The Sweet Revenge Plan of the Wrong Mrs. Perkins

"Back already?"

The man's voice was icy, each word sharp enough to sting.

Alexander Perkins sat poised at the center of the dark leather chesterfield, his expression carved from stone-cold, unreadable, and utterly imperious. The sheer force of his presence made it difficult for anyone to meet his gaze, as if the very air around him bent to his will.

On both sides, six maids in matching uniforms stood frozen, like they were waiting for a storm to hit.

"What, disappointed to see me?" Caitlin Jordan's eyes narrowed with amused disdain, a faint smirk tugging at her lips as cold sarcasm danced in her gaze.

"If you're trying this disappearing act again just to force my hand, Caitlin, I'll make sure the Jordans pay for it." Alexander's brow twitched slightly, but his voice stayed as detached as ever.

Caitlin casually ran her fingers through her long hair. "Let me remind you-I'm Mrs. Perkins now. The Jordans don't give me a single share of anything. Their mess? Not my problem. Anyway, I'm tired. Going to bed."

That kind of dismissal? Totally unheard of when it came to Alexander. His face darkened on the spot.

"Caitlin, do you even realize what you're doing? You went off the radar for five days. Not a word. And you think you don't owe me an explanation?"

She crossed her arms, giving him a sharp look. "Huh? An explanation? Am I your prisoner or something? Since when did every move I make require your approval?"

A flicker of shock crossed his face before it twisted into a scowl. What the hell had gotten into her?

Five days ago, this woman was all timid and careful, like she was terrified of making any noise, let alone standing up to him. Honestly, she was boring as hell.

If it wasn't for his grandmother choosing her as a daughter-in-law, he wouldn't have looked at her twice.

But now? She came back like a totally different person.

"What is this? Some kind of reverse psychology game?" His tone dipped into something darker.

Caitlin tilted her head, eyes brimming with ridicule. She spread her hands mockingly. "Alexander, in this dead-silent, soul-sucking house of yours, what game do you think is even worth playing? Or are you really so full of yourself that you think I'm dying to win your favor?"

She turned abruptly, her voluminous curls whipping out behind her like waves, strutting away without a second glance.

As she passed the maids lining either side, Caitlin stopped briefly, glanced around, and said, "Hey, can someone bring lunch to my room? I'm starving."

The maids exchanged nervous glances. With Mr. Perkins saying nothing, none of them dared to move.

Seeing this, Caitlin laughed under her breath, turned back, and shot him a mocking smile. "Seriously? The all-powerful Perkins family can't even spare a meal for their precious Mrs. Perkins? Anyone hears about this, they're gonna laugh till their teeth fall out."

Alexander's eyes narrowed dangerously, a sharp flicker slicing across Caitlin's flawless face, like he was trying to read what was really going on with her.

She kept her cool, covering up that emotional wave bubbling under the surface. Her eyes stayed locked on his-unshaken, proud.

The room fell into an eerie silence. The tension stretched on taut and unyielding, every second feeling like forever to the staff.

"Don't forget what day it is. You'd better behave."Alexander's gaze was sharp and cold, the kind that could freeze a person in place. He remembered clearly-every month on this day, Caitlin would be a mess of fear and anxiety. The maids said she'd usually start panicking the night before. But today? She looked like she couldn't care less. Maybe she even forgot.

People's personalities don't just do a 180 in a few days. He wasn't buying it.

Was this whole tough-girl act just for show?

Fine. Let's see how long she can keep it up.

"'Behave'?" Caitlin let out a light laugh, dark eyes narrowing with disgust.

She stood a bit on her toes so she could look him right in the eye. Her small, delicate face turned slightly as she said, her tone icy, "I used to be so well-behaved-tell me, what did that get me? Or better yet, why don't you explain exactly what kind of obedience it takes to please someone like you, Mr. Perkins?"

They were standing close enough that their breath mingled in the air.

