Desperate for money, I didn’t hesitate to sign the agreement.
In order to take good care of Vincent, I followed the terms of the agreement and taught myself nutrition management and health psychology, all to help him recover from the pain of heartbreak as quickly as possible.
One time, after another drunken episode, he mistook me for Evelyn and lost control in a night of wild passion.
When he sobered up, Vincent looked at the glaring red stain on the bed and held me in his arms, apologizing, "Diana, I will take responsibility for this. When the time is right, we’ll make our relationship public."
From that day on, he clung to me every night, showering me with bags and jewelry, sparing no expense to fill my room with gifts.
Especially in bed, his sweet words never repeated themselves.
I gradually lost myself in this false affection, waiting for five long years. Yet, I never saw the "right time" he spoke of. Instead, I uncovered the truth behind his being with me.
The reason Evelyn initially stormed off abroad was to force my biological parents to abandon their search for me.
Vincent saved me and didn’t reject me because his investigation revealed that I was the true daughter of the Carter Family.
He thought that keeping me under his watch, confining me within the Cross Family’s sphere, would help Evelyn solidify her position as the true heiress.
But he also resented my existence, hated me for driving away the woman he loved.
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.
His careful and gentle coaxing of her was so different from the unrestrained way he treated me. With me, he had never shown a shred of tenderness.
