Framed
The storage room felt tighter than usual, shadows pushing in on Queenie from all sides. Dust floated in the weak light coming through the small window, making everything look hazy and weird. Her heart pounded as footsteps echoed down the hall.
"Queenie, you in there?" Allison's voice came through the door, quiet but firm.
Fear shot through Queenie's body like cold water. Her hands shook as she grabbed the flash drive and letter, the plastic slipping in her sweaty palms. She shoved them deep in her clothes, the metal edges of the drive digging into her skin. The letter made a soft crackling sound and she froze, hoping Allison didn't hear.
"Yeah," she called back, surprised her voice sounded normal when her chest felt like it was exploding. She smoothed her uniform, wiped her wet hands on the fabric, and tried to make her face look regular.
The door squeaked open and Allison walked in. Her long dark hair was pulled back neat, and she had that worried look that made Queenie feel even more guilty. Out of all Georgina's daughters, Allison was the only one who was ever nice to her, treating her more like family than help.
"I've been looking for you," Allison said, looking around the messy room. Old furniture covered in white sheets sat in the corners like ghosts, and boxes were stacked almost to the ceiling.
"Well, I've been busy working," Queenie said, trying to sound normal. Inside her head was going crazy. What if Allison could tell she was lying? What if she knew about the awful secret Queenie just found out? The flash drive felt like it was burning her side.
Allison's eyes went soft. "Come on, I'll help you clean up quickly."
"What about your mom?" Queenie tried to argue, but she already knew how this would go. Allison always got stubborn when it came to helping people.
"No excuses, Queenie. I'm helping," Allison said, rolling up her sleeves.
Queenie nodded slowly, not trusting her voice. As they started organizing the stuff on the shelves, her mind kept going back to the letter hidden against her chest. The words felt like they were burning in her memory, each line changing everything she thought she knew about her dad's death.
---
Later that night, Queenie's small room felt like it was full of secrets. The single bulb hanging from the ceiling made harsh shadows on the walls, making the tiny space feel even smaller. She sat on her narrow bed with Mrs. Chen next to her, both staring at Allison's laptop screen in shock.
The video had just finished and the room felt heavy with what they'd seen. Queenie's hands shook as she closed the laptop, the screen going dark like a curtain dropping on something horrible.
"I can't believe a woman could be this evil," Mrs. Chen whispered, her old face pale with shock. "Killing her own husband... that's not something anyone should ever think about doing."
The older woman's voice carried years of experience, but even she seemed shaken by what they saw. Her crooked fingers twisted in her lap, and her usually steady hands trembled.
"Don't worry, granny," Queenie said, trying to sound more sure than she felt. "I know once I report this, along with the videos I got of her bullying me, she'll pay for what she did. I'll get back everything that belongs to my father."
The determination in her voice surprised her. For so long she'd felt powerless, like a leaf getting blown around by things she couldn't control. But now, with this proof, she finally had a chance to fight back.
"I'm planning on leaving here," she added quietly.
Mrs. Chen's eyes got wide with worry. "Where are you going? You don't have any friends, child."
The truth of those words hurt, but Queenie had accepted her lonely life long ago. "It's fine, auntie, but I need to leave this house first if I want to expose Georgina safely."
Mrs. Chen was quiet for a long time, her kind eyes studying Queenie's face. "You can go stay with my daughter Mira. That way you'd have a roof over your head first."
Relief flooded through Queenie like warm honey. She leaned forward and pulled the older woman into a tight hug, breathing in the familiar smell of lavender soap and kindness.
"Thank you, granny," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"When are you planning on leaving?" Mrs. Chen asked, gently patting Queenie's back.
"Tomorrow night," Queenie replied, the words feeling both scary and freeing.
"I'll give Mira a call then and let her know you are coming," Mrs. Chen said with a firm nod.
Queenie nodded, her fingers moving to touch the flash drive hidden in her clothes. The small thing felt like a weapon now, loaded with the power to destroy Georgina's carefully built lies.
"Very soon I'll be free from you all," she whispered to herself after Mrs. Chen left. "Very soon I'll take back everything you took from me, Georgina."
But what Queenie didn't know was that she wasn't the only one playing this dangerous game. In the shadows of the big house, someone else was moving their own pieces on the board, and the game was way more complicated than she knew.
---
The next morning brought a fake sense of normal to the dining room. Sunlight came through the tall windows, making golden squares across the polished wooden floor. The air smelled of fresh coffee and warm bread, but underneath it all, Queenie could feel the tension that always existed in this house.