No one noticed the way Alexander's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

There was a new fragrance on her-something seductive and bold. He'd never smelled it on her before.

Interesting.

Now he really wanted to figure her out.

"So you do know your whole purpose is to please me. Here's a heads-up-don't play with fire."

His voice was cold, cutting through the room like a knife, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

Caitlin gave him a long look, then chuckled coldly. "Too late. I already struck the match."

Without another word, she turned and walked past him, tall and poised, leaving only her cold, proud silhouette behind.

Alexander's eyes darkened.

Caitlin had married into the family as a trade-her womb for investment to keep the Jordan Group afloat. She'd always known her role. Just the sight of him used to make her on edge.

Even when he ignored her, she kept trying-smiling nervously, eager to please, almost pathetically so.

The sad part? The more she tried, the more repulsed he was.

Her natural softness, paired with constant submission, made even the maids in the mansion treat her like a doormat.

But just moments ago, Alexander had seen something totally new in her eyes-

She was looking down on him.

Unbelievable.

Upstairs, Samantha Quin was touching her face in front of the mirror, a flash of hatred crossing her eyes.

She looked almost exactly like Caitlin-the same features, same face-but their personalities couldn't have been more different.

Maybe it was because they'd grown up in worlds that couldn't have been more different-separated by over twenty years of silence and distance.

One burned like wildfire-fierce, radiant, and impossible to hold back.

The other was like a still lake at dawn-quiet, thoughtful, and deeply serene.

And now? Just when she finally found her sister... Caitlin was gone.

Samantha wiped her tears, making a silent vow-she would make them pay for what they'd done.

Ethan Warren had been right. In front of Alexander, her sister hadn't even had a shred of dignity. Heck, in this entire mansion, even the maids walked all over her.

All because some astrologer claimed her birth date promised high fertility, her stepfather, Thomas Jordan, had packed her off to marry Alexander-a man whispered to fancy men and keep women at arm's length.

She was Mrs. Perkins on paper, but in reality? Just a walking baby machine.

Alexander wouldn't touch her, so Henrietta Perkins took out all her frustration on her instead.

That year had been hell-Caitlin endured nothing but cold stares and cruel treatment. Her life was a black hole with no hope in sight. No one knew just how much humiliation she'd gone through.

Samantha's eyes glinted as she gave a small, cold smile.

Caitlin, whatever they stole from you-I'll get it back. And those who hurt you? I'll make damn sure they suffer for it.

Samantha had changed into a comfy set of home clothes, ready to order food, only to find out her sister's phone didn't even have a delivery app.

Her stomach growled louder by the second. Even if she started downloading the app now, by the time the food arrived, she'd probably be crawling from hunger.

Everyone downstairs was still waiting to watch her crash and burn. She muttered a curse under her breath. But starving herself? Not in a million years. With a sigh, she turned and headed for the kitchen.

Without sparing anyone a glance, Samantha walked in like she owned the place. She dug through the fridge and found two eggs, some lettuce, a few slices of ham, and a bottle of salad dressing.

After a bit of messing around, she whipped up a giant burger. She bit into it like she hadn't eaten in days, grabbed an ice-cold bottle of cola, and strolled toward the stairs-all casual and chill.

"Wait, that was... Mrs. Perkins?" Lucas Bennett, standing beside Alexander, scratched his head, looking like he'd just seen a ghost. "Boss, did she get possessed or something?"

Caitlin had always been the picture of grace around the house-flawless makeup, elegant dresses, and so sweet it made your teeth hurt.

But that woman just now? Hair in a messy bun, cotton pajamas that screamed 'I'm staying in,' chugging cola and munching on a burger like it was no big deal? Really?

Alexander didn't even bother replying. He dropped back onto the couch, flipped open his laptop, and forced himself to ignore the odd feeling creeping up inside.

This woman... she wasn't who she used to be. And for once, he couldn't just pretend she didn't exist.

It was a weird feeling.

