I Am Not Your Maid

As soon as I got home from work, I was greeted with the great news that my sister was bringing her boyfriend home to meet the parents.

My future brother-in-law had brought expensive gifts for Mom and Dad. When it was my turn, he handed me a pair of heavy-duty rubber cleaning gloves.

The help can always use these. Consider it a small token of my appreciation, he said with a smirk.

The help?

I was about to correct him when my sister, Vivian, laughed and stepped in. "Oh, honey, you're so thoughtful! Thank you on her behalf!"

As I stood there frozen, Mom grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the kitchen.

"Sienna, go start dinner. Our future son-in-law is here, and we need a massive feast to impress him."

The boyfriend, Harrison, had already made himself at home on the sofa. He crossed his legs and looked at my father.

"Your maid seems to have a bit of an attitude, Mr. Miller. You should probably train her better. She lacks discipline."

Mom leaned in close to my ear, her voice a sharp whisper.

"Nowadays, successful men only want to marry into families with one child. Harrison is an only child, so we told him Vivian is an only daughter."

She shoved a greasy dishcloth into my hand.

"Remember, as far as anyone in this room is concerned, you are the live-in help."

I dropped the rag and looked at her, finding the whole situation hysterical.

If I was just the help, then what were they doing living in a house that belonged to the maid?

I stared at her, a cold smile playing on my lips. "Mom, you really have a way with words, don't you?"

Her face paled instantly. "Just get the food started, do you hear me? If you don't cook, how are we supposed to explain your presence? The whole lie will fall apart!"

I didn't say a word.

Mom took a deep breath, shifting from demanding to pleading. Her voice went soft and shaky.

"Sienna, please. I'll find a way to explain everything to him later, I promise. Truly."

"But right now, your sister's future is on the line. We have to keep this lie going. Can't you just suck it up for one night?"

She glanced nervously toward the living room and patted my arm. "Be a good girl, okay?"

With that, she turned and hurried back to the living room to fawn over Harrison.

I stood alone in a kitchen overflowing with raw groceries. Instead of picking up a knife, I pulled out my phone.

I found the most expensive steakhouse nearby that offered white-glove delivery. I ordered a full banquet of their premium dishes.

I set it to cash on delivery. For the recipient's name, I put my father, Arthur Miller.

If they were going to pretend I didn't exist while expecting me to do the heavy lifting, they were in for a rude awakening.

Once the order was confirmed, I walked to my room and locked the door.

I could still hear Harrison through the walls, complaining about how the maid had a "shitty attitude."

About forty minutes later, the doorbell rang.

I heard my father open the door, followed by a long silence. "I didn't order any of this."

"The order is for Arthur Miller, sir," the delivery guy replied. "The address matches. Please sign here and settle the bill."

"Why would I order this?" Dad snapped. "We have a maid in the kitchen cooking right now."

Harrison's voice drifted over. "Maybe your maid ordered it? She's clearly too lazy to cook. She probably figured she'd use your money to take the easy way out."

A few seconds later, my bedroom door was nearly kicked open.

Dad stood there, face flushed with rage. "Sienna! Get out here right now! Did you order five hundred dollars' worth of takeout?"

I sat up on my bed, perfectly calm. "Yes. I did."

Dad was vibrating with anger. "There's a kitchen full of food! Why would you pull a stunt like this?"

Harrison was standing right behind him, looking disgusted.

"What did I tell you? I've never seen a servant so lazy. Ordering takeout because she doesn't want to work? You're paying her way too much."

Vivian finally joined the dogpile.

"Sienna, we pay you a generous salary and treat you like one of the family. Is this how you repay our kindness? By being disrespectful?"

"Fine. Since you refused to cook, you're paying for it. That five hundred dollars is coming out of your pocket."

She glanced at Dad, her eyes full of hidden meaning.

"Dad, this is what happens when you and Mom are too soft on her. She thinks she can walk all over us when it matters most."

