Caelia had been moody ever since Mrs Wright approached her in the garden. She didn't tell anyone, despite them asking her what was wrong. She just stayed mute and did her job like she was supposed to. Things went on like that for about two days. She did her job like the maid she was.
On the third day, Caelia decided to forget about it and do other things to occupy her mind. She had no chores to do that morning so she decided to help Rachel with laundry.
"Do you need any help?"
She asked and Rachel sighed and nodded.
"Yes. Olivia hasn't done any laundry in like two weeks and now she comes with a truck load of clothes."
Caelia shook her head as she looked at the heap of clothes at the corner of the laundry room.
"Woah! Have you started?"
She asked and Rachel nodded.
"Yes. I have the first load in. It's the whites, I put them in with some bleach since some of them have blood stains on them."
"Blood stains?"
She repeated and Rachel nodded.
"Yes. At least that's what I think they are. Olivia says they're wine stains but that's a lie."
Caelia nodded.
"That's good. Is there anything I can do?"
"I can help you sort out the next load."
Rachel nodded.
"Yes. please do that. I think this load is done."
She said as she moved to the laundry machine while Caelia moved the pile of clothes.
She couldn't exactly tell how much clothes the twins went through every day, but the whole pile of clothes was more than the tiny luggage she had brought with her.
It was at least twice as much.
"Oh my God!"
Rachel exclaimed and Caelia turned back.
"What?"
She asked in concern and saw Rachel holding a small white dress that was now blotched with pink.
Caelia's eyes widened.
"What did you do?!"
She asked and Rachel quickly rummaged through the washer and found the culprit.
A sole red shorts that she must gave mistakenly put in there.
Rachel crumpled to her knees.
"She's going to kill me."
She whispered...
"Or worse, I'll get fired!"
She said and Caelia shrugged.
"No! We can still remedy this. Put all the whites in! We'll take it for another spin with bleach to get rid of the colour."
She said as she snatched the dress from Rachel and put it back in..
Tears were already streaming on Rachel's face as they started the machine again, together the two of them waited anxiously as the machine worked.
Rachel paced the laundry room, with unshed tears in her eyes and shaky fingers.
"You need to calm down Rachel. It's going to work."
Rachel shrugged.
"You don't understand! I'm already on probation for sneaking out last week. If Ms Margaret finds out I did this she will fire me!"
Sneaking out? Caelia wanted to ask her where she snuck out too but she decided that it wasn't the right time.
"It will work. I believe it will "
Caelia reassured her. To be totally honest she wasn't sure it would work, but she had faith that it would.
If it didn't, they would have to find another alternative.
"Okay! This is what will happen, if the stains refuse to leave, tell Olivia that I was the one who did it. She wouldn't be able to fire me or put me on probation. I'm already working for free."
She said and Rachel shook her head.
"Oh you'd d that for me? I can't possibly let you go through that, Olivia can be brutal."
"Its the best way Rachel. And you know it. Please."
She pleaded and Rachel nodded.
"Okay. But that's only if this doesn't work"
After a while, the machine was done and they opened it, the stains seemed to have gotten out of the majority of the clothes, but the white dress was still very pink.
"Oh God. I'm doomed!"
"No! No you're not! Remember what I said. I'll help you."
Caelia continued reassuring her until they finished with the laundry.
Olivia was not home at the moment, so they had no choice but to put her clothes in her room and wait till she came back to see them.
.....................
Caelia was in her room, fixing the hem on her mother's dress. She was done for the day and had saw that the hem needed fixing and decided to work on it. Rachel was doing a lot better, she was not as worried as she was before and she had gone out on an errand for Ms Margaret.
She was still pondering on whether or not she would go to the ball. It didn't seem like it was a good idea anymore, especially with Mrs Wright's warning. She didn't want to get on her bad side but she was also very curious about it.
She wanted to take the risk, see what it was all about.
She was still in her thoughts when she heard Olivia shrieking. Caelia instantly froze. She must have found out about the dress.
