The new maid heard weeping beneath the mansion. Opening the heavy basement door, she found the missing wife, starved and chained. As gasps filled the dark room, the wife grabbed her hand, whispering, “Run before he hears you, or he’ll make you my replacement.” Suddenly, footsteps echoed on the stairs…

the mansion felt entirely different. The opulence disgusted me. Every gleaming surface felt like a lie designed to distract from the horror beneath. I tucked the note inside the pages of my small, worn Bible—the one my mother had given me—and hid it under my mattress.

My assignment for the morning was the grand gallery on the second floor. It was a continue reading …