Clara wiped her tired forehead with the back of her trembling hand.
The heavy silver serving tray felt heavier with every passing second tonight.
She looked around the massive outdoor patio of the grand estate.
Dozens of rich guests were laughing and drinking expensive red wine.
Clara had been standing on her feet for twelve long hours straight.
Her feet burned with pain inside her cheap black work shoes.
She was just a humble maid trying to pay her bills.
Her boss was Victoria Vance, a wealthy and arrogant socialite woman.
Victoria wore a stunning emerald green silk dress that cost thousands.
She looked down at Clara with pure coldness in her eyes.
Victoria noticed a tiny smudge of juice on a glass edge.
Her face twisted into immediate rage at the small mistake.
She marched right over to where Clara was standing trembling.
The surrounding guests turned their heads to watch the drama unfold.
Victoria slammed her heavy wine glass down onto the metal table.
The loud noise echoed across the entire dark stone patio.
Clara took a small step backward out of sudden fear.
She knew how mean Victoria could be to her domestic workers.
Victoria pointed her long manicured finger directly into Clara's face.
She spat her harsh words out like venom before everyone.
Victoria: You spilled berry punch on the serving station glass again!
Clara: I am so sorry, ma'am, I will clean it up immediately.
Victoria: Cleaning it up is not enough for my high standards!
Clara: Please... my shift ended twenty minutes ago, Victoria.
Victoria: I do not care about your petty schedule at all!
Victoria: Dump that whole metal vat out and start completely over!
Clara: Start over?
Clara: But that big vat takes two full hours to prepare!
Victoria: The guests need these flawlessly, or you are fired tonight!
Clara felt hot tears spill down her pale red cheeks.
She stared at the huge metal vat of red punch.
The dark liquid inside was sticky and extremely heavy to move.
Clara had accidentally stained her white apron earlier while working hard.
She looked like a broken ghost standing under the bright lights.
Victoria stepped closer and smirked with total cruel satisfaction.
She loved showing off her ultimate power over helpless working people.
The wealthy guests whispered among themselves behind delicate glass cups.
Nobody stepped forward to defend the exhausted young maid at all.
Clara grabbed the edges of the big heavy metal vat.
Her muscles strained painfully as she tried lifting the dark weight.
She cried softly as her cold hands slipped on metal.
Victoria just laughed aloud and took another slow sip of wine.
It seemed like nobody in the world cared about Clara.
She was completely trapped in a nightmare of endless wealth.