The night air felt cold and damp as Elena stood near the big stone patio behind the estate.
She was wearing a dirty white apron that was stained dark red from hours of hard manual labor.
The heavy metal vat in front of her was filled with thick red cherry syrup for the dessert station.
Elena had been stirring the heavy mixture with a wooden paddle since early that afternoon without any break.
Her arms felt weak, and small drops of sweat mixed with red syrup on her pale freckled face.
Inside the grand mansion, bright lights shone through tall glass windows while wealthy guests laughed and drank.
Elena wiped her cheek with her sleeve and left another long red streak across her tired skin.
She looked down into the dark liquid and felt tears starting to sting her dry eyes.
The wealthy owner of the house walked out onto the stone patio holding a glass of expensive red wine.
Her name was Victoria, and she wore a bright green silk dress that swept along the polished floor.
Victoria: Why are you standing there motionless when the main party starts in twenty minutes?
Victoria looked down her nose at the young maid with a harsh and demanding look in her eyes.
Elena: I need to start over because the syrup burned near the bottom of the vat.
Victoria: The guests need these desserts flawlessly prepared, so you will not start over!
Elena looked up with wide, teary eyes and felt her entire body shaking from absolute exhaustion.
Elena: If I serve burned cherry glaze, the high party guests will complain about the terrible taste.
Victoria: You will fix it right now, or you can pack your small bag and leave tonight!
Victoria took a slow sip of her red wine and smiled without showing any real warmth at all.
She liked showing everyone in the house that she had total power over her paid staff members.
Elena lowered her head and gripped the heavy wooden paddle again with her aching red fingers.
She felt completely helpless because she desperately needed the money to pay her small monthly rent.
Without this catering job, she would have nowhere to sleep by the end of the coming week.
She dipped the paddle back into the thick red syrup and began stirring as fast as she could.
Victoria stood right beside the metal vat with her green dress resting against the stone edge.
She watched Elena struggle with a cold look of absolute satisfaction spread across her face.
Suddenly, the heavy glass door leading out to the patio swung wide open with a loud thud.
A tall man named Mark stepped out onto the dark stone patio wearing a neat black suit.
He had spent months looking for his missing younger sister who had disappeared after their mother died.
Mark looked at the tired girl standing beside the heavy metal vat in the cold night breeze.
His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the tiny freckles scattered across her thin pale nose.
Elena raised her eyes slowly and gasped when she saw the tall man standing near the doorway.