Elena knelt on the cold marble floor of the grand foyer.
Her hands trembled as she pressed a white cloth against the spilled bucket.
The soapy grey water had spread across the reflective tiles beneath the high ceiling.
She had been scrubbing on her knees since six o'clock in the morning.
Her back burned with a dull ache that made every breath difficult.
Yet she kept her head down and continued her heavy chore without complaint.
Elena had worked at the Sterling estate for nearly three whole years.
She needed the job to pay for her younger brother's rising medical expenses.
Because of that responsibility, she endured every cruel remark thrown her way.
The front doors of the mansion were locked tight against the autumn chill.
Inside, the silent house felt cold despite the grand gold decorations on the walls.
Suddenly, the sharp click of high heels echoed down the open staircase.
Elena paused her work and swallowed hard to calm her sudden anxiety.
She recognized that heavy rhythmic sound all too well from past daily encounters.
Victoria Sterling stood at the top of the glass stairs looking down condescendingly.
She wore an expensive yellow satin gown that flowed elegantly around her ankles.
In her right hand, she casually held a tall crystal glass filled with dark grape juice.
Victoria: You missed a spot near the bottom step, Elena.
Elena: I am wiping the main entrance first, Miss Victoria.
Victoria: Did I ask for your opinion on the order of chores?
Elena stayed silent and gently lowered her head back down to the bucket.
She did not want to trigger another sudden fit of anger from the heiress.
Victoria walked slowly down the steps with a wicked smile on her red lips.
She deliberately stopped on the third step directly above where Elena was kneeling.
Without a single word of warning, Victoria tilted her crystal glass straight downward.
A thick stream of cold dark juice poured over Elena's hair and white uniform.
The sticky liquid splashed across her neck and pooled onto the clean marble tiles.
Elena gasped loudly as the ice-cold drink soaked through her thin work clothes.
Tears immediately sprang to her eyes as she looked up at her employer.
Victoria: Clean it properly, servant!
Elena: Why are you doing this to me again, Miss Victoria?
Victoria: Because you need to learn your place in this house!
Elena squeezed her scrubbing cloth tightly until her knuckles turned pale and white.
She wanted to stand up and walk away from the humiliating scene right then.
However, the thought of her brother's hospital bill kept her nailed to the floor.
Victoria let out a cold laugh that echoed through the vast empty foyer space.
She set the empty crystal glass down on the polished wooden handrail beside her.
Victoria: Start over and make sure every inch shines before lunch time.
Elena dropped her gaze back to the ruined white cloth resting in dark juice.
She wiped a stray teardrop from her check with her damp sleeve.
She felt completely helpless against the power of the wealthy Sterling family line.
No one ever stood up to Victoria inside this massive luxury residence.
The servants always obeyed without question to protect their regular monthly paychecks.
Elena closed her eyes and whispered a short silent prayer for patience today.
She did not know that a major change was already arriving outside the front gates.