They hated Angel for it — for always being so loyal to the young miss.
"She left us to go get the dress," Clara muttered under her breath, shoving hangers aside with a little more force than necessary. "And now here we are, back at the same spot, doing the exact job she was supposed to handle."
"What was that?" Katelyn's eyes cut to her instantly.
"Nothing," Clara replied, dipping her head slightly.
"Nothing? I clearly heard you hiss."
"Yeah, I did hiss." Clara held her gaze. The other girls nearly choked. "That's because my stomach hurts — I didn't eat much last night befo—"
"That's enough." Katelyn shut her down cleanly, not interested in hearing the rest.
"Finally." Katelyn let out a breath of relief, her eyes shifting to Angel, who had returned holding a clean, well-matched outfit — a combination that somehow worked perfectly. "I knew you could do it."
"I'm glad you're satisfied," Angel replied simply.
Mercy and Clara barely held their expressions together. Among the three of them, Katelyn had always favoured Angel the most — and it wasn't hard to see why. Angel was loyal, honest, and never complained out loud. The other two did their jobs, but Katelyn knew they did it grudgingly, and that gap showed in how she treated them. When gifts were shared, Angel got the best. Clara and Mercy got whatever was left.
"You two — go," Katelyn said, waving them off without looking up. "Angel, stay and help me with this."
"Of course." Angel stepped forward, watching the other two file out quietly.
Once they were gone, Katelyn reached into her closet and pulled out a neatly wrapped box.
"Here. This is for you," she said, holding it out to Angel.
"Me?" Angel blinked, taking it carefully. She lifted the lid — and her face lit up immediately. "Oh — it's a dress!" She rushed toward the mirror, holding the box out in front of her. "Can I try it on?"
"Go ahead."
Angel was practically glowing with excitement — and Katelyn, watching from across the room, found herself curious too. But just as quickly as Angel's face had come alive, something shifted. A quietness settled over her. Katelyn caught it.
She was just thrilled a second ago, she thought, watching closely.
"Here, miss." Angel placed the lid back on the box carefully and held it back out. "I don't think I can accept this. You've already given me more than enough."
Katelyn didn't respond right away. She just looked at her for a long moment.
"Try the dress on," she said finally.
"But miss—"
"Shut up and do what I said."
"Okay, okay—" Angel flinched, picking the dress up to try.
"Hold still — I'll do the zipper."
Angel swallowed hard.
"There." Katelyn nudged her gently toward the mirror. "Can you see yourself?"
Angel looked up.
The words left her lips before she could stop them. "Oh my gosh..."
The dress was a deep maroon with golden lace wrapped around the waist, hugging her figure closely and revealing the smooth line of her collarbone. She looked stunning — even she couldn't deny it.
Katelyn studied her reflection one more time and asked, "Do you like it?"
"Very much," Angel nodded, voice full of quiet gratitude. "But... it's too good to be on someone ordinary like me."
"A rare beauty deserves rare things," Katelyn said simply. She reached into her vanity and pressed a lipstick and a small compact of makeup powder into Angel's hand before she could pull away. "Use these when the time comes. Stop wasting your looks on that narrow little mindset of yours."
"I want you wearing this to my engagement party. And use those to get yourself ready."
Angel stared at her. "Sorry — did you just say... engagement?"
"Justin's decided to propose. It was supposed to be a surprise but he thought it best to tell me ahead so I could properly prepare." Katelyn said it like it was a simple update about the weather.
"Oh, miss — I'm so happy for you!" Angel threw her arms around her without thinking, pulling her into a tight hug before her brain caught up with her body. She jumped back immediately. "I'm so sorry — I completely forgot myself—"
"It's fine." Katelyn waved it off.
The door flew open.
Mercy appeared in the frame, slightly out of breath.
"I thought I told you to leave. Why are you back?" Katelyn's eyes narrowed.
"My lady — it's your friend," Mercy managed between breaths.
"Which friend?"
"Miss Rikkie."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Both of you leave. I'll be there shortly." She turned back to the mirror, fingers moving absently through her hair.
Rikkie never called ahead. Who does she think she is, just showing up whenever she feels like it?
Meanwhile, Rikkie had already grown bored of the living area.
Her nose led her first — some warm, rich aroma drifting through the air that her stomach absolutely refused to ignore. She followed it to the dining area, where she found an entire spread laid out on the table. Steaming dishes, perfectly arranged, clearly the work of a skilled cook.
"Well," she murmured to herself, eyes scanning the table slowly. She pulled out a chair and sat down.
Her belly let out a quiet groan.
"Oh, so you're hungry too?" she whispered, patting it with a grin. "There's way too much food here for three people anyway. A bite won't hurt anyone."
She scooped up a spoonful of the pork soup and brought it to her lips.
"Hmm—" Her eyes went wide. "Oh, that is good."
She reached for another spoonful.
SLAP.
The spoon clattered. Rikkie's head snapped to the side. She blinked, eyes stinging, and slowly turned to find Katelyn standing with both hands on her waist, expression unreadable.
"Why did you just—" Rikkie shot to her feet, the chair scraping back loudly against the floor. "Did you just hit me?!"
"Count yourself lucky it was only a slap," Katelyn said, completely unbothered. "What if I'd poured a full pot of hot soup on you instead? How would that have felt?"
The look on Rikkie's face answered the question clearly enough.
"You are so cruel!" Rikkie's voice cracked. She turned and walked out — fast, blinking hard, not looking back once as she left Jay's Palace.
Katelyn didn't stop her. She didn't even try. She just watched her go, completely at peace with herself.
Serves her right, she thought, allowing herself a small, satisfied smile. Rikkie and her nasty little habits had been getting on her nerves for a while now. It felt good to finally have a reason.