Chapter 8: 8. Hatred
This wasn't the first time Wei Yan had been bullied by her partner.
Unfortunately, Wei Yan mistreatment extended beyond her partner; even others joined in targeting her.
Wei Yan often found herself retreating to a corner, tears clouding her eyes as she questioned her own existence.
Wei Yan struggled to understand why she was the target of such hatred from her colleagues and even the head maid.
There were days when Wei Yan faced punishment, tasked with cleaning the entire house almost single-handedly.
In a way that remained a mystery to Wei Yan, she would linger in Madam's room, speaking as though Anna could hear her.
Despite the mistreatment and challenges she faced, Wei Yan's spirit remained unbroken.
Wei Yan continued to work diligently and maintain her cheerful demeanor.
Perhaps that's why Anna Chen held a fondness for her.
Wei Yan bowed her head, lacking the audacity to fight back against the bullying.
Wei Yan had always been gentle in her demeanor.
Wei Yan's silence, however, only seemed to fuel Zhu Jia's frustration.
Zhu Jia was intent on making Wei Yan suffer throughout their time working together.
"Huh?" Zhu Jia harshly placed her hand on Wei Yan's shoulder, pushing her forcefully.
Not content with that, Zhu Jia repeated the action on the other shoulder, bringing tears to Wei Yan's eyes.
Wei Yan struggled to respond.
"Say something, you…" Zhu Jia muttered an insult under her breath, causing Wei Yan to lift her tear-streaked face.
"Head maid…" Wei Yan's voice was barely audible as she faltered, unable to find the courage to defend herself.
Wei Yan felt utterly powerless.
"Say something, you little pig," Zhu Jia taunted, a twisted sense of satisfaction in her tone as she pushed Wei Yan's head down this time.
"I'm sorry, but I had to…I had to…attend to Madam…be—because…that was the time the head maid instructed us, but you…you weren't taking it seriously…about it," Wei Yan's voice trembled with fear as she closed her eyes to respond, though she couldn't prevent herself from stammering.
Zhu Jia's expression grew even darker.
"What did you just say?" Zhu Jia's voice turned icy, sending a shiver down Wei Yan's spine.
Aware that she had somehow provoked Zhu Jia, Wei Yan chose to remain silent, bracing herself for what might come next.
Unfortunately, her silence didn't deter Zhu Jia from striking her once again. "Who do you think you are, Wei Yan?!"
Zhu Jia's outburst echoed through the kitchen, but the other maids present didn't intervene to stop her.
They were all aligned with Zhu Jia, sharing her resentment towards Wei Yan.
The root of this hostility stemmed from the fact that Wei Yan received more praise from Master George than the rest of them combined.
The maids envy had morphed into outright hatred for her.
Wei Yan had been enduring months of bullying ever since she joined the household a year ago, taking on the role of caring for the woman who had been in a coma—Anna.
It was Wei Yan's specific duty to look after Anna, who was comatose at the time.
Despite being hired after Zhu Jia, Wei Yan had managed to win Master George's favor early on, leaving Zhu Jia feeling overlooked and possibly exposed for her own shortcomings.
However, Wei Yan was far from apologetic, standing her ground even as Zhu Jia's violence escalated.
In Wei Yan's mind, she had done nothing wrong; she had merely been diligent in her responsibilities.
Wei Yan's determination was only bolstered by the encouragement and praise she received from Mr. Liu, which fueled her commitment to caring for Anna.
George recognized and appreciated the diligent care Wei Yan provided, ensuring that Anna was kept clean and healthy even in his absence.
This appreciation had been particularly evident after Anna's recent awakening.
Nonetheless, it seemed that Wei Yan was outnumbered by enemies rather than allies within the household, and there was little she could do to change that.
"That's enough!!"
An authoritative female voice suddenly cut through the tension.
The impact of the voice was palpable, and both Wei Yan and Zhu Jia could easily envision the woman's posture and expression as she spoke.
Zhu Jia, who had been responsible for knocking Wei Yan off balance, turned her attention to the source of the voice – the head maid, Feng Jin.
Wei Yan quickly composed herself, rising to her feet and brushing off her clothes as if they were tainted.
In unison, they acknowledged the head maid's presence, bowing respectfully and addressing her as "Headmistress."
Feng Jin, like always, had her hair tightly secured at the back of her head, exuding an aura of stern authority.
Feng Jin's arms were crossed beneath her chest, and her gaze fixed on them with an inscrutable expression.
Feng Jin's silence stretched, leaving both of them uncertain about what to say in response to her scrutiny.
"Wei Yan," Feng Jin's voice resonated once more, causing Wei Yan to flinch and look up at the head maid.
The evidence of her tears was still visible on her face, prompting Feng Jin to direct Wei yan to wash up before informing her that Madam Anna required her attention.
Zhu Jia's eyes tracked Wei Yan's movements with an intense glare, the depth of her animosity towards the other woman extending far beyond the kitchen's confines.
At times, Zhu Jia had contemplated the idea of scalding Wei Yan with hot water while they were working together, but the potential repercussions had stayed her hand.
As Wei Yan finally left the kitchen, heading in the direction of the door, she could feel the lingering weight of the head maid's and Zhu Jia's stares on her back, a reminder of the adversarial environment she navigated daily.
Anna was being fed the chicken, though the manner in which George fed her failed to satisfy her completely.
There were certain succulent parts of the chicken that Anna longed to savor, but she refrained from voicing her desires, aware of how peculiar they might sound.
Instead, Anna opted to remain silent and feign contentment with George's feeding.
Wei Yan arrived and positioned herself nearby, bowing respectfully as she stood by the table.
Anna acknowledged her presence with a slight nod of her head.
"When is the doctor coming?" Anna inquired of George.
"The doctor will be here soon," George replied, his voice carrying a reassuring tone.
"He called to inform me that he had other patients to attend to," he added, glancing at Anna and offering a warm smile.
Anna raised an eyebrow slightly, her curiosity piqued. "So, he's been the one treating me for the past four years?"
The question seemed to escape Anna almost involuntarily, as she realized the answer was quite obvious.
"Yes," George confirmed, his voice gentle.
"Why here and not at the hospital?" Anna posed her question, and before George could respond, she continued, "Are you keeping me hidden?"
George's response was tinged with an edge of frustration as he replied, "Yes, considering you were murdered."
Anna's complexion drained of color as she processed his words. "How did... how did you know?"
The shock and uncertainty in her voice were palpable as she sought an explanation from George.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone