Chapter 4

I stood rooted to the spot, refusing to budge.

Looking at the hundreds of empty, priceless wine bottles littered around the room, I silently prayed for them.

If my dad found out his vintage collection had been guzzled by these parasites, he would personally destroy them.

Jackson, clearly drunk, stumbled over, flanked by a group of scowling coworkers.

"Sera Wood, are you deaf? You’re a worthless maid’s daughter. When Chloe, our resident heiress, tells you to do something, you jump! Go buy the damn wine!"

"If you ruin Jackson's birthday because of your laziness, Chloe can have your mother fired with a single phone call. She'll be begging for scraps on the street!" one coworker sneered.

The luxury watch I had gifted Jackson was gone. In its place was a ridiculously thick, gaudy solid gold watch.

He was also spinning a key fob for a limited-edition supercar on his finger, looking like a total textbook nouveau riche.

No wonder everyone was kissing his ass. Chloe must have spent at least three million of my dollars on him.

I couldn't help but chuckle. No wonder Chloe was so desperate for me to keep spending; she needed to fund her boytoy.

"I’m so sorry, Chloe," I said mockingly. "My salary is only a few thousand dollars a month. I don't have the funds to prepay for your expensive wine. If you want to fire my mother, go ahead. I’ll tell her to pack her bags and leave your estate immediately."

I turned to leave, but someone grabbed my hair from behind, ripping me backward.

"Sera Wood, you ungrateful bitch! How dare a servant's daughter talk back to Chloe!"

Jackson’s eyes were filled with pure malice.

"If you hadn't stolen Chloe's identity and tricked me, Chloe and I wouldn't have wasted so much time apart!"

"I'm going to teach you some manners today!"

With a wave of his hand, half a dozen coworkers ran forward, pinning my arms behind my back.

I struggled, panic rising in my chest. "Let me go! Are you all insane?!"

Jackson laughed maniacally and slapped me hard across the face. "I’m doing Chloe a favor by disciplining her servant!"

Searing pain bloomed across my face. My lip split, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

Chloe stood by, sipping her wine and watching the show with a satisfied smirk.

"Honestly, Sera, I’ve been way too soft on you. That’s why you forgot your place. It's good for Jackson to teach you a lesson. Maybe now you’ll remember who the real owner of this estate is."

Dizzy and bleeding, I screamed for the estate's butler and security, only to realize the house staff had been completely dismissed for the party.

It seemed that during the months I was living near the office to focus on work, Chloe's mother had completely taken over the estate management.

After a while, Jackson grew tired of hitting me.

But his greedy eyes suddenly locked onto my wrist.

"Where did you get that watch? You stole it from Chloe, didn't you?!"

His eyes lit up with greed as he grabbed my wrist, trying to rip the watch off.

The metal dug painfully into my skin. "Let go! This was my mother’s!" I screamed.

Jackson didn't believe me. He kicked me squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of me.

"Your maid mother could never afford a watch like this! You definitely stole it from Chloe's room!"

He twisted my wrist violently.

This watch was the only thing my late mother had left me. I would rather die than let him take it.

I thrashed wildly, prepared to fight them to the death.

But right then, a sharp gasp echoed from the grand entryway.

"What on earth are you doing?! Stop this right now!"