Or was it simply that Tessa couldn’t stand the sight of her?

At first, the housemaid didn’t think Tessa was all that frightening. But now, she truly saw her for what she was.

Beauty and kindness? She was nothing more than a monster wearing human skin. She had finally realized what these elite families were really like. From now on, even if she had to settle for a low-paying job, she’d never want to have anything to do with them again.

Tessa smiled gently and patted the housemaid’s cheek, but the smile never reached her eyes. Anyone with eyes could see she wasn’t really smiling.

Seeing her like that made the housemaid even more frightened. She truly didn’t understand what these people were trying to do. Things were already at this point—they could’ve just torn off the mask. So why did some things still have to be buried, unspoken?

The housemaid’s voice began to tremble. “Miss Tessa, if there’s anything you need, just tell me directly.” She didn’t think she could tolerate being stared at like that any longer.

“You know how to talk about today’s matter, don’t you?” Tessa narrowed her eyes and spoke coldly right beside her ear.

The housemaid instantly understood what she meant. It was clear—she wanted both ends. She had kicked her out, yet still wanted to keep a good reputation. Though she laughed bitterly inside, on the surface she remained flattering. “Don’t worry, Miss Tessa, I won’t say a word. I know how to read the room.”

Hearing that, a faint smile finally appeared on Tessa’s lips. She had thought this maid knew nothing. Now it seemed she had underestimated her. She still had some sense.

“Alright, then get out of here.”

The housemaid nodded repeatedly, afraid of staying any longer. She was worried something might go wrong if she delayed. She could’ve left smoothly, but if anything held her back now, that wouldn’t end well.

Looking at Tessa like that, the housemaid was genuinely scared. She hurriedly crawled out, not daring to waste another second here. She knew she no longer had a place in this house. If she stayed and ran into people like Tessa again, who knew what would happen. She might be just a housemaid, but she had her own thoughts. There was no way she would risk her life just for a job. She wasn’t stupid. As long as she could leave safely, that was enough.

Just like that, she told Arnold she had urgent matters back home and couldn’t continue working here. Arnold was a perceptive man. Seeing her in such a panic, how could he not understand? Besides, when she spoke, she kept glancing toward Tessa’s room. Arnold understood immediately. He quietly took some extra money from his private stash and gave it to her.

The housemaid was surprised when she saw the balance in her account. “Mr. Arnold, this is…”

Arnold simply nodded. “It’s fine. I’m not a fool. You’ve been diligent in this house and always took your work seriously. Let’s not talk about the rest—this is a decent wage, and if it weren’t absolutely necessary, you wouldn’t have come to this decision.”