Evelyn scrubbed the floor as fast as her aching fingers would allow.
The dirty water soaked into her sleeves, but she kept moving her arms.
Chloe raised the heavy broom handle high above her shoulder with a sharp swoosh.
She slammed the wooden stick onto the floor right next to Evelyn's hand.
"Scrub faster, you useless old woman!" Chloe screamed at the top of her lungs.
Evelyn flinched at the loud bang, tears finally welling in her tired eyes.
Her skin was pale, and her breath came in short, ragged gasps.
She looked up with a tear-streaked face at the angry young woman standing above her.
"Please... my hands hurt..." Evelyn pleaded in a shaky, trembling voice.
Chloe only laughed, completely untouched by the old woman's obvious pain.
"Your job is to clean, not to make excuses," Chloe spat back with contempt.
She raised the handle again to strike the floor right beside Evelyn's legs.
The heavy front doors suddenly clicked open, breaking the tense silence.
The sound of heavy leather shoes echoed in the tall, bright entrance hall.
Chloe froze instantly, dropping the broom handle to her side in surprise.
She turned around, startled, and quickly forced a tight, nervous smile.
A tall man in a dark coat stood in the doorway holding a rolling suitcase.
Mark had returned from his business trip three days earlier than expected.
He held a wrapped gift box under his arm, meant for a special occasion.
His smile faded instantly as his eyes took in the horrifying scene before him.
"Oh! You're early!" Chloe said, her voice turning fake and sickly sweet.
Mark ignored her greeting and stepped further into the bright, sunlit hallway.
His eyes fixed on Evelyn, who was shivering on the cold floor in tears.
"How long has this been happening?" Mark asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Chloe's face turned pale, but she tried to regain her composure quickly.
"She just dropped something and offered to clean it," Chloe lied smoothly.
Mark pushed past Chloe without saying another word to her.
He rushed over and knelt beside the elderly maid on the hard tile.
He gently touched Evelyn's arm to help her stand up safely.
As her cardigan sleeve pulled back, Mark saw dark purple bruises on her skin.
"She wanted to help!" Chloe shouted defensively, her voice rising in panic.
Mark looked at the marks on Evelyn's arm with rising anger and disbelief.