My in-laws, who have flown back to the country for the Christmas holidays, visit my home on Christmas Eve for dinner. But Selena Collins, the housekeeper, has only prepared two plates of cold shrimp ravioli despite the fact that I've specifically reminded her about my mother-in-law, Lora Fischer's allergy to shrimps.

Selena just tells me in a stoic manner, "Mrs. Peterson, I know that you country bumpkins love taking advantage of everything. So, I completely understand that your parents want to mooch off a meal from the Peterson family during the holidays.

"But as Mr. Peterson's most caring housekeeper, I have the right to protect the Petersons' assets from getting leeched by outsiders. Yes, this includes a regular meal.

"Then again, I have a heart of gold, you see. I won't starve the elders at all. These are leftover shrimp ravioli from last year. Your parents should hurry up and leave after polishing the ravioli off.

"Mr. Peterson is very busy with his work. I can't let him deal with your impoverished parents after getting home from a stressful day at work."

I'm stunned at first, but I soon realize that Selena has mistaken my in-laws for my parents. She's purposefully causing me trouble as always.

I'm about to explain the truth to Selena when I see my enraged in-laws turning to leave. But Selena wastes no time in calling the bodyguards over to stop them.

"I completely understand that country bumpkins like you two have poor character, but wasting food is a really bad trait.

"Since the shrimp ravioli is already prepared for you, please finish them all before leaving."

My father-in-law, Fred Peterson, was a man who had spent his whole life in a position of power. No one had ever had the guts to treat him this way, and he exploded in rage.

"Josh Peterson! Brat! Has he forgotten who gave him every single penny he owns?

"I can't believe he's letting this housekeeper throw her weight around to insult his father. This is pure insanity!"

My mother-in-law, Lora Fischer, was just as livid. "Honey, we have to talk to Josh. Since when does a housekeeper get to overrule the lady of the house?"

The lady of the house? I could not help but laugh bitterly.

Ever since Josh hired Selena Collins, I had been living worse than the maids. He forbade me from working after we got married, so now, I even had to file an expense request to Selena, the "housekeeper", just to receive money for tampons.

Knowing Selena, I was certain she would not let this rest. So, I stepped in front of my in-laws and tried to reason with her.

"Ms. Collins, these are Josh's parents. His mother is allergic to shrimp, and if he finds out you served them shrimp ravioli, he won't let this slide."

Selena gave me a mocking smirk. "Mrs. Peterson, surely you don't think that just because you married Mr. Peterson, your poor country relatives behind you automatically become his family, do you?

"How dare these two country bumpkins claim to be Mr. Peterson's parents? Do you people have no shame?"

Her expression hardened as she turned to the bodyguards. "Well, don't keep our guests waiting. Make sure Mr. Peterson's 'parents' enjoy the shrimp ravioli I prepared just for them!"

The bodyguards, who only answered to her, immediately yanked Fred and Lora from behind me and forced their heads down toward the plate of shrimp ravioli.

Both in their 50s, they were no match for the bodyguards' brute strength. In seconds, their faces were smeared with the lemon butter sauce and parmesan cheese.

"Selena! Have you lost your mind?" I cried out in alarm.

"I've put up with everything you did to me, but these are Josh's parents! Tell them to stop!"

I lunged forward to pull the bodyguards away, but her men held me back.

She leaned closer to my ear, and her voice dropped to a low whisper only meant for me. "You can marry into money all you want, but you're still a peasant I can crush however I feel like it.

"Today, I'm going to make you watch how lowly people like your parents beg for mercy."

Selena turned back to the bodyguards and barked, "Are you deaf? I said to feed them the shrimp ravioli. Have they eaten yet?

"Stuff them, especially Mrs. Peterson's mother. She's allergic to shrimp, isn't she?

"Well, as a PhD in nutrition, I'd love to see which allergies can't be cured by a little forced feeding!"

The bodyguards obeyed and treated Fred and Lora like stray dogs by shoving shrimp ravioli into their mouths with cruel aggressiveness. Before they could even swallow, the next mouthful was forced in, so saliva, shrimp, and sauce were smeared across their faces in a sickening mess.

Fred was flushed with rage, while Lora's breathing had clearly turned rapid and uneven.

Seeing Lora on the verge of collapse, Fred found a sudden burst of strength to break free from the bodyguard holding him down. But before he could reach her, another bodyguard kicked him and sent him sprawling.

Selena looked down at him as if he were trash. "I offered you a kind meal, but you're ungrateful and even had the guts to resist. In that case, don't blame me for being rude.

"Beat him up! Let's see if his bones are tougher than my rules!"

At her command, the bodyguards rained kicks and punches on Fred. Within moments, he lay silent and still.

Lora's breathing grew weaker, but when she saw Fred lying motionless, tears slipped from her clouded eyes.

I desperately struggled against the bodyguards holding me down and screamed, "Stop right now, Selena! Are you trying to get them killed?"