She moved quickly and smoothly, putting hot dishes on the long mahogany table. Her movements were practiced from years of routine. The china clinked soft as she arranged the plates, and steam rose from the covered dishes like morning mist.
After serving, she turned to leave, but Georgina's sharp voice cut through the peaceful morning air like a knife.
"You'll stay here till we're done eating before you leave," Georgina ordered, not even looking up from her newspaper.
Queenie's stomach dropped. She'd been hoping to escape quickly, to avoid the suffocating presence of the woman who had destroyed her life.
"But mother, what if she's hungry too?" Allison asked, her voice gentle but worried.
"That's none of my business," Georgina snapped, finally looking up with cold, calculating eyes. "She must do as I asked her."
Queenie stood back, positioning herself near the wall like a shadow. She watched the family eat, her mind racing with thoughts of escape and revenge. Tomorrow night couldn't come fast enough.
But then something went horribly wrong.
After taking her fourth spoonful of food, Catalina suddenly jerked up in her chair. Her face twisted in pain, and she spit out blood that splattered across the white tablecloth like red flowers.
Everyone's eyes got wide in horror as Catalina clutched her chest, more blood streaming from her mouth. The cheerful morning atmosphere shattered like glass.
Queenie stepped forward to help without thinking, but Georgina shoved her aside with surprising force, sending her stumbling backward.
"Catalina, what's happening?" Georgina asked frantically, gathering her daughter in her arms.
"Allison, quick call the ambulance!" Georgina shouted, her voice cracking with panic.
Allison fumbled for her phone, her hands shaking as she dialed. The room erupted into chaos, with servants running in different directions and Catalina's labored breathing filling the air.
---
Two hours later, the sitting room felt like a courtroom. The maids stood in a nervous group, their faces pale and frightened. Queenie stood among them, but somehow apart, as if an invisible circle had been drawn around her.
Georgina paced in front of them like a predator stalking its prey. Her earlier panic had turned into cold, calculating anger that made the air itself seem dangerous.
"The doctor said Catalina was poisoned," she announced, her voice cutting through the silence. "So now tell me how she got poisoned. Which one of you did it?"
The silence stretched tight like a rubber band about to snap. No one moved, no one breathed.
"Speak up!" Georgina snapped, and the other maids immediately fell to their knees like dominoes.
"Ma'am, we're sorry for hiding what we saw from you," one of them said, her voice shaking. "Earlier this morning, we saw Queenie putting things into the food. After that, she hid the poison in her clothes. We thought maybe it was one of her ingredients for cooking, but we never knew it was poison."
Queenie's world tilted sideways. The words hit her like physical blows, each one more devastating than the last.
"Auntie, don't believe them! It's all lies, I promise I would never do such a thing to Catalina. I don't know what they are talking about," she pleaded, her voice rising with desperation.
But Georgina's hand came down across her cheek with a sharp crack that echoed through the room. The slap sent stars dancing across Queenie's vision, and her cheek burned with pain.
"How dare you, Queenie! How dare you try to kill my daughter!" Georgina snarled.
"No, auntie, I swear there's no such thing! I can't do such a thing!" Queenie pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
"Alright then, we'll search your room," Georgina said with a cold smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Queenie's blood turned to ice. Searching her room meant they would find all the evidence she had been gathering to use against Georgina. Her secret would be exposed, and her chance for justice would disappear forever.
"No, auntie..." she started, but her voice trailed off because Georgina was already moving toward her room with determined steps.
Her heart hammered so loud she was sure everyone could hear it as they reached her small room. The maids pushed past her, their hands roughly searching through her few belongings. Drawers were yanked open, clothes were scattered, and her small sanctuary was violated.
But then something impossible happened.
A bottle of poison was found exactly where she had hidden all her evidence. And the evidence itself – the videos, the documents, everything – was gone. Vanished without a trace.
Queenie's eyes got wide in shock, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't possible.
"This is the bottle, ma'am," one of the maids announced, holding up the incriminating evidence.
Georgina chuckled soft, a sound that made Queenie's skin crawl. "You think you can try to play smart with me," she thought to herself, her smile growing wider. "But I guess I'm still better at playing these games than you."
In the privacy of her own mind, Georgina remembered how she had asked the maids to frame Queenie. Every detail had been carefully planned, every piece of evidence planted with precision.
"There's no way you can escape this mess," she thought, looking at Queenie's shocked face with satisfaction. "You're going down just like your father."
The trap had been set, and Queenie had walked right into it. The game was far from over, but the first major battle had been won by the woman who had already destroyed so much of Queenie's life. Now, it seemed, she was about to destroy what little remained.