Harrison nodded in agreement. "My family has staff, too. If I were you, I'd fire her. Young girls like this... they're always lazy and entitled."

Vivian stepped closer, her voice dropping to a hiss.

"Sienna, Venmo me the money right now so I can pay the man. Otherwise, I'll make sure Mom and Dad kick you out on the street."

I looked past her to my mother, who had just promised to explain things for me.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Mom? Or are you waiting for me to pull out my credit card too?"

The second those words left my mouth, Harrison's expression turned into one of pure confusion.

"Why is your maid calling you 'Mom'?" he asked, looking between us. "And why did she call Vivian 'sister' so casually?"

Vivian's face went white. she immediately grabbed Harrison's arm, clutching it tight.

"Oh, honey! She's just been with us for so long that she's forgotten her place. We've been too kind, treating her like family, and now she thinks she's one of us."

Mom forced a high-pitched, nervous laugh.

"Yes, exactly! This... this girl is actually the daughter of a very distant relative from some backwater town. We took her in to help her out, and she's just gotten a bit confused about her status over the years."

"Don't worry, Harrison. Vivian is our only child. It's right there in her nameDVivian, our one and only."

I looked at my mother, feeling a chill in my chest.

Vivian hadn't always been named Vivian. She used to be Sarah.

Five years ago, she threw a massive tantrum because she hated that I existed. She didn't want to share the spotlight or the "only child" status.

To appease her, my parents legally changed her name to Vivian to signify her being the "sole" pride of the family.

Harrison raised an eyebrow, scanning me from head to toe.

"Distant relative, huh? I guess that explains it."

"I was wondering why she looked a little bit like Vivian. The resemblance is there, if you squint."

Dad rubbed his hands together, trying to smooth things over.

"Well, you know how it is. Sienna here didn't have much of an education. She couldn't find a real job, so we let her work here for room and board. It's better than her wandering the streets."

Harrison nodded, looking satisfied with that explanation.

"I see. No wonder she has such an attitude. She thinks because there's a blood connection, she doesn't have to follow the rules of a domestic worker."

He turned to my parents, his voice authoritative.

"A maid is a maid. Family is family. You have to draw a hard line. You've spoiled her, and now she's become a brat."

Vivian's face was beet red. She pointed a finger at me.

"Sienna, I don't have time for your games. Pay for the food right now!"

I ignored her and stared directly at Mom. "Mom, are you really going to keep this up? Tell the truth."

Harrison froze. "Wait. She called you 'Mom' again."

Mom's face was as pale as a ghost.

Vivian lost it. She was terrified her golden ticket was about to slip away.

"Sienna, that is enough! Who are you calling Mom? Are you literally insane? That is my mother!"

Mom looked at me, then at Vivian, and finally at Harrison. She looked like she had aged ten years in a second.

"The poor girl has always been a bit unstable," Mom lied, her voice trembling. "When she first arrived, she begged me to be her godmother. I said no, but she's been calling me that ever since. We just stopped correcting her."

Harrison let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"That's pathetic. I've never seen someone so desperate to cling to a family they don't belong to."

He walked right up to me, looking down his nose.

"Listen, girl. If you do your job and keep your mouth shut, these people will take care of you. They're being charitable."

"But if you're lazy and delusional, nobody will want you. Do you understand?"

Just then, the delivery guy yelled from the front door. "Hello? Anyone? I have other deliveries! Somebody sign for this!"

Dad grabbed my arm with a grip like iron.

"You ordered it, you pay for it. Stop wasting everyone's time."

He dragged me toward the door. While Harrison wasn't looking, he leaned in and hissed into my ear.

"I'm not as patient as your mother, Sienna. If you don't pay for this and shut up, I will make your life a living hell the moment he leaves."

I was about to snap back when Mom stepped in. She pulled Dad's hand away and sighed deeply.

"Enough. Just stop the fighting. This is embarrassing."

She pulled out her phone and scanned the delivery guy's QR code, paying the full five hundred dollars.

