Every single thing inside my bag fell onto the ground with a loud thud, they were scattered all around the floor messily while some of the other maids in the house snickered softly behind us as they witnessed chaos unraveled before their eyes.
I watched as Evelyn got on her knees and started rummaging through my belongings and I saw the moment her green eyes lit up and a knowing look was stretched across her face.
She stood back up, holding the said diamond necklace in front of my face. "I found it! It's in her bag!" She announced loudly for everyone to hear, holding it up like a trophy in her hand. "I told you she took it. I didn't lie," she turned to look at her mother as smugness radiated from every inch of her body.
Gasps were heard, echoing in the living hall when everyone realised what had just happened.
I stared blankly at her, a mixture of shock and confusion swimming in my eyes. This must be some sort of nightmare. I blinked a couple more times but the shiny diamond necklace was still dangling right in front of my face as if to taunt me.
"No, it can't be! I didn't take it. Someone must have taken it and put it inside my bag or something," I explained but was quickly met with disdain.
My mother pulled my arm. "Aurelia, stop talking and just apologise!"
Evelyn met my eyes with the same smug look still etched onto her face. She stepped forward, closing the gap between us. "Look at you, still lying when you are already caught red-handed! Now… Why would anyone frame you, Aurelia? Are you even listening to yourself?" She mocked as a chuckle escaped from her parted lips.
"I really didn't do it!" I turned to look at Natalie, desperation swimming in my dark brown eyes. She must have taken pity on me, as I tugged at her heartstrings for some reason. Not that I was complaining at all about it.
Natalie let out a soft sigh. "Okay, I believe you, Aurelia," she finally said this time and I have never seen Evelyn snap her head to look at her mother so quickly, as the sound of her neck cracking rang in my ears. I didn't even have the chance to say thanks before Evelyn's shrill voice pierced through the air.
"Mum, are you serious?" Evelyn asked, disbelief was written all over her face, as she looked at her mother with a look of betrayal. "The evidence is in my hand! Do you not see it?" She reiterated, as she held up the necklace once again in her mother's face this time.
"It might be some accident, maybe you accidentally dropped it into her bag," Natalie explained which only made the unhappiness on Evelyn's face grow even more visible with each passing second. Sensing her daughter's unhappiness and discontentment, she immediately offered a suggestion. "Look, why don't we just check the CCTVs? That way we can find out the truth for sure, right?"
"I don't understand why you are being so nice to her, mum!" Evelyn complained as her brows were knitted together, deepening the frown that was already etched onto her face. "Why would you let her take advantage of your kindness?! Why are you siding with a stranger over your own daughter? Am I even your daughter?! " She screamed as she glanced over at me with disdain and contempt evident in her eyes.
I watched quietly as Natalie tried to grab onto Evelyn's arm in an attempt to calm her down. "Eve, come on. We could just check the cctv footage and -"
Evelyn yanked her arm out of her mother's grip and my mother butted in this time.
"I'm sorry Mrs Lloyd, I didn't mean to interrupt but the CCTV is under maintenance right now."
"Why are you only telling me this now, Jennifer?" She huffed, a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.
"I'm sorry," my mother repeated with her head hung low, not daring to look her in her eyes any longer than a second.
Natalie drew in a deep breath as she tried her best to maintain a calm demeanour. She turned to look at me as our gazes matched. "I trust you. I will give you the benefit of doubt this time since we cannot confirm if you actually took the necklace. But…" She paused. "There will be no next time, you got this?"
I nodded while Evelyn stomped off unhappily.
"Eve!" Natalie called out but only watched as her daughter walked away without sparing her another glance and slammed the door loudly behind her. She let out another sigh. "You can go now, Aurelia."
I had just turned around when I felt someone grab me, pulling me back. It was my mother who had her fingers wrapped around my arm. She pulled me back to stand before Natalie.
"Mrs Lloyd, I insist that you must punish Aurelia," she began and I looked at her in shock as I yanked my arm out of her grasp. "These kinds of things cannot go unpunished. You can fire her and I won't say a thing or utter a single word of complaint."
"Mum, are you crazy? Why are you doing this?" I asked, but she ignored me, only keeping her gaze fixated on Natalie. "Natalie already said that she would drop it."
I watched as Natalie walked towards my mother and placed her hand on her shoulder, her lips curving into a small smile.
"It's okay. I'm not firing Aurelia. I like her work and she has been a good tutor to Evelyn so far," she assured. "Besides… shouldn't you be happy that I'm letting your daughter go and not pursuing this matter?" She asked as she leaned closer towards my mother, looking at her with a raised brow.
My mother gulped inaudibly as she looked at Natalie for what seemed like an eternity, silence stretching between the two of them in a moment of hesitation. "Yea…yeah…" She mumbled softly under her breath, stuttering ever so slightly. "Thank you, Mrs Lloyd."
***
I was stabbing at my food absentmindedly as Xavier sat across from me.
"There's a company banquet tomorrow," he announced, his deep voice breaking me out of my little reverie.
I looked up from my plate of food and we locked eyes. "A banquet?"
"I want you to come with me."
"Are you sure…? I mean…"
"Yes. I'm sure," he said firmly. "We are going shopping after this," he said with a charming smile plastered across his handsome face.
Before I knew it, I was inside the fitting room, putting on a dress that I did not even dare to look at the price to know how expensive it would have been.
I pulled open the curtain and the smile on my face quickly faded away when I realised I wasn't looking at Xavier but my eyes landed on a familiar pair of eyes instead.
"Oh, look who it is."