When I picked up the housekeeping order, the customer send me a message asking me to bring a box of ultra-thin condoms. When I opened the door, I discovered it was my ex-husband. The moment he saw me, his eyes reddened. “Zara, why did you run away from home all those years ago?” Then, after noticing the cleaning supplies behind me, he lowered his head in shame. “It’s all my fault. I’m the reason you became a cleaning lady.” I didn’t respond. I simply handed him the condoms. “That’ll be thirty-six dollars. How would you like to pay?” He took them awkwardly, fumbling for an explanation. “These are for a buddy of mine. Don’t overthink it.” I knew all of Lucas’s buddies. The only one who liked this brand was his female friend, Veronica. Three years ago, I caught Veronica and Lucas naked and tangled together in bed. I wanted to post the photos online, to let everyone see what these two scumbags really were. But Lucas snatched my phone and threw me—pregnant at the time—into the basement. In the end, I lost my second child, and it cost my son’s life. He had a rare disease. Now, it’s all in the past. I didn’t answer. I just bent down to put on my disposable shoe covers and asked politely. “Mr. Harrington, you ordered a six-hour deep cleaning service with dinner. May I begin?”
He stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes fixed on me. The home I’d lived in for nearly ten years had transformed from a warm cream aesthetic to a punk style. Of course, punk was Veronica’s favorite. Years of housekeeping experience taught me never to overlook any cleaning blind spot. From between the couch cushions, I pulled out a pair of underwear stained with questionable fluids. Lucas snatched them away, his fingertips trembling. “Zara, don’t misunderstand. Yesterday the guys came over for a gathering. Veronica’s period suddenly started, and she forgot to take these with her when she left.” Afraid I wouldn’t believe him, he reached for his phone to pull up security footage. I shook my head politely, stopping him. “Mr. Harrington, you don’t need to explain anything to me.” I didn’t even care about him anymore. How could I possibly care about whose underwear it was? “You’re not angry?” He stared at me intently, trying to find some trace that I cared. After all, three years ago when I first found Veronica’s underwear at home, I’d gone hysterical with rage. I’d scratched his face like a madwoman, forcing him to promise he’d cut ties with Veronica. What a shame. He made that promise, all right. But their relationship never actually ended. Still, that was then. Now, I didn’t feel even the slightest emotional ripple. I put on disposable gloves and took the underwear from his hand. “Mr. Harrington, if it’s stained from menstruation, I’ll disinfect it separately.” I turned and walked into the bathroom, only to find it piled with packages. Familiar account name. Familiar discreet shipping. I knew what they were—lingerie. Out of professional courtesy, I asked. “Will dinner need to be for two people?” “Or if it’s inconvenient, you can cancel. I’ll refund the difference.” Lucas’s expression changed. Three years ago, he’d abandoned me twice to help Veronica pick out lingerie. The first time, our son had just been diagnosed with a rare disease. One phone call from Veronica, and he was gone all night. When he returned, his explanation was casual. “Veronica asked me to help her pick out clothes. It got late, so I just crashed on her couch.” I wanted to confront him, but our son’s illness left me too exhausted. Still, that thorn lodged deep in my heart. The second time was three months later. I’d just found out I was pregnant. I clutched the pregnancy test result excitedly, wanting to tell him we had cord blood now—our son’s disease could be cured. But Lucas interrupted me impatiently. “Veronica’s package got delivered to the wrong address. I’m taking it over, and I’ll help her choose some stuff while I’m there.” “If it gets too late, I won’t be coming back.” He picked up the package naturally, ready to leave. That time, my emotions completely shattered. I slammed the door shut and frantically tore open the package, only to discover it was all lingerie. I didn’t understand what kind of friendship required helping someone pick out lingerie. I especially didn’t understand who a single woman would wear lingerie to seduce! That day, I cursed them with every filthy word I could think of. When I finally exhausted myself, he just gave me a cold glance. “Done with your tantrum?” “Zara, your mind is filthy, so you see filth in everything.” “So what if it’s lingerie? We have a pure friendship.” In that moment, I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I clutched the pregnancy test result I’d never managed to show him, crying until I broke down completely. And Lucas never once looked back. Now. Seeing Lucas remain silent, I spoke calmly. “If you’re not sure, I’ll continue cooking. Two servings.” “If there’s leftovers, you can pack some for her.” Perhaps my composure completely infuriated Lucas. His eyes reddened instantly. “Zara, can you stop acting like you don’t care!” “Veronica and I really are just friends! Why didn’t you believe me three years ago, and why won’t you believe me now?” He looked as if he’d suffered the greatest injustice. But I didn’t feel even a trace of sympathy anymore. I only cared about when I could finish cleaning and move on to the next job. I pushed past him and headed into the kitchen. But just as I pulled cilantro from my basket, he spoke up. “Zara, I’m allergic to cilantro. Did you… forget?”
