Chapter 2
A doctor came from the estate medical wing.
Mother hated that.
I could tell because she stood near the window complaining about “drama” while two nurses examined my unconscious wife.
“She gave birth six days ago, Daniel. Women have been doing that for thousands of years.”
I looked at her.
“Stop talking.”
Her lips tightened.
The doctor checked Clara.
Exhaustion.
Dehydration.
Not enough food.
Too little sleep.
And something else.
“Has she been taking her medication exactly as prescribed?”
I looked at Marissa.
She looked at Mother.
Evelyn laughed.
“Now we're blaming medicine?”
I ignored her.
“Marissa.”
She swallowed.
“I don't know.”
Mother cut in.
“Of course she doesn't. She's a housekeeper.”
Marissa flinched.
Evelyn smiled.
“You mop floors. Don't start pretending you're a physician because Daniel finally notices you.”
I turned.
“Enough.”
She stared at me.
Nobody spoke to Evelyn Carter that way.
Not often.
She recovered quickly.
“You come home, see one fainting spell, and suddenly everyone else is guilty.”
“One fainting spell?”
Marissa looked at me.
“Boss…”
Mother snapped:
“Don't.”
Marissa straightened.
Then something changed.
Maybe because Clara was on the floor.
Maybe because Noah was screaming.
Maybe because she had finally seen Mother afraid.
“This is the third time.”
I stared.
“What?”
“Clara collapsed yesterday morning.”
Mother rolled her eyes.
“She sat down too quickly.”
“And the night before.”
“She was being theatrical.”
Marissa looked at me.
“I tried to call you.”
My stomach tightened.
“I never got a call.”
Victor laughed from the floor where two guards were keeping him seated.
“Maybe because Daniel has actual work.”
Marissa looked at him.
“You took my phone.”
Victor smiled.
“You were becoming hysterical.”
“You locked me in a pantry.”
“You wouldn't shut up.”
I stepped toward him.
His smile stayed.
“For what?”
He shrugged.
“Clara needed discipline. Marissa kept interfering.”
I looked at him.
“Discipline?”
Mother crossed the room.
“Yes.”
There it was.
No embarrassment.
No denial.
“She came home from the hospital and immediately started acting like an invalid.”
The doctor looked at her.
“She underwent emergency surgery.”
Mother stared back.
“So?”
The word chilled the room.
Mother continued.
“She has a healthy baby. A beautiful home. Staff. Food. Everything women pray for.”
Marissa whispered:
“Food she wasn't allowed to eat.”
Evelyn laughed.
“If Clara had served dinner properly, she would've eaten with everyone else.”
I stared at my mother.
“You withheld food.”
“I taught consequences.”
“She is recovering from childbirth.”
“She is your wife.”
Evelyn stepped closer.
“And a Carter wife serves the house before herself.”
I almost laughed.
“No.”
Her expression hardened.
“No?”
“No.”
She looked genuinely offended.
“This house had rules before Clara arrived.”
“Then some rules are dead.”
Victor leaned back.
“There he is.”
I turned.
He smiled.
“The devoted husband.”
His tone was mocking.
“Clara whimpers and Daniel changes the world.”
I walked closer.
Victor didn't stop.
“She says she's tired, everyone walks softer. She says she hurts, dinner waits.”
He laughed.
“No wonder Mother finally got sick of it.”
I looked at Marissa.
“What happened today?”
She hesitated.
Mother answered for her.
“Clara refused to bring dessert.”
The doctor looked up.
I stared.
“What?”
“She said she was dizzy.”
Evelyn smiled coldly.
“So I told her to stop acting pathetic.”
Marissa's eyes filled.
Mother continued.
“I told her if she wanted to eat, she could finish serving first.”
My jaw tightened.
“She tried.”
Mother shrugged toward the floor.
“And clearly failed.”
The doctor stood.
“We need to move Clara to bed.”
“Do it.”
As the nurses lifted her, Clara's robe shifted.
I saw bruises around her wrist.
Finger-shaped.
I turned slowly.
“Who grabbed her?”
Nobody answered.
Victor smiled.
“She falls a lot.”
I looked at him.
He shrugged.
“Maybe if she learned to stand properly, she'd stop blaming other people for every little bruise.”
Marissa made a sound.
Half sob.
Half fury.
I looked at her.
“Tell me.”
She glanced toward Mother.
Then Victor.
“Evelyn wasn't only making her serve.”
Silence.
Marissa continued.
“She was using Noah.”
I felt the room narrow.
“How?”
Mother stepped forward.
“Daniel.”
I raised one hand.
She stopped.
Marissa looked at me.
“When Clara refused to get out of bed…”
Her voice shook.
“Evelyn took the baby and told her she could have him back after she finished working.”
Nobody moved.
Not even Victor.
I looked at my mother.
She didn't deny it.
May you like
She smiled.
“Your wife needed motivation.”
