That night, he didn’t mistake me for someone else. He did it because he found out that Evelyn had gotten a new boyfriend while abroad. So, he vented his anger and frustration on me.
How laughable that I mistook his five years of rage and resentment for love.
I collected my thoughts and calmly rejected him without a trace of emotion, "There’s cold medicine in the first-aid kit. Taking the medicine directly works better."
It was the first time I had ever disobeyed Vincent’s orders and he was already showing signs of anger.
"Diana, don’t forget your place!"
I couldn’t help but laugh. "And what exactly is my place?"
At this point, we no longer had an employer-employee relationship or a romantic relationship. At best, we could only be considered former bed partners.
"Diana! Don’t cross the line!" he snapped.
He probably assumed that his mother would renew the employment contract with me and that I loved him so humbly, like dust, which gave him the arrogance to remind me of my "place."
Evelyn tugged at his sleeve with a pitiful expression, but her eyes were full of provocation as she looked at me. "Vincent, your maid is so fierce. She seems to dislike me so much. You shouldn’t trouble her anymore. It’s my fault for being willful and arguing with Mom and Dad, sneaking out in the middle of the night. If they knew I got caught in the rain, they’d be so heartbroken…"
If I didn’t already know that Evelyn was just a parasitic bird stealing the magpie’s nest, I might not have caught the deeper meaning behind her words.
She kept calling me "maid," over and over, relentlessly reminding me of my status and Vincent didn’t bother to correct her.
I met her gaze with a smile, wondering how she would react if she lost her cherished position as the "true heiress" she thought she had secured.
When I didn’t respond with the anger or inferiority she had expected, Evelyn hugged herself tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Vincent, I’m so cold," she said.
Without hesitation, Vincent carried her to his master bedroom and ran hot water for her bath. He even went to the kitchen to prepare ginger tea for her, following an online recipe.
Later that night, when I went out to get water because I was thirsty, I heard intimate, breathless sounds coming from Vincent’s room and my heart clenched in pain.