Once the guy was gone, she turned to me. Her eyes were full of exhaustion and disappointment.

"Sienna, when are you going to grow up?"

"I am begging you. Just for this one dinner, help your sister. Can't you just let yourself be the smaller person for once?"

She was literally pleading with me to let them humiliate me.

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat.

Vivian saw that Mom had paid, but she still looked annoyed that I hadn't been punished more.

Harrison put his hands on his hips.

"Well, since your parents are too nice to give her proper boundaries, I'll help show her how a professional should behave."

Harrison walked over to the head of the dining table and sat down.

"Come here, maid. Set the table. Serve the food."

I almost laughed at the sheer audacity. Mom caught my eye and tugged at my sleeve.

Her eyes were drowning in silent pleas.

I looked at her and remembered her shaky voice asking me to "be the smaller person."

I sighed. Fine. This would be the very last time I let my heart go soft for them.

I walked to the table and began opening the containers. I set out the expensive steaks, the sides, and the wine.

Harrison leaned back in his chair.

"There we go. That's more like it. A maid should look like a maid, not a sour-faced teenager who thinks the world owes her something."

Vivian sat next to him, her smile sweet and venomous.

"Don't mind her, babe. She's just a bitter girl from the sticks. She doesn't know any better."

I ignored them entirely. Once the last dish was placed, I turned to go back to my room.

I didn't plan on eating with them. They clearly hadn't invited me to the table anyway.

But as I turned, Vivian's voice stopped me cold.

"Maid! Where do you think you're going? Come back here and peel these shrimp."

She leaned back, pointing a manicured nail at a platter of garlic butter shrimp.

"Don't just stand there. Peel them. My fianc loves shrimp, but he hates the mess of the shells."

Harrison watched me with an expectant, arrogant grin.

"And while you're at it, carve the meat off those ribs for me. Keep the pieces whole. I don't like scraps."

Listening to them bark orders at me like I was an animal made me let out a dry, cold laugh.

"Why don't I just chew the food for you too? It would save you so much effort."

The room went dead silent. Vivian slammed her hand onto the table, her face flushing a deep, angry purple.

"Sienna! What is wrong with you? We ask you to do one simple task and you start with the attitude again? Are you trying to ruin my life?"

I looked at her, my voice eerily calm.

"I set the table because Mom asked me to. That doesn't give you the right to treat me like a slave."

"You could have let me go to my room. You could have enjoyed your dinner. But you just had to push it. So tell me, Vivian, who's really ruining whose life here?"

Vivian stood up so fast her chair screeched.

"Who are you calling Vivian? And who are you calling sister? You're a maid! Know your place!"

I looked at her faceDa face that shared at least forty percent of my DNADand felt a wave of dark amusement.

"Are you done acting yet? You are my biological sister. Do you actually believe your own lies now?"

Harrison's smile vanished. He knit his brows together.

"What? Biological sister? What is she talking about?"

He turned to Vivian, his eyes narrowing.

"Vivian, what is she saying? Is she really your sister?"

Before Vivian could find her voice, Harrison turned to my parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Miller, what the hell is going on? You told me Vivian was an only child. Now this girl is claiming to be her sister?"

When my parents started stuttering and looking at the floor, Harrison's voice rose to a shout.

"Did you lie to me? Did this whole family lie to me?"

"If you've been playing me for a fool, this engagement is over!"

I didn't say a word. I just watched the chaos unfold. But suddenly, Mom lunged forward.

She didn't go for Harrison. She went for me.

*Slap!*

The force of her hand sent my head spinning. My ear started ringing instantly.

Mom pointed a shaking finger at my face, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"What kind of lies are you spreading?! Who is your sister? If you say one more word of this nonsense, you can pack your bags and get the hell out of here!"

My cheek burned like fire.

"Nonsense?" I whispered, touching my face.

"Fine. If I'm a liar, why don't you show your future son-in-law the family documents? Show him the official registry."

I looked at Harrison.

