Chapter 100 Chapter 100
The morning came slowly, shining through the curtains and lighting up Cassandra’s face.
She had been awake all night, turning from one side of the bed to the other. Her eyes were red, and her lips dry. Nathaniel had not come home, and the silence in the mansion made her go crazy.
When she finally got up, she went straight to the dining table. Her face looked tired, but her anger was written all over it.
“Where is my coffee?” she asked coldly.
The maids who were standing around looked at one another. One of them, a small girl named Rose, came forward quickly. “I’m sorry ma’am, I’ll bring it now.”
Cassandra glared at her. “You should have done that long ago! You people are becoming lazy these days.”
Rose ran to the kitchen, her hands shaking. The other maids kept their heads down, afraid to breathe too loud. They all knew when Cassandra was in a bad mood, and this morning looked worse than usual.
Cassandra sat still, tapping her fingers on the table. Her chest was heavy, her head full of noise. She hated that Nathaniel had walked out on her. She hated that she had no one to shout at except the maids.
A few minutes later, Rose came back with the coffee tray. “Here, ma’am,” she said quietly.
Cassandra took the cup and sipped. She frowned. “What nonsense is this?”
Rose froze. “Ma’am?”
“This coffee is cold!” Cassandra yelled, slamming the cup back on the table. “You think I’m blind or stupid?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I just—”
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the dining hall. The cup rolled off the table and broke on the floor.
The other maids gasped.
“Get out of my sight!” Cassandra shouted. “You useless thing! I said get out!”
Rose ran off crying, holding her cheek. The others quickly bent down to clean up the spilled coffee, their hands trembling. No one dared to speak.
Cassandra stood there, breathing heavily. Her heart was beating fast, and her hands were shaking. She turned around and walked toward the window, staring outside. The garden looked peaceful, full of flowers Nathaniel had once planted for her.
That sight made her eyes sting.
“Why does everything feel empty?” she whispered.
She sat back down slowly and covered her face with her hands. Her breathing became quiet, but her tears started rolling down. She didn’t even wipe them.
Her phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up weakly and saw Vanessa’s name flashing. She almost ignored it, but after a while she answered.
“Hello?” her voice sounded tired.
“Cassandra, are you okay?” Vanessa asked immediately.
“No,” Cassandra said. “I’m not.”
“What happened again?”
Cassandra sniffed. “Nathaniel left last night.”
“Oh dear Lord,” Vanessa said. “What did you do this time?”
“He said I keep secrets,” Cassandra muttered. “And he’s right. But he didn’t even wait to listen. He just left.”
“Cass, you’ve pushed him too much. I warned you,” Vanessa said.
“Don’t start,” Cassandra whispered.
“I’m serious, Cass. You always act like you can do whatever you want and he’ll still stay. But men have limits too.”
Cassandra kept quiet for a while, staring at the coffee stains on the table. “I slapped one of the maids this morning.”
Vanessa’s tone changed. “You what?”
“I was angry,” Cassandra said softly. “She delayed my coffee, and it was cold. I lost it.”
“Cassandra!” Vanessa sighed loudly. “You’re just making everything worse for yourself. Those girls are afraid of you already. You don’t need to keep proving you’re the boss.”
“I know,” Cassandra whispered. “But I can’t control it anymore. I get angry easily these days. Everything annoys me.”
“You’re not angry, Cass,” Vanessa said gently. “You’re hurting. You’re broken inside, and instead of crying it out, you shout and hit.”
Cassandra wiped her face roughly. “Maybe I deserve to be alone. Maybe this is my punishment.”
“Stop talking like that,” Vanessa said. “You made mistakes, yes. But sitting there crying and slapping people won’t fix anything.”
Cassandra gave a weak laugh. “You sound like Nathaniel.”
“Then maybe you should listen this time,” Vanessa said. “Look, if you want him back, you need to calm down first. He won’t return to meet this version of you.”
“I don’t even know who I am anymore,” Cassandra said quietly. “Everything is just falling apart.”
“You are Cassandra Williams,” Vanessa said. “And you’re strong. You always find a way to stand up again, even when life tries to bury you. So get up. Fix your face. And stop letting anger control you.”
There was silence for a moment before Cassandra whispered, “You think he’ll come back?”
“Yes,” Vanessa said softly. “He will. But he needs to see you trying. Show him that you can change. Don’t keep living like this.”
Cassandra nodded slowly. “I’ll try.”
“That’s my girl,” Vanessa said. “Now breathe, drink some water, and go rest. You sound tired.”
“I am,” Cassandra said with a small sigh. “Thank you, Vanessa.”
“Always,” Vanessa replied. “And please, no more slapping maids. Next time, throw a pillow or something.”
That made Cassandra laugh a little for the first time in days. “You’re crazy.”
“Of course,” Vanessa said, smiling through the phone. “Now hang up and rest.”
When the call ended, Cassandra looked at the empty chair beside her. The one Nathaniel always sat on. Her laughter faded slowly, replaced by quiet sadness.
She got up, walked to the window, and looked out again. The breeze blew softly through the curtains.
For a moment, she imagined Nathaniel walking in through the door with his usual calm smile, calling her name, telling her everything would be fine.
But the door stayed closed.
Cassandra touched the necklace on her neck — the one he bought her on their anniversary. She held it tightly and whispered, “Please come back.”
Then she turned and looked at the maids still working quietly in the background.
Her voice was soft this time. “You can all rest for today.”
They looked surprised, but nodded quickly.
Cassandra walked slowly to her room, her eyes tired but her heart a little lighter. Vanessa’s words kept ringing in her mind.
You’re not angry, Cass. You’re hurting.
Maybe that was true.
Maybe she wasn’t angry at the maid, or at Nathaniel, but at herself — for everything she had done and everything she had lost.
She lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, whispering to herself, “Tomorrow… I’ll be better.”
And for the first time in many nights, Cassandra fell asleep without crying.