Gillian smirked, swirling his glass like he owned the air in the room. “She’s just here for appearances. My real woman has always been Jenniva. And this girl, Gibeah, she’s my true heir.”
Gibeah stood, chest puffed, walking to the piano like she owned the house. Her fingers flew over the keys, sharp and precise, filling the room with perfect notes. Everyone clapped, admiration dripping from their eyes.
Beside me, Zenith’s little face twisted in tears, staring down at her ruined hands. Her tiny fingers trembled like they remembered the pain over and over. I felt sick, my chest aching. How had it come to this? How had Gillian let this happen?
Jenniva tilted her head, voice smooth as honey but dripping venom. “Poor little Zenith. Can’t play the piano now? What a shame. Your mama let this happen—”
I slammed my fork to the plate, heart hammering. “Don’t you dare poison her mind! It was you! You hired those thugs to crush her fingers just so your daughter could steal the spotlight!”
Gasps rippled around the table. Jenniva’s lips trembled, tears falling, as she clutched at Gillian. “Odette… why are you attacking me in front of everyone? What did I ever do to you?” Her voice was fragile, broken, but I knew it was all an act.
Gillian’s chair screeched as he rose, eyes blazing.
“How dare you shame Jenniva in front of my partners!” His roar made the chandelier shake. Before I could even think, his hand tangled in my hair and yanked me hard. Pain flared across my scalp as he dragged me down to my knees on the cold marble.
Zenith cried out, tiny voice sharp and desperate. “Papa! Don’t hurt Mama!”
Gillian snapped his head toward her, voice low and cruel. “Shut up, girl. If you don’t stop crying, I’ll feed you to the snakes.”
I froze. Zenith’s face went pale, her little body shaking against me. She had always been terrified of snakes. Gibeah—Jenniva’s daughter—had shoved a python in her schoolbag once. I remembered the blood, the screams, and how Gillian had just shrugged. Never protected her. Never.
Now Zenith pressed herself to me, trembling so hard it broke something inside me.
Around us, the business partners shifted, uncomfortable at first, then one chuckled. Another joined in, and soon the whole table was laughing, tossing cruel words like knives.
“The jealous wife doesn’t know her place.”
“Gillian, train her better.”
Jenniva stayed close to him, hand on his sleeve, her voice soft and trembling like a fragile flower. “Please… don’t hurt her too much. It’s my fault. She’s just jealous.” Her fake mercy only poured fuel on his rage.
His hand cracked across my cheek again, fire burning through me, ears ringing. “Apologize to Jenniva. Now!”
I shook my head, lips quivering. “I… I didn’t—”
“Do it, Odette!” he thundered. “Or Zenith loses everything. No more doctors. No school. No food. Let her rot with you in the streets.”
I froze, looking at Zenith shaking beside me. Her little hands clutching at mine. My heart ached. For her… only for her… I lowered myself fully to the floor. Tears slid down my cheeks as I whispered, voice barely there, “I’m sorry, Jenniva.”
The men laughed, clinking glasses. “At least she knows her place,” one smirked.
Jenniva wiped her fake tears and walked over, smiling like I was a stray dog. Patting my head, sweet and cruel. “It’s okay. Odette’s just jealous. I forgive her.”
The men praised her like she was some saint, their words slicing into me. Is this my life now? Always humiliated, always broken? I wondered, hating myself for bending.
Zenith’s small voice cut through the noise, trembling but fierce. “Don’t talk to my mama like that! She’s not jealous!”
Gillian’s face darkened, black with fury. He snapped his fingers. “Take that girl out of here before she embarrasses me further.”
The maids hesitated, then carefully took Zenith from my arms. She screamed, claws digging into me, but they pulled her away while I stayed on the floor, shaking, my heart feeling like it was tearing in half.
Gillian raised his glass, smug. “This is why women need discipline.”
The men laughed. One leaned back, sneering. “Lock her in the basement until she learns some manners.”
Gillian smirked. “Maybe I should.”
I stayed silent, trembling, swallowing down every scream. If I said anything, it would only make it worse.
When the guests finally left, the villa grew quiet. My cheek still burned, my hair still tangled from his grip. I walked down the hallway and there she was, snake whore Jenniva cornering me, her perfume choking the air.
She leaned in, whisper sharp as a knife. “Did you see how they all laughed at you? Even Gillian doesn’t see you as a wife anymore. Soon, you’ll be nothing but a maid. Or maybe he’ll throw you and your daughter out into the streets.”
Her eyes glittered, a cruel smile on her face. “Gibeah will replace Zenith in everything. Music. Legacy. Even love.”
I couldn’t speak. My throat burned, my heart felt shredded.
...
That night, back in the tiny maid’s quarters, I lay beside Zenith. Her breathing was uneven, little fists still clenched even in sleep.
I pressed my hand over my mouth and cried quietly, choking on every sob. But somewhere deep inside, something stirred. A tiny spark of fire. Gillian would never protect us. Jenniva would never stop until Zenith was broken.
In the dark, I whispered to myself, voice shaking but determined. “One day… I’ll make them pay for everything.”
Then my phone lit up on the table. The name flashed across the screen. Aamon Rutherford.
“Hello?”
His voice was low, cold, steady like steel. “Seven days are almost up, Odette. Get ready. I’m coming to Europe to collect what’s mine.”
Before I could even catch a breath, the line went dead. I sat there, trembling, Aamon’s voice still echoing in my head like a storm. My chest ached, but for the first time in forever, I felt something like relief. Dangerous as he was, Aamon had saved Zenith when no one else moved. I wiped my tears and whispered into the quiet, “Whatever you are… you’re the only one who actually came for us.”
For the first time, the smile on my face wasn’t cracked. It was sharp, cold, dangerous.
...
The villa was dead quiet. Everyone was asleep. I crept up the stairs, each step heavy, my heart pounding so loud I thought it would wake them. When I reached the master bedroom, I froze. The door was slightly open, and through the slit I saw them.
Jenniva on top of Gillian, laughing. Their bodies tangled, their faces glowing with something that made my stomach twist in knives. Any love I had left for him died right then, watching him touch her like I didn’t exist.
Jenniva’s voice cut through the room. “When are you going to divorce her, Gillian? I’m tired of being the mistress.”