For the first time, Samantha actually felt... intriguing.

-

After scarfing down the food, Samantha crashed on the bed and dozed off for a bit. But the buzzing sound of a vacuum jolted her awake.

The noise kept starting and stopping, on and off, peppered with whispers outside the door.

"Think this'll wake her?" one voice murmured. "She's acting different lately. I don't wanna mess with her."

"Scared of what? Seriously? She's got no weight in this house. Remember what Mrs. Perkins said about her? No way she's got any real backbone."

"Exactly. She didn't speak up before, she won't now..."

Before the sentence was even finished, Samantha yanked the door open. She leaned lazily against the frame, eyes cool, lips tugging into a sardonic smile.

"Turn it off. That noise? Drives me nuts."

One of the younger maids, Eliza, clearly feeling bold, crossed her arms with a sneer. "Wow, a little fussy, aren't we? Can't handle a bit of sound? If you're so tough, why not yell at Mr. Perkins instead?"

Samantha sighed and brushed her hair back, looking downright amused. Kids these days really had nerve.

"What's your name again?"

"Eliza. Why? Gonna go cry to the boss now? Go ahead, he won't-"

Eliza wasn't scared of this 'lady of the house.' Back then, even if she got sassy, the other one would just smile awkwardly and back off.

People trample the timid and bow to the tough-always have, always will. Nice doesn't protect you from being stepped on.

Samantha had learned that lesson well.

A faint scorn curled her lips. Caitlin's sweet nature had made her an easy target for these two-faced brats.

She lazily raised a finger and wagged it slightly. "Nah, I don't run to people. That's not my style. If I've got a problem, I deal with it then and there."

Her eyes sharpened. She walked forward, planting her foot squarely on the vacuum head. Locking eyes with Eliza, she said each word slow and cool, "Learn this: I treat people how they treat me. Act like trash, and I'll show you exactly what that looks like."Without another word, she yanked the vacuum hose off and slammed it onto Eliza's mouth, pushing her hard against the wall while lifting one leg to press down on her shoulder.

"Mmm! Mmm!" Eliza freaked out, thrashing wildly, clawing at the hose trying to get it off her face.

The other two maids were stunned for half a second, then panicked and rushed over to pull Samantha off. But before they got close, she kicked one left and the other right-both went flying.

Samantha yanked the hose out of Eliza's mouth and grabbed her by the neck. Her flawless face was ice-cold, eyes glinting with a ruthless edge. She leaned in, voice chilling. "I said-no vacuums. Use a broom and sweep every corner. Get it?"

Eliza was in total shock, her mouth raw and burning.

How... how could that timid lady be acting like this? Eliza froze up, completely blank.

Smack.

A loud slap echoed. Samantha sneered, her smile sharp. "I don't repeat myself. I asked-do you understand?"

"Y-yes! Yes! I get it, I get it!" Eliza clutched her cheek, totally terrified.

"Perfect. Then throw that vacuum off the second floor," Samantha said coolly, her gaze sweeping across all three terrified maids like a blade.

"Huh? Y-you want us to toss it?" Eliza was stunned. Another maid hesitated. "But... Mr. Perkins is downstairs..."

"Well, that's your problem," Samantha shrugged with mock innocence, taking slow steps toward them. "If you won't do it, I guess I'll have to teach you another lesson."

This woman... was like a demon!

"Y-yes, ma'am!" All three of them went pale. Shivering, they wheeled the vacuum to the upstairs railing, shut their eyes tight, and shoved it over.

Bang-

A loud crash followed. Pieces of the vacuum smashed apart on the floor below. It didn't hit Alexander, but some fragments flew dangerously close to his feet.

Everyone in the living room looked up, stunned. None of them expected 'Mrs. Perkins' to be casually enjoying the show from upstairs.

"Caitlin, are you out of your mind?" Alexander glanced upward, his tone icy.

