Serena fud, her mother had effectively cut off all her escape routes.
"Can you sneak those skincare products later, Betty?" Serena tried to negotiate, "Those two helpers are as dumb as they co. They didn’t even rember to bring toner this afternoon! I need my skincare routine before bed."
"Mrs. Collins said, Ms. Rosemary Collins doesn’t use all those jars and bottles, and you won’t be needing them either."
Serena’s face stiffened, "What does it an?"
"It ans that if Ms. Rosemary Collins isn’t using all those skincare products, you don’t need them either."
Not even her skincare products were spared!!
"What about changing clothes? There are only two outfits upstairs. Don’t tell , mom only allowed you to bring two sets?" Serena asked, not ready to accept this.
"Yes, Mrs. Collins said you’re here to reflect, not to enjoy life. You only need enough clothes for two days, the rest are in the main house and we weren’t permitted to bring them over."
Serena was livid. So, in this guesthouse, she was supposed to live like a guest, without the luxuries of being a part of the Collins family?!
Was that it?! Was that what her mother intended?
This was just too much!!
"Ms. Serena Collins, do you need anything else? I only have ten minutes left." Betty glanced at the clock, growing anxious, "If I go over an hour, I lose ten dollars off my wage for every minute."
Serena hadn’t imagined her mother would be so ruthless. To discourage the staff from chatting with her, she had even made it a matter of ti and money.
"Don’t be too down, Ms. Serena Collins. Maybe one day Mrs. Collins will rember your good qualities, or see that you’ve repented, and she might let you out early."
At the ntion of this, Serena scoffed coldly. Her mother had hardened her heart to this extent, almost leaving her to fend for herself. Hoping for her mother to fondly recall her good traits seed like waiting
for a blue moon.
"In about ten days, both families’ elders will visit. Your grandparents, and all your uncles and brothers, soone will surely speak up for you. Then, Mrs. Collins would consider what they said, and it’ll only
be natural for you to join the family reunion."
Since Martha left, Betty had been the only kind soul to Serena.
Serena thought there was so logic to it. New Year’s Eve was the biggest day for them, all about togetherness.
But with ten days to go, she didn’t even know how to get through these coming days. Especially with the plain als three tis a day, no one to talk to, and no permission to leave the place.
"What if mom only lets join the dinner on New Year, and then sends right back here?" Serena worried. That could an being shut away indefinitely.
"The thing that upset Mrs. Collins the most, the thing she cares about, is that you disrespected Ms.Rosemary Collins. If you just correct that, considering the eighteen years of affection, she might let you off the hook. She can’t possibly keep you here after the New Year, especially when school starts again, right?"
Serena felt there was sense in these words.
She hadn’t expected the servant to be so clever, but with school starting, it would be a long ti before.
"Oh, right, Mr. Cooper stopped by looking for you, but no one told him you were confined to the annex,"
Betty said as she placed a jar of ointnt on the table. "He saw you had scratches on your face and brought this—he said it’ll heal without leaving scars. There are other ointnts too, for pain relief and to help wounds heal faster. He marked the instructions on them. Serena, Mr. Cooper sure is good to you."
Serena looked at the array of dicine boxes, each with a Post-it note in Martin’s handwriting.
She hadn’t expected that being locked away here, the only one who seed to care about her injuries would be a stranger.
"Did mom and dad know he sent ointnts?" Serena inquired.
"Yes, I pleaded with the lady, told her about Mr. Cooper’s kind gesture. Even if she is upset with you, she couldn’t take it out on Mr. Cooper. After all, we’ll have to keep up appearances with the Cooper
family. Anyway, I begged for a while, and she walked away without a word, neither a yes nor a no. So I just mustered up the courage and brought the ointnts."
Betty glanced at the ti and added, "Serena, I really must go now, I’m out of ti."
With a nod, Betty hurriedly picked up her al box and scurried out, fearing she would stay past the allotted ti.
The vast house once again grew silent.
Elsewhere.
Rosemary had just gotten ho when soone called out to her.
"Rose, you’re back." Louisa rose from the sofa, spotting Rosemary with a stack of papers, and couldn’t help but express her concern, "Still busy this late?"
"What ti is it? Have you had dinner?" Kenneth glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten at night. "If not,I can whip up so noodles for you in the kitchen."
"I’ve eaten already." Rosemary slipped off her shoes and stepped inside, puzzled to see her parents waiting up for her. "Dad, Mom, why aren’t you asleep?"
"Ah." Louisa guided her to the couch before explaining, "We just found out tonight from Edith about all the hardships you’ve been enduring in this house. That Debby and Daisy had the nerve to disrespect you."
"It’s outrageous," Kenneth added, taking a seat beside Rosemary. "Edith ntioned just a fraction of it. There’s no telling how much you’ve had to endure from those people when we’re not around."
"These servants have no sense of their place! Especially that Martha! Taking the master’s money and acting like she owns the place. We’ve had soone give them a good thrashing and blacklisted them in
the industry. They won’t find work anywhere now. People like that can’t be left to cause harm to others."
Rosemary hadn’t expected her parents to secretly avenge her. She smiled and said, "Thanks, Dad, Mom. It’s okay, it’s all in the past."
After all, the incident with Debby and Daisy was a long ti ago.
"You never tell us anything." Louisa suddenly embraced Rosemary, her voice becoming hoarse with emotion. "It’s all my fault for being too trusting of them, not keeping a closer eye on them. I’m sorry you had to suffer alone."
"I’m to bla as well," Kenneth confessed. "I’ve gotten used to leaving the household matters to the servants. They’re so polite and respectful, calling ’sir’ every day, I never suspected their two-faced behavior behind our backs."
With over twenty servants in the Collins household, each with their own specific duties, they had never heard of anyone pulling such outrageous stunts before.
It was a real eye-opener for them.
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