Oman and Maria returned and announced that they found nothing after thoroughly checking the servants quarters.

Their arrival diverted some of the attention which had been given to Ruth. They could return to it later, what mattered more at the moment was the pink butterfly.

"Then where could it have disappeared to, did a thief really come from outside?" Ruth asked in the bid to change course of the conversation from the previous ones.

"There is one person whose room has not been checked yet." Phoebe looked keenly at Ophelia and waved her hand with a bratty smile on her lips that were curled upwards. "Ophelia, lead the way."

Ophelia put her hands on her waist and she laughed mockingly.

"Young woman do you know how many years i have been working for this family? Not once have I ever taken anything that Madam hasn't given to me. I have faithfully served the family and everyone here can attest to my loyalty. I will forgive you this once because obviously you are new and unfamiliar with our history." Ophelia lifted her chin proudly.

If she was a peacock, her feathers would be dancing in the light wind that was sweeping into the house through the open windows. She clearly didn't expect the Mayfairs to actually go through with it.

"A good maid should know her place." Grandma Mayfair commented softly but with strength.

Her words were simple but they were a warning to Ophelia that had just been disrespectful to Phoebe in her eyes. No matter how many years she had been with the family, Phoebe was a master in the house.

"Madam..." Ophelia cried out, surprised.

Andre scoffed, "A servant that wants to eat at the same table with their master is one capable of removing the master from the table to take their place."

Ophelia's legs trembled as she looked around and noticed that all of the Mayfairs with the exception of Ruth were frowning at her. They all had picked a side and it was Phoebe's.

Phoebe chuckled. "I told you that if you accuse me, then i can do the same to you. Father please be fair and search everyone her included." Phoebe pointed an index finger at Ophelia.

[Please do it dad, please.]

On seeing her eager thoughts, Edward ordered Maria to lead the way and search Ophelia's room.

"What? Mr. Mayfair you cannot be serious!! This is outrageous. I have been loyal to this household how can you treat me like a common servant?" Ophelia rushed after Edward who was walking to her room.

Her protests did not help and everyone followed as well.

Once inside, they all stood to the side and watched Maria search everywhere.

A clever servant was one that knew how to read the signs and predict the change in the movement of the wind. Maria had already adjusted her attitude in accordance to who the new Mayfair heiress was so she was as ruthless in handling Ophelia's personal property as she had seen the woman do to Phoebe's things.

The clothes were dumped on the floor carelessly, a few dresses were ripped somehow. She searched everywhere, from the wardrobe to the bathroom then under the mattress.

On lifting it, her eyes saw a small black pouch which she opened immediately. The pink butterfly brooch came into appearance, causing everyone to gasp in shock including Ophelia whose hand moved to her mouth because she was in disbelief.

"Found it!" Maria announced as she picked it up and presented it to Jennie.

"No," Ophelia muttered.

The ghosts had come out to watch the drama and Connie was hovering around Ophelia.

"Serves you right bitch." Connie stated only for the spirit to call her out for using foul language.

Phoebe had to bite her lower lip to prevent herself laughing at Ruth and Ophelia's shocked expressions. They were probably wondering how their carefully calculated plan had backfired.

Ophelia who was standing at the back came forward, her eyes fixed on the butterfly brooch.

"How? How is this possible? Why is this here?" She uttered suddenly, shocked that the brooch was suddenly in her room.

"Explain yourself Ophelia, you have been accusing my grandchild of stealing it yet you are the one that had stolen it!" Grandma Mayfair wanted to fly and slap the taste out of her mouth.

"No, no old matriarch something is wrong somewhere, I swear to God that I don't know why this brooch is in my room." Ophelia shuffled her feet.

No matter how much she denied, it was obvious that nobody believed her so she turned to Ruth, beseeching her to come to her defense.

Ruth however looked away, looking anywhere but at her co-conspirator.

Jennie shook her head. "I am so disappointed in you Ophelia! Why are still denying it? I have treated you so well over the years and trusted you, even going to the extent of buying you jewelry occasionally but still you decided to steal from me? Of all things, you chose a family heirloom? Were you deliberately calculating against me?"

Jennie held onto the precious brooch tightly.

Ophelia fell to her knees and employed Ruth's crying strategy. When all else failed, tears were a good weapon to fall back on.

"Madam, Miss Ruth, i am being framed. Think about it yourselves, why now of all times? We have all lived together for so many without any troubles but as soon as miss Phoebe returned, we have encountered one trouble after another." she cried.

Ruth grabbed Jennie's hand and looked at her mother imploringly. "Mother, maybe she is really being framed and we should hear her out."

Grandma Mayfair stomped her right foot down. "Ohh you don't say!! I think it's the other way round, judging by how she insisted that Phoebe was the thief. Ophelia must have wanted to frame Phoebe but she decided to keep the precious jewel for herself out of greed. I also have a feeling that you, Ruth, knew about it. Who doesn't know that Ophelia is like your very own hands and feet in this house? " She was on a mission to reveal Ruth's terrible character.

"Why must you keep disappointing me? At a time like this you are standing with this deceitful maid instead of your sister."

The points raised by her made everyone curious indeed. Why was Ruth still defending Ophelia? Where was this defense when Phoebe was being accused?

"Ruth, you are not really involved in this, are you?" Collin asked.

Shaking her head vehemently, Ruth denied knowing anything.

"Grandma I didn't know that Ophelia could do something like this. I am just in shock because we have all known and trusted her for so many years. I am still in awe that she could do something like this and betray all of our trust.

I wanted to defend her because she has cared for me for so many years and i thought that if she explained her reasons for doing what she did, we would understand and forgive her."

She untangled her hand from Jennie's arm and faced grandma Mayfair.

"But, whether she had a desperate need for money or not which pushed her to commit the crime doesn't matter. No reason she gives will be good enough, what matters is the evidence in front of our eyes, the brooch has been found in her room so she is the thief."

Ruth walked forward, looked resolutely at Ophelia, raised her hand and slapped the maid.

"Confess your crime and beg for forgiveness." she ordered Ophelia.