With her demotion from Cathleen's maid to the caretaker of horses, Zoya's hatred for Cathleen deepened. Her back still throbbed from the lashes she received, the scars a painful reminder that wouldn't fade anytime soon. Zoya screamed into her pillow, muffling her voice as the storm of emotions raged within her.
Her room was in complete disarray, resembling a shipwreck. The chaos bore evidence of the fury of a falsely accused maid. Several times, other maids knocked on her door, likely irritated by the noise she was making.
In just one day, Zoya's status had plummeted. Once respected as Cathleen's personal maid, she was now the target of scorn from the other servants. Everything Zoya had painstakingly worked toward was lost because of that necklace.
Whoever had planted the necklace in her room would never be forgiven. Not now, not ever.
Suddenly, a loud pounding on the door startled Zoya, causing her to fall back onto the floor in surprise.
"Hey, Zoya! What are you doing in there? The stables are filthy!" A voice yelled through the door, followed by more banging. "Hurry up and clean them! Don't forget that tending to the horses is your job now."
With her emotions boiling over, Zoya stepped out of her room. In front of her stood a female servant, staring down at her with disdain.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" the servant asked mockingly. "You should be grateful Lady Cathleen didn't fire you outright and only demoted you. So don't make the same mistake again and get to work."
Without a word, Zoya walked toward the stables. Even with slow, deliberate steps, the pain in her back was excruciating.
Zoya needed to come up with a plan—something to destroy Cathleen. She felt that ever since Cathleen returned from the war, she had changed, and Zoya despised it.
Cathleen was no longer someone she could manipulate. Any words Zoya uttered about Cedric fell on deaf ears. This only fueled her hatred for the woman.
The woman who had stolen her position, the woman who had suddenly appeared in her life. Cathleen Farrington, the daughter of Marquess Farrington. Cathleen, who had everything one could ever want as the child of a noble family with unparalleled wealth, had taken away Zoya's only happiness—her beloved Duke Cedric Orion.
"That wretched woman," Zoya muttered as she swept the stable. "Just wait, one day you'll fall so hard."
Consumed by rage, Zoya hurled the broom, the loud crash echoing through the stable. Thankfully, no one was nearby, allowing her to vent her anger freely.
If Zoya had seen Cathleen standing in front of her right now, she might have attacked her on the spot. Her hatred for the woman was absolute. Even the sound of Cathleen's voice irritated her to no end.
Zoya began to scheme ways to eliminate Cathleen—a quick and foolproof plan that wouldn't implicate her. She had thought of countless strategies to remove Cathleen from her sight, but all had failed. This time, however, her plan would be meticulously crafted. There would be no room for error.
This time, Cathleen would be gone for good.
And once that happened, Zoya would finally live happily ever after with Cedric.
Happily ever after.
***
Lately, I've been feeling uneasy, as if something dangerous is about to happen. It makes me uncomfortable, and I don't like it. I think it might be related to the victory banquet that's just a few days away. In the original story, this is the event where Cedric and Cathleen's already strained relationship completely falls apart.
Zoya would hire an assassin who would disguise themselves as a servant to harm Cathleen. At that moment, Cedric would be away, chatting with the prince and his business partners.
Left unguarded, Cathleen would suddenly be attacked, the assassin aiming to stab her in the stomach. Fortunately, Cathleen would realize the danger in time. However, her smooth hands would have to endure several cuts as she defended herself.
In the end, the assassin would fail and be caught, but they wouldn't reveal who hired them. This was because Zoya had only communicated through letters and never showed her face to the assassin.
But it wouldn't stop there. Cathleen would become even angrier at Cedric for failing to protect her. She would hurl hurtful words at him repeatedly, pushing him to his breaking point until he lashed out at her in return.
Their argument would become the hottest gossip among the nobility, turning into a subject of mockery and causing Cathleen deep humiliation. At the point when Cathleen would truly run out of options to divorce Cedric, Zoya would come to her with an extraordinary suggestion.
When I read this part of the story, I couldn't stop cursing at Zoya.
Zoya would tell Cathleen to attempt suicide in front of Cedric—threaten him with her death if he didn't agree to divorce her. Desperate and out of ideas, Cathleen would follow Zoya's advice. I have to prevent this from happening. And if it does, I need to know how to handle it properly. At least, I hope so. Let's just hope it never comes to that.
"What are you thinking about?" Suddenly, my daydreaming was interrupted as Cedric sat at the edge of the bed.
Lying down comfortably, I replied, "Just thinking about the victory banquet."
"Why think about that?"
"It's the first banquet we'll attend together after you've been away at war for so long." I sat up and tidied my hair. "Aren't you looking forward to it?"
Cedric let out a short laugh. "No."
"Huh? So you don't want to go to the banquet with me?" I turned my back to him. "Fine, just go by yourself."
"Hey, I was only joking."
"Go joke with the wall." I lay back down and covered myself entirely with the blanket.
Not even a second had passed before Cedric pulled the blanket away and sat me up. "Hey, why did you throw my blanket?"
Without answering my question, Cedric suddenly hugged me tightly. I couldn't move.
"You're so adorable," he said, tightening his embrace. "I feel like locking you up in this room so only I can see you."
What? His words sent shivers down my spine. I had never seen Cedric like this in the original story.
"You're joking, right?" I pushed against him so I could look directly into his eyes.
After a moment of silence, Cedric finally said, "Yeah." I sighed in relief. "If I locked you away just for myself, you'd hate it, wouldn't you?" His strange question left me baffled.
"Of course," I answered confidently.
Cedric gave a brief smile at my response. It seemed that the original story hadn't fully explained certain aspects of Cedric's personality. This unexpected side of him caught me off guard.
His gaze felt filled with emotions I couldn't quite explain. I didn't know how to describe what I was seeing or feeling.
Well, I hope whatever changes Cedric's personality undergoes, it doesn't cause me any trouble.