(Picture of Mrs. Benson up there)

What rhymes with Mess?

What kinda rhymes with Tiara?

If you got the answers correct, you're ready for this CHAPTER.

LET'S JUMP IN.

Rachel, Lara's roommate, rushed out of the kitchen upon hearing Mrs. Benson's terrifying order for them to be present in front of her.

Mabel, Bo and Emma, the twin, rushed out of the kitchen as well and joined Rachel who was standing before Mr and Mrs. Benson and Jayden.

Jayden stood on Mrs. Benson's right, and Mr. Benson, her left.

"Where are the others?!" Mrs. Benson demanded, and they trembled.

Emma spoke softly, "They're coming, Madam."

"Go and tell them that if I don't see them in front of me in thirty seconds, they should pack their bags and leave."

"Yes, Madam." Emma shivered and ran down to the hallway on the left to Lara's room, because she knew they were there, about to have a sleepover.

When she entered they were already putting on their uniforms like they worked for The Flash. Mrs. Benson's order couldn't have escaped their ears.

"What's going on Emma?" Ella and Dana asked in unison as they zipped up their uniforms.

"There's trouble. Mr. Benson, Mrs. Benson and Jayden are in front of the main door and she looks angry as hell. Mr. Benson too."

"Guys, let's hurry!" Dana rushed out with Katy and Ella.

Brie and Lara panicked.

Lara turned to Brie who was struggling with her zip, "What the hell d'you think is going on, Brie??"

"I don't know! Please help me with my zip!" She whined. She was scared.

All of them were.

Tess also rushed out of the room whilst tying up her dirty blonde hair.

Mrs. Benson was furious. "Time's up! Whoever is left, come with your suitcase!"

Dana, Katy, Tess, Ella, and Emma had already joined the other three maids who had had their heads lowered.

Brie then rushed out of the hallway with Lara. The zip at the back of her dress was open, but she couldn't let a zip be the reason she was fired ruthlessly.

Lara's hair was tousled, the strap of the white nightdress she wore beneath her uniform was in sight, and she was still unconsciously in bedroom slippers.

"We're so sorry," they breathed as they joined the other eight maids.

They were all standing in a horizontal line, beginning from Mrs. Benson's left with Tess, Brie, Katy, Ella, Rachel, Mabel, Bo, Emma, Dana and Lara.

Lara was standing directly in front of Jayden. She looked up at him.

That morning, he had left the room unhappily over her attitude. She had provoked him. She saw herself never smiling with him again. She wouldn't even try to fake it.

Mrs. Benson asked with folded arms, "What was going on there? Were you 'out' of your uniforms THIS EARLY?"

"No, Madam," Brie spoke, "We- uh, I was trying to fix my zip." She turned around slightly, her black bra hook imprinting itself in the memories of Jayden, Mrs. Benson, and Mr. Benson.

"Be decent." Mrs. Benson sounded repulsed. "Lara." She called out, making Lara's heart beat faster.

"Yes, Madam?"

"Bedroom slippers?" She rose an eyebrow.

Lara gasped and glanced down at her white bedroom slippers. "I forgot."

Mrs. Benson stared at her, and let her eyes drop to the dark blue scarf around Lara's neck. The blue scarf Lara had used to cover the hickey.

"And the scarf?"

Lara was alarmed. If Mrs. Benson probed any further, she would discover the hickey that was still very fresh.

"I-I- I have a bite." She breathed, "Insect bite."

Mrs. Benson began walking towards Lara, "Let me have a look."

Lara panicked.

Jayden was concerned.

If his mother saw that mark, tonight would never end. It would be double trouble.

The others glanced at Lara, who had suddenly turned pale as Mrs. Benson placed a hand on the tip of Lara's scarf.

"Mrs. Benson..." Lara felt weak in the knees as the woman tugged at the neck scarf.

Jayden's eyebrows rose. What was his mother's problem? She was basically suspicious of everything.

He felt the need to say something. He was responsible for that mark in the first place and he didn't think it should be the reason Lara should be humiliated and destroyed.

But what could he say? Without making things more suspicious?

He looked at Lara. The fear on her face was very evident. He had to say something.

"Mom."

Mrs. Benson turned to her son.

He said, "Off topic." He told her, "Time. And she's waiting." He pointed his thumb behind him, referring to Kira who was still in the garden, outside.

