Chapter 6 - The Transformation
To fool a woman as observant and superficial as Vanessa, I needed a disguise that would render me entirely invisible to her. People like Vanessa don't look at the help; they look through them. I drove to a secondhand shop two towns over, far from the boutiques I usually frequented.
The bell chimed as I entered the dusty, dimly lit store. I browsed the racks until I found what I needed: a faded, oversized gray cleaning uniform that had clearly seen years of hard labor. It smelled faintly of bleach and old cotton. Next, I visited a theatrical supply store, purchasing a cheap, dark, synthetic wig that completely covered my signature silver hair. Finally, a pair of thick, unstylish reading glasses completed the physical ensemble.
When I returned home, I called Rosa into my private bathroom. I locked the door and laid the items on the counter.
“Mrs. Whitmore, what is all this?” Rosa asked, her eyes wide with confusion.
“Rosa, tomorrow afternoon, I want you to take the entire staff to the safety seminar in the city. Leave immediately after lunch. I want the house completely empty when Vanessa arrives.”
“But who will attend to Ms. Vanessa? She requires constant service.”
I picked up the gray uniform. “I will.”
Rosa gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “Ma'am! You cannot! She is terrible. She will treat you terribly.”
“That is exactly what I am counting on,” I said, pulling the dark wig over my head and adjusting it in the mirror. I slid the thick glasses onto my nose. The elegant, wealthy widow vanished. Staring back at me was an exhausted, invisible laborer.
I turned to Rosa. “I need to know how she acts when she thinks no one of consequence is watching. I also need to borrow some dirt from the garden to stain my hands.”
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Rosa looked at me with a mixture of immense respect and deep fear. “Please, be careful, Mrs. Whitmore. She has no heart.”
“We will find out exactly what she has, Rosa.”
