Caelia stepped from the black car, gaping at the large mansion that set beyond the sidewalk, towering over her as if attempting to intimidate her, it was the Wrights residence.
The cream coating of the paint shined as the sun beat down on it, causing Caelia to squint. Uniquely twisted fencing kept the house enclosed, neatly trimmed hedges surrounded the house. The roof was peaked, slanting down at an angle. The windows had royal purple curtains hanging on the other side of them, drawn so that the sunlight could stream through.
As she stepped onto the sidewalk her luggage in her hand, Caelia noticed a marble fountain sitting towards the right side of the lawn. An angel holding a flower was perched on top, looking up towards the sky. Water spurted from its other hand, which lay gently out in front of it, as if waiting for someone to take it in return. The water fell gently towards the crystal blue pool beneath it, causing ripples to form and wave out until they were no more.
Bushes trimmed into all sorts of animals and people littered the parts of the lawn that was not taken up by the fountain: cats, dogs, rabbits, giraffes, elephants, penguins, birds, snakes...All life-sized.
Caelia walked towards the extravagant house, down the little stone path to the black door.
She stabbed the doorbell, which glowed with a yellow light surrounding the white button. Hearing a faint 'ding dong' she huffed, waiting for someone to come to the door.
It was, moments later, opened by a lady wearing a light blue maid uniform and an apron at her tiny waist, her hair pulled back into a tight bun. She had a bright smile and pretty brown eyes.
"Ah, hello, Caelia. You look so much like your mother!"
She exclaimed, putting the back onto a stud earring which was pushed into her ear.
"I'm sure you must be very excited to see your mum. She has been talking non stop about you. My name is Rachel by the way."
Caelia smiled back as a response and Rachel helped her with her luggage walking past her with a small wave.
"I'll take this to our quarters. Ms Margaret will take you to the lady of the house..."
After Rachel had closed the door, Caelia stole a glance around the place. The black and white linoleum floor of the entrance glowed, obviously having been cleaned before she came. Stairs lay across the room, climbing toward the ceiling. A doorway was on either side of the room, one admitting you into the kitchen, the other into the living room. The walls were a dark blue with silver brush swipes crossing over it, creating a shimmer effect.
It was a large and a beautiful mansion filled to the brim with magnificence and opulence that Caelia had only ever seen in the movies. It was stunning.
Rachel came back a few seconds later alone with a bright smile.
"Ms Margaret will see you now. Come along."
............
Caelia hated her new uniform. It was a dull drab powder blue maid uniform with high collars and an apron. She was also required to tie her hair into a braid or in a ponytail and she was given soft shoes to wear around the house.
Her mother looked a lot relieved seeing her in the Wright mansion. She worked in the kitchen but Caelia was going to be assigned normal house cleaning chores since she was new. The housekeeper already had a long talk with her giving her all the do's and don't's of the Wrights house.
"First rule, always be discrete. The Wrights really like their privacy a lot. That's why there's a timetable for cleaning, so you'd never run into any members of the family. Is that clear?"
The stern woman asked and Caelia nodded, it was not like she had seen any member of the Wright family since she had arrived. Ms Margaret was a tall woman. And she towered above Caelia with a few inches. Even more. Unlike Caelia and the two other maids that worked as house cleaning maids, the stern woman didn't wear a uniform. But she wore a crisp white shirt and black pants. Her scraggly ginger hair was pulled back tightly to the nape of her neck and Caelia had a feeling it was so tight that it was the reason her hairline was receding.
"Second rule, you may not leave your quarters unless you are required to. Since you'll be a live in maid, please do well to be confined to your quarters all the time or there will be consequences!"
She raised her voice a pitch higher and Caelia nodded in understanding.
Margaret narrowed her eyes at her.
"Don't just sit there and nod your head like a silly duck! Talk!"
"Yes Ms Margaret."
Caelia replied and the woman looked mildly pleased.
"Thirdly and most importantly, you must always finish your tasks. Each maid is given a list of tasks every day and they are obligated to complete it."
"Yes Ms Margaret."
The woman nodded.
"Good. Since you're new, I'll let you tag along with Rachel and observe for a while."
"Thanks."
She murmured.
Finally relieved when the uptight woman left her alone.
So many rules! It was the twenty first century! Who knew being a maid was so hard?
Caelia thought as she shook her head, examining her uniform in her maids quarters.
There wasn't much in the maid quarters, only a bunk bed, dark walls and a single vanity mirror, compared to the rest of the mansion, the room was a complete eyesore. But it was also going to be her living space for the next few months that she would be working with the Wrights and it was also where her mother lived and worked although her mother was not going to be a full time maid like her.
Rachel came back again with a smile on her face.
"Do you like it here? We're going to be sharing a bunk. It's so refreshing to have someone new here!"
She exclaimed as she sat down on the lower bunk bed with a bright smile on her rosy face. Caelia forced a smile, it was still a very uncomfortable situation for her.
"It's nice to meet you. How long have you been working here?"
She asked and Rachel shrugged.
"About two years. It's a good job. The pay is really good and I get to help my siblings go to school."
Caelia smiled, admiring Rachel's cheerfulness.
"So, since I'm new, I hope you won't mind telling me the things that I have to know about this place. I have never worked as a maid before honestly, I'm very nervous."
Caelia confessed as she sat next to Rachel who seemed understanding. It was the truth though, Caelia never thought she would work as a maid, nor even ever find herself in the situation, but it was something she would have to do, if she ever wanted to help her mother pay off her debts and stop working for free.
"Well, the Wright household isn't like every other household. That's what I'll tell you. There's so many things that goes on behind closed doors. Mr Wright is a complete sweetheart and Mrs Wright..."
Rachel left off her sentence as she shook her head.
"Let me just tell you should do everything possible to avoid that woman."
"She will make your life miserable."
Rachel commented as she shook her head.
"Never get on her bad side. It's the worst thing that can happen to a maid here, getting on her bad side."
Rachel said with a sigh and Caelia urged her on.
"How do I not get on her bad side?"
Rachel shrugged, her hand reaching out to tuck a loose strand of Caelia's hair.
"We don't know. It's just happens that every now and then she takes out her anger on us over the most stupidest thing. Just stay away from her. That's the only thing I'd say."
Rachel warned and Caelia nodded her head with growing enthusiasm. She was determined to be good at her job. She was generally a very unproblematic and lovable person so she was sure that she would have no problems with Mrs Wright.
That was where she was wrong, Mrs Carolyn Wright had a problem with everyone she considered beneath her.
"Then there's the Wright twins. I'm pretty sure those two are bipolar if you ask me. Their mood swings are out of this world!"
Rachel rolled her eyes as she shook her head.
"Olivia can be as bitchy as her mother, even extra bitchy but Sophia is a total sweetheart when Olivia isn't around. But she can be real mean too so just watch out for those two...and then there's their son..."
It was around that moment that Caelia's mum walked in with anxiety evident in her smooth face. She was wearing a similar uniform to the girls but hers was slightly different. She was the chef for the Wrights.
"What are you two doing here? You shouldn't be in here talking! It's almost time for breakfast. Come help me set the table!"
Rachel stood up quickly, hurriedly adjusting her hair.
"I totally forgot. I didn't know it was breakfast time already. Come Caelia, Let's go set the table."
She said as she beckoned Caelia up to her feet. Caelia was about to protest about how Ms Magaret claimed that she would give her a list of duties later bit she decided against it and kept her mouth shut.
In the large dining hall that looked like it could comfortably house twenty guests, Rachel, Caelia and another maid named Greta set the table. Caelia merely watched closely as Greta and Rachel decided the sitting arrangements and small things like where there should be a glass or how to place the napkins. Ms Margaret came over later to inspect their work. Offering criticism even where it wasn't needed.
She and Rachel walked back to the kitchens to set the table. Dinner was going to be a sumptuous array of different mouthwatering foods. because according to Rachel each of the family member had different choices. Caelia found that to be too bothersome.
The twins wanted a zero carbs breakfast and they were also trying out being vegan, Mr Wright and his son wanted a wholesome breakfast but one of them was allergic to peanuts and the other milk and Mrs Wright wanted truffles. All their needs had to be catered for even if it meant creating different meals for them.
Caelia was still helping Rachel serve the table when she heard a deep familiar voice approaching them, she raised her head slightly to see, her hands still on arranging the silver set and she saw a very familiar face. It was the man she spoke to the night before. The one who called himself Damon.
She seized her breath as she gawked at him, hoping to confirm if it truly was him. It was. He was wearing a grey sweater with whitewashed jeans and boots. His hair was a mess of chocolate brown curls and his eyes were fixated on his phone. He even had a small frown on his face. He hissed in frustration and slowly looked up.
He slowly raised his eyes as he walked towards the dining hall, his eyes squinting in recognition as he looked at Caelia.
Caelia felt shy under his gaze and she lowered her eyes. Her face was getting redder with every minute.
"And that, that is Damon Wright." Rachel whispered into Caelia's ear.