"You want the truth? Ask them for the family records. Let's see how many daughters are listed on the official paperwork."

Harrison's face was like stone.

"Yes. Bring the papers out. I want to see if I've been dating a fraud and a family of liars."

Vivian panicked. She grabbed Harrison's hand, her voice frantic.

"Honey, don't listen to her! She's lost her mind! She's just... she's obsessed with me!"

Harrison shoved her hand away. "Get the papers!"

Dad stood up.

I thought he would hesitate. I thought he would try to make another excuse.

But he didn't. Without a word, he turned and walked into the master bedroom.

Less than a minute later, he came back with a leather-bound folder.

He slammed it onto the dining table. "Look for yourself."

Harrison suspiciously picked up the documents. He flipped through a few pages, and suddenly, a relieved smile spread across his face.

He let out a long breath, like a weight had been lifted.

"Man, for a second there, I almost let this little maid trick me."

"Mr. and Mrs. Miller, I'm sorry I doubted you. This girl is clearly dangerous. Not only is she lazy, but she's a pathological liar."

I froze. I lunged forward and snatched the folder from Harrison's hands.

There were only three names listed in the official family trust and registry.

Head of household: Arthur Miller. Spouse: Mary Miller. Eldest daughter: Vivian Miller.

The pages following them were blank.

There was no second daughter. No Sienna Miller. No mention of me at all.

My hands started to shake. I looked up at my parents, but they refused to meet my eyes. Instead, they were busy ushering Harrison back to his seat and serving him wine.

I noticed the "previous name" section on Vivian's record. It listed her old name, Sarah.

She had changed her name five years ago. And that was when the family records had been "updated."

In a flash of cold realization, I understood everything.

I thought Vivian had just changed her name. I had no idea they had used that opportunity to legally erase me from the family lineage entirely.

A deep, hollow sadness echoed in my chest.

Vivian smirked at me, her voice dripping with malice.

"See it clearly now? Maybe now you'll understand what your life is actually worth."

She sat back down and gestured toward the shrimp.

"Now, stop standing there like an idiot and start peeling. Get to work."

My face still stung from the slap, and my head was pounding.

Dad looked at me with eyes as cold as ice.

"Sienna, I'm telling you now. You are the help."

"There is no place for you in this family. You aren't on the papers, so you don't exist."

He pointed at Vivian. "You do whatever your sister tells you to do. Don't be ungrateful."

Vivian chuckled. "Exactly, Dad. Look at her. A maid trying to play the victim in a soap opera. It's pathetic."

Harrison, feeling fully vindicated, began to eat.

"Hurry up. Peel the shrimp, carve the meat, and then go rot in your room. You're an eyesore."

I looked at the four of them, and I started to laugh.

I laughed until tears pricked my eyes. I was laughing at how stupid I had been.

Stupid for thinking if I just endured it, things would get better. Stupid for thinking they still loved me. Stupid for being soft-hearted over and over again.

I wiped my eyes and looked up.

I stared at the people waiting for me to serve them.

Vivian snapped her fingers. "Are you deaf? The shrimp are getting cold. Move it!"

I took a deep breath.

Then, I grabbed the edge of the white tablecloth and yanked it with every bit of strength I had.

In an instant, everything went flying.

Steaks, wine, shrimp, and glass shattered everywhere. Vivian screamed as the greasy sauce drenched her expensive dress.

Harrison jumped back, but his designer trousers were covered in oil.

My parents stood there in shock.

I smiled at them. "You like documents? I have some too."

I walked to my room, grabbed a blue folder from my safe, and marched back into the living room.

I held up the deed to the house.

"Take a good look. The legal owner of this property is the one who 'doesn't exist'DSienna Miller."

"And right now, Sienna Miller is telling you all to get the hell out of her house!"

When I held up that deed, the room went dead silent. My parents looked like they'd seen a ghost.

Harrison was staring at the paper, completely bewildered.

"What is going on? Why is the house in the maid's name?"

