rey

nd a body wracked with shivers. My fever spiked, my muscles ached, and my period, a cruel insult to injury, had finally arrived. Adam, of cours

central heating. I lay in bed, too weak to move, too tired

Jenkins, the head housekeeper, her voice crisp and devoid of warmth. She

I managed, my voice hoarse. "I

ight escapades." The subtle jab hit its mark. She knew. They all did. Her eyes, usually as c

er tone softening slightly, though it still felt like a

g over me. This was my life. Sick, ignored, and constantly judged. I w

lear-headed. As I reached for my phone, a message notifica

ou for tonight. He's offering double your usual

mind wrestled with the decision, the image of Adam' s sneering face, his dismissal of my ne

the grand foyer, punctuated by Adam' s

She looked entirely at home, sipping tea from my favorite china cup, while a maid fussed over her. The scene was sickeningly domestic. She was

er down his arm. "Your cook makes the most divine scones. And t

lted the ice around my heart when he directed it at El

ous allowance, Adam," Elenore continued, her voice just loud enough for me to hear. "A

n dollars. A month. While I begged for fifty. The sheer, audacious cruelty o

"It' s the least I can do, Elenore. I owe you so

moment, a fundamental part of me died. The last shred of hope, the last desperate clinging to a fantasy

back to my room, my legs unsteady, my vision blurred with unshed tears.

s I wai

ing, typed out a reply:

but now, it was a cold, hard resolve. I walked back out to the top of the stairs. Adam and Elenore w

voice surprisingly st

d forgotten I existed. "Aubrey. W

playing on her lips. "Oh, it' s just t

gaze already drifting back to Eleno

ptible smile touching my lips. "Just leavin

"Fine. Just don' t be out

purpose I hadn't felt in years. The air was cool, refreshing, washing over my face. I needed