10
444words
"It's dead winter now! Do you want to kill her?"
I glanced at the sobbing Ivy and the gleeful Warren beside her.
Then, I heard Yvonne's inner voice:
[I remember this! Last time, Warren used this to turn Mr Winston against Madame. The withheld coal is hidden in her room!]
Yvonne's panic made me laugh aloud.
Ivy wiped her tears and said to Wilson, "She's so arrogant… Do you think she really…?"
Wilson glared at me, furious.
"Guards! Search the house! When I find who withheld the coal, I'll make them pay!"
Wilson's men moved quickly.
Yvonne whispered, "Madame, what do we do?!"
Poor girl — she'd been bullied by these men for so long, she forgot I was the true owner of this estate.
Soon, Wilson's men returned with bags of coal and one of my maids.
"Mister, we found these in the Duchess's room!"
The maid cried and begged, "Madame, I-I didn't do it!"
Wilson was furious. Warren was thrilled.
"Waaah! Madame, why would you do this?! Are you jealous of the unborn child?"
"Madame, how could you be so cruel for jealousy?!"
"As the lady of the house, harming the family bloodline deserves whipping!"
Father and son surrounded me, raging.
Yvonne stepped in front of me, shaking her head. "This wasn't Madame's doing! And she's a Duchess — you can't hit her!"
"You wicked woman! How dare you defend her? You've been corrupted by my Madame!"
Warren kicked Yvonne in the shoulder.
Enraged, I grabbed Warren's hair and kicked him away, then snatched the whip from Wilson and broke it in two.
"—You vicious woman!!"
Wilson raised his hand to slap me, but I kicked him down first.
"You — you dare attack your husband after committing a crime? You're out of control!" Wilson yelled.
I sneered. "Crime? Ha! Wilson, have I been too kind all these years? Have you forgotten your place?"
"Everything you eat and live on belongs to me! Without my connections, do you think you and that fool son of yours would have any status?!"
"Withholding coal? Even if I beat her to death today, no one would dare say a word!"
The three of them paled.
Wilson stuttered nervously, "You shrew! D-do you want me to divorce you?!"
"Divorce me?"
I stepped on him and slapped him twice.
"Who do you think you are? If anyone's getting divorced, it'll be me divorcing you!"
Wilson laughed angrily. "Have you lost your mind? Women can't divorce their husbands!"
"Then today, you'll see it happen!"
