Aristocracy101

Chapter 17

Standing up, Lilian gathered her design drafts and locked them in the drawer before heading toward the door. As she opened it, she found Susan, the head maid, standing in the hallway with a tray that held a box of orange juice and a cup.

"Good evening, madam," Susan greeted her, her voice polite but uncertain.

Lilian eyed the tray and then Susan, wondering why she was here. She hadn’t asked for a drink.

Susan hesitated, her hands trembling slightly. "Well, madam... I just wanted to remind you that dinner will be ready in 40 minutes."

Lilian raised an eyebrow. "Okay, but what’s with the juice?"

"Ummmm," Susan stammered. "Charlotte wanted to bring this to you when she saw you were still working in your room, but she was too shy. She asked me to send it instead. I mean no disrespect, madam."

Lilian recalled Charlotte, the young new maid who had recently joined their staff. The girl was only 14, with brown eyes and curly black hair that made her look almost like a porcelain doll.

Normally, they didn’t hire new staff, as they couldn’t risk leaking the family’s secrets. But when Lilian had learned that Charlotte needed the job to send her 12-year-old brother to school, she had a change of heart. The two siblings were orphans and struggling to make ends meet.

Lilian had offered them a place to stay in the servant’s quarters and had even covered the fees for both their schooling. Charlotte worked as a maid after school to earn extra money, and her brother helped with car washing whenever he could.

The two of them had knelt, profusely thanking her for her kindness, but Lilian couldn’t stand the idea of them bowing. She had helped them up, comforted them, and said, "Everyone deserves to be happy."

A smile tugged at Lilian’s lips as she remembered that moment.

“She didn’t have to,” Lilian said, her voice softening. “But tell her I said thank you.”

She took the tray from Susan and set it down on her desk. Susan bowed her head and stepped back, returning to her duties.

When the door closed, Lilian glanced at the clock. “6:30. Guess he isn’t coming today.”

She took a gulp of the orange juice, finishing the cup in one go. She placed the empty cup on her nightstand before sinking back onto the bed. She told herself she would get up when they called her for dinner.

Fifteen minutes later...

Lilian was still on the phone with Zoey, her frustration growing as she listened to her friend's insistence. Even though Lilian was two years younger than Zoey, she often felt like the older one between them.

"I can't believe you called me for this! You're killing me, Zoey" Lilian's voice rang through the phone.

Zoey sighed. "Oh, come on, babe, you can’t tell me that Jimin isn’t gay."

They were arguing about the latest rumors concerning Jimin and Jungkook of BTS.

"Just because someone is close to another person doesn’t mean they’re gay, Zoey." Lilian rolled her eyes. Seriously, why did fans obsess over their idols' relationships? They’d demand to know if their favorite stars were together, and when they found out, there was nothing but backlash and insults. It never made sense to her.

She continued the conversation with Zoey, but suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her. It was faint but unsettling. She brushed it off as hunger.

But then, the first cramp hit her like a bolt of lightning, sharp and sudden, twisting her insides with a fierce grip.

"Ahh!" she gasped, her body freezing in pain.

Zoey’s voice cut off mid-sentence. "Are you okay? Can you still hear me?"

But Lilian couldn’t respond.

The pain intensified, spreading through her abdomen like a fire. It twisted and turned, each wave more brutal than the last. She gripped the sheets tightly, trying to focus on anything but the relentless agony.

Was her period coming? she wondered briefly.

"Baby, are you okay? You’re scaring me!" Zoey’s voice was distant, muffled by the pulse of pain that now filled Lilian’s body.

"Aaahhhh!" Lilian cried out, her voice breaking with agony.

Her heart raced, confusion clouding her mind. Was this really just a stomachache? She didn’t believe it for a second.

She wanted to reassure Zoey, but her voice failed her. She tried to sit up, but her body didn’t have the strength to comply.

"I’m fine… Zoey," she stammered, barely able to speak through the pain.

"Are you sure? Should I come over?"

Before Lilian could answer, another sharp pain gripped her, causing her to freeze. Her breath caught in her throat. She doubled over, clutching her stomach instinctively, trying to shield herself from the onslaught.

"Lily! LILY! Answer me!" Zoey’s frantic voice pierced through the haze.

Thud.

Lilian collapsed to the floor.

"Baby, Lily!" Zoey’s voice was frantic, full of fear and desperation.

Lilian couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips, her body crumpling beneath the pain. She wanted to tell Zoey she was okay, but the truth was, she wasn’t.

What was happening to her? Why was she feeling like this? The questions swirled, unanswered, as the pain took over her senses. With each passing second, the agony twisted deeper, until it felt as though it was consuming her from the inside out.

"Help…" she choked, her voice barely audible through the sharp breaths. Each word was punctuated by the wave of pain that surged through her, until everything faded to darkness.