"Just throwing out some trash," Samantha said with a smirk, arms crossed as she leaned over the railing, eyes on fire with arrogance. "You've got way too much junk lying around."

The atmosphere froze. Everyone downstairs felt the pressure explode, anxiously waiting for Alexander to flip.

"Go clean it up. Now." His voice was so cold it sent shivers through the room.

But Samantha didn't flinch. She let out a small snort and looked completely unfazed. "Why should I? Wasn't me who threw it."

Alexander frowned, clearly thrown off. Caitlin used to be a doormat-timid, quiet, always agreeable. Now, she was flat-out brushing him off. Like she didn't care.

"I won't repeat myself," he said, tone low, eyes sharper than knives.

Upstairs, the three maids all wore weird expressions. Were Mr. and Mrs. Perkins competing on who could be more intimidating? Even their lines were perfectly in sync...

"No need to repeat it-'cause I'm not listening anyway," Samantha fired back with a raised chin and a defiant flick of her hair before turning and strutting away, leaving nothing but an arrogant back view for Alexander to stare at.

Something inside him twisted. Why was he suddenly this irritated? Her reaction wasn't just bold-it was straight-up dare-you-to-punish-me energy.

No one had ever spoken to him like that.

But she? She'd done it multiple times, like it was a game.

Had she lost her mind?

"Caitlin!"

It was the first time Alexander actually raised his voice at a woman, his tone sharp, clearly out of patience.

Lucas, standing awkwardly in the corner, couldn't help but sweat for her. He'd never really liked that timid, forgettable Caitlin, but right now, even he felt nervous on her behalf.

Because last time Alexander used that tone, a manager from the company who messed with a few female employees ended up practically begging the gods to take him early...

Unless she apologized fast, maybe Alexander would at least go easy on her for being a woman. Lucas stared at the woman upstairs, silently praying she'd get a clue.

Ma'am, please don't ask to die today.

But very quickly, Lucas realized he'd overestimated her. That woman-cold as stone-not only didn't apologize, didn't plead, she didn't even bother to respond. Just shot a look down, turned around and left like she couldn't care less.

The silence was brutal.

It was the first time a woman had outright ignored Alexander. His face didn't twitch a muscle, but anyone watching could feel that strange, uncomfortable shift in the air.

"Ma'am! You're savage!" Lucas blurted, giving a thumbs-up in genuine admiration.

A glare sharp enough to kill shot at him, and Lucas zipped his mouth shut, quickly fake-laughing as he ran over to boss around the housekeeping team-trying to look busy and avoid death.

The reflection of Alexander in his laptop screen turned dark and stormy.

Still, that woman who just walked all over him like it was nothing... he was starting to find her kind of interesting.

Five days ago, Caitlin was barely a shadow in the house. Meek, forgettable-housemaids could talk down to her and she wouldn't say a word. Whenever she saw him, that forced smile was basically her default setting. She was boring to the core.

Who'd have thought, barely a week later, her eyes now held this fierce, untouchable fire. Her attitude? Blunt, chaotic, borderline reckless. She didn't give a damn about anything.

To Alexander, sure-it looked like she'd completely lost her mind. But for a woman to dare act like this in front of him? Caitlin was one of a kind.

"Sir, it was Mrs. Perkins who told us to throw away the vacuum! None of this was our fault!" one of the maids said, clearly anxious.

"That vacuum's a brand-new model-it's super quiet! We tried explaining but she wouldn't hear it. Just lashed out at us!" the other added, barely hiding her attempts to throw Samantha under the bus.

"Mrs. Perkins?" Alexander repeated, lips twitching into something that almost looked like a smile.

Before, the staff at the mansion would only ever say "she" when talking about Caitlin. They wouldn't bother attaching a title unless it was formal.

He wasn't clueless. The swelling on one maid's face, the red mark on her neck, the other two clutching their stomachs like they'd been punched in the gut-Caitlin wasn't just losing her temper. She was making a statement.

