For my mom's birthday, I bought her a sports car. That night, I overheard the housekeeper complaining to my boyfriend. "It's my birthday today, too, but she only gets a gift for her mom, not me. When you two are married, you can't let her keep funneling money to her family like that!" The driver chimed in, "Exactly! What's an old broad like her need a car like that for? She should've given it to me! Son, you should just get her pregnant sooner rather than later!" But I remembered my boyfriend telling me he was an orphan, that he would love and cherish my mother as his own. The next day, I watched on the security camera as he swapped my daily vitamins for folic acid. 01 My mom has a thing for fast cars, so for her birthday, I got her a custom sports car. Before I could even say anything, our housekeeper, Brenda, jumped in, her eyes wide with disapproval. "Valerie, why would you buy a car like this! It's all flash, completely impractical. You should return it before it's even been driven. Don't waste your money!" The celebratory mood instantly evaporated. Everyone else went quiet. But Brenda didn't seem to notice. She snatched my phone off the table and shoved it into my hand. "Well, what are you waiting for? Call them! What if they won't take it back later? You young people just know how to spend, you have no idea how to be frugal!" My expression soured. Anyone would be furious if a housekeeper overstepped her bounds and trashed a gift you’d carefully chosen for your mother. But it was a special day, and I didn't want to upset my mom. I simply slipped my phone into my purse. "Mom, here are the keys. Go ahead, take it for a spin. See if you like it." My mom, bless her, played along and got into the car. Only then did I turn to face Brenda's face, which was as dark as thunder. I was about to lay into her when Rick, our driver, staggered over, reeking of alcohol, his face flushed red. I glanced at the table and saw that the bottle of expensive wine I’d bought specifically for the celebration was already open, more than half of it gone. Rick waved his hand dismissively, acting more like the lord of the manor than I did. "Valerie, Brenda didn't mean it like that. She only says these things because she sees you as family. But she's got a point. A big purchase like a car, that's something a man should have the final say on. Did you even discuss it with Jason?" Jason was my boyfriend. But it was my money that paid for the car, and my name, Valerie Hayes, on the paychecks that paid their salaries. I don't pay people to walk all over me. "That's enough!" I cut him off, my brow furrowed. "It's my money, and I'll spend it how I please. Brenda, you should stick to your duties as a housekeeper and not cross the line. And Rick, you're a driver. Should you be drinking on the job? And for that matter, that was my bottle of wine. Did you have permission to open it? If this happens again, you'll be paying for it in full!" I lowered my voice, but my tone was steel. "Today is my mother's birthday. If anyone else forgets their place, they can leave immediately." I've always been generous, paying top-tier salaries with excellent benefits. At my words, the rest of the staff nodded in agreement. Only Brenda and Rick stood frozen, their faces burning with humiliation. I knew I'd wounded their pride, but if I didn't put my foot down now, they'd inspire the others to act the same way. Just then, my mom returned from her test drive, beaming. "Thank you, sweetie. I absolutely love it! Let's go inside and eat, I'm starving." She gently took my arm, completely ignoring the two statues standing by the car. My mom is sharp; she knew exactly what I was doing, but she always respected my decisions, whether at home or in the office. After that incident, Brenda served the dinner quietly, a stark contrast to her usual chatty self. The expensive wine was replaced with a bottle from our own cellar. The only sounds were the soft clinking of silverware and the murmur of conversation between my mom and me. "Valerie, Mrs. Hayes, sorry I'm late." My boyfriend, Jason, arrived, presenting my mom with a gift and a bouquet of flowers before sliding into the seat next to me. Jason came from a poor background. He was an orphan, he'd told me, but he never let it define him. We'd been classmates since middle school. I wanted to help him, so he often came over to my house to eat and do homework. Our relationship had blossomed naturally from there. "Not at all, dear. Sit down, have some soup. Work has been crazy lately, hasn't it?" Mom adored Jason, and had long since considered him part of the family. Jason accepted a bowl of soup from Brenda and immediately noticed her strange mood. "Brenda, is everything alright? If you need help with anything, just let me know. I'll do what I can." That was Jason. Kind, warm, and able to get along with everyone. Brenda shook her head, but her eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice trembled with a sob. She glanced at my mom, then at me, looking for all the world like she was the victim. