Chapter 15
From Layla's Perspective:
The next morning, I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling above me.
For a moment, I felt like I was still in a dream, not fully awake.
After a while, I remembered that yesterday I'd been forcibly brought home by that lunatic William.
Even though I'd only been away for a few days, everything here felt strangely unfamiliar.
I sat at the vanity like I used to, looking at myself in the mirror.
The difference was, this time, my eyes no longer showed exhaustion and confusion about life. Instead, they held determination and brightness.
Just then, the bedroom door was knocked on by the maid Lika, interrupting my thoughts.
She knocked three times, and without waiting for my response, she announced loudly from outside, "Mrs. Brown, your breakfast is ready. If you want to eat, go get it yourself. I have things to do and need to go out now. I probably won't be back until evening. The food I made should be enough to last you until tonight. If it's really not enough, you'll have to figure something out yourself."
Her loud, arrogant voice - if someone didn't know better, they would think she was the one in charge of this household.
But honestly, Lika wasn't much different from my mother-in-law, Harper, whom I only saw on holidays.
After all, everything I said or did at home each day, Lika would write down in her notebook and report to Harper in detail.
Before, I'd heard her more than once late at night, on her phone, badmouthing me to Harper.
The first time I heard Lika talking behind my back, I was naive and didn't understand how cruel people could be. I immediately woke William up and asked him to stand up for me.
Back then, we were newly married, and my concerns came first. Without thinking, William immediately confronted Lika to back me up.
But Lika instantly changed her face. Gone was the vicious scheming she'd shown on the phone with Harper, replaced by a pitiful look of being wronged. She pulled out her deleted call records.
"Mr. Brown, how can you think this of me? I've worked in your home for over ten years. You know what kind of person I am, don't you?"
"I thought that raising you would make us family, or at least relatives. I never imagined our trust was this fragile."
"Mr. Brown, don't you know why your mother sent me here to take care of you two? You've had a weak stomach since childhood, often ending up in the hospital from eating the wrong things. Your mother was afraid others couldn't take proper care of you, so she sent me."
"I should have listened to my daughter and not taken this thankless job. I should have just quit and retired."
I would never forget the pitiful expression on Lika's face when she said those things, and the triumphant, challenging look she gave me.
William was clearly embarrassed at the time, and he thought I was deliberately causing trouble for Lika because I didn't like Harper interfering in our household affairs.
Gradually, after I complained several times and Lika played the victim, William became annoyed. He stopped believing me and instead sided with Lika and Harper to lecture me.
Looking back now, I should have seen through William's fake facade from that moment and gotten out in time.
Unfortunately, I was blinded by love and didn't understand this truth.
If a maid in a household could boss me around, it actually already showed how that family treated me.
"Mrs. Brown, don't pretend you can't hear me in there! And don't think about running away. Mr. Brown has bodyguards stationed outside. Once you step out of this yard, someone will bring you right back."
"Also, don't think about crawling through the dog hole in the back of the yard. Even though there are no bodyguards there, with your build, you couldn't squeeze through anyway."
These past few days of experiences had matured me overnight.
Before, faced with Lika's sarcastic mockery, I would have been furious and stomping mad, then gone to William to make things right.
But right now, I felt incredibly calm inside. I even thought Lika's trick of secretly getting me to escape was too childish.
Did she really think I was a three-year-old who couldn't tell she was hinting for me to escape through the back dog hole?
I smiled and shook my head, wondering whether I should follow Lika and Harper's script and escape through the dog hole while William was away, or wait at home for him to return so we could talk things through calmly.
Just then, my phone suddenly rang.
I glanced at the screen; it was a video call from Emily.
My strong sixth sense told me I was probably about to get scolded.
Sure enough, as soon as I hit the answer button, Emily's angry face filled the screen.
"Layla! Are you stupid? I asked the manager at Summit Innovations Group, and you weren't hired at all!"
"Tell me! Where are you right now?"
"Wait, you didn't go back to William without any pride, did you!"
"Layla! I'm telling you, cheating is a matter of principle and can never be forgiven! If you're willing to forgive William anyway, don't come looking for me ever again!"
Hearing Emily's string of questions and her frustrated expression, I couldn't help but smile, feeling warm inside.
"Emily, don't get excited. I am at William's house right now, but there's a reason."
"Fine, talk. I'm listening. If your reason doesn't convince me, I'm going to beat you up!"
On the screen, Emily bared her teeth like an angry little lion, looking absolutely adorable.
In a good mood, I told her everything about running into William and Olivia yesterday.
"This William, has he been reading too many novels? Does he think this makes him cool? It's disgusting!" Emily's anger disappeared, replaced by worry. "So what are you thinking now? I don't think William will sit down and negotiate with you calmly. If you ask me, you should let a lawyer talk to him. You should escape from there while he's not home."
"I was just thinking the same thing." I nodded in agreement, then told her what Lika had said, wanting her to help me analyze it.
But Emily, with her hot temper, set up her phone on the other end of the video and got in her car, saying decisively, "Why are you overthinking this? Who cares what that maid's purpose is? The most important thing is for you to get away from that dangerous person, William."
"Pack your things right now. I'll be at your door in about fifteen minutes. Don't hang up the video, stay in contact. If anything happens on your end, I'm calling the cops !"
Seeing her ready to drive over aggressively, I quickly stopped her. "Emily, don't rush. I have something more important I need your help with. I can leave here on my own. But if no one can help me solve this problem, even if I escape from here, I'll still be threatened by William!"