A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth woke up the next morning a little late than usual. She had difficulty sleeping last night. Her body was not healed completely, and her head felt heavy.

"Good morning, honey!"

"Good morning, Mrs Payne!" She wished.

"Ruth, you do not look good. Are you feeling unwell?" Mrs Payne hurried to check her forehead for any fever.

Ruth took her wrinkled hands in hers and smiled. "No, Mrs Payne. I am fine! I just could not get a good sleep last night. That is it!"

"Are you sure?".

The old lady asked, not convinced by Ruth's answer.

"Cent per cent!"

"Hmm... let me prepare coffee for you. It will help you pivot through out the day." Mrs Payne said.

"Thank you!" Ruth smiled at her.

She could smell breakfast that was already prepared in the kitchen. She should have woken up earlier, then she could have saved the old lady efforts.

Ruth sighed. She pulled her messy hair on her head and rolled them in a messy bun. She was in no mood of untangling the stubborn knots the first thing in the morning.

"Hello, sweety! Good morning, you cute little creature!" Ruth scooped Zoe in her arms and snuggled her close to her.

Zoe mewed in protest. Scrunching her face at the morning breath of Ruth.

'Humans are dirty animals and they insist on washing us!' Zoe thought, rolling her eyes mentally.

Ruth dragged herself out of the mattress after drinking Mrs Payne's strong coffee. She then went to take a bath, then changed into a clean dress.

While getting ready, she could not help but frown now and then. She felt strange today. And it was not because of her lack of sleep.

It was something else. What? She did not know. But she had a coil formed in her stomach that she desperately wished to uncoil soon.

"Okay, Mrs Payne. I and Zoe will see you in the evening." She waved at the old lady and stepped out of the room with Zoe hot on her tail.

Zoe was tired of following this naive woman everywhere she went. She could have done many productive things than this.

'The things people do for love!' She groaned.

They descended the stairs to reach the second floor. Ruth's eyes darted to the third door fleetingly. She paused for a couple of moments staring at the door.

But when she was broken out of her stare, her eyes widened to saucer shape.

"Sweetheart!" Ruth hissed angrily and shockingly and ushered Zoe to leave the apartment building fast.

Zoe ignored Ruth's panicking and walked proudly with her nose up in the air after pissing on Florence's door.

She was waiting for this since the morning, and thus held her piss in her bladders till they were swollen with the rancid smelled content.

"Bad kitty! You should not have done that! You..."

Zoe shut Ruth's blabbering. The woman panicked at any nuisance.

What mattered was Zoe felt good after doing that to Florence. And no, she did not do it because Florence misbehaved with Ruth.

Zoe could care less if they even fought to pull each other's hair, an entertaining show for the whole world to see.

She did that because of Edwin. She had done her research about Edwin while roaming on the streets of Vincardine when Ruth worked in the shop.

And whatever Zoe had gathered till then, she knew that Florence was the most popular and desirable woman by the elites.

And as far as she knew Edwin, it was impossible for him to keep his claws away from the prostitute.

'Ruth should learn to claim, keep and lock her man for herself if she is destined to be mate of someone like Edwin O'Dell.' Zoe thought.

In some time, Ruth reached Mr Cooper's tailoring shop, and she knew it was time to part ways with her dear cat, only for some time.

"Do not get yourself into struggle and be careful. I do not want you to get injured again. Okay?" She patted her cat's head affectionately.

Zoe mewed obediently and strutted away from Ruth on the streets of Vincardine.

Ruth opened the door and entered the shop. She wished her colleagues good morning and waited for Thea's arrival.

Five minutes later, Thea came, and they chatted animatedly with each other till the bell above the door chimed, signalling Mr Cooper's arrival.

The mood inside the shop changed completely the moment he stepped through the door.

They busied themselves with the work. Mr Cooper did his favourite task- scribbling something in his register.

Minutes turned to hours, and it was already afternoon with the sun shining brightly above the head. The bell chimed again and stepped inside a woman in her late thirties, dressed impressively in rich clothes and a hat with a pretty veil stitched on the circumference of her hat.