He had just seen the family registry, so he couldn't wrap his head around how a "distant relative" owned the Miller family home.

Vivian didn't care about the confusion. She saw the deed and her face twisted into a mask of rage.

She forgot about her ruined dress. She forgot about the lie she was telling Harrison. She just screamed.

"Sienna! How could you put only your name on the deed?"

"This was supposed to be Mom and Dad's retirement home! How could you be so selfish? You're a thief!"

I tucked the deed into my back pocket.

"Aside from the name on the paper, hasn't it been their retirement home for the last three years?"

"They have the master suite with the balcony. They like you more, so they insisted you have the guest suite next to them, while I've been sleeping in the tiny home office. Did I ever complain?"

Vivian wasn't listening. "I don't care about that! You had no right! This is Mom and Dad's house! You stole it from them!"

I laughed. It was a sharp, jagged sound.

"Stole it? Vivian, let's be clear. I paid for this house in full. I paid for the renovations. I bought every piece of furniture and every appliance in this room."

"Since the day they moved in, have I ever once reminded them that I'm the owner?"

Vivian was shaking with fury.

"You're so fake! You told them you were buying a house for their retirement because you wanted to look like the good daughter! But behind their backs, you were plotting to keep it all for yourself!"

I looked at her angry face and felt the last bit of my sadness turn into ice.

"Plotting? Fine. Let me tell you about plotting."

I took a step toward them.

"I bought this house with my own hard-earned money to take care of my parents. But I'm not an idiot."

I turned to look at Mom and Dad.

"You've favored Vivian since the day I was born. Everything went to her first. Every scrap of love, every cent of your attention."

"Even if I was 'unstable' or 'stupid,' I knew one thing: if I put your names on this deed, you would eventually give the whole thing to Vivian."

"And then I wouldn't just be sleeping in the office. I'd be on the street with nothing."

Vivian shrieked. "You're lying! Sienna, you're a manipulative bitch! You've been calculating this from the start! Mom and Dad wasted their lives raising you!"

Mom finally found her voice, her tone accusing.

"Sienna, you told us this was our home for our old age. Now you're holding the deed over our heads? What kind of daughter are you?"

I looked at her, my heart feeling like a cold stone.

"Mom, what kind of daughter am I? I'm the kind who didn't want to get thrown out like trash."

"You treated me like a maid. You slapped me in front of a stranger. And you literally erased me from the family tree."

"If I hadn't shown you this deed today, were you really planning to act like I never existed for the rest of your lives?"

Mom stammered, unable to find an answer, but she still tried to deflect.

"This was for your sister's future! This was her big night!"

"And how many of my nights have I sacrificed for her? My whole life has been one long sacrifice for her! How much more do you want?"

Vivian let out a sharp, nasty laugh.

"Stop playing the martyr, Sienna. You think owning a piece of paper makes you special?"

"This house belongs to our parents by right. Keeping it in your name is a betrayal. You're a cold-blooded animal!"

Harrison's face had gone cold. He finally seemed to be connecting the dots.

"So... let me get this straight. This entire family has been lying to me from the very first second."

Vivian realized she'd forgotten her audience. She turned to Harrison, her voice turning soft and sugary.

"Honey, no, please listen to me... it's complicated..."

Harrison cut her off, his gaze fixed on my parents.

"You told me Vivian was an only child. Lie number one."

"You said this girl was a distant relative and a maid. Lie number two."

"You implied this was your estate, but it belongs to the person you treat like garbage. Lie number three."

A look of pure disgust crossed his face.

"You people are professional scammers. Every word out of your mouths is a lie."

Vivian rushed to him, grabbing his arm. "Honey, it's not like that! I love you! My parents just wanted us to be a perfect match!"

Harrison shook her off with a violent jerk.

"A perfect match? You were so ashamed of your own sister that you pretended she was a servant. You're sick."

He looked at the mess on the floor, the deed in my hand, and then back at my parents.

"I've seen enough. You're a family of frauds."