumb keys, please?!"

Her tone echoed throughout the space. Occasionally, she would scream to no one in particular while searching through the bag in her grasp and using profanity.

"Have you seen my car keys?" Her eyes were fixed on Denna's form as she quickly sum around.

"You can't find your keys?"

The girl was disgruntled by the response which followed from Denna, as it seemed unlikely that she would find much value in being questioned repeatedly.

"I'm pretty sure I spoke without water in my mouth, Denna" Those words were spat out cold, gaze shooting fires.

After a short while, she had switched to looking through her purse when a light scoff left her lips. Her hand quickly went to the bag and took something out.

"Here it is," She followed with a sneer.

She immediately spun to Denna as soon as I saw the joy return to those eyes. "If my parents inquire about my whereabouts? Let them know I'm at Tiana's.

"Of course"

And as that figure proceeded to leave the residence, I observed her in keen stare.

With a quick glance out the door at the girl, Denna cried out, "That's Ashley."

"Sixteen"

"...Has a lovely home, kind parents, and everything one could ask for; you know she-

Her comments seemed hollow to me; they were all a return to the aches that I had dismissed moments before.

Maybe the silence had immediately captured her attention, for she spun to face me with her eyes fixed on my figure.

"Are you okay?" She enquired.

"I'm fine"

I quickly brushed off her questionings with a slight nod, eyes averted from hers.

"Pardon me," I uttered, as I started to leave the room.

The instant I stepped outside, those tears I was trying so hard to conceal began to flow, with that recurring thought of mother begging into my head.

It was just her and I, lone in this world, and all I could think of in that moment, was some miracle.

A miracle of her healing.

I heard the sound of voices overlap each other. coming from the opposite end of the house, and Immediately, I grabbed my broom stick off the floor, extending my hands to dab my tears off my cheeks.

Three individuals appeared, approaching me, yammering and bickering over something so important that they hardly noticed the upset girl who was standing in front of them, merely glancing curiously.

My focus was on two profiles in particular, which I found moping at due to their remarkable similarity.

It wasn't until I noticed that they shared the same features-similar hair colour and button-shaped nose-that I realised these were the twins Denna had mentioned.

Whatever they were talking about, didn't seem much of a concern for their company, who appeared quite bored, to be honest.

"Oh, C'mon!" one of the twins drawled.

"Fuck!, I'm going nowhere!" The distinct one of all three followed in a growl.

Their British accents were clearly audible. It was then that I recognised this was most likely one of those powerful British families that had immigrated to the United States.

"What on earth can we do to convince you to tag along?" Speaking was the other twin.

"Really, nothing! I fail to see why I should accompany you? Why don't you ask Cameron to tag along with you" Followed the one with a different appearance among the three.

With heavy brows wrinkled, he continued to stare at the twins as they expressed their dissatisfaction.

"Of course, Jordan. Keep pretending you're unaware that mom and dad won't let us go anywhere without your company"

"They believe you're responsible, whereas, all I see is a Buffoon"

"Maybe if you keep running your mouth like that, Tyler. I'll eventually come along with you." Followed the voice of Jordan, a scowl now evident on his face.

And soon surrendering his hands in sign of submission, Tyled followed behind, trailing along.

"what's in it for me?" With his eyes fixed on the two, Jordan released his grip right away.

"we'll give you one hundred" Tyler trailed after

"Make it Five" Came the answer.

"Three"

"Five"

"Four" The other twin also contributed.

"Five!!!"

As I stood there, I noticed that three individuals who I had never met before were conversing in numbers and seemed to understand one another.

"Five hundred? That's too much!" Exclaimed one of the twins, with the boy throwing up his hands-possibly in frustration.

"you wanna go to the party or not?" Jordan trailed behind.

The twins had suddenly gone silent, their gazes shifting, their voices muffled, and in an instant they were staring at the person in front of them.

"All right! You'll get 500 from us."

"You've got yourself a deal, ladies," Jordan exclaimed with a grin now settled on his lips.

He had turned around on his feet, nodding to each of the boys, and was shortly leaving the vicinity.

When those forms did eventually acknowledge my figure stood there all the while, their close examination nearly left me feeling destabilised.

They were looking at my form as if I had something intriguing lying about. Everything about it was just tiny Ol' Nia, except that I was holding a cleaning brush.

One of those faces scrunched up immediately, perhaps out of disgust, or confusion, whichever it was, sure had managed to catch my attention.

Could it be my hair?

Certainly, it was my hair! I was only in that position because I hadn't had a chance to take care of myself in a long time.

The other individual stood there staring at me while the other one quickly turned around and walked away.

I heard him say, "I don't think I've seen you around."

"Well-

My mind raced, not knowing where to start when trying to tell this stranger that I had been recruited to work as a maid at this stranger'/ home.

The words were stuck in my throat.

"You look confused. Are you aware that I reside here?"

He murmured, "I'm Logan."

"Nia" was the only word I said that was low enough to be heard.

"logan!"

We were both instantly drawn in as we heard a person yell in the distance.

It was his twin.

