KATHLEEN'S POV
Two Months Ago
The phone was pressed between my shoulder and ear as I walked through the garden, watching the maids adjust decorations for my mother-in-law's birthday. My mother's voice floated warmly through the line, a gentle contrast to the tension around me.
"Kathleen, everything is fine here," she said. I could hear the rustle of papers and the faint echo of the hospital corridor behind her. "Your father just finished his blood work. The doctor said he is doing well."
I smiled, though the smile felt small. I always felt lighter hearing her voice, like for a moment I could breathe outside this house.
"That is good to hear," I replied. "I have been thinking about coming over soon. Eden misses both of you."
My father joined the call then, his tone playful. "We are counting the days until we see our granddaughter. Bring her soon, you hear me?"
In the background, my mother called out, reminding him not to shout so much. I laughed quietly.
"I promise. I will visit soon."
I was about to continue when a sharp voice tore through the air, cutting clean through the peaceful moment.
"Hey! Are you stupid or something?"
I froze. It was Ava, my sister-in-law.
Her voice rose higher, angrier. Chairs scraped. A maid gasped. Even the birds seemed to pause in the trees.
"Dad, Mom," I said quickly. "Let me call you back."
I hung up and practically ran toward the commotion.
Ava stood in the walkway, her face twisted in offense as she glared at one of the younger maids. The poor girl looked like she might faint. Her hands trembled as she clutched a napkin, trying to blot a stain on Ava's dress.
"I am sorry. I am so sorry," the maid whispered.
"You did it on purpose," Ava snapped. She jabbed two fingers into the girl's shoulder, sending her stumbling back.
"No, I didn't. Please, I didn't mean to."
The sting of embarrassment tightened my stomach. This family had a talent for turning the simplest moment into an arena.
"Ava," I said as I stepped between them. "Let us handle this calmly. Today is important. Your mother could arrive any minute."
She ignored me.
"Look at my dress! You have ruined my entire effort."
The maid bowed repeatedly, apologizing, but Ava was beyond listening.
"I can pay for the dry cleaning," the maid said quietly. "Please. I did not mean to inconvenience you."
Ava scoffed. "You think this is about money?" She stepped closer and shoved the girl hard enough that she fell to the ground with a small cry.
I gasped.
Before I could reach her, Ava grabbed a cocktail glass from the table. I saw it happen in slow motion. The liquid splashed over the maid's hair, her face, her uniform. She sat there silently, tears rising beneath her eyelids, dignity slipping through her fingers drop by drop.
"Now we are even," Ava said as she slammed the glass down.
She walked away without looking back.
I crouched beside the maid and helped her up gently. Her leg buckled. She winced.
"You need to go to the hospital," I said softly. "You may have hurt yourself."
She nodded, humiliation and pain clouding her eyes. I apologized on Ava's behalf because no one else ever would before sending her off to the hospital.
****
"Welcome back from your trip, Mrs. Shaw." I heard Ms. Bang's voice from the garden. The other maids chorused after her to welcome my mother-in-law, slightly bowing their heads.
At the time she arrived, I was in the garden with Eden. My daughter sat on my lap, excitedly telling me stories about her day at school. Jeremy ran over to us, smiling the way he always did when he saw us. His warmth had a way of easing my worries, even if only briefly.
I didn't realize my mother-in-law had returned until I heard Ms. Bang's voice. She had returned with a new guest, none of us knew.
Ms. Bang, the head of housekeeping, hurried ahead to show the visitor her room. It was the room I had scrubbed and prepared myself earlier that morning. Even though we had more than enough staff, I was still made to handle chores meant for maids. I wasn't allowed to complain.
My mother-in-law's birthday party was set to begin in an hour but she wanted to check on my father-in-law. I was on my way to welcome her, when I stopped midway on the stairs.
Upstairs, in my father-in-law's studio, their conversation echoed down the hallway. The door wasn't fully closed, and their voices carried clearly.
"Why are you sitting like that, thinking so hard? You didn't even notice me coming in," my mother-in-law said as she set down a tray. It held his pills and a glass of water.
"My paintings. What else would it be?" he replied quietly.
"You have not been able to paint in the longest time," she said with the tone she reserved for stating facts she expected others to accept. "Congratulations are in order. We won exclusive selling rights for Ira and Iris."
My father-in-law gave a small nod, but she continued before he could respond.
"There were six companies competing for it. If it wasn't for Aileen, we would not have gotten it."
"Aileen?" he asked. "Who is Aileen?"
"She is the British American young lady I met in Paris two years ago." My mother-in-law responded.
"Hmmm." His grunt carried skepticism.
"I hired her as our company's designer, and we will be housing her for a while. You should know these things ahead of time."
My father-in-law said nothing. He could not win against her.
Then she sighed wistfully.
"If only I had another son, I would have made her my daughter-in-law. She is smart and sensible. It would have been nice if she were Jeremy's wife."
"Do not say such things in front of Kathleen," he said firmly. "She is your daughter-in-law."
"I never accepted that wench as my daughter-in-law."
Listening from the hallway, I felt the words cut through me. No matter how much I tried, no matter how I carried myself, no matter how I served this family, I remained unwanted in her eyes.