Before Caelia could stand up, Olivia was already in her room, fuming and angry.
"Where's Rachel? I sent her to do my laundry and she got my dress all ruined?!"
"She's not here."
Caelia said as she stood up uneasily. Olivia looked so mad, she was starting to rethink everything she said about taking the blame.
"Where the hell is she?!"
"She went out, but she wasn't the one who ruined your dress. I was."
Caelia answered and Olivia froze for a bit.
Her blue eyes stuck out like glaciers, glaring like icy blue daggers at her.
"Why were you touching my clothes?"
She asked in a low deadly voice.
"I was helping her out with the laundry. I'm so sorry Ms Olivia."
She quickly answered but the pleas fell on deaf ears.
"You little bitch! You did it on purpose right?!"
She asked and Caelia shook her head.
"No! I would't dare!"
"But you did! And you just ruined my dress! Do you know how much the dress costs? More than your six months pay!"
She shrieked. She paced around the room, angry and shaky. She didn't know what to do, she was so mad. she had been saving the dress for a date and now it was ruined.
She glanced at Caelia again and saw her clutching a cream lacy dress.
"What's that?"
She asked and Caelia shrugged.
"My dress."
She said and Olivia grinned.
"Give me that!"
She said as she yanked the dress from her.
"Please... Olivia."
Caelia said as she watched Olivia examine the dress.
"Pretty."
She murmured. Right in front of her eyes, Olivia ripped the dress.
Caelia stared at her, wide eyed and in shock.
She ripped it again, tearing as much fabric she could with Caelia unable to do anything but watch her mother's wedding dress being ripped into pieces.
When Olivia was done she threw what was left of the dress on the floor and stepped on it.
"Now we're even."
She spat out angrily as she walked out of the room, slamming the door hard behind her.
Caelia looked at the torn dress, her chest was heaving with pain and anger.
Greta ran in at that moment.
"I heard Olivia shouting. What happened?"
She asked.
Caelia pointed at the floor and Greta saw it and sighed.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Caelia picked up scraps of the dress.
It was torn, the fabric was soft, it would be almost impossible to fix it. There was no fixing the dress, it was torn in too many places. Ripped literally everywhere.
"Why would she do this?"
She asked and Caelia shrugged, forcing herself to stand up.
"Because I stained her dress while doing her laundry."
Greta sighed.
"That was Rachel. Why did you take the blame?"
Caelia shrugged.
"Because Rachel's already on probation. I took the blame."
"Besides I didn't think she'd do this."
She added as she pointed at the dress.
"This dress, it belonged to my mother."
She said in a small shaky voice.
"I'm sorry Caelia."
Greta said and Caelia shrugged.
"I'm going outside for some fresh air."
She left her room.
....................
Thankfully, Damon wasn't in his room. She could clean it in peace. She started with the bed, rearranging the covers and putting away his laptop and books that he had left on the bed. Unlike everyone else in the family, his bed wasn't always as messy. She liked making his bed, she got a whiff of him every time she did.
Next, she slowly arranged his closet. There were only a few shirts out of place and she had arranged and put them back in place.
He had gone out for a run, or something like that, at least that was what Greta told her before she went upstairs to clean his room. After the incident with Olivia, Caelia had gone to the garden for a while and cried her eyes out.
She only got out of the gardens when she remembered she had chores to do.
The twin sisters went out, Olivia went on like nothing happened, not even glancing at Caelia when she saw her.
Damon had left shortly after too, he seemed to be having a busy day. She was relieved with that, she didn't want him to see her all puffy eyes and downcast.
If Ms Margaret noticed her eyes were puffy, she didn't comment on it, but she left her well alone. Rachel on the other hand had been apologising profusely. The guilt was eating away at her and she believed it was her fault for Caelia's dress getting ruined.
She blamed herself for letting Caelia take the blame, but the deed was already done.
She blamed herself for even thinking she could go to the ball in the first place.