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Jason. I'm fine." I frowned inwardly. She was done at the end of the month. A housekeeper overstepping because she "feels like family" is one thing; I can give a warning for that. But I would not tolerate someone who actively tried to stir up trouble in my home. At the same time, I was watching Jason's reaction. "Is something wrong at home?" he asked gently. "If so, you can take a couple of days off. Work is important, but so is your life outside of it." He took a few sips of soup, then seemed to have a sudden realization. He cut a large slice from the birthday cake on the table and handed it to Brenda. "I just remembered, it's your birthday today too, isn't it? Happy birthday." I had baked that cake for my mom myself. It was decorated with all her favorite fruits. Giving a piece away wasn't the issue. The issue was that my mom hadn't even sung "Happy Birthday" or made a wish, and the cake was already carved up, its perfect shape ruined. "Oh, my! You shouldn't have! Thank you so much, Mr. Jason. I've never had such a fine cake before!" Brenda had been there the whole time. She knew the cake had just been brought out. But instead of asking my mom or me, she accepted it from Jason with beaming gratitude. The unease in my gut tightened into a hard knot. I could barely contain my anger. My mom gently patted my hand. "Take the whole thing, Brenda. I'm trying to watch my figure anyway. Valerie and I will just bake another one in a few days. It'll be even better for the good luck." "Oh, that would be wonderful! In that case, I will. Thank you, Ma'am. Thank you, Miss Valerie." I thought that was the end of it. Next month, Brenda would be gone. But when I woke up in the middle of the night for a glass of water, I saw a light on in the kitchen as I reached the top of the stairs. Brenda's voice, sharp and clear, drifted up to me. "Did you see that! How much do you think that sports car cost? It's just a birthday! Does she have to be so wasteful?" So, I had let it slide, and she was still gossiping behind my back? I was about to storm down and fire her on the spot when her shrill, venomous voice cut through the air again. "It's my birthday today, too, and what do I get? A slice of cake? What am I, a beggar? I don't care! When you two are married, you can't let her keep funneling money to her family like that!" Rick, the driver, chimed in. "That spendthrift. She's just like her mother, wasting money." "What's an old broad like her need a car like that for? She should've given it to me! Son, you should just get her pregnant sooner rather than later!" A tidal wave of shock crashed over me. We always had a rotation of live-in staff. Brenda being here was normal, but why was Rick still in the house? And what did he mean, son? What did he mean, get her pregnant? A sickening thought swirled in my mind, and as if to confirm my worst fears, a familiar, gentle male voice sent an icy dread washing over me, plunging me into an abyss. "I'm already planning the proposal. It's just a matter of time. Don't rush it." Jason's last name was Miller. Brenda's was Miller. Rick's was Miller. I had never connected them. Rick was so overbearing and patronizing; I couldn't imagine him letting his son take his wife's name. But now that I knew, all the little things that had seemed slightly off suddenly clicked into place. No wonder. No wonder Brenda and Rick knew all our likes and dislikes from the moment they started. I thought it was just professional experience. It turned out someone had been feeding them information. No wonder Brenda played the victim in front of Jason. She was complaining to her own son. My face must have been a mask of horror. My hand tightened around the water glass until my knuckles were white. I knew Jason was secretly planning to propose. I'd been pretending not to know to avoid ruining the surprise. But it wasn't a surprise. It was a conspiracy. "What if she says no?" Rick's voice was a cold hiss, like a snake coiling around my feet. "Hmph. I think we need a backup plan. If she's pregnant, she'll have to marry you." "Mm, I know," Jason replied. Hearing his answer, my heart sank to the floor. After all these years, I thought I knew him. But now, all our sweet memories felt like slaps across my face. He wasn't an orphan. He had smuggled his own parents into my home, right under my nose. If he told me he didn't have an ulterior motive, I wouldn't believe him for a second. Taking a deep breath, I crept back to my room. I would see. I would see if he would actually do it. If this was just him placating his parents, I could give him a chance to come clean. But if he really went through with it... then I would have to assume he had approached me with malicious intent from the very beginning. And I would show him no mercy. The next morning, Brenda was all smiles, as if yesterday's confrontation had never happened. "Valerie, come eat! I'm telling you, a girl can't be too skinny. It's not good for having children later on!" I sat down but didn't touch the food. I have a habit of working out on an empty stomach. Brenda had never commented on it before. Was she already playing the part of my mother-in-law, now that she thought my marriage to Jason was a done deal? "Brenda, your employment is terminated at the end of the month. I'll pay your salary and severance according to the contract." "On what grounds!" she shrieked, the flesh on her face trembling. "Is-is it because of yesterday? I won't do it again, I swear! Please, just give me one more chance!" I shook my head, easily seeing the hatred simmering beneath her pleas. "Employment is a two-way street. After this period, I've concluded that you are not a good fit for our household. I will be hiring someone new next month. This is a notification, not a negotiation." With that, I left the dining room and headed out for my morning run. Once I was a safe distance away, I pulled out my phone. We've always had security cameras in the house. Only my mom and I knew about them. With staff always around, we'd never had a reason to check the footage. I never thought the first time I did, it would be because of Jason. In the video, Brenda went upstairs and knocked on Jason's door. The two of them went out onto his balcony. I put in my earbuds, and their voices came through, crystal clear.
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