Chapter 8 - THE HOUSEKEEPER WHO WAS ASKED TO LEAVE
The first threat arrived in a plain white envelope.
There was no return address.
No signature.
Only one sentence.
STOP INTERFERING WITH THE MORETTI FAMILY.
I found it beneath my apartment door.
At first, I thought it was a cruel joke.
Then I noticed the photograph inside.
Benjamin and me walking through the estate garden.
Taken from beyond the fence.
My stomach turned.
Someone had been watching us.
I contacted Dominic's attorney and the police.
The threat was documented.
Dominic learned about it that afternoon.
His expression hardened.
"Why didn't you tell me immediately?"
I looked at him.
"I told the authorities first."
He stopped.
Then nodded.
"Good."
I was surprised.
A year earlier, he might have ordered his men to search for the sender.
Now he was learning that not every problem could be solved through intimidation.
He looked at the photograph.
"Do you feel safe at your apartment?"
I hesitated.
"Not entirely."
He took a breath.
"We can arrange reasonable security measures if you'd like. Or help you find temporary accommodation through your attorney."
I looked down.
For six years, I'd worked in a house where money solved practical problems.
But money also created obligations.
I didn't want to become dependent on Dominic.
"I need to think about it," I said.
He nodded.
"Of course."
That evening, I went home and began packing.
Not because I intended to run.
Because I wanted options.
Then my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered cautiously.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice spoke.
"Claire Bennett?"
"Yes?"
"You need to leave the Moretti household."
I went still.
"Who is this?"
"Someone who knows what happens to people who ask questions."
My hands trembled.
"What do you want?"
"Resign. Stop speaking with Dominic. Stay away from Benjamin."
The line went dead.
I sat motionless.
For years, I'd believed being useful would keep me safe.
Now I understood that silence had never been protection.
I called my attorney.
Then Dominic's legal team.
The following morning, I asked to speak with Dominic privately.
He met me in the library.
I stood near the doorway.
"Sir, I think I need to leave."
His face changed.
"Because of the threats?"
"Partly."
He nodded slowly.
"You're entitled to make that decision."
My throat tightened.
"I don't want to abandon Benjamin."
"You're not abandoning him."
Tears filled my eyes.
"He'll think I don't love him anymore."
Dominic looked toward the window.
"Then we need to explain it carefully."
I stared.
"You're not going to ask me to stay?"
He turned back.
"Claire, people in this house have spent too long feeling they weren't allowed to say no."
My eyes filled.
"I won't continue that pattern."
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I whispered, "Thank you."
Dominic approached but stopped several feet away.
"Can I ask something?"
I nodded.
"Would you consider continuing as Benjamin's trusted caregiver through an independently arranged role, with clear hours and protections?"
I blinked.
"What?"
"He trusts you. And I respect that."
My heart tightened.
"But I don't want you frightened or exhausted because of my family."
I looked down.
"I'll think about it."
He smiled faintly.
"That's all I ask."
That evening, I told Benjamin I might be working differently.
He looked devastated.
"Are you leaving me?"
I knelt.
"No, sweetheart."
"But Vanessa said everybody leaves."
My throat tightened.
I took his hands.
"People sometimes change jobs or homes. That doesn't mean they stop caring."
His eyes filled.
"Will you still read with me?"
"Whenever we arrange time together, yes."
"Will you still come to my birthday?"
I smiled through tears.
"Of course."
Benjamin hugged me.
Then whispered something that stayed with me.
"Miss Claire, I don't want you to be scared either."
I held him tighter.
For years, I'd thought my job was to protect him.
May you like
Now he was reminding me that my life mattered too.
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