Mrs. Benson turned back to Lara, who tried to conceal her fear.

"Get it treated." She said when she glanced over a tiny bit of the red spot.

Lara was holding onto the scarf for dear life. Mrs. Benson was no fool to be underestimated.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mrs. Benson swiftly shifted her attention to all of the girls.

"One of you has touched a very sensitive memory of my son's." She glanced at all of them, "A very sensitive one."

Lara immediately shot Jayden a shocked look. He didn't return it.

The girls glanced at each other, Brie and the other girls who had gossiped, feeling very anxious.

"I will give whoever is responsible, twenty seconds to come clean, or I swear each one of you will pay dearly."

Jayden put his hands in his pockets. He had given his mother a name, but he knew she was smarter than that. She needed to be very sure. He was wondering now if Lara was going to come clean.

Brie and her clique were astonished. They had talked about his past, but none of them had gone directly to him. Unless...

Brie turned to Lara in shock. So did Tess and Ella.

Lara avoided their piercing gazes. She was scared. Tears were already welling up in her eyes.

"15." Mrs. Benson called out as she counted in descending order. "14."

Brie shook her head, pissed at Lara for actually going to Jayden with the information, and for putting them in that nerve-wracking situation.

Emma glanced at Tess, Brie, Katy, and her twin sister, wondering if one of them was going to say anything. She didn't want to lose her job because of one of them.

"12."

Katy glanced at Dana, who awkwardly glanced back.

The three maids, Rachel, Bo and Mabel, who weren't a part of the gossip were confused, but they were certain Brie's clique was responsible. They were always up to no good, those girls.

"10," Mrs. Benson counted, "9,"

Lara's tears were spilling. Her head was down and her eyes were closed. She sobbed silently. She knew the right thing to do was to come forward and relieve the others of the unnecessary tension.

But she was scared. All eyes would be on her. Mrs. Benson's wrath. Mr' Benson's fury. She was scared. She was too chicken to step forward.

Jayden had had his eyes on her, the emotions behind his facial expressions, unreadable. Was she going to come forward?

Did he want that?

"5," Mrs. Benson's voice bellowed, "4" She began removing her ear rings.

The girls panicked.

Mabel voiced out nervously, "Whoever is guilty, please just come forward. Please." She didn't want to suffer for something she knew nothing about. Something she was almost certain Brie and her girls had something to do with.

Some of them nodded and glanced around.

Lara's tears didn't stop. She had to do it. She had to step forward.

"3,"

Lara inhaled and exhaled, opened her eyes slowly, and laid them on her feet.

They had to move forward. They had to. She had to be honest.

She saw herself trying to push her right foot forward when someone's voice immediately drew everyone's attention.

"I heard a story!"

Lara turned to that direction and saw all eyes on Brie.

"I heard a story about your son's past."

"Tell it." Mrs. Benson ordered, grimly.

Mr. Benson kept his eyes on Brie, his eyebrows pushed together.

What is Brie doing? Lara wondered, as did the other maids.

Brie continued, "I heard he has a terrible history with his maids. He... um," She hesitated.

"Go on." Jayden's low voice drew everyone's attention, and Brie was wondering if she had the courage to do so.

"I heard you always forced yourself on your maids." Brie said and the three clueless maids gasped. "That there was this maid, Kira, who left because she couldn't stand it. And there was Josey, and even Tess. And also this woman who was 23 years older than y-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH." Mr. Benson raised his voice, frightening Brie, and the other nine maids.

Mrs. Benson asked, while slowly approaching Brie, "Who told you that?"

Brie glanced at her left, all eyes on her, and her right, same situation, and she opened her mouth, "Tess did."

Tess gaped at Brie, "What are you saying, Brie??"

Brie turned to her, "Don't deny it in front of everyone, Tess."

Tess turned to Mrs. Benson, "She's lying, Madam! She's lying! It's not true!"

"Am I lying?" Brie turned to Katy who was taken aback, but backed her girl up,

"No, you're not. Tess told us that Jayden had kept trying to make a move on her, but she never allowed him to. She was strong."

"Yeah," Ella backed her girls, "She boasted about how she was able to put him in his place."

"Tess?" Jayden stepped forward, "Is that the story you told them?"

"No, I never-"

"You said I forced myself on you?"

Tess was trembling with fear. "No I didn't, I swear!"

"I found myself naked in your shower?"

