Chapter 3 - Whispers in the Corridors
The engagement was officially announced three weeks later. The house was immediately thrown into a frenzy of wedding planning. Florists, caterers, and designers were constantly parading through our halls. During this time, Vanessa practically moved in, treating the estate as her personal kingdom whenever Daniel was away at the office.
One Tuesday morning, I found Rosa lingering near my study. Rosa had been with our family for twenty years. She was a dignified, hardworking woman who knew this house better than I did. She looked incredibly uncomfortable, nervously wringing a dust cloth between her hands.
“Rosa? Is something the matter?” I asked, setting down my reading glasses.
“Mrs. Whitmore, I hesitate to speak out of turn,” Rosa began, her voice barely above a whisper. She glanced over her shoulder, as if fearing someone was listening.
“You are never out of turn in this house, Rosa. Please, close the door and tell me what’s wrong.”
Rosa closed the heavy mahogany door and stepped closer to my desk. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears of frustration.
“It is about Ms. Vanessa, ma'am. She... she is very different when you and Mr. Daniel are not around.”
“Different how?” I asked, a cold knot forming in my stomach.
“She calls us animals, Mrs. Whitmore,” Rosa whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “She told the kitchen staff that they were too stupid to follow a simple diet plan. And yesterday... yesterday was the worst.”
I stood up. “What happened yesterday, Rosa?”
“She spilled her own coffee in the hallway,” Rosa said, taking a shaky breath. “She called Luis over. He brought a mop, but she kicked it away. She made him kneel on the marble and scrub her footprint with a small rag while she stood over him, laughing on her phone.”
The cold knot in my stomach turned to hard, heavy stone. “She made Luis kneel?”
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“Yes, ma'am. She said if he didn't do it, she would have him fired the second she became Mrs. Whitmore. We are terrified of her, ma'am. She is cruel.”
I walked around my desk and placed a comforting hand on Rosa’s shoulder. “Thank you for telling me, Rosa. I promise you, no one is losing their job. I will handle this.”