I looked up and thought about it. I suppose he was. Years ago when he’d accidentally eaten cilantro, I’d taken care of him for three days and nights. After that, even though I loved cilantro, it never appeared in our home again. But so what? Ancient history. I removed the cilantro and suggested calmly. “Mr. Harrington, there’s a lot of cooking fumes in the kitchen. You can wait outside.” But he stubbornly stayed by my side, as if trying to prove something. Suddenly, his phone rang. The lock screen showed a photo of Lucas and Veronica kissing deeply by the ocean. He declined the call and explained frantically. “Veronica doesn’t believe in marriage, but she… wanted to take wedding photos. As a good friend, I helped her out.” I said nothing, just stared at the photo in a daze. When Lucas and I got married, he was poor. Back then, we couldn’t afford wedding photos at all. Later, I emptied my savings to support his startup, and gradually our life improved. I’d mentioned more than once that we should take wedding photos. But every time, his face would turn cold, his tone full of impatience and mockery. “Can’t you be more sensible? I’m busy from morning to night, and you want to waste time on this useless stuff!” “Can a stupid photo feed us? Can it guarantee stability? Stop being unreasonable.” I thought he was just a straight guy who didn’t understand romance. Now I realize his romance simply never belonged to me. I felt sorry for myself, but also grateful this wasn’t three years ago. Otherwise, I’d be spiraling into sleepless nights of overthinking again. Lucas, seeing my silence, was about to say something. Just then, the sound of the door opening rang out. Veronica walked in brazenly. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?” When her eyes swept over me, she covered her mouth dramatically, feigning shock. “Is this… Zara? Oh my God, how did you age into this?” She looked me over with disgust, finally fixing on my sweatshirt with a derisive snort. “Zara, even if you can’t afford designer clothes, you don’t have to wear such obvious knockoffs, do you?” I glanced down at the T-shirt. It was indeed a terrible fake. But this was a birthday gift from my son, saved from half a month’s allowance. That gesture was more precious than anything. I had no interest in arguing with her and prepared to bring out the food to finish this job. But she followed me into the kitchen. “How about you pick out some of my clothes?” “He’s got plenty of mine here.” “You don’t know this, but these past few years when he’s been lonely, I’ve been the one keeping him company.” I knew she was provoking me. And Lucas said nothing, seemingly waiting for my reaction. Three years ago, I would’ve torn into her. But now, I just felt disgusted. I spoke flatly. “You mean that pile of lingerie?” “No thanks. I don’t have the habit of wearing slutty things like that in front of random men.” Veronica turned red with fury, looking ready to fight me. But Lucas held her back. “Eat!” Veronica pouted and picked through the food. The next second, she dumped everything she didn’t like straight onto Lucas’s plate. “I don’t like these. You eat them.” I thought Lucas wouldn’t eat them. After all, he was a germaphobe. In the past, forget about food from my plate—even a single bite left by our son would make him wrinkle his nose in disgust and call it dirty. But right now, he ate every bit of what Veronica had pushed over, bite by bite, without the slightest reluctance. So his so-called germaphobia had always only applied to our son and me. I pulled at the corner of my mouth and brought out the last bowl of soup to the table. From my angle, I could see Veronica sliding her foot onto Lucas’s leg. That foot slowly pressed against the bulge between his legs. And Lucas naturally thrust his hips forward, holding her foot in place. I’d tried that move once before. But Lucas had shoved me away and cursed me for being unhygienic. Now… Noticing my gaze, embarrassment flashed across Lucas’s face. As if remembering something, he pulled her even closer. I lowered my head and smiled. Whether he was testing me or showing off, it meant nothing to me anymore. This time, I spoke first. “Six hours are up. My service ends here.” “Enjoy your meal.” I got up to leave. Lucas suddenly stood, his voice hoarse and expectant. “Zara, tomorrow is our son’s birthday.” “I… I want to celebrate with him. Is that okay?” At the mention of our son, my heart ached. Apparently, he still didn’t know our son had passed away. Seeing my silence, he continued. “Zara, can you stop being so stubborn?” “You left that divorce agreement and disappeared with our son while pregnant. I’m letting that go.” “But I’m still the kids’ father. Do you really plan to hide them forever?” “Let me… let me reunite with my two children.” His words actually calmed me down. He really should kneel before those two children’s graves in repentance. “Fine. Tomorrow at nine AM. Meet me at the cemetery.”