As his gaze turned to rest on them, Eliza's eyes lit up with a spark of hope-finally, he was paying attention to her!

"Sir, I don't know what got into her," Eliza said, stepping closer and unbuttoning her shirt ever so slightly to show off her collarbones. "She said the vacuum noise was driving her crazy, and when I mentioned you were downstairs trying to rest, she completely snapped and tried to strangle me! Look-"

Her voice soft, innocent, she even pushed her chest forward a little.

The other two housemaids quickly nodded, moaning and doubling over more dramatically, retelling Samantha's earlier outburst with an exaggerated flair, throwing in every detail they could remember, real or not. Especially when Samantha lifted one leg to press down on the maid's shoulder, her hand gripping her throat hard, saying, "I don't like repeating myself," the smirk on Alexander's lips grew colder.

"Pfft..."

Lucas couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. Realizing he'd gone too far, he quickly cleared his throat and chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, sorry... Are you guys seriously talking about Caitlin? Hahaha..."

"Madam's eyes were seriously scary back then, like a wolf ready to bite! Mr. Perkins, you have to stand up for us!" The young maid clutched her face and started sobbing hysterically, tears streaming down like someone had turned on a faucet.

"Oh? Ratting people out behind their backs now? Didn't anyone at the great Perkins estate teach you that's bad manners?" Samantha stood at the top of the stairs, looking down with a calm yet commanding air.

The reappearance of Caitlin made everyone turn their heads-almost like a spotlight had just hit the stage.

She had on a slightly worn off-shoulder dress that hugged her frame perfectly. The neckline revealed her subtle collarbones, and beneath her full chest was a tiny waist wrapped neatly by a stylish belt. The slit in the skirt flashed a glimpse of fair skin that was hard to look away from.

Her makeup was light and natural, the nude lipstick highlighting her flawless complexion. Her bright eyes sparkled as she spoke, the slight tilt of her lips giving off a sense of effortless charm.

Alexander was momentarily stunned. He remembered her wearing this same blue denim dress before-plain, unremarkable. But right now? She looked... stunning.

Even though he'd never liked her, maybe even straight-up disliked her before... he couldn't deny-Caitlin was beautiful.

He used to see her as weak and pale, with a detached look in her eyes, like she couldn't care less about the world. Always dressed plainly, she gave off a sense of lifelessness. Honestly, he'd never had the curiosity to try and get to know her.

But this Caitlin-subtle makeup, sharp features, a killer figure, and an energy that pulled people in-was a whole different force. Like someone had flipped the switch.

"Whoa...Mrs. Perkins looks absolutely stunning ..."

Before Lucas could finish that sentence, a sharp glare shut him right up.

Samantha casually strolled over to Eliza, and right in front of Alexander, she lifted the girl's chin with a finger and smiled faintly. "Guess I didn't hit hard enough. Some people still don't know their place."

"Mr. Perkins..." Eliza trembled, clearly frightened, and quickly turned to him with pleading eyes, hoping he'd step in.

"Three months' pay. Then get out of the estate," Alexander waved her off, then turned to Samantha. "Happy with that, Mrs. Perkins?"

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm just an innocent bystander here. Don't go blaming me. Your staff, your rules-you deal with them," Samantha clapped her hands and walked off nonchalantly.

The corner of Alexander's mouth twitched up slightly. That over-the-top attitude of hers? Weirdly enough, he didn't find it annoying.

Actually, it was kind of... intriguing.

Because of his height, Alexander easily caught sight of her phone screen-it was a map, and the destination? A trendy hotspot in downtown Lichester.

"Where are you going?"

Samantha rolled her eyes and replied curtly, "Out for food."

"I don't permit that," The word left Alexander like steel. His brows furrowed, his patience clearly at its end. She was out of line, and he would put a stop to it-now.

Disappeared for five days and now she couldn't wait to run off again? What-was something outside really that tempting?