Maggie was our housekeeper. She was quiet and seemed honest and simple. 22 years older than my husband. I thought everything was fine. But these past few days, I noticed something fishy – money was disappearing from our home… 0″Maggie, why are you washing my husband’s underwear again?” Maggie was the housekeeper we hired. She was 48 years old this year and rarely spoke except when working. She seemed honest and hardworking. The clothes she wore were all hand-me-downs from her daughter-in-law. Every month, she would send her salary back home to support her 2-year-old grandson. Even if she washed my husband’s underwear, I wouldn’t suspect anything between her and Jack. I couldn’t even imagine it, given that she was old enough to be his mother. At most, I would just remind her not to do it next time. Maggie hesitated for a moment, putting down what she was doing. She stammered, “I was tidying up the bedroom this morning and saw some dirty underwear on the bed, so I just grabbed it to wash. I’ll be more careful next time.” Maggie apologized sincerely. I didn’t want to make things difficult for her. She had a tough life – her husband was paralyzed, her two sons were good-for-nothing, and her only daughter had gone missing. She had to support the whole family on her own. It was a hard life indeed. “Mm,” I nodded. Since I got pregnant, Jack had been hand washing our underwear. I didn’t like other people touching our intimate clothing. I was 6 months pregnant. In a few months, I would become a mother. I said casually, “Maggie, I’m hungry. Let’s have dinner.” Maggie asked, “Aren’t we waiting for Jack to come home?” Jack was my husband. He usually got home at 7 pm. It was only 4 pm now. We normally had dinner at 6. I felt I treated Maggie well. I only asked her to cook three meals a day, not eight like some employers. When I got hungry at night, I always asked Jack to cook for me. I didn’t want to bother Maggie, considering her age. I didn’t expect her to ask this question. Did it mean I couldn’t eat if my husband wasn’t home? I replied irritably, “No need to wait. Cook now, I’m hungry.” I really couldn’t understand what was going on in Maggie’s head. I was pregnant. We hired her to take care of me, not my husband. If I wanted to eat, she should just cook. Why ask about other things? I could take care of my own husband’s meals, couldn’t I? Maggie’s words made me uncomfortable. Maybe it was because pregnancy made me more emotional and sensitive. Maggie nodded, saying somewhat reluctantly, “Alright… I’ll cook now.” Maggie went to the kitchen while I went to the living room. She made me mushroom stir-fry with pork, century egg tofu, pork ribs with green beans, and winter melon soup – all my favorites. I liked that Maggie cooked delicious and clean meals efficiently. After eating, I lay on the couch playing with my phone when suddenly I smelled pork trotters cooking. I was confused – I had already finished dinner, so why was she cooking pork trotters now? I couldn’t help asking, “Maggie, are you cooking pork trotters? It smells so good.” Maggie’s voice came from the kitchen, “Yes, I’m pressure cooking them.” The smell was really enticing. I rubbed my belly, feeling I could eat some more. The pork trotters in the fridge were specially bought by my mom from a farm. She told me the pigs there were raised on natural grains, and the meat was freshly butchered. The broth would definitely be more delicious than store-bought pork. A few hours passed and Jack came home from work. As soon as he entered, I sat up from the couch and smiled, “Welcome home, honey.” Jack was holding a box of my favorite strawberries. “You’re back. Change your shoes quickly, dinner is ready.” I had just put on my slippers, intending to go hug Jack at the door, when I saw Maggie appear in front of him. She thoughtfully took his coat and hung it up, then bent down to get his slippers. After doing all this, Maggie turned and went to the kitchen as if nothing had happened. That idiot Jack just grinned and walked towards me, saying loudly, “Honey, strawberries!” “What’s wrong? I came home on time.” Jack asked with a smile. He put his hand on my shoulder, noticing I was upset but definitely not guessing the reason why. What was wrong with me? How could I be jealous of a 48-year-old woman? Was Maggie really interested in Jack, or was I being overly sensitive? 0
I said flatly, “It’s nothing. Let’s eat.” Maggie brought the dishes to the table – kung pao chicken, pork trotter soup, stir-fried pork with wood ear mushrooms, and sweet and sour fish. “Wow, such a feast! I’ll go wash my hands,” Jack kissed me on the cheek before heading to the bathroom. He didn’t know I had already eaten. I sat at the table looking at the dishes, feeling uneasy. I asked, “Maggie, why are these all newly cooked dishes? What about the leftovers from my meal?” Maggie chuckled awkwardly, “Oh, I ate the leftovers from your meal.” Just as Maggie finished speaking, Jack came out of the bathroom. He said, “Maggie, don’t eat leftovers in the future. Eat with us.” “Oh, that doesn’t seem right,” Maggie glanced at me, then looked up at Jack. Jack sat down next to me and smiled, “What’s not right about it? Let’s eat together.” I put down my chopsticks and asked coldly, “Jack, what do you mean by that?” Seeing I was angry, Maggie laughed nervously and said, “I’ll go wash the dishes in the kitchen. Call me if you need anything.” Maggie closed the kitchen door. She was quick to escape. Jack was stunned for a few seconds. He picked up a piece of fish roe