Disclaimer-Passions is not mine

A Cruel Prank

Theresa walked the halls of the Crane Mansion, frowning. This was all so strange to her. For the week she'd been home she'd learned her way around again, though sometimes she got lost. The only rooms she needed to go into were her room, the living room, and the dining room. For the most part she stayed in her room, trying to conjure up memories that didn't exist anymore.

Theresa was so busy caught up in her thoughts that she didn't see where she was going, and she walked right into…

"OOPH!" Ivy shoved Theresa back. "Watch where you're going, you Latino Lunatic!"

Theresa frowned. She had no memories of ever being insulted like that, but it offended her nonetheless. "Are you Ivy?"

"Yes, you moron!" Ivy snapped.

Theresa looked around. Running into Ivy had upset her balance and now her sense of direction was out of whack. "I have no idea where I'm supposed to be. Can you tell me where I'm supposed to go."

"Yes, you stupid ninny, I'll tell you where to go." Ivy was all set to tell Theresa where she could go, but she stopped. A slow smile spread across Ivy's face. This was going to be fun!

"You know, Fox and Ethan didn't tell you, but you have a job to do in this estate."

"But Fox told me I was the mistress here…"

"Oh, Fox just said that because he's worried about your condition." Ivy dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand. "He didn't want to tell you that you were the hired help around here for fear of your health problem."

Theresa cocked her eyebrow. "But I don't remember…"

"Oh, Theresa," Ivy said piteously, which seemed to be mocking in Theresa's eyes. "You don't remember anything before this. Just your son and Fox. The truth is, you are the hired scrubwoman."

Theresa looked perplexed. She didn't know how to clean houses, especially ones as large as this, and she didn't remember ever cleaning the house. But Ivy was right. Theresa didn't remember much about life beforehand. And since Theresa didn't remember this woman or the ongoing feud they'd had for years, there was no reason not to trust her.

But still, this woman HAD just made fun of her background and insulted her.

"I don't believe you," Theresa said.

"You want proof? Fine." Ivy reached into her purse that she'd had on her lap and pulled out a cell phone. She dialed the upstairs line.

Rebecca, who had been lounging in her bed, picked up. "Hello?"

"Hello, Rebecca? This is Ivy. Listen, isn't Theresa the hired help?"

"No…" Rebecca said, confused.

"I'm sorry, maybe you didn't hear me correctly," Ivy said. "Isn't Theresa our servant?"

Rebecca caught on. "Oh, yeah. Yes, of course, she does."

"Rebecca says you do," Ivy said.

"Let me hear it," Theresa said, taking the phone. "This is Theresa. Is Ivy telling the truth?"

"Yes of course, Theresa dear," Rebecca said with false honey on her tongue. "You are our servant."

"Oh…well, thank you."

"Anytime dear!" Rebecca chirped, and hung up.

Theresa handed Ivy her phone back. "I…"

"Well, yes, dear, if you want to regain your memories, you'll have to start working soon!"

Theresa looked perplexed. "But I don't know how to clean…"

"It's all right, Theresa, I'll show you!" Ivy started rolling towards the kitchen, and Theresa followed her.

"Underneath the sink, in that cabinet, is a bucket and some soap," Ivy said.

Theresa squatted down and opened the cabinet. She yanked out a bucket and a bottle of Tilex. "This?"

"Yes."

"But it's a squirt bottle…"

"Oh, yes. Well, honey, you're supposed to fill that bucket with water and spray the floors with that cleaner. Then you're supposed to mop…I mean, scrub it." Scrubbing would take longer. "The scrubber is in the cabinet."

More digging produced the scrubber. "Are you sure this is what I have to do…"

"Yes!" Ivy exclaimed. "Now, get to work, if you want your memories to return faster."

Theresa looked at Ivy for a few seconds, then went to the sink and filled the bucket. "Ivy, what's the bucket for?"

"Well, the water helps kick in the cleaner. You have to dip the scrubber in the water before you get to work."

Theresa set the half-filled bucket on the ground. She hoisted up her skirt to her mid-thighs and got down on her hands and knees. She grabbed the bottle of Tilex and sprayed the floor around her. Then she plunged her hand, holding the scrubber, into the bucket, splashing water in her face. She squinted her eyes and shook her head, getting the water off her face, then lifted the scrubber and started to clean the floors.

"There," Ivy said, pointing. "You missed a spot. And there." Ivy pointed again.

Theresa's arm moved jerkily. She was unsure of what she was doing, and Ivy's nagging really wasn't helping, but Theresa gritted her teeth and went to it.

"And there!"

Theresa stood up after an hour of scrubbing. "I think it's done, Ivy."

Ivy glanced at the floor disdainfully. It was shining like a new penny. "It'll have to do in your weakened state of mind."

Theresa put away her supplies and went for the door.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Theresa stopped and faced Ivy. "I'm done."

"Oh, no, honey," Ivy said, smiling with false sweetness. "You are my servant, dearest. Mine and Rebecca's."

"But…"

"But nothing, dear!" Ivy's smile broke into a grin. "Now it's time for you to do the dishes!"

"But you have a dish washer…"

"It's broken," Ivy lied quickly. "And since the others have the day off, you have to wash and dry them by yourself!"

"But…"

"Get to it, Theresa!"

Theresa went back to the sink. "Ivy, which knob is for Hot?"

"I don't know."

