3: The Suspicion

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 Melody wincing in pain as she descended the staircase with great difficulty.

“Melody,” Lady Loretta gasped, shocked to see how disheveled Melody looked, as if she had been beaten.

“What happened to you?” Lady Loretta inquired, and all the maids in the living room paused to look at Melody, gasping in horror at the sight of the once-arrogant lady.

“Milady, it was one of the maids—the one 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. Ever since she has been working here, I’m not aware of her having gotten into a fight with any of the maids. Are you sure you're referring to Miranda and not another maid?” 

While the older woman was busy questioning Melody, Derrick walked back into the living room and looked stunned to see there was still a guest left.

“She did this, ma'am. I cannot lie to you. Miranda lied about me to Master Derrick, and after he left us, she pounced on me and beat me up. She is evil, ma'am.” Melody started sobbing at the sight of Derrick looking at her.

“What’s happening here, Mom?” Derrick asked, strolling over to meet his mother.

“Mom, you know it’s late. You should get some rest,” Derrick said, not even glancing at Melody, who expected him to summon the maid.

After losing her job, Melody hoped Miranda would also get fired as a maid from the exquisite villa. She knew she no longer stood a chance of getting closer to Derrick again; he was always busy with the office and attending business meetings. Moreover, she had no excuse to see him, as Alexa was his secretary, and many other top female staff members longed to be with him.

“Mom,” Derrick said, looking at his aged mother, whose hair was filled with gray strands. His mother replied, “Derrick, I will return to my room. But where is Miranda if Melody is accusing her of beating her?”

“Don’t worry yourself, Mother. I’ll have the guards investigate what happened. Melody, you may leave now,” Derrick said dismissively, not caring to summon Miranda.

He walked with his mother along the stairs, assisting her as she returned to her room on the top floor. It took the older lady quite a while to climb the flight of stairs, and Derrick considered relocating her room to the ground floor for her comfort.

Arriving at Lady Loretta’s room door, Derrick paused and gently opened it. The maid knew it was best 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 said to his mother in a hushed tone, helping her settle onto the bed. Both Lady Loretta and Derrick had dark complexions. She smiled at her son’s care and replied, “I am fine, but you know what would make me happy? If you settle down. Your father worked hard to acquire all this wealth for you. I’m already over 70 years old, and you can’t expect me to remain youthful forever. You should consider marrying someone, my son; it’s not wise to wait until you are thirty.”

Holding his mother’s warm left hand as she lay on the bed, she continued, “My wish for you is to find a good woman who will love you dearly, pamper you like a baby, take good care of you while I’m away, and watch over you both from heaven.”

“Mom,” Derrick interrupted her with a frown. “You’re not leaving me anytime soon.” Tears gathered in the corners of Derrick’s eyes; his mother often spoke to him about leaving, and he wished he could exchange all their wealth for a longer life so that she wouldn’t have to go.

“It’s life, Derrick. We have to go in order for the world to be balanced and to allow our generations to continue from where we left off. But I’m not leaving you yet. I still want to see you settle down and see the next heir of the Luis firm.”

“That’s fine, Mom. I guess I should leave you to rest now. Have a good night’s 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 inside one of the plush rooms.

“Oh my goodness! This feels so good,” she said, not caring about the consequences of her actions.

She had hurried into this room, which was vastly different from the other rooms she was assigned to clean downstairs.

“Mm,” Miranda mumbled, enjoying the soothing warmth of the bath. 

After dealing with the arrogant lady who had dared to slap her, Miranda thought about showing Melody what it felt like to be humiliated. 

She refused to be treated poorly; however, coming from a lower-class background and becoming an orphan at a young age, Miranda knew the world had no respect for the impoverished. 

She wanted to become rich, even if it meant stepping on others to achieve that. She dreamed of the good life, a good job, and owning a big supermarket or shopping mall in her name.

As she reflected on her life struggles, Miranda lost track of time in the large, pristine bathtub. 

The bubbling water, filled with scented soap, soothed her body, and the chilly night air made her feel relaxed. 

She didn’t want to leave the bath; she wished she could just sleep there and forget all her worries. 

She even let her blonde hair fall behind her back. She was incredibly beautiful, but she recalled the slap Melody had given her, and the urge to strangle that lady's neck surged through her—though she knew she would end up in jail, with no one coming to her rescue.

“Mmmmm.” Miranda relished the feeling in the bathtub until she heard the sound of the room door closing.

“Who’s there?” Miranda asked, thinking she was in her maid’s quarters on the lower floor of the mansion; however, it dawned on her that she was in one of the children’s rooms.

“I hope this isn’t Master Derrick’s room,” she muttered softly as she heard the bathroom door slide open.