The Love Affair(Good Wife Better Mistress)

Future Wife?

One Month Later

The house looks empty without the servants.Nicole is about to climb the stairs to her room when loud footsteps echoed through the hall.

"Mrs. Romano," a rough voice greets her.

A squat woman in a long black servant's dress approaches, followed by several other maids in the same outfit.

Nicole turns around and looks down. The woman in front is Maureen, Mrs. Candela's head housekeeper. Nicole assumes that Candela is here to invite her to Mr. Rpmano's house. In the past, Mrs. Romano would frequently invite Nicole over when she was bored. Every time, Nicole returned home humiliated and covered in wounds.

Nicole feels exhausted from the chaos at Hotel and her terrible nightmares. The thought of dealing with Maureen irks her.

"What do you want?" Nicole asks impatiently.

Maureen's wrinkled face is alight with excitement. She's a sadistic woman who enjoys punishing and whipping Nicole. Last time Nicole managed to deprive her of the fun of a whipping, but she won't let Nicole get away from the whipping this time.

"Mrs. Romano has asked me to take you to her place," Maureen says.

Nicole descends the stairs and approaches Maureen.

"Is Mrs. Romano missing me again?" she asks with mock sweetness.

"Cut the crap!" Maureen snarls, "Get her!"

"Don't move!" Nicole raises her voice.

As Alex's wife and the lady of the house, the maids obey her. They give her a frightened glance and freeze in place. Nicole sneers down at them. She knows she can't avoid Mrs. Candela Romano, but she refuses to allow the maids to drag her around.

"I can go on my own," she says, taking brisk strides toward the door.

"Take her bag to Mrs. Ramano's house," Maureen instructs the bodyguards.

The men cast uncertain looks at Nicole.

"Why is that necessary?" Nicole asks flatly.

"Mrs. Ramano is disappointed that you haven't been able to figure out the Ramano family's rules since your marriage," Maureen replies with cruel excitement, "From tonight forward, we're going to give you a stern and intensive training. "

Nicole sneers. Mrs. Romano has been trying to discipline her ever since she married Alex, using Maureen to do her dirty work. After Nicole escaped her last whipping, Maureen has been more vigilant than usual—she senses that Nicole has changed, but she's not sure why. Seeing Nicole sneer makes chills run down Maureen's spine.

Nicole walks on the broad pebble path to Mrs. Romano's house. The European sconces cast long shadows. As Nicole approaches the door, Maureen shoves her roughly and suddenly from behind. Nicole stumbles, catches herself, and turns around to glare at Maureen.

"What a pathetic, disgusting woman," Nicole thinks, "She grows bold just because we're near Mrs. Romano. In the other house, she wouldn't dare to touch me, but now that she has the upper hand she becomes fearless."

Maureen glares back at Nicole.

"What?" Maureen challenges, "What can you do about it? Suck it up!"

Before Nicole can respond, Maureen nods at one of her minions. The woman grabs Nicole firmly by the arm.

"Take her to the little dark room," Maureen commands.

Nicole is surprised by the command. She assumed she'd have to face Mrs. Romano, but Maureen's order indicates she's going to be locked away instead. The maid guides Nicole out of the house through a side door and leads her up to a small cottage in the middle of a forest. The cottage was originally designed to discipline servants, but in recent years she's been it's only inhabitant.