Silent Witness

Maria’s POV

I walked into the storage room to look for an old art work Stacy had asked me to dust, but instead I found Mr. Sebastian buried deep inside his own stepdaughter, her legs wrapped around him like she’d die without it.

The sight rooted me to the spot. Charlotte’s back arched violently against the wall, her skirt hiked up around her waist exposing everything, mouth stretched open in a silent scream of pleasure as his big hand clamped tightly over her lips.

They didn’t even notice me when I walked in.

His pants were down, I could see everything. The wet sounds, the smell of sweat and sex, the way her nails dug into his shoulders. It was raw. Desperate. Wrong in every way.

I wanted to scream. Or drop the basket and run to Mrs. Stacy. Instead I just stood there, heart hammering so loud I thought they’d hear it.

Charlotte’s eyes flew open first. Wide. Guilty. Sebastian turned his head slowly, like he didn’t want the moment they were having to end. His face went pale under the flush.

Nobody spoke for what felt like forever.

Charlotte tried to wiggle free, mumbling something about it not being what it looked like. Sebastian pulled out of her with a wet sound that made my stomach twist.

He fixed his clothes fast, hands shaking. “Maria… this isn’t…”

I cut him off with a raised hand. My voice came out steadier than I expected. If he wasn’t my boss I’d have raised my voice at him. So I just walked out.

I went about my day avoiding both Sebastian and Charlotte. Their sight was disgusting to me . I had my suspicions but I didn’t think they’d go dirty.

Sebastian tried to corner me while I was sweeping but I didn’t give him the opportunity to talk. “Maria, please…”

I shunned him “just stop. Please!” As he was about to leave I called him back. I can’t avoid not talking about what I saw.

“This isn’t the right place to talk. Meet me in the garden shed in twenty minutes. Both of you. Or I go straight to Mrs. Stacy.”

He nodded. Charlotte looked small suddenly, standing behind him trying to pull her skirt down with trembling fingers.

Sebastian wouldn’t look me in the eyes. I turned and left before I could say something I’d regret. My legs felt like water the whole way back to the main house.

I waited on a crate, hands clenched in my lap. When they finally showed up, the air got thick. Charlotte stood close to Sebastian like she needed his warmth. He looked wrecked.

Both of them were so scared. But with Charlotte, there’s this no remorse attitude in her eyes.

“I won’t tell her yet,” I said. My voice cracked a little. “But you both will promise me right now that this ends. For Mrs. Stacy. For this family. She’s given everything. And y’all know that.”

Sebastian rubbed his face. “It’s over. I swear. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I tried to stop it. I really did.” His voice was rough. Like he meant it.

I could see the war in him, the man who loved his wife and the one who couldn’t resist the beautiful curvy young girl who spends almost every hour with him alone at home.

Charlotte nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I promise, Auntie Maria. I’ll stop.” Her voice sounded like she was telling the truth.

But something in her eyes made me wonder how long that promise would last. She’d always been the quiet type, but lately she moved like someone I don’t know.

This new Charlotte is different, she looked like someone who's having something she’s always wanted. Something she has waited for a long time to have.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Good. Then we never speak of this again.”

They left first. I sat there a while longer, staring at the dirty floor. The weight of what I’d seen pressed on my chest.

Mrs. Stacy works so hard for this family. For the image. For the money they are enjoying even though Sir Sebastian owns it. And here was her husband and daughter tearing it apart in secret. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry.

Mostly I just felt tired. I get to keep such a dirty secret.

Later that night, after everyone went to bed, I went to Mr. Sebastian’s office to dust like I always did. My hand brushed something soft in his top drawer. I pulled it out.

A pair of panties. Small lace pants. Still damp.

My stomach dropped. Was the promise they’d made me already broken? Or maybe Sir Sebastian was seeing another young girl that I didn’t know of?

I tucked them back exactly where I found them. But my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Tomorrow I would have to decide what kind of woman I really was. The one who protected the family… or the one who looked away while it burned.

The weight of that choice kept me awake long after the lights went out.