Chapter 3: The Suspicion
1021 Words
Lady Loretta was dismissing the maids to clear the used plates, empty bottles, and tidy up the living room after all the guests had left her mansion. She noticed a lady wincing in pain, descending the staircase with great difficulty.
"Melody," Lady Loretta exclaimed, shocked by Melody's disheveled appearance, as if she had been beaten severely.
"What happened to you?" Lady Loretta inquired in disbelief while all the maids in the living room paused to look at Melody, gasping in horror at the transformation of the once arrogant lady.
"Milady, it was one of the maids. The maid you assigned to show me to the top floor. She attacked me," Melody managed to say, her cheeks visibly swollen.
"You mean Miranda did this to you? I don't believe it. Miranda is innocent and wouldn't hurt a fly. She has been working here with us for a long time and has never had a fight with any of the maids that I know of. Are you sure you're referring to Miranda and not another maid?" Lady Loretta asked, concerned.
While the older woman was questioning Melody, Derrick walked back into the living room and looked surprised to see there was still a guest present.
"She did this, ma'am. I cannot lie to you. Miranda lied about me to Master Derrick, and after he left us, she attacked me. She is evil, ma'am," Melody started sobbing when she saw Derrick looking at her.
"What's happening here, Mom?" Derrick asked as he approached his mother.
"Mom, you know it's already late. You should get some rest," Derrick suggested, not glancing at Melody, who had expected him to summon the maid.
After Melody had lost her job, she expected Miranda to also lose hers as a maid in the exquisite villa. Melody knew she had little chance of getting close to Derrick again, as he was mostly busy with office work and attending business meetings. Additionally, Alexa, as his secretary, and many other top female staff members desired to be with Derrick.
"Mom," Derrick said, looking at his aged mother, whose hair had turned gray. His mother said, "Derrick, I will return to my room, but where is Miranda if Melody accuses her of beating her up?"
"Don't worry, Mother. I will have the guards investigate what happened. Melody, you may leave now," Derrick dismissed her, choosing not to summon Miranda.
He walked with his mother up the stairs, assisting her to her room on the top floor. The older lady took hours to climb the stairs, and Derrick considered relocating his mother's room to the ground floor.
Arriving at Lady Loretta Luis's room door, Derrick gently opened it. The maid knew to avoid him, especially when he was with his mother.
"Mom, you should get enough rest. I don't want anything to go wrong with you," Derrick whispered to his mother after helping her into bed. Lady Loretta and Derrick both had dark complexions. She smiled at her son's care and replied, "I am fine, but you know what would make me happy and help me rest well if you settle down. Your father worked hard to acquire this wealth for you. I am over 70 years old, and you don't expect me to stay young forever. You should consider marrying before you turn thirty, my son."
Holding his mother's warm hand as she lay on the bed, she said, "My wish for you is to find a good woman who will love you, pamper you like a child, and take care of you while I watch you both from heaven."
"Mom," Derrick interrupted with a frown. "You're not leaving me anytime soon." Tears gathered in his eyes; as his mother often talked about leaving, and he wished he could trade all their wealth for her life to be longer, so she wouldn't leave him.
"It's life, Derrick. We have to go for the world to stay balanced and let our generations continue where we left off. But I'm not leaving soon. I still want to see you settle down and witness the next heir of the Luis firm," she said.
"That's fine, Mom. I guess I should let you rest now. Have a sound sleep." Derrick leaned over and kissed his mother's forehead. She smiled and watched him exit her room.
Meanwhile, in the master's bedroom of the exquisite mansion, Miranda soaked herself in a warm bath in one of the luxurious bathrooms.
"Oh my goodness! This feels so good," she said, disregarding the consequences of her actions.
She had hurried to this room, which was different from the others she was assigned to care for downstairs.
"Mm," Miranda mumbled, enjoying a cool night bath. After dealing with the lady who dared to slap her, Miranda thought it was time to show her what it was like to be dejected. She wouldn’t take nonsense from others, but coming from a lower-class family and becoming an orphan early in life, Miranda knew the world showed no respect for the poor. She wanted to become rich, even if it meant climbing over others. She dreamed of the good life, a good job, and owning a large supermarket or shopping mall in her name.
Thinking about her life struggles, Miranda didn't care how long she spent soaking in the large, pristine bathtub. The bubbling waters with scented soap soothed her body, and with the chilly night weather, Miranda didn't want to leave the bath. She wanted to sleep there and forget all her worries. She let her blonde hair fall down her back. She was extremely beautiful, but she remembered Melody's slap. Miranda felt like strangling the lady's neck, but knew she would face jail time without anyone coming to her rescue.
"Mmmmm." Miranda enjoyed herself in the bathtub until she heard the sound of the room door closing.
"Who's there?" Miranda called out, thinking she was in her maid's quarters on the lower floor; however, she realized she was in one of the children's rooms in the house.
"I hope this isn't Master Derrick's room," Miranda whispered until she heard the bathroom door slide open.
- Writer