and put it in my bowl. “Honey, what did I do wrong? Don’t be mad. Tell me and I’ll definitely change.” Jack looked at me with a silly grin, tugging at my arm. My husband was such an idiot. He never knew why I was angry. Even if I told him to reflect on it himself, it wouldn’t help. I’m a straightforward person, so I said, “When did I ever make Maggie eat leftovers?” After Maggie cooked, she would serve herself a bowl of food. She ate at a small table in the kitchen. How could that be called leftovers? I was actually confused why Maggie ate the food left on my plate. That was meant for Jack. I thought Maggie would just reheat it when he came home. “My mistake, my mistake. It’s my fault.” Jack raised his hand and lightly slapped his own mouth. “Honey, you’re pregnant. Don’t be angry.” Looking at the table full of food, I had no appetite. I was already full from anger. I lowered my voice and said, “And you’re telling Maggie to eat with us? What are you thinking?” Personally, I felt it was better to maintain some distance and not get too close or friendly. Otherwise, it would be awkward to bring up certain issues. My cousin was a cautionary tale. She got along well with her housekeeper, but when it came time to let her go, the housekeeper refused to leave. She even cursed my cousin for being ungrateful, saying she had taken such good care of her during the postpartum period. She completely forgot she was paid to do that job. No good deed goes unpunished. My cousin told me not to get too close, just maintain a normal working relationship. Jack put down his chopsticks with a furrowed brow. He raised his voice, almost shouting, “What am I thinking? Maggie works hard taking care of you. What’s wrong with eating together?” “Jack, you bastard!” I raised my hand and shoved Jack’s shoulder hard, then turned and went into the bedroom, locking the door behind me. Jack stood outside knocking, “Honey, open the door. I was wrong, okay?” I sighed. When I married Jack, my parents were against it. They thought his family was poor and he was an outsider whose background they didn’t know. But I still chose to marry Jack. After the wedding, my parents reluctantly accepted him, but Jack always felt a barrier, thinking my parents looked down on him. Maybe in Jack’s eyes, not letting Maggie eat with us meant looking down on her, just like he felt my parents looked down on him. It touched on his sensitive self-esteem. At 10 pm, Jack knocked on the door again. “Honey, open up. I really was wrong.” I grabbed Jack’s pillow and blanket, opened the door and said, “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” I was in a terrible mood and just wanted to be alone. Jack was about to speak, but I gave him a cold look, leaving no room for discussion. Jack took the blanket and pillow, saying resignedly, “Fine. Make sure you close the windows when you sleep so you don’t catch a cold.” I nodded and closed the bedroom door. I lay in bed thinking about what happened during the day. We can’t choose the circumstances we’re born into. If I had grown up in Jack’s environment, would I be as sensitive and insecure as him? Jack’s mother ran off with another man when he was 6. My father-in-law was a truck driver who didn’t have time to take care of Jack, so he was raised by his grandmother. Jack did well for himself, getting into college and then landing a job at a big company after graduation. He became a manager in just 3 years. Forget it. Jack has work tomorrow and the couch won’t be comfortable. I got out of bed and checked the time – 1 am. I opened the bedroom door and went out. I turned on the living room light and saw Maggie lying on the couch covered with Jack’s blanket. I clenched my fists tightly. “Jack, where are you?” 0
As soon as I spoke, Maggie opened her eyes. She seemed startled and sat up abruptly, looking at me. I don’t usually get up at night. Once I fall asleep, I sleep through till morning. Maggie rubbed her eyes hard. She came over to me and said softly, “Emily, don’t shout. Jack is sleeping in my room. He has to work tomorrow.” Maggie lived in the guest room while Jack and I had the master bedroom. Giving up her bed for Jack to sleep in while she took the couch – Maggie was certainly being very nice to him. Unusually nice. Jack came out of the guest room, rubbing his eyes. He was shirtless, wearing only underwear. Jack looked sleepy as he asked casually, “What’s wrong, honey?” “Who said you could stay in Maggie’s room? Put some clothes on.” I grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and threw it at Jack. Jack grinned, “I was in a rush and forgot to get dressed.” Jack asked tentatively, “Honey, can I come to our room now?” He picked up the pillow and blanket from the couch and turned towards the master bedroom, closing the door behind him as if staying in Maggie’s room was perfectly normal. Judging by Maggie’s reaction, she also seemed very calm, without any hint of awkwardness. It was like I was the one overthinking things. Looking at Maggie’s honest face, I really didn’t know what to say. Tell her to stay away from my husband? Not to be so attentive to him? After a while, I managed to say, “Maggie, you should go to sleep. Don’t worry about issues between me and my husband.” “I understand. I’ll be more careful next time,” Maggie nodded. I went into the bedroom, slamming the door shut. Jack was lying in bed grinning at me. He said, “Honey, come to bed.” I got into bed and grabbed my pillow, hitting Jack hard. “Who told you to stay in Maggie’s room? What’s going on