Theresa went for the knob on the left. She gave it a swift twist and put her hand under it.

"Ah!" Theresa yanked her hand back as steam poured out with water. "Christ, that's hot!"

Ivy stifled her laughter. "I guess you know which one is hot."

Theresa fixed the water and picked up the sponge and grabbed a dish.

"Make sure it's absolutely clean!"

Theresa finished her first item, a glass, and set it down in the rack. Ivy wheeled over and grabbed it.

"Theresa, this is dirty! See!" Ivy pointed at a place on the glass.

Theresa squinted. She couldn't see anything wrong with it.

"Clean it!" Ivy handed the glass back to Theresa, who painstakingly scrubbed at the imaginary spot.

Two hours later, Theresa finally put the rest of the dishes away. It would have taken less time, but Ivy had scrutinized every last dish.

"I'm done." Theresa hung up her dishtowel and went for the door.

"Theresa, dearest…"

"WHAT?!"

"Tsk, tsk, don't raise your voice at me!" Ivy said. "You need to cook dinner for tonight."

Theresa threw up her hands. "But I don't know how to cook! Unless you want packaged oatmeal and burnt toast for dinner!"

"Cheap stuff!" Ivy said, sniffing contemptuously. "All right, then. Meet me in the living room. And bring champagne. It's in the cellar. Down there." Ivy pointed to a door leading to a cellar. "And get two glasses and a tray. They're in the cabinets above the sink."

When she heard the cellar door close, she picked up her cell phone and called upstairs. "Rebecca, get down here! You've got to come see this! Theresa thinks she's my servant!"

Rebecca was down in a flash just as Ivy rolled into the living room. Not too long afterwards, Theresa showed up, carrying two glasses filled with champagne on a silver serving tray.

"Oh, Theresa, you're on supposed to fill it half-way!" Ivy said in mock despair. "Never mind. Hand a glass to me."

Theresa picked one up and handed it to her. She was about to hand Rebecca hers when the mother of Gwen screamed. Theresa dropped the glass in shock. It shattered on the hardwood floor.

"What? What is it?" Theresa yelped.

"A mouse! Wait…it's gone." Rebecca glanced down at the shattered glass. "Oh, Theresa, look what you've done! Get some paper towels and clean this up! They're in the cabinet under the sink."

Theresa left the room, and Ivy and Rebecca started laughing.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" Rebecca squealed. "I can't believe you got her to wait on us!"

"And scrub the kitchen floor, and wash and dry the dishes," Ivy said smugly.

Rebecca giggled. "Ivy, you are a genius!"

Theresa was digging in the cabinet under the sink when a cough made her look up.

"Oh, Fox! You're back!"

Fox looked own at her. "Theresa, what are you doing?"

"Getting some paper towels."

"Dare I ask why?"

"To clean up some wine."

"Again I ask, why?"

Theresa smiled. "I dropped a glass of champagne."

"What were you doing with champagne? Dr. Clayton said you shouldn't have alcohol."

"It for Ivy and Rebecca."

"Why are you getting it for them?"

"Because I'm their servant, silly!"

Fox's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Their WHAT?!"

"Ivy told me I'm her servant. Fox, you don't have to worry about my condition. I'm perfectly fine."

"Condition, nothing! Theresa, you married my father! You're mistress here!"

Theresa looked perplexed. "But Ivy said…"

Fox grabbed Theresa's wrist and pulled her out into the living room.

"Oh, Fox, you're home!" Ivy said, slightly nervous.

"Why did you tell Theresa she was your servant?"

"Well, because she is."

"Don't give me that crap, Mother. Theresa is the mistress here. She should be upstairs tending to her son, instead of down here serving you two worthless 6!tc#es!"

"Fox!" Ivy yelled. "That is no way to talk to your mother!"

"No, but it is a way to talk to an evil woman who pulled a prank on an amnesiac! How low will you sink to get your goodies, Mother?" Fox turned back to Theresa. "From now on, Theresa, you only listen to what Ethan and I and your family tell you about your past, okay?"

"O…okay." Theresa pulled her arm free. "I…I think I'll go see to my son now." Theresa turned and went for the stairs.

"Fox!" Ivy said when Theresa was out of earshot. "Don't you realize what a good thing we have here? Theresa doesn't know any better! You can tell her anything about her past and she'll believe you!"

"Yes, but I have more class than to tell an amnesiac lies about her past! You, Ivy Crane, are a sick, sick woman."

"Fox! Don't talk to your mother like that!" Rebecca yelled.

"Mother? Ha, that's a good one. I have no mother. I have a woman who sent my sisters and me away to boarding schools and just pulled a prank on a woman who can barely remember anything about her life."

"Fox…" Ivy started.

"You know what? Just shut up, Ivy."

"Nicholas Foxworthy Crane, don't you dare talk to me like that!" Ivy shouted.

"I'll talk to you any damn way I want!" Fox yelled. "You don't deserve my respect. In fact, I'll save my dignity from being seen with you two Hell-spawn and go see how Theresa is doing."

Fox stomped towards the stairs just as Ethan and Gwen opened the front door. "You won't believe what a 6!tc# our mother is," Fox snapped. "She told Theresa that she is her servant."

"She WHAT?!" Ethan yelped.

"She had Theresa serving them champagne! Let's see how you feel about your precious, saintly mommy now!" Fox turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs, leaving Ethan staring at his mother and Rebecca in disbelief.

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