Chapter 3

Scene 3 - Dismissed Her

Lady Loretta was dismissing the maids to clear the used plates and empty bottles, and to tidy up the living room after all the guests had left her mansion. She noticed the young lady wincing in pain and slowly descending the staircase with great difficulty.

"Melody," Lady Loretta looked shocked upon seeing how disheveled Melody appeared, as if she had been beaten to a stupor.

"What happened to you?" Lady Loretta inquired in shock, while the maids in the living room also paused to look at Melody, gasping in horror at the sight of the usually arrogant lady in such a state.

"Milady, it was one of the maids. The maid you assigned to show me to the top floor. She assaulted me," Melody managed to speak, her cheeks visibly swollen.

"You mean Miranda did this to you? I find that hard to believe. Miranda is innocent and would never hurt a fly. Ever since she has been working here with us, she hasn't gotten into a fight with any of the maids that I am aware of. Are you sure you're referring to Miranda and not another maid who did this to you?"

While the older woman was busy questioning Melody after all the guests had left the mansion, Derrick walked back into the living room and looked stunned upon seeing 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 to this extent. She is evil, ma'am," Melody started sobbing upon seeing Derrick.

"What's happening here, Mom?" Derrick asked, as he strolled up to meet his mother.

"Mom, you should get some rest," Derrick said, not casting a glance at Melody, who had hoped he would summon the maid.

After Melody had lost her job, she expected Miranda to also lose her job as a maid in the exquisite villa. 

Melody knew she did not stand a chance of getting closer to Derrick again. He was mostly busy in the office and attending business-class meetings. 

Similarly, she did not have an excuse to use to see him either, as Alexa was there as his secretary, and many other top female staff members longed to be with Derrick.

"Mom," Derrick said, looking at his aged mother's face, whose hair was streaked with gray. He frowned, and his mother said, "Derrick, I will return to my room. But where is Miranda if Melody accuses her of beating her up?"

"Do not worry yourself, Mother. I will have the guards investigate what happened. Melody, you may leave now," Derrick dismissed. He did not bother to summon Miranda.

Derrick walked with his mother along the stairs and assisted her in returning to her room on the top floor. It took the older lady hours to climb the flight of stairs, and Derrick considered relocating his mother's room to a room on the ground floor.

Arriving at Lady Loretta's room door, Derrick paused and gently opened it. The maids know it is best to avoid him, especially when he is with his mother.

"Mom, you should get enough rest. I do not want anything to go wrong with you," Derrick said to his mother in a gentle tone after accompanying her to the bed.

Lady Loretta and Derrick were both of dark complexion. She smiled at her son's care and replied, "I am fine, but you know what will make me happy and help me rest well? If you would settle down." 

"Your father had worked so hard to acquire all this wealth for you. I am already over 70 years old, and you do not expect me to remain youthful. You should consider marrying a wife. It's not until you reach thirty that you should do so, my son."

Derrick sighed, holding his mother's warm left hand as she lay on the bed. She continued, "My wish for you is that you find a good woman who will love you dearly, pamper you like her baby, take good care of you while I am away, and watch over you both from heaven."

"Mom," Derrick interrupted his mother's words with a deep scowl. "You aren't 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 she wouldn't leave him.

"It's life, Derrick. We have to go for the world to become balanced and to allow our generations to continue from where we stopped. But I am not leaving you anytime soon. I still want to see you get married first and to see the next heir of the Luis firm."

"That's fine, Mom. I guess I should leave you to rest now. Have a sound sleep." Derrick leaned over and kissed his mother's forehead goodbye. 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 luxurious rooms.

"Oh, this feels so good," she said, not caring for the consequences of her actions.

Miranda had hurried into this room, and it was totally different from the other rooms she was assigned to take care of downstairs.

"Mm," Miranda mumbled, enjoying herself in the soothing, chilly night bath. 

After dealing with the foolish lady who dared to slap her, Miranda thought to show Melody what it feels like to be dejected.

She was not one to take disrespect from others, but after coming from a lower-class family and becoming an orphan at a younger age, Miranda knew the world had little respect for the poor. 

So she wanted to become rich, even if it meant stepping on others to attain that. She admired the good life, wanted a good job, and dreamed of owning a big supermarket in her name.

Thinking about her life struggles, Miranda did not care how much time she had spent soaking herself in this exquisite, large, pristine bathtub.

The bubbling waters filled with scented soap soothed her body, and accompanied by the chilly weather of the night, 

Miranda did not feel like coming out of the bath. She wanted to sleep there and forget all her worries. She had even let her blonde hair fall behind her back. 

She was extremely beautiful, but she remembered the slap that Melody had given her. Miranda felt like strangling Melody's neck, but she knew she would be jailed, and no one would come to her rescue.

"Mmmmm." Miranda enjoyed herself inside the warm bathtub until she heard the sound of the room door shut.

"Who's there?" Miranda asked, thinking she was in her maid room on the lower floor of the mansion; however, reality dawned on her that she was in one of the master's rooms.

"I hope this isn't Master Derrick's room," Miranda muttered with a low voice until she heard the bathroom door slide open.