between you two?” Jack looked at me with confusion, his eyes full of helplessness. He sighed deeply and stroked my belly. “Honey, I know pregnancy makes you moody and irritable. But you can’t wrongly accuse people. Maggie is old enough to be my mother, and she’s not even attractive. I’m not blind.” “Then why did you stay in her room? And let her use your blanket and pillow? Maybe you don’t have feelings for her, but what if she has feelings for you?” I deliberately lowered my voice, glaring at Jack. Jack burst out laughing. He said casually, “Our couch is too small. My legs were dangling off the edge. Maggie just offered to let me use her room for the night. How could anything happen between us? If Maggie bothers you that much, we can fire her and hire a new housekeeper.” Jack’s words were exactly what I wanted to hear. “Good, then let’s fire Maggie.” Jack froze for a moment, his smile becoming visibly stiff. “Honey, it’s not easy to find a good housekeeper. Think about it – Maggie cooks well, works efficiently, doesn’t talk much, and she’s older. Do we really want to fire her?” I said coldly, “Jack, what do you mean? You’re the one who suggested firing her and now you’re backtracking so quickly?” Jack’s attitude made me suspicious. Maggie had to go. I was already 6 months pregnant and didn’t want anyone affecting my mood. Jack frowned slightly and tugged at my hand. “Honey, good housekeepers are hard to find. Why don’t you think about it some more?” “Get out! Go sleep on the couch.” I didn’t want to argue with Jack anymore. I just didn’t want to see him. Jack spoke with a hint of resignation, nodding reluctantly. “Fine, fine. We’ll fire her. I’ll tell Maggie tomorrow.” 0
The next day, I slept until noon. Maggie brought the prepared meals to the table. Her eyes were a bit red, as if she had been crying. I had just sat down at the table when Maggie spoke up, “Emily, why do you want to fire me out of the blue? If I did something wrong, tell me and I promise I’ll change.” Maggie stood beside me, her eyes fearful and her tone very humble. It was clear this job was very important to her. Maggie suddenly grabbed my arm. “Emily, please let me stay. I promise I’ll take good care of you.” I came up with a reasonable excuse, “Maggie, my mom is coming to take care of me. You know I don’t work, and Jack’s salary isn’t that high. We want to cut expenses.” Maggie blurted out, “I can accept a pay cut. Please don’t let me go, okay?” A pay cut? Housekeepers like Maggie could easily find work. There was no need to accept a pay cut to stay. I started to have doubts – did Maggie really have feelings for Jack? Seeing I didn’t respond, Maggie forced an awkward smile. “Emily, today is the 23rd. Can you let me stay until the end of the month? I want to earn a few more days’ wages and look for a new job in the meantime.” There were 7 days left until the end of the month. Maggie’s request seemed reasonable, but I had a feeling something bad would happen if she stayed those 7 days. I was pregnant, carrying a child. With just the two of us at home, I was afraid of accidents. I smiled and said, “Maggie, you’re such a good person and efficient worker. You won’t have trouble finding a job. You’ve taken such good care of me. Consider these 7 days paid vacation – I’ll give you a full month’s salary without deductions. Go ahead and pack your things. My mom will be here soon.” My mom actually had no idea I was firing Maggie. Jack didn’t get along well with my parents, so I hadn’t asked my mom to come take care of me. On one hand, I was afraid they would argue. On the other hand, my mom was getting older and I didn’t want her to work too hard. Maggie looked at me with a complex expression, as if she wanted to get angry but was holding back. “Fine, I won’t overstay my welcome then. I’ll go pack my things.” Maggie went to pack in the guest room. After half an hour, she came out with a black bag and two large sacks. “Emily, why don’t you give me my salary today?” We normally paid Maggie on the 10th of each month. Since she asked, I agreed. “Okay, I’ll transfer it to your PayPal.” I transferred a full month’s salary to Maggie. After receiving the money, Maggie snorted coldly at me, immediately changing her attitude. She said, “Emily, you have too many bad habits. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’re so precious. Be nicer to Jack in the future. You’re lucky he tolerates your bad temper. If this was back in my hometown, your in-laws would have beaten you to death by now.” I was stunned for a few seconds. I couldn’t believe such nasty words came out of Maggie’s mouth. You really can’t judge a book by its cover. She seemed so honest and simple before, but her words were so vicious. I regretted giving her an extra 7 days’ salary. Maggie wasn’t hired through an agency, but directly introduced by Jack’s friend. Even if I wanted to file a complaint, there was nowhere to do it. Maggie cursed again, “And you wouldn’t even let me eat at the table with you. Looking down on people like a snob.” Keeping someone like this around, who knows when she might secretly do something bad if provoked. I said coldly, “Get out of my house.” Maggie glanced at my belly and snorted. “That baby is definitely a girl. You don’t have the fortune to bear a son.” “Maggie, if you don’t get out of my house right now, I’m calling the police.” Maggie was her real name. I didn’t want to stay with this crazy woman any longer. Maggie’s wrinkled face broke into a smile.
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