Bitter Tea

Brown-colored hair neatly tied up in a bun, accessorizing from head to toe in many different gems. One strand of hair fell from her slickly done hair as she took a sip from her cup.

There was silence afterward, an uncomfortable one.

Layla peered down at the steaming hot golden liquid in front of her. Time seemed to be moving slower than usual. As her mind was racing with unanswered questions, she wished someone would break this uncomfortable silence.

"Is the tea not to your liking, my dear daughter" the woman spoke, breaking the much-needed silence and Layla eventually looked up at the person sitting opposite her.

The woman tilted her head, a small smile played at her crimson-tinted lips. Even on such a warm day, she had her face covered with thick makeup, dressed up in layers of bright warm colors. Such an odd combination looked elegant and nice on her.

"No, I like it. Thank you," Layla replied with a phony smile, being in no mood to entertain the person.

"Oh, thank god. I thought your changes might have changed since the last time we met" the woman said. She picked up the cup once more, but this time she swirled it in her hand rather than drinking from it.

After a few seconds, she spoke once again twirling the dainty cup in her hand carelessly, "You see my dear daughter it seemed like things were changing at a quicker pace than I expected. And I don't like it, at all"

Layla froze. The callous tone of her stepmother and her detached attitude made the girl stop. What is she getting at with that?

Layla didn't speak, just pretended to look at her stepmother with confused eyes. The woman looked up from her tea cup at the confused-looking girl.

The woman chuckled. "Haha, your eyes tell me you know nothing".

Lazily placing the cup on the saucer, she then fixed her gaze on Layla. Though she had a smile on her face, her eyes told a different story, they demanded something.

Layla debated on her next step to take. How much does she know? What does she know?

She clenched her hand, did she mess up?

"Haha you froze like a rabbit getting caught," she replied while laughing. The woman shifted back on her chair, looking straight at the girl after she was done laughing.

"You know if someone saw you like this they would think you did something wrong"

"Did I somehow offend Mother by any chance?"

The woman stared at the girl. Her eyes though looked apathetic, were full of intensity. Then her eyes trailed off to the unfinished cup. The woman's finger traced the cup's handle, and the corner of her lip slightly lifted.

"I have come to know some rumors running wild in this place"

Layla stiffened on her seat, her breathing seemed to have halted.

"That Jonas Syanders, the master of this household, was useless. And such a thing enraged your father. I mean he was so determined on killing a particular servant because of unfounded rumor's. If it weren't for me stopping him in time we would have a dead servant by morning. And now the question comes to this, who could have informed him of such a pointless little rumor".

"I had no idea of something like this," Layla said with an astonished expression on her face. Even though she did predict something extreme to happen, she never imagined he'd go out to kill Fred. Everything was working according to her plan, everything, and her stepmother had to ruin it all.

"Though trying to kill someone was a bit too far but if this gossip were to spread far it might damage our reputation further," Layla said in a concerned tone. Outright denying the fact might work against her if her stepmother knew Layla was the one to tell her father. So she had to work cautiously.

"Hmm… Is that what you think?" her stepmother hummed to herself still smiling faintly. "You're right, such gossip might harm our family, since this has fallen so low".

Then there was a silence, until her stepmother spoke again, "You know I also heard something else. The young Lady was able to calm the master down when he was agitated".

Her stepmother then leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "Would you mind telling me when you last met with Jonas?"

The words sounded sweet rolling off the woman's tongue, but they held a malicious undertone. Her stepmother even though the most ruthless woman had one weakness like any other human, and that was her father.

Layla finally sipped on her cup, "I met with Father just to discuss work, and since I have to report to him about my work". The girl lied. Her best bet was to be vague and deceptive. All she could see was how her cards would play out now.

"Is that so?" her stepmother's expression didn't change. For a second Layla thought that she didn't buy Layla's lies.

To diffuse the tense situation, Layla sought to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Enough about me, I heard your business is going well mother," Layla said with curious eyes.

Upon hearing the girl's question the tense atmosphere dissipated. Her stepmother relaxed her features, "Ah, that's true. It's going better than expected"

"Ah, then that calls for a celebration. I'll ask Sammy to make something special to celebrate your success or I can make you something special. I learned a lot of baking recipes from my mother. You would like them, I'm sure."

Layla scratched her cheeks, "Since my chores nearly end after evening, I will bake you something for dinner".

Layla saw her stepmother's finger twitch before the woman's face formed a small smile, "About your chores. Your father and I discussed it. And he said he would stop your punishment. So you no longer have to work anymore"

The woman took another sip from her cup. "You must be tired after working so hard, so make sure you rest well. After all, a young lady such as yourself should rest a lot. And as for the celebration, don't worry; I'll ask Sammy to cook something. You simply rest."

Layla smiled. Of course, this woman doesn't want anything related to her biological mother near her. It's funny how her stepmother's insecurities were slipping through.

"Thank you, mother"