"No-"

"I tried to kiss you in your shower?"

Tess's heart was racing.

Lara's eyes were on Jayden, then back at Tess, then at Jayden.

Then it hit her. Hard. Like a piece of sizzling lightning that had targeted her from the very second she had begun to rain insults on Jayden. Her heart had found its way to her throat and her lower lip had begun to quiver.

The girls had lied to her.

Jayden's parents were furious.

"Rachel!" Mrs. Benson called out, "Go outside, to the garden. There's a young lady sitting there. Bring her in."

"Yes, Madam." She rushed out of the house.

"Please believe me!" Tess cried. She was terrified. "Everything Brie is saying is not true! She is the one responsible. The others are just backing her."

"That's not true!" Ella yelled and directed her gaze to Mrs. Benson, "Tess told me, Brie, and some of the other girls horrible things about your son. We didn't believe her, of course. We know your son. He isn't like that."

"Sure you do." Jayden chuckled. This was unbelievable.

He glanced at Lara who was just staring into space with a tear-stained face.

Mrs. Benson was now in front of a shaken Tess. "You dared tarnish the image of my son?"

"No! I-" She was silenced by the heavy slap that landed on her cheek, forcing her to the ground.

The girls gasped.

"GET UP."

"Mrs. Benson, please." Tess cried with her hand on her painful cheek, trying to get to her feet but Mrs. Benson was very impatient.

She pulled Tess up by the front of her uniform, and slapped her again. This time, she didn't fall because Mrs. Benson was holding her uniform.

"Mabel, go get me a bucket of water with ice in it. A full one." Mrs. Benson instructed and Mabel hurried away.

"And you," Mrs. Benson turned to Brie.

Brie felt a lump in her throat.

"When Tess said those things, what did you do with the information? Did you come to me?? Or you shared it amongst the others??"

"I didn't share it with the others!" Brie panicked.

"Then how are they aware of this?"

Katy repeated, "We were there. We were all there when Tess was telling it."

"Except for Rachel, Mabel, and Bo." Ella added.

Mrs. Benson looked at Lara. "Was Lara there?"

Lara's stomach jumped when she heard her name come out from Mrs. Benson's mouth again.

Brie glanced at her, "No, she wasn't, so except her too."

Mrs. Benson walked towards Lara and scrutinized her.

"Did you hear of this?"

Lara consciously shook her head.

"Then why are you crying??"

Everyone's eyes were on Lara now.

"I'm just," She sniffed, "This is all just overwhelming. It's really sad..."

Dana put her arm around Lara to give her support.

"Well, get used to it." Mrs. Benson sternly said and turned back to Brie.

"Why didn't you come to me with those stories? Did you enjoy them?"

"No, Madam, of course not! I would have, but you weren't here. Me and the girls wanted to wait till you came back from the trip. We heard it was delayed, but we didn't want to phone you to discuss this. We were just waiting for you to get back."

Just then, Rachel entered, leaving the door ajar for a slim girl of about 5'6 to walk in slowly, drawing everyone's attention.

She was undoubtedly beautiful, with almond-shaped green eyes that could see right through your soul, dark lovely long hair in a messy bun and a slender body with shapely curves that were accentuated by her dark fitting jeans.

"Come, dear." Mrs. Benson said to her and turned to the girls, "This is the well-known Kira. The Kira you've heard in your bedtime stories."

Some of the girls gasped and the others gaped.

Kira sucked her lips in so they weren't visible as she walked over to Mrs. Benson's side.

"Good eve-" She began to greet but Mrs. Benson cut her,

"Kira, do you know the story out there about you?"

Kira appeared confused. "Um, no aunt."

"They said you ran away from my son because he was a monster."

"What?"

"They also said that Jayden forced himself on Tess, and Josey and-" Mrs. Benson stopped. She couldn't go there. She just couldn't.

Kira's almond-shaped eyes were bulging out of their sockets.

Jayden finished for his mom, "And Aunt Florence. They say I raped her, and she was a good woman." He finished saying before glancing at Lara who was too scared to return the look.

"That is bullshit." Kira said which surprised everyone. She didn't look the type to cuss in public.

She fixed her eyes on the maids, "How can you talk about something so sensitive, so carelessly? Without even knowing the real story? Who said this?"

"Tess!" Brie yelled whilst pointing at Tess who was now on the ground, crying.