Two large flowers of clothes stuck on one side of her hat. She had a small handbag in her hand. Every person inside the shop took in her form that reeked money.

"Mrs Linlithgow?! What a pleasure to have your feet on this poor tailor's humble shop!" Mr Cooper hurriedly stand up from his chair and came out from behind of his table to welcome the lady.

She only scanned her surroundings while fanning herself with a hand fan she carried in her other hand. She faked a plastic smile at the old tailor.

Mr Cooper pulled a chair from the corner for the lady to sit. "Please, my Lady, have a seat."

He signalled one of his employees with eyes to make the woman rush to Lady Linlithgow's side. She took the fan from the Lady's hand and started fanning her like an obedient slave.

"My Lady, what would you like to have? Cofee, tea or-"

"No, thank you, Mr Cooper. I do not drink or eat outside." The Lady scrunched her nose while saying the word 'outside' as if she was made to sit surrounded by the stinking garbage.

"Sure! Sure! Noble people like you must be careful with your health!" Mr Cooper laughed nervously.

Lady Linlithgow was a big name amongst the elites of Vincardine, with her husband working with the O'Dells in their Southern trade.

It was rare to have her at a place like a tailoring shop. The wives of the elites usually sent their maids with the order and measurements or, call Mr Cooper himself at their place for the task.

"How may I help you, My Lady?" Mr Cooper asked politely.

All the women employees of him rolled their eyes at the sudden change in his attitude. The man changed his colours like a chameleon whenever he smelled money.

The door of the shop opened again, and a maid entered with a large bag in her hand.

Lady Linlithgow did not bother with efforts to show what was brought here at the shop as she gestured the maid to do it for her.

The maid showed what was inside the bag. A beautiful, shimmery golden colour garment had every onlooker awestruck with its beauty.

"This... this is..."

"Beautiful and expensive. I know!" Lady Linlithgow said with a smirk, enjoying everyone's reaction.

"This is an wedding anniversary gift from my husband, Mr Cooper. We are having a gathering at our mansion where all the nobles and even the O'Dells are invited."

Her smirk widened when she heard ooohh and aaahs coming from every mouth.

"I want you to make the most beautiful dress for me. In next four days!"

"But... but My Lady, we are already-"

"Mr Cooper, if you can not do that then I will need to find someone else to do it." She said sternly though her face still had that fake smile plastered on it.

"No... no... my Lady! I will do it in time. You do not need to take so much efforts when you have me at your service!"

Thea wanted to smack the old greedy man for agreeing to that. He was already grinding every ounce of energy from his employees and now he had accepted the order in a short time of four days.

Lady Linlithgow smiled brightly, showing her pearly white perfect teeth. "That is good to hear, Mr Cooper! Do not think about the money. I will even give you some extra if you do not fail to impress me like every time."

One could see Mr Cooper's eyes shining brighter than the hot sun outside.

"Sure... sure, my Lady! Let me take the measurements."

He took the measuring tape that he always carry like a muffler around his neck. Fixing his glasses on his nose, he made Lady Linthgow stood up.

He carefully took all the measurements and noted them down in his book. With every request Lady Linlithgow had for her dress, his mind calculated how much money he could extract from the rich lady.

"I have noted down your every request, My Lady. Do not worry and start preparing for the gathering. I, myself will bring this dress to you.

I promise every woman in the gathering will get jealous, and the talk of the town will be your dress and how beautiful you will look in it."

Lady Linlithgow smiled in satisfaction. That was what she wanted to hear- her praises.

"Oh, and Mr Cooper, I want some intricate handwork on my dress. And I want Ruth to do it!" She pointed at wide-eyed Ruth, who had no idea how to react to that.

Mr Cooper did not mind her condition and agreed to it in a heartbeat.

Ruth was a skilled artisan in intricate working and that was the very reason, why he used to give her works even before she started working in his shop.

"Of course, My Lady. Ruth will do a perfect job on your dress, it is my word to you!"