"Coming" was the response Logan gave, and he quickly sprinted off, leaving me standing there and watching the two as their figures drew farther and farther out of sight.

"Goodness!"

I was startled by that voice right away. I spun around at once , only to find Madam Tara stood there, looking at me quizzically.

"Don't you wish to go home?" Her eyes were narrowed at my body as she observed me closely and perhaps wondered why I was by myself, staring at nothing in particular, outside.

"I've finished all of the housework," I said.

"Really?!" Those eyes stared at me, utterly bewildered. "You must be done cleaning Ashley's room, then?"

"Am I to clean her room?" With doubt in my voice, I peered at that profile far away.

"Of course!"

"Your main responsibility is to have every room cleaned. But for now, Denna has taken care of it. Ashley's is the only one left, and you must clean it immediately.

"Of course" I replied, quickly stepping aside to avoid that lady's awful inspection.

~~~

My legs were growing weaker with each step I took inside the house, and my eyes were itching.

Of course, I had sobbed outside, those tears hardly able to solve the situation I found myself in.

That discomfort in my leg was real. That pain that felt like it would numb my entire body every step I walked towards Ashley's room.

It wouldn't be long before this was all done. I could relieve some of my stress in a few more hours, and get the comfort I've always wanted.

My mouth dropped at the scene that was left in front of me as I slowly moved my hands to push the door.

It was a mess, the entire room.

Eyes swept over the space, noting the room's dimensions, and quickly realising that I would be the one doing the cleanup.

My figure immediately moved forward, rushing to the bed and quickly grabbing the many clothing that were spread out on it before throwing them into a basket in the corner.

Gazing at a massive door at the far end of the room, I noticed that it caught my interest and quickly moved my form from where I was to near it.

My own hands betrayed me as my body drew nearer, and before I knew it, I had forced open the door to show a spacious room with shelves stacked high with shoes and bags.

"ASHLEY" was displayed on a neon sign at the far end.

Is there any way things could get worse?

I quickly fled the space to hurry into the main room and start my tasks when I heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching from the hallways.

Being reprimanded on my first day of work here would be sad, wouldn't it?

I could discipline myself without anyone else's yelling at me, and at once, I had gone right down to business.

I hastened to get the floors mopped after spending thirty minutes organising the girl's clothes, sweeping, choosing, and piling items on top of each other.

Not that the quantity of things I accomplished mattered to anyone, but when I saw the area my hands had worked on, I was filled with pride.

It felt like the culmination of a need for something, and without further delay, I emerged from that deep end, entering the corridor, my bewildered gaze darting from one corner to the other.

I was seen staring around the corridor while I stopped in the middle, unsure of what direction to turn to.

Just when doubts began to creep in, my legs pushed forward and then decided to turn back.

The twins soon made their appearance as two people emerged from the shadows. I recognised right away.

They hurried in my direction, both deep in conversation, and they passed me by without even looking at me.

I made the quick decision to tag along behind them as I followed their forms.

It took us several minutes to navigate around curves and via halls before I truly realised how big the home was. Who was protesting now? I was more astonished that the individuals in front of me had ignored the form behind them. Silently, I followed.

Luckily, I made it to the living room and, after nearly getting lost, I quickly found my way to the kitchen.

Miss Tara appeared, her gaze sweeping the room, possibly investigating the actions of the maids.

Not long after, those eyes settled on my shape, observing me.

"Are you done with all you were assigned to?"

With her eyes fixed on my physique, she had spun to face me.

After responding to her question with a single nod, I grabbed the apron from around my waist, threw the bucket and duster into a corner, and quickly left the room.

It should have come as no surprise that I was eager to get home, but I had to see my mother first. All morning, she had been the only thought on my mind.

I wished she was in my grasp, so I could hear her say she was improving. But those were only my wishes. That was something I was well familiar with.

One has to work in order for their prayers to be answered. I was raised understanding that.

I had to give the physician money before they would commence treatment on her if I truly wanted to see her well.

As I drew closer, I could hear more and louder conversations coming from the living room.

The remaining maids were gathered there, their voices filling the room as they engaged in conversation.

Their words reached my ears, but I'm sure they were unaware of my form loitering by the corner.

"I'm not happy with that new girl joining us"

I heard Kate say, "Our pay could be reduced all because of her."

"You say that, but why? She is only a young child. It was the older woman who spoke. Her name, if I'm not wrong, is Mary.

"Oh, kindly. I concur with Kate. There are already too many servants here. I don't understand why she needs a job," sneered Suzy.

"She is already employed by Master and Mrs. Williams. Since they are the ones who own this property, their choice is final. That's where we should stop. Denna chimed in.

"How much do you know? You're still a kid. With a tone of frustration, Katy shot daggers at Denna's shape with her gaze.

Mary's gaze quickly met mine, observing my shape. Immediately after, the others did the same, arriving to see me standing there.

As if talking with one another, they all turned to face me and then twisted around and left, leaving Denna standing there staring at my figure with a very dejected expression.

She forced a feeble grin to appear on her lips and left the room, not before the unsettling silence had descended.