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A solitary guard looks up as we pass. He catches my elbow and leans in so Anne doesn’t hear. “Hurry up, Ratty. Better get back to your hole before the cat notices you’re out.”
I shiver and shake off his grip. Victor’s men named me Rat Girl, saying I’m always scurrying around in the shadows. They think it’s an insult, but I’ll take it over the alternative. I learned my lesson early. I was fourteen when I was just starting to realize becoming a woman might hold a new kind of power. One of Victor’s bodyguards was handsome and liked to flirt when nobody was watching. That was all it took to make me start dreaming of us falling in love, and maybe he would take me away from this, and…
Let’s face it, I don’t know what I thought was going to happen. I was young and stupid. Catherine—Anne’s old Nanny who was also in charge of keeping an eye on me—caught wind and went straight to Victor.
The next day, my back was covered in bruises, and I never saw that guard again. I was hurt and heartbroken, but now I’m glad it scared me enough to keep me from making the same mistake again. Catherine might’ve been a nasty piece of work, but now that I’m older and understand what was happening better, she did me a favor.
Oblivious, Anne slips ahead, making a beeline for a particular cabinet as soon as we get to the kitchen. She pushes pots and pans aside, practically crawling inside to get to her hidden stash.
"Got it." She emerges with a bag in her hand, full of cookies stolen from the catering before they ended up in the garbage. “I saved enough to share. Let’s go!”
The ceiling light turns on, making both of us wince and blink. "What the heck do you think you're doing?" Marissa’s shrill voice breaks the quiet with all the gentleness of a dish thrown at the wall. “Are you stealing food?”
"Stealing? This is my house, not yours!" Anne snaps back. "I’m just getting a snack."
"For now,” Marissa growls. “Listen here, you little snot. I don't care that I'm not your mother. I’m not going to let you embarrass us by gettingfat."
Anne freezes, red splotches staining her cheeks. Her body is just starting to lose its childish lankiness, filling out in places that are new and a little scary to her. There’s nothing wrong with her. Not one bit. She could eat a whole bag of cookies every night and still be perfect.
I step in front of her, blocking Marissa’s poisonous glare. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just a few cookies.”
Victor's girlfriends come and go like a revolving door. Marissa has made it nearly two years now, and she might think that means something, but I’ve seen better women than her get kicked to the curb. Standing up to her is going to come back and bite me, but I’m not going to stand here and let her fat shame a little girl for wanting a cookie.
"You shut the hell up," she seethes. "You’re thehelp. Maybe you should do your job and watch Anne, not enable her. If you can’t follow simple instructions and be a healthy role model, then it’s time for Victor to finally listen to me and get rid of you. She should be in boarding school where she can learn some real manners."
I bite my tongue. I can’t afford to make her too mad while she still has Victor’s ear. Without Anne, I don’t have a place here, and without a place, Victor might decide my usefulness is over. Anne makes a small unhappy noise. I put my hand behind my back and she slips her fingers into mine. I give them a small squeeze of support.
Anne raises her chin in defiance. "Why are you so mean to Jessica? I finished my homework. Here. If the cookies mean so much to you, you can have them. Maybe if you ate a few you wouldn’t be such a witch."
It’s all I can do not to burst out laughing at the shocked look on Marissa’s face.
But her shock turns quickly to rage. She glares right at me and reaches out, grabbing Anne by the wrist and yanking her away from me. “You are a horrible influence on her. I don’t know why he bothers keeping you around.”
“Yeah, well I don’t know why he bothers keeping you around either,” I snap. “Let her go!”
"What the hell is all this yelling about?" Victor strides into the kitchen, his hard dress shoes echoing off the marble floor. The disaster is officially complete.
“Baby,” Marissa croons. “I was taking care of it. Anne’s nanny is useless. I think you need to seriously think about what I was saying. I?—”
“Shut up.” He doesn’t even bother looking at her. "Jessica."
Just the one word, not even said very loud, but with complete conviction that he will be listened to. My stomach drops, twisted into a knot that threatens to unfurl so fast I’ll puke. Victor is aman that’s used to being obeyed without question. In another universe, he could use that power and charisma for good, but in this one, he's just a monster. His cold gaze is fixed on me. That's never good.
“Daddy, I’m sorry,” Anne whispers. “It’s my fault.”
I wonder if he knows she only calls him that when she’s afraid of him.
"Maybe I've been too lenient. You’ve forgotten your place.” He glances towards Marissa before his hard gaze shifts to Anne. Her shoulders curl in, slumping under the weight of his gaze. “Keep my daughter out of the way. I need to have a word withthe nanny."
Anne’s chin wobbles. "I'm sorry. I just wanted a snack. I didn't think it was a big deal."
"Enough! You’re old enough to learn a lesson about respect, and consequences." His eyes shift back to me. "I understand that you’re fond of Jessica, but she’s our servant, not your friend. Marissa, make sure Anne watches this. It’s time she realizes that obedience comes at a cost." He peels off his suit jacket as he speaks, folding it neatly and placing it on the kitchen counter before rolling up his sleeves. "Jessica, come here."
My feet move on their own accord. I don't want to. I really, really don't want to, but running away will only make it worse. It's better to take whatever punishment he decides on and be done with it. “Please let her go back to her room,” I whisper. “She doesn’t need to see this.” There’s no point in groveling. I’ll live, and he’s always careful to not leave marks where they will show.
"What’s happening?" Anne's question is so quiet, so unsure that it breaks my heart. We’ve grown up together in a lot of ways, but in two different worlds.
"Shh," says Marissa, grinning in ghoulish delight. She’s hated me for a long time and the feeling is mutual. "This is what happens when you don't listen."
