AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
EVANGELINE
“Get over here you little bitch! I’m gonna beat the shit out of you! How dare you steal my benefits check!”
“Dad, please! I didn’t steal your check! I swear!” I yell as I duck away from his flying fists. He punches a hole in the drywall, and I dive for cover, pushing the bathroom door shut at the last minute.
“I know you took it, bitch!” he screams, pounding on the door.
The bathroom's cracked mirror reflects my sleep-deprived face, the sound of dripping faucets echoing through the room and intensifying the despair inside me. His drinking has gotten worse and worse. I don’t know if I’ll survive another day here. The stench of alcohol and garbage threatens to overwhelm my senses as I sit on the closed toilet.
I have to get out of this place.
With trembling fingers, I pull out my phone and start searching for any job that will take me far away. Whatever doesn’t have a long list of requirements is fine by me.
Dad’s incessant knocking is getting worse, and I curl in on myself, praying for something, anything that will save me. The floorboards creak as he paces outside, his presence like a specter haunting the house.
My fingers pause mid-scrolling when I spot an ad for a live-in maid. Pulling up the description, I read it over quickly, a sliver of hope blossoming inside.
Wanted: Live-in maid for private residence. No degree or prior work experience required. Must be 18 or over, must have a valid driver’s license. Send email inquiry to Ronan Fitzgerald at [email protected].
My fingers fly over the screen as I type an email to Mr. Fitzgerald, heart pounding in my chest. It’s a long shot, but it’s the only one I’ve got right now.
Dad’s knocking tapers off, and I breathe out, relief flooding me. He’s probably wandering off to get more Stoli or maybe lie down.
Easing my way out of the bathroom, I look carefully around the corner to make sure he’s not present and sneak back down the hallway to my room. I just have to wait and hope Mr. Fitzgerald gets back to me soon.
Once I’m inside, I shut the door quietly and throw myself onto my bed, forcing myself to shut my eyes and breathe slowly in and out.
My phone dings, and I sit up to grab it, hoping for a miracle.
Mr. Fitzgerald has sent me an email asking if I’m available for an interview this afternoon. I respond straight away and arrange to meet with him one hour from now.
Scrambling around, I grab the first halfway decent dress I own from the closet and throw it on, then brush my long, tangled blonde hair and pin it out of my face. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I put on some mascara and lip gloss and conceal the dark circles under my eyes, calling it a day.
Once that’s done, I hook my mom’s pearl pendant around my neck and brush off imaginary lint before stepping back out into the hallway. I check around the corners again before creeping toward the front of the house.
Dad is passed out on the couch, a bottle of Stoli in hand. I throw one last look over my shoulder and head out the door, beelining for my beat-up Honda Accord, the only thing my dad ever spent his booze money on for me. I think it was mostly to keep me out of the house, not that it worked.
Taking off, I follow the GPS instructions away from Havencrest and head into the hilly region just outside of town. As I pull into a long, winding drive, I gasp.
The towering mansion casts a formidable shadow against the dense forest. The sprawling grounds are enveloped in a veil of mist, adding to the almost eerie, yet captivating, allure of the place. The house is in the Gothic style, with elaborate carvings and ivy-covered walls.
It looks like a hotel, I decide as I pull up in the gravel driveway in front of the home.
Heading up brick steps to the ornate front door, I reach out with a shaking fist and knock. The door is large and black, with two stained glass windows on each side covered in swirling, wrought-iron designs.
Raising a hand, I try to keep my composure as I knock. The door opens a few moments later by an older man wearing a neat, three-piece suit, wearing a stern expression.
“Hi, I’m Evangeline Parker. I’m here for the interview?” I say, hoping I’m at the right place.
The man nods and ushers me inside. “Please have a seat in the sitting room, and I will be with you shortly.”
His deep-set green eyes remind me of a spring morning, and there’s a slight lilt to his speech. My knees jiggle as I watch him walk away, closing my eyes and praying I don’t screw this up.
The man returns a few moments later and sits in a high-backed armchair across from me. “Thank you for your patience. I’m Ronan Fitzgerald, but I go by Fitz. I am the head butler of Shadowvale Manor, and as of now, one of only a few staff members. This place is large, as you can tell, and I need to hire a few additional staff. Tell me about yourself.”
“I’m Evangeline, like I said. I graduated high school last May, and I’m just looking for a job right now. Of course, I don’t have much experience with being a maid,” I admit.
