Maya: Cleaning staff, please clear away this mess, especially the salad bowl.
Staff Member: Right away, ma'am. Can we get you a warm towel or a change of clothes?
Maya: A warm towel will be fine, thank you. I have a company to run tomorrow, and I need to get some sleep.
Maya walked up the grand staircase toward the master bedroom. For three years, she had been mocked, humiliated, and treated like a servant in this house. She had suffered through quiet comments, insults about her upbringing, and constant reminders that she was "just a nobody."
She walked into the master bathroom, turned on the golden faucets, and looked at herself in the mirror. Dressing was still smeared on her chin and hair, but when she looked into her own eyes, she didn't see a victim anymore.
She washed her face with warm water, watching the white dressing wash away down the marble drain.
Her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a text message from Julian: "Please Maya, we are sitting in the driveway. Mom has nowhere to go and my cards are declined. Let me come back inside. We can start over."
Maya picked up the phone, typed a quick response, and hit send: "Call an Uber. The beggar princess just locked the gates."
She blocked his number, turned off her phone, and smiled as she heard the distant sound of the front gates sliding shut forever.