Chapter 7

A group of girls had their hands on Beatrice's head, forcing her under the water. One of them cursed as she pushed harder. "Not enough! Winona didn't say you could stop! You're just the Tate family's housekeeper, and Winona is the future lady of this house. If she tells you to do something, you do it!" "Mom!" Kayla screamed as she sprinted forward. She shoved the girls off with trembling hands, panic driving her. The pond water was murky, and Beatrice was barely floating. Her face was ghostly pale, completely unconscious. "Mom! Please, wake up…" Kayla's whole body trembled as she dragged her mother onto the grass. She clutched her hand and called her name, again and again. Beatrice coughed up a few mouthfuls of dirty water but remained unresponsive. … The sharp smell of antiseptic hit her the moment they entered the ER. "She inhaled a dangerous amount of filthy water. You brought her in just in time. A little later, and she might not have made it. She'll need to be monitored for a few days," the doctor said, removing his stethoscope. Kayla sat by Beatrice's hospital bed, her hand wrapped tightly around Beatrice's. Her eyes stung, and tears streamed down in silence. Once she calmed down, she picked up her phone and dialed 911. "Hello, I'd like to report an attempted murder," she said, her voice low but steady. The next morning, Beatrice finally woke up. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her voice was faint. "I'm sorry, Mom…" Kayla's voice cracked as tears splashed against the mattress. "It's all my fault…" Beatrice reached up with trembling fingers and wiped Kayla's tears. "Don't cry, Kayla. I'm fine…" "We're done with the Tates," Kayla said, gripping her mother's hand tightly. "I'm taking you with me. We're leaving the country." Beatrice shook her head gently. "You've got school. You'd be all alone, and dragging me with you would just make things harder. If I stay and keep working for the Tates, I can still save up some money for you—" "No!" Kayla's tears surged again. "You almost died, Mom! Do you even realize that? If you stay with the Tates, I won't go abroad. I'll stay and make sure you're safe." Beatrice looked into Kayla's reddened, puffy eyes. After a long silence, she finally gave in. "Alright… I won't stay. But I'm not going overseas either. I'll go back to Teginia, maybe open a small shop or something. I'll wait for you to come home, alright?" Kayla wiped her face and nodded, finally pulling herself together. She soothed her mother to sleep and quietly closed the hospital room door behind her. As soon as she turned around, she ran straight into Darren, who had rushed over in a hurry. He stood tall in a crisp white shirt and tailored slacks, composed as always. But the first thing out of his mouth when he saw her was, "Did you report Winona for attempted assault?" Kayla quietly shifted her arm away from his touch. "Yeah. I did. What about it?" Darren paused. He wondered if he was seeing things. This girl—who used to sneak glances at him, who had once looked at him like he held the world—was now staring at him like he was a stranger. "Did it really have to go this far?" he asked quietly. "This far?" Kayla's eyes were bloodshot, but she still let out a hollow laugh. "She nearly killed my mom. Yes, my mom's a housekeeper—but that doesn't mean she's a slave to be humiliated at will." She took a shaky breath, then said firmly, "We've already talked about it. She's getting older, and her body can't take this kind of work anymore. She's leaving the Tate residence tomorrow and going back to Teginia." Darren froze. The first thought that crossed his mind was, "If Beatrice leaves, is Kayla going with her?" But before he could speak, he reminded himself she was still studying at Sterling University. She wouldn't be leaving Cadville. He shook the thought off and said, "I know Winona was in the wrong. She's spoiled and headstrong, but she's not a bad person deep down." He pulled a check from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to her. "This is compensation for Beatrice. If she wants to leave the family, that's fine. She's worked hard all these years. This should be enough for her to live comfortably from now on." He paused, then added, "And you—you once said your birthday wish was to spend a whole day with me. I've been caught up in family business lately and didn't have the time. I'm free now. Let's do it." He looked at her with calm detachment. "So let's stop this from blowing up." Kayla felt her heart wrench in her chest. He wasn't busy. That was just an excuse. He had seen how she felt about him and chose to stay away. But now, because of Winona, he was offering it like a reward, like a favor tossed from his high horse. Kayla looked up. Her eyes were rimmed red, but her voice was steady and cold. "What if I say no?" Darren's gaze darkened, and his tone cooled. "Kayla, this isn't a negotiation. Even if you refuse to drop the charges, you know my family has ways to make it happen." Kayla laughed. It was soft, but sharp enough to sting. Her chest ached. She reached out and took the check. Her fingers trembled, but her voice was calm. "Well then, thank you, Mr. Tate." She turned away. Behind her, she heard Darren call her name. But just as he took a step forward, Darren's phone lit up—Winona was calling. And in the end, he didn't follow.