I did not sleep that night.
Even with the windows shut and the curtains drawn, i felt exposed like eyes were watching through walls i could not see. The burnt scent of the note still lingered in my room, the words "Leave now" repeated in my head like a hymn of fear.
By morning, my stomach was tight with nerves.
But i still put on my uniform.
I still made the bed.
I still acted like everything was fine.
Because what else could i do? I have a sick mother to take care of at least she can buy her medications and eat good food.
"Tomiwa," Madam Nkechi said after breakfast, "go upstairs. Onyeka is expecting you."
My hands tightened on the tray I was holding. "Yes ma."
Every step toward the master suite felt heavier than the last, my breath shortened, my thoughts scattered.
I knocked.
"Come in," Onyeka's voice called.
She was seated at her vanity table, wearing a silk robe the color of crimson wine. Her reflection met mine in the mirror calm, sharp, unreadable.
"I need help with my buttons," she said coolly.
I moved behind her, fingers shaky as I began to fasten the small pearl buttons down her back.
"You did not heed my warning," she said softly.
"I don't know what you mean, ma."
"You are a terrible liar."
Her perfume drifted up, suffocatingly sweet. She tilted her head, voice like glass.
"Do you know what happens to maids who get involved with the wrong people in this house?"
I said nothing.
She smiled into the mirror. "They disappear."
My heart dropped.
Back in the kitchen, I found a note slipped under the door.
Different handwriting.
Clean, bold.
"Meet me at the gardener's shed, now."
I did not hesitate.
Chinedu was waiting.
He looked restless, hair tousled, hands buried in his pockets. The second he saw me, he pulled me inside and shut the door.
"I need to get you out of here."
"What?"
He paced. "Something is not right. I overheard my stepmother talking to Madam Nkechi, She is planning to set you up maybe accuse you of theft or misconduct. Anything to get you fired."
My throat went dry.
"She planted the first rumor yesterday," he said. "Said you have been disrespectful. That you have been overstepping."
"She threatened me," i whispered.
He froze. "What?"
"In her room. She told me i will disappear."
His jaw clenched, fists tightening. "I swear to God"
"Chinedu, no." I touched his arm. "Please. If you fight her, she wins."
He exhaled hard. "Then let me take you away. I will get you a new job. Somewhere far."
"And then what? You disappear too? Because we both know she will come for you next."
He did not answer.
Because we both already knew the truth.
"Tomiwa," he said finally, voice low and steady, "i love you."
Time stopped.
Everything the threats, the warnings, the fear faded into silence.
"You don't have to say it back," he added. "I just needed you to know."
But i wanted to.
I really did.
I looked up into his eyes, and for the first time in days, i felt something soft bloom in my chest.
"I love you too."
That night, i packed a small bag.
Just in case.
I hid it behind the cupboard in the laundry room the one no one ever checks.
My heart ached as I folded the blue scarf he once gave me.
I did not want to leave.
But sometimes love was not enough to keep you safe.
I had just turned off the light when i heard it.
A voice outside my door.
Madam Nkechi.
"She will be gone before sunrise."
I froze.
Then another voice.
Onyeka.
"I want it quiet, no drama, we will say she left on her own, disgraced, fired."
My fingers gripped the edge of the bed.
They were going to erase me.
I waited until the footsteps faded, then crept to the laundry room and pulled out the bag.
Every corner of the mansion felt like a trap.
I tiptoed past the kitchen, past the storeroom, heart thudding in my ears.
But just as I reached the back door i saw a figure.
Chinedu.
He was already there, keys in hand, car waiting just beyond the gate.
He looked at me.
I nodded once.
And together we ran.