CHAPTER 2

As Alexa and Nicole excused themselves from the rest of the guests and went upstairs, Miranda overheard their conversation while serving drinks.

Any conversation involving Derrick made Miranda alert.

The top floor was off limits. Derrick hated to be disturbed, and Miranda knew this well. But she wanted to know what Alexa and Nicole were going to do up there.

Seeing how beautiful Alexa and Nicole looked in their floor-sweeping dresses, Miranda felt jealous and wished she weren't a maid.

Aside from her maid duties, Miranda had gained a high school education, but she couldn't resign her contract yet—not when she admired the most handsome man on the planet.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going!" A guest yelled at Miranda for stepping on her toes. Miranda lost her grip, and the tray slipped from her hands, staining the guest's white dress.

"How dare you, a lowly maid, stain my white dress? Do you know how much this dress cost?" The guest was annoyed. She was a young woman, Miranda's size, and seeing that the celebrant wasn't interested in his own party enough to meet the guests had only fueled her irritation.

"I'm sorry," Miranda began, but before she could finish her apology, the guest landed a hot slap on her left cheek.

"You don't deserve to be a maid here! Get out!" The guest yelled, and her voice silenced the living room.

Lady Loretta felt shocked and chided the guest, "Melody, that's not how to treat your fellow lady. She made a mistake and apologized, and we were all here to witness it. Come, Miranda," she called.

"Show Melody to the room above. I believe Nicole still has some spare dresses left in her room, before she left us and got married last year."

"Okay, Ma. Come with me," Miranda said to the angry lady, who now looked happy to be taken upstairs for a change.

As the bodyguards stood around the mansion and in the living room, the celebration continued as Miranda went upstairs with Melody.

~••~

Melody was happy to be away from the living room and asked Miranda, "Where's Master Derrick's room?"

Miranda didn't want to be friends with the lady who had dared to molest her. The lady was fair-skinned like Miranda, who was naturally fair even without using any toning lotion.

"Can't you speak?" Melody yelled at Miranda again, and Miranda wouldn't tolerate all that insult in a single day from a guest scolding her.

"What do you need Master Derrick's room for? Are you here for the birthday party or for the house master?" Miranda questioned the perplexed woman.

"What? How dare you speak to me with such insolence? Have you lost your mind?" Melody charged at Miranda, ready to attack.

Miranda didn't even know which rooms belonged to Derrick or his sisters—the mansion was too vast, and the rooms upstairs were too many to tell.

When Melody wanted to smack Miranda again, Derrick stepped out of his sitting room with his sister and Alexa, who had come to check on him after he finished his bath and changed into comfortable home wear.

"What's going on here?" Derrick demanded.

Melody quickly withdrew her hand and offered him a sweet smile.

"Good evening, sir. Madam sent this maid to show me to one of her daughter's rooms to change my white dress after she spilled wine on me. But the maid is rude and refuses to show me the room."

"What? That's a total lie. She was asking me for Master Derrick's bedroom," Miranda said.

Silence immediately fell in the hallway. Much to Derrick's shock, Miranda's voice sounded so soft, and he hadn't heard anyone with such a gentle tone before.

He eyed the maid suspiciously, as he had seen her before.

"That's not why you should attack my mother's maid when you're not the owner of the house. I saw you just now wanting to hit her. Leave here now. You are not welcome, and your contract with Luis Firm will also be terminated," Derrick said, before walking toward the staircase to go downstairs.

Melody hastily dropped to her knees and pleaded, "Please, Master Derrick. Forgive me. I didn't mean to attack the maid. She's lying. I wasn't asking her for your room."

With leisurely strides, Derrick paid no heed to the begging lady. He went downstairs to thank all the guests who had taken time to honor his mother's invitation.

After Derrick, his sister, and Alexa left the top floor, Melody stood up and pounced on Miranda. She wanted revenge for making her lose her job and her chances with the master of the house.

"You witch! How dare you ruin my chances? I'm going to kill you today!"

Melody was unprepared. She didn't know Miranda could fight. As she rushed to attack, Miranda dodged, kicked the lady hard, pounced on her, and started beating her.

"Somebody help!" Melody screamed after Miranda landed multiple slaps in retaliation for the first slap she had received.

Miranda sat on Melody's thighs on the tiled floor, slapped her hard on the face, and pulled her wig off. However, with music playing in the living room and the bodyguards already escorting Derrick downstairs to the grand hall, no one could hear Melody's crying and screaming.

After Miranda finished dealing with Melody, she ran away and went into one of the rooms to have a cool evening bath.

~••~

The birthday celebration had long ended, and Derrick had thanked all the guests who had attended his 25th birthday party.

"Baby brother, we have to start going home now. Enjoy your night. I was thinking, why not ask Alexa out to be your girlfriend? She works beside you in the office and spends most of her days with you. Alexa comes from a prestigious home here, and she will make a good wife for you," Nicole suggested to Derrick.

Derrick frowned slightly and replied, "I'm not interested in a relationship, and Alexa knows this. Unless she's the one requesting you to speak to me about it."

"Not at all, Master Derrick," Alexa quickly replied, not wanting to lose her job yet, especially when she saw Derrick's face twist in irritation.

"That's fine, Nicole. Let's call it a night. I have to go inside and rest, then I will give your proposal some thought. Alexa Godwin is a wonderful woman, and I wouldn't mind asking her out the proper way," Derrick said, putting his hands into his trouser pockets and offering his elder sister a warm smile. He didn't want any of them worrying about him.

"That's fine, baby brother. Good night too. Bye," Nicole waved to Derrick, before she got into her sleek red car. She drove home to meet her husband as she had a new baby boy at home.

Meanwhile, Alexa nervously smiled, walked up to her sleek black car, pulled the door open, and got inside. Feeling Derrick's gaze on her, she drove out of the opulent residence.