Chapter 2
1639 Words
Dinah's POV
*****
My eyes opened up weakly, my gaze scanning around my surroundings as I used my right hand to rub my forehead.
Memories from last night began flashing through my mind in quick succession, but I wanted to believe it was nothing but a terrible nightmare.
All of it.
There's no way all of that could happen in real life, right?
However, as I sat up and parted aside strands of my hair, trying to get rid of the groggy feeling I felt, a cold shiver ran down my spine when I saw my room.
It was almost completely empty now... The walk-in closet was swept empty, the furniture was covered in white clothing, and my lamp stand was gone as well.
The only thing present was my bed, which I gripped subconsciously as my eyelids fluttered with confusion.
Just when I was about to make sense of what was happening, my room door burst open and the face I saw stepping in first was my mother. Following behind her was a maid who had her head lowered.
"What is she still doing in this bedroom?" My mother asked, pointing at me as she stared at the maid. "Didn't I mention you should move her to the servant quarters?"
The maid nodded slowly in response, her lips parting slowly. "She was still asleep and I—"
Before she could complete that sentence, my mother spoke plainly. "You're fired. Get out."
The maid stood there in shock and I had my eyes wide open as well. This couldn't be happening...
My mother ignored the maid who stood there for a few seconds before bowing and walking out of the room.
"And you..." My mother said coldly, fixing her gaze on me as she walked toward me with her hands on her waist. "You lazy little brat. Look at you. You're still wearing the dress from last night."
My face heated up with embarrassment as I lowered my gaze and touched the dress from last night which was still clung to my body.
It seems I had too much to drink after the events last night.
Everything came rushing back, allowing me to part my lips repeatedly, my eyes stinging with tears as I tried but failed to speak.
"Have you become mute now?" She asked, raising her eyebrow with disdain. "Doesn't matter. Step out of that bed and go settle into the servant quarters. That is if you still want a place under this roof anyway."
She didn't say anything else and turned away from me before she attempted to walk away.
But I didn't let her, my jaw clenched as tears fell freely down my face.
"Mother..." My voice came out in a croak but I didn't let that stop me as I drew in a deep breath, watching as she turned around slowly to stare at me again.
I hesitated, gripping the bed sheets as if they would give me some kind of support.
"What did I do wrong?" I asked, my voice breaking with each word. "P– Please, let me know. I'll be your perfect daughter. I'll be the little angel you've always loved and—"
Before I could continue, she burst out into hysterical laughter, placing her right hand on her stomach as she shook her head.
I remembered the way she used to braid my hair in the mornings, kissing the top of my head and calling me her sunshine. Was all of that fake too?
After sighing heavily, her eyes trailed my body with contempt. "Little angel? Perfect daughter?" She repeated, seeming like she wanted to puke just by saying those words.
My heart clenched as if it was being squeezed but I sat silently, waiting for her to finish. Maybe her words would give me some clarity.
Lord, was I wrong...
"You were never a 'daughter' to begin with. You have served your purpose and my TRUE daughter has come back. What's hard to understand?!"
I jolted when she shouted at the end, my eyes quivering as I stared at her. After what felt like an eternity, she finally clicked her tongue and waved dismissively.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to help my real daughter settle back in. Don't let me see you in this room if I walk past later."
She didn't say anything else or even have a hint of guilt or pity in her eyes as she walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
I couldn't control myself anymore and placed my hands on my face, sobbing uncontrollably.
I didn't spend much time in my room after freshening up and eventually stepped out, my head lowered as I walked through the wide corridors.
A few maids walked past and avoided eye contact, whispering to themselves with pity, disdain and so many other emotions that I didn't bother getting into.
"She's been a fake all along."
"I can't believe she expected to inherit anything from this strict family. Now she's going to be a maid like us, serving the real daughter." Another added.
"I heard she got written off the will and company shares."
When I heard that last part, my eyebrows furrowed as I waltzed to my father's office in the building.
However, just when I got to the door and was about to knock, it opened and he stepped out with a smile on his face, Daniel walking beside him.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Daniel, sending whatever confidence I had gathered before coming here to disappear.
When Daniel brought his gaze to me, his eyes glinted with disdain and his eyebrows furrowed into a frown while he looked at me like trash.
“Don't you know maids aren't allowed on this side of the mansion?” He asked with contempt, eyeing me condescendingly and causing my knees to buckle.
"What the hell are you doing here?" My father suddenly asked with a stern voice, drawing my attention. "Weren't you shown to your new quarters?"
I parted my lips repeatedly but before I could say anything, he scoffed and walked past me. "Quit standing there like an antique statue and go to Lilah's room. She needs someone to clean it up."
"Is it true that you wrote my name off all the documents and shares?" I found the strength to finally ask, watching as Daniel and my father paused before turning around to face me.
It was at that moment that I finally registered one final bitter truth in my head.
"What did you expect?" He asked sternly, his eyes sweeping from my head to toes with genuine surprise. "That we'll waste our company shares and assets on... You? A tool? A substitute?"
This man wasn't my father. He's Mr. Redwood. And the sooner I started getting that into my head, the better.
But how do I get rid of years of fond memories with him and my mother? And more importantly, how were they able to let go of all that themselves? Were they faking it?
"Know your place, Dinah." My father said finally before he turned around and continued walking. Daniel did the same, leaving me standing there in silence and self-pity.
~~~~~
"Fluffier pillows. A bigger mirror. And I don't want that scent in here anymore, it's too floral. I need something more... rich. Vanilla, maybe," Lilah rambled on and on, snapping her fingers in my direction as I adjusted the curtains in her room.
I nodded, biting down on my tongue as I moved toward her vanity, replacing the pink-scented candle she had just rejected.
She'd been back less than twenty-four hours, and already, it felt like she had claimed the entire house. I was just her maid now. Nothing more.
"Oh, and clean that bookshelf. There's dust all over it. Disgusting," She added, scrunching up her nose as she flipped through a magazine on her bed.
I walked over with a cloth and quietly started wiping it. The silence was heavy between us for a while, until I heard the pop of a cork.
I turned slightly only to see her holding up a wine bottle with a grin on her face.
"I think this calls for a celebration," She said, already pouring herself a glass.
Celebration?
My eyebrows furrowed. "You're not supposed to be drinking that. You're pregnant." I pointed out.
However, she rolled her eyes dramatically. "One glass won't hurt, Dinah. Besides, this baby's stronger than you think."
I opened my mouth to say something else but decided to shut it. What was the point? No one here listened to me anymore.
Anyway, Lilah took a long sip, sighing in satisfaction. "Mmm. God, I missed this. While you were here playing princess in my place, I was stuck in rehab and therapy sessions and being watched like a criminal. But look at me now... Back where I belong."
I tried to ignore the sting behind her words and focused on cleaning.
"Hey, don't act so dejectedly." She said, gesturing at me to come closer.
When I did, she poured me a glass and smiled. "We don't need to be enemies simply because I've come back to take my place. Also, I want you to know that Daniel isn't good for you."
I clenched my jaw, unable to hide my irritation anymore as I remarked. "Right, but he's good for you?"
She paused for a few seconds and during that time, I saw her smile falter. But she eventually laughed, sighing before she placed her hand on her stomach.
"Of course, he is. And I have this baby to prove it." She said with a smug smile, causing me to ball my hands into fists.
I stared at the glass of wine that she handed to me. One glass shouldn't hurt.
- Writer