The next day, I arrived at the cemetery early. Two small headstones stood quietly in the corner. One didn’t even have a photo. I couldn’t hold back anymore. My eyes brimmed with tears. Three years ago, I discovered their so-called brotherly friendship again and again. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was resentment. I became almost like a madwoman, obsessively checking Lucas’s phone, interrogating him about his whereabouts. Whenever he didn’t reply to messages, I’d spiral into paranoid thoughts. My complete breakdown came when Lucas stayed out all night yet again. I rushed to Veronica’s house recklessly and caught them in bed together. Lucas, reeking of alcohol, held naked Veronica in his arms, their bodies intertwined. Seeing me burst in, Lucas hastily pushed Veronica away, apologizing incoherently. “Zara, let me explain. We just drank too much. Nothing happened! Really, you have to believe me!” I’d heard that bullshit countless times over the past few months. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it. Finally, I completely lost my mind. I started a livestream, forcing Lucas to make a choice in front of viewers nationwide. But to protect Veronica, he smashed my phone and locked me in the room. I still remember his cold eyes. “Zara, Veronica isn’t married yet. What you’re doing will ruin her!” “Stay in Veronica’s place and reflect on yourself. When you’ve come to your senses, you can come out.” Extreme anger and humiliation sent sharp pains through my lower abdomen. Warm liquid trickled down my thighs. I couldn’t care about dignity anymore. I pounded desperately on the door, my fingernails scraping until they bled. “Lucas, my stomach hurts so much. Let me out! Please, save this baby!” “I won’t interfere with you two anymore. Please, let me out…” But it was useless. All I heard from outside was Lucas’s gentle coaxing all night long. It wasn’t until they left the next day that a neighbor finally sent me to the hospital. But the baby couldn’t be saved. Due to massive hemorrhaging, I was forced to have a hysterectomy. And without cord blood, my son died half a month later. During all this, Lucas never appeared once. Not even a phone call.
Suddenly, footsteps behind me pulled me from my thoughts. Lucas held a birthday cake in his left hand and the Transformer our son had longed for in his right. Behind him followed Veronica in a red dress. Lucas looked at my swollen eyes, his voice tinged with hoarseness. “Zara…” Before he could finish, Veronica interrupted. “Zara, you spoil your kid too much. Having a birthday in such a creepy place.” “People who don’t know better would think you’re cursing the child.” I didn’t respond, just stared coldly at Veronica. “Leave. Now.” Wearing red before the dead was blatant provocation. Others might not know our son was gone, but how could Veronica not know? After all, when I’d held my son’s cold body in the hospital, crying until I nearly suffocated, she’d stood in the doorway, unable to hide her satisfaction. “A sick kid like that—it’s better off dead.” “With the frequency Lucas and I go at it, I’ll get pregnant eventually. The Harrington family won’t die out.” “But you won’t even have anyone to bury you.” At that moment, I’d wanted nothing more than to die together with her! It was my son’s dying words—”live well”—that held back my last shred of sanity. I looked up. Lucas was gently comforting Veronica. I was too tired to watch their performance anymore. I pointed at the headstone and spoke calmly. “Lucas, our son is gone.” Lucas’s sympathy froze on his face. “The second child you’d been hoping for is also gone.” “The doctor said it was a girl.” “The culprits are you two.” “You owe these two children an apology.” With a crash, the cake fell to the ground. He stared at the photo of our son, shaking his head continuously. “That’s impossible. The doctor said cord blood could save him.” “Zara, stop this. Today is Ryan’s birthday.” I laughed coldly. Just as I was about to present the evidence, Veronica spoke first. “Zara, even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. Cursing your own children like this is just evil.” “I just went to the school specifically to check. Ryan is fine, and he even got first place in his grade!” As she spoke, she handed her phone to Lucas. The first image was a report card. Ryan’s name was right at the top. The second was a photo taken during recess. The little boy in the photo did look about eighty percent like Ryan. Lucas let out a long breath of relief. The look he gave me carried disappointment and anger. “Zara Richardson, and here I felt sorry for what you’ve been through these three years. I never imagined you’d get even worse!” “Back then you played hard to get by leaving that divorce agreement. Now to force me back, you’ve fabricated lies about our children dying!” “What’s even more disgusting is that you’re deliberately targeting Veronica, an innocent person. You need to apologize!” Innocent? I scoffed. Even cursing them felt like a waste of breath. I continued burning paper money on my own. The flames danced, illuminating our son’s smiling face on the headstone, and also Lucas’s absurdity. My silence completely enraged Lucas. He kicked over the burning basin. “Stop burning! My son isn’t dead!” “I told you to apologize to Veronica. Did you hear me!” I didn’t even bother looking up. I threw the death certificate and miscarriage diagnosis directly at his feet. “Lucas, I’ve said what needed to be said. Believe it or not, that’s up to you.” “Or you can ask your good friend. After all, she knows very well what happened back then.” Lucas flipped through the reports. His fury froze, and he turned to Veronica with confusion. Veronica seemed to have anticipated this. She showed no panic whatsoever. “Zara, I know you don’t like me. Today I brought Ryan here.” “Your schemes need to stop.” Soon, a little boy from the video walked over step by step. The moment he saw me clearly, he rushed into my arms. “I came to see Ryan.” Then he pulled five hundred dollars from his pocket. “Oh, and that lady bribed me. She made me say I was your Ryan.”
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