Kira walked to her and looked down. "Jayden was Florence's victim."

"What...?" Lara breathed.

Jayden suddenly felt the air getting sucked out of the room. He didn't want to be around when they discussed his most vulnerable phase.

"Uh, I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

"I'll come with you," Mr. Benson suggested, and they both walked out of the house.

Mrs. Benson had to suck it up, and Kira continued,

"Jayden was molested and abused by Florence. For years."

"No." Lara gasped undertone, tears pouring down her face. "I'm a monster." She inaudibly muttered, her breath hitching.

She now understood why when she had mentioned Florence's name, Jayden had cringed all of a sudden.

Kira continued, "That woman was evil. She ruined his childhood. Do you know how old he was when she began?"

"No..." Brie felt guilty and horrible, and so did her girls.

"Seven."

"No, that can't be!" Lara's hands flew to her face and her tears didn't stop flowing. Words couldn't describe how terrible she felt. She had hurt Jayden in the worst way possible, by throwing jabs at his traumatizing memory.

Mrs. Benson wiped the tear from her eye and let Kira finish.

"Jayden was destroyed. Mentally, physically, emotionally. Therapy was a drag. He went through the hands of several therapists after Florence was found out.... by me."

"Yes," Mrs. Benson stood beside Kira, "Kira saved my son's life. She saved what was left of his childhood."

"Do you now realize how wrong you all are?" Kira asked, "Never blindly believe a story you hear of someone. There are always two sides to it, and only one, can be the truth."

Just then Mabel came in with a large metallic bucket of water and ice.

"Bring it over here," Mrs. Benson instructed, and Mabel carried the heavy bucket to the woman.

Kira continued, "I never ran away because I was scared. That's all you should know. Jayden is one of the sweetest people I've ever known."

"I'm sorry!" Tess yelled.

"Shut up!" Mrs. Benson yelled whilst lifting the bucket off the ground. She then poured the ice water on a screaming Tess.

Jayden and Mr. Benson immediately barged in upon hearing the screeching screams.

Mrs. Benson poured the last of the ice water on Tess and threw the bucket away.

"Dana! Go and get this girl's belongings right this instant. She leaves tonight!"

"Yes Ma'am." She rushed to Tess's room.

"Pl- plea- please!" Tessa wrapped her arms around her soaked self whilst crying her eyes out.

"Get out of my house and never come back!"

Dana had just thrown all of Tess's belongings into a suitcase haphazardly. She didn't want to waste any time when Mrs. Benson was involved.

She was done in six minutes and rushed out of the room.

"Here it is!" She handed it to Mrs. Benson, who walked towards the door and threw it out.

"Get out now!"

"Madam. I- I- d- don't have any-ny-ny where t-to go." Tess begged but Mrs. Benson couldn't deal with it.

She grabbed her wet hair and dragged her on the floor despite her cries and pleas.

The other maids were mortified.

Lara's eyes continued to spill with tears. That could have been her.

"Filthy Slut!" Mrs. Benson yelled before throwing her out and shutting the door after. Then she turned to the frightened girls,

"If I hear any of you repeating such a thing in my house, you will answer to me. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Madam." They nodded feverishly, Brie remorseful, tears in Emma, Dana, and Lara's eyes.

"Now clean that up." Mrs. Benson pointed to the wet floor, "And bring my luggage." She said as she climbed the stairs.

Rachel, Mabel, Bo, and Emma chose to clean up, and Katy and Dana carried the pieces of luggage.

Lara couldn't move from her spot. She had her eyes fixed on Jayden, who was talking to his father, but had his eyes on her.

She needed to apologize. She had to. She wanted to. He had not deserved the insults she had thrown at him. Anytime she remembered how she insulted him, tears filled her eyes.

She wiped her tears and glanced at Brie who was also frozen. Ella walked up to her, "Lara...you okay?"

Lara nodded repeatedly and wiped her chin.

She looked up and noticed Jayden was standing alone. But before she could even take a step forward, Kira had walked up to him.

Mr. Benson walked to Brie, and gripped her arm tightly.

She was surprised he did that, especially when he tightened the grip because it hurt. She looked around, no one was watching.

He put his mouth to her ear, "You better be less involved in this as you say you are, or I'll make sure you pay dearly. Anyone against my son, is against me. Not even you can change this."

He let go of her arm and marched upstairs.