The staff whispered about her cruelty. How she had sent another away in tears for serving dinner five minutes late. How she’d fired one housekeeper for ironing a crease half an inch off-center. Some even said Andrew had stopped hiring permanent help, preferring to rotate new maids through agencies as Victoria would inevitably drive them away.

Emily knew this. She had heard the rumors. She had even read the local gossip blogs calling Victoria “the ice queen.” Still, she had taken the job because she had no choice. Between crushing debt and her mother’s medical bills, she needed the paycheck.

Victoria’s blue eyes glinted like steel as she leaned in close.

“You people never learn. One mistake, and you’re out. Do you want me to call the agency right now?”

Emily swallowed hard. Every part of her wanted to snap back, to prove she wasn’t someone to be walked over. But she also knew that losing this job would mean losing the one lifeline her family had left. So she lowered herself to the floor, knees pressing into the rug, and began picking up the shattered pieces with trembling hands.