She looked down at me with a calm, condescending demeanor. "So what if they die, Mrs. Peterson? Do you think Mr. Peterson would send me to prison over a couple of hicks like them?"

My heart raced with panic, but I knew that she was right. She was Josh's deeply trusted housekeeper, while my marriage to him was nothing but an old family arrangement made by our grandparents.

After we married, he treated me with cold indifference for ten years and stood idly by as Selena humiliated me.

With Fred and Lora at death's door, I spotted a fruit knife in the fruit bowl. I wrenched myself free from the bodyguard who pinned me down and lunged for the fruit knife.

Before anyone could react, I pressed it against Selena's throat and yelled at the bodyguards, "Get the car to the door and put the elders inside. No one follows!"

Selena's face went pale with terror. She quickly barked at them, "Hurry up and do what she says!"

Even then, she still gritted her teeth and threatened me. "If Mr. Peterson finds out about what you're doing to me, you're dead meat!"

Lives were at stake, so I ignored her words.

Once the bodyguards carried Fred and Lora into the car as per my instructions, I dragged Selena to the car, shoved her, and hopped in. Then, I immediately raced toward Josh's hospital.

The Petersons were one of Woodward's most powerful families. Fred and Lora adored Josh so much that instead of forcing him to inherit the family business, they let him follow his passion for medicine and invested heavily in building him a massive private hospital.

I drove as fast as I could, racing against time. As long as we arrived at the hospital, Josh would surely save his parents.

While driving, I repeatedly dialed his number, but every call was rejected, just as expected.

I never hoped he would pick up. Through all these years, my contact with Josh went through Selena. He had never answered my calls or replied to my messages.

Finally, I screeched to a halt at the emergency entrance. I grabbed a passing nurse and urgently said, "I'm the hospital director, Dr. Peterson's wife!

"His parents are in the car; one is unconscious from a severe beating, and the other is in anaphylactic shock. Get them to the ER now!"

The nurse just rolled her eyes at me. "Lady, you've got to be joking. Everyone in this hospital knows Dr. Peterson's girlfriend is Ms. Selena Collins. If you want to skip the line, at least come up with a decent lie."

I froze, but the situation was too critical to argue. So, I could not be bothered to explain and grabbed her arm.

"Find Josh right now and tell him I'm Madelyn Cook. Repeat everything I just told you, and he'll handle the rest!"

Seeing how frantic I looked, the nurse dared not delay further and rushed upstairs to Josh's office. Moments later, he followed her out.

The second he saw me, he coldly snapped, "What's wrong with you?

"Selena just called me. She went out of her way to treat your parents to a meal, and not only were you ungrateful, but you also lied that your mom had an allergy and attacked her with a knife. It seems like you've grown bold!"

The accusation left me speechless, but there was no time to argue. I panickedly pointed toward my car and yelled, "They're not my parents; they're yours!

"They're both unconscious in the car! Hurry up and send them to the ER!"

To my disbelief, Josh did not even bother to glance at the car. Instead, he shook me off and turned away. "My parents have lived abroad for years and never visited. You're lying through your teeth just to skip the queue!

"Selena has a PhD in nutrition. She told me your mother just has indigestion from overeating, and as the director of the hospital, I must avoid favoritism. I can't let you cut in line.

"Register and wait like everyone else. Stop trying to use the Peterson family name to take shortcuts."

Realizing I could not rely on Josh and not knowing how long the queue would take, I decided to take Fred and Lora to the nearest public hospital instead.

Just as I was about to leave, hospital security suddenly set up barricades around my car.

I stared at them in shock. "What are you doing?"

The bodyguards shot me with looks of contempt. "Ms. Collins just called. She said this car belongs to her and you took it without permission, so it's stolen property. It isn't going anywhere until she arrives at the hospital."

My face flushed with rage. "This is my family's car! On what grounds does she call it stolen?"

The bodyguards remained unmoved. "Apologies, but Dr. Peterson has made it clear that Ms. Collins' orders are equivalent to his own. Please stop causing trouble."

Darkness swam before my eyes at the thought of the two unconscious elders in the car. Josh was committing murder!

I tried calling him again, only to find that my number was blocked.

Left with no choice, I called the police and briefly explained how Selena had harmed Fred and Lora, leaving them unconscious, and that hospital security was illegally detaining my car.

A police car arrived shortly afterward.

Just as I thought tables were turning, Josh intercepted and spoke to the officers in his capacity as the hospital's director before I could reach them.

"My wife is having a dispute with our housekeeper. The two elders just have an upset stomach, but she's lying and claiming an allergy to frame the housekeeper.

"As for the car at the ER entrance, it's not ours. It used to be in my name, but I transferred the title to Ms. Collins a long time ago, so my wife did, in fact, take someone else's car without consent.

"I apologize on my wife's behalf for wasting police resources. We're very sorry."