Rochelle Bradley shifted uncomfortably, with her fingers twisting together, while avoiding Rosa's gaze.
The housekeeper's words had already painted a picture that didn't match the woman Rochelle worked for. The poised host on television and the abused wife in this house felt like two different people!
Meanwhile, Rosa took Rochelle's silence as an invitation to continue the gossip. After taking a sip from her teacup, she continued. "That's not even all. I could go on and on about what really happens in this hou—"
THUD!
The sound was so loud and sickening, the both women froze.
Rochelle turned to the direction of the sound. "What… what was that?"
Rosa: "..."
They walked slowly toward the floor-to-ceiling glass window that overlooked the garden.
The sight beyond it made Rosa scream.
The glass roof of the garden lay shattered. The metal beams bent inward, destroyed under the force of something heavy!
The sight left them in confusion until blood streaked across the tiles, leading away from the wreckage.
Rosa staggered back, clutching her chest. "Oh my God—blood—I have to call the police!"
She turned and ran, her slippers slapping against the marble as she fumbled for her phone.
Rochelle was in a state of shock. Her eyes were locked on the blood trail.
What if...
In an instant, Rochelle's body gave an involuntary jump. "Mrs. Colburn?"
~♡~
Badum. Badum.
Brianna stood frozen, listening to her heartbeat.
"Mrs. Colburn? Mrs. Colburn is that you? Ah! There's blood on my shoe!"
It sounded muffled, but it slowly brought her back to her senses. The reality of what had happened just now made her feet sway until she was on all fours.
"It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." Brianna repeated, crawling to the edge of the balcony.
And when she dared looked down, her vision blurred and she was unable to control her breathing.
Below, Rochelle moved through the wreckage, trying to reach her boss, picking up fallen metal and glass as she went. Then she froze when she heard panicked gasps.
Looking up, her fingers let go. Seeing Brianna alive made her finally breathe and she rushed inside.
~♡~
By the time Rochelle reached the balcony, seeing the state Brianna was in, her heart weakened. "Mrs. Colburn,"
Brianna was lost in processing what happened that she didn't hear when Rochelle came in.
Her head was buried on her knees, which were drawn to her chest. She rocked herself back and forth, mumbling words Rochelle couldn't understand.
Rochelle rushed to knee beside her, passing an arm over her shoulders.
"He won't…" Rochelle started, then stopped.
He won't hurt anyone again.
The thought came uninvited and settled.
"It's over," she said instead.
Her voice was steadier than she felt. "He can't hurt you now."
Brianna raised her head slowly. "I didn't mean to."
Rochelle didn't hesitate. "I know."
The certainty surprised her. "My stepfather used to say the same thing. Right before he broke something."
She took a breath. Her hands were shaking, but her chest felt lighter.
"No one helped my mother. Everyone knew. They just… waited."
Brianna shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I—I didn't mean to—I swear, I didn't know he'd—I—He—Hu-hu-huuuuuu!"
Rochelle tapped her back gently. With everything Rosa told her about this two's marriage, she just knew Mr. Colburn deserves what he got!
He reminded her of her stepfather.
"It's okay, Mrs. Colburn—I know you didn't intentionally do this. He made you this way. He turned you into a..."
Murderer.
She looked at Rochelle with hollow, terrifyingly empty eyes. "Rochelle... am I a murderer now? Is that what I am?"
Rochelle didn't know what to say. "I—I—"
Brianna reached for Rochelle's hands. "The show... they'll have to cancel the show, won't they? You can't have a 'Marriage Goddess' who kills her husband. It's bad for the ratings."
Rochelle's eyes watered instantly at the heaviness of Brianna's words. "Mrs. Colburn, you didn't do anything wrong."
Brianna shook her head, she didn't believe it was any other's fault but hers. Her head dropped down in defeat, resting on Rochelle's shoulder.
The moment her brain figured out what was on Rochelle's sleeves, she stiffly raised her head.
Realising her boss was acting strange, Rochelle felt a strange course to ask. "Are you okay?"
Rochelle hadn't realized she was still reaching for her until Brianna crawled backward, her back hitting the balcony wall with a dull thud.
Brianna looked at Rochelle's palm—stained with the dark and wet crimson of Lucian's fall—and recoiled as if she'd been burned.
"It's... it's okay," Rochelle stammered, her voice shaking despite her attempt at calmness.
But then she froze, staring at the blood on her hands. "This isn't wrong. It just looks wrong because people always protect men like him."
"Mrs. Colburn, listen to me. Your career—this won't destroy it. We can handle this. I'm a witness. I heard... I heard how he was. I heard from Rosa. It's self-defense."
Then, like a bucket of ice water, the memory of the housekeeper returned.
"Rosa!" Rochelle bolted upright, her eyes flying to the door.
"The phone! I have to—Stay here. Don't move."
Brianna barely registered the words—but she saw her running out the door and returned to her broken self.
~♡~