I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 603

Sawyer shot Kate a look. "Go ahead and call the cops. I'm guessing you're already thinking of ways to save yourself, anyway. Remember that this is your only chance, though."

Kate's heartbeat turned erratic. Then, she felt like something was crawling under her skin, bringing goosebumps with it. It made her hair stand on end.

She thought that he was being so brazen. He didn't seem afraid in the slightest.

Despair washed over her. Half a month… She would find out the truth if she could hang on for that long? Well, since she was under his control, she had no choice but to do as she was told.

At that moment, Kate's desire for money and power surged once again. They'd been within her reach once, but now…

"Go wipe the floor. And I mean for the entire villa," Sawyer said.

Kate was already numb to having to do chores. She turned to leave.

Sawyer added, "I want you to do it on your knees."

She whirled back incredulously. "On my knees? Are you insane?"

Didn't he have any idea how humongous this place was?

"Now, you think the place is too huge?" He lit a cigarette. Tendrils of smoke rose before his face before fading and dispersing.

Kate heard him continue, "You were the one who picked out this place, weren't you? I remember you saying that you wanted the largest and most spacious villa with the most rooms. That way, your friends would be happy for you when you invited them over."

His last sentence reverberated in her ears like a curse, and her knees ached with every movement she made. In all her years on this earth, the last time she'd kneeled was when Evie had died.

Kate glared at Taryn so hard that her eyes looked like they would pop from their sockets. She couldn't believe it. Even a maid could mock and insult her like this…

…

After two hours of floor-scrubbing, Kate wasn't even halfway done. However, her knees were swollen and rubbed raw. She couldn't move anymore.

When Sawyer showed up, she couldn't help but burst into tears. "Please let me rest… I was never supposed to suffer like this…"

It was hard to find the right words to describe Kate. Even now, she was looking for opportunities to wail about what a poor thing she was.

"Do you feel wronged?" He crouched before her. "Do you really think you'd be caught in my web if you were innocent?"