The Greed of Housekeepers and Boyfriends

I bought my mom a Porsche for her birthday.

That night, I overheard Brenda, our housekeeper, bitching about it to my boyfriend, Chris.

It's my birthday too, you know! All I got was a card. Once you two are married, you can't let her send all your money to her family! You need to put a stop to that!

Frank, our driver, chimed in, "Exactly! What's an old broad like her gonna do with a fancy car? Should've given it to me! Chris, you need to get her pregnant already, that'll lock things down!"

And here I thought Chris was an orphan who thought of my mother as his own.

The next day, I checked the security cam and saw Chris swapping my vitamins for folic acid.

...

My mom loves speed, so I surprised her with a custom Porsche for her birthday.

Before I could even say anything, Brenda popped off, her face all pinched. "A Porsche, Hailey? Seriously? Those things are just for show, totally impractical. Take it back while you still can, don't waste your money!"

The happy mood evaporated. Everyone went silent.

Brenda didn't even notice, grabbing my phone right off the table and shoving it into my hand. "What are you waiting for? Call them! They might not take it back if you wait too long! You kids just throw money around, you have no idea about saving!"

My jaw tightened. No one likes having their mom's gift trashed by the housekeeper. Especially with me having spent my own hard-earned money on it.

"Mom, here are the keys! Give it a spin, see if you like it."

Mom smiled and hopped in the car, and then I turned to Brenda, who's face was as black as coal.

Before I could tell her off, our driver, Frank, stumbled over, reeking of booze and red-faced.

I glanced over at the table and saw that the expensive bottle of wine I'd bought for the celebration had been opened and was half-empty.

Frank waved his arm around like he owned the place.

"Hey, Hailey, Brenda didn't mean anything by it, she's just looking out for you. But she's right, when it comes to buying a car, you need a man to make the call. Did you talk to Chris about this?"

Chris is my boyfriend, but it was my money that bought the car. I pay everyone's salary.

I don't tolerate people walking all over me, no matter how much I pay them.

"Enough!" I cut him off, frowning. "It's my money, I'll spend it how I want. Brenda, just do your job. Frank, are you supposed to be drinking on duty? And that's my wine. If you do that again, you're paying for it!"

"It's my mom's birthday. Anyone who can't remember what their job is can get out right now!"

I'm generous, and I pay top dollar.

The others nodded, but Brenda and Frank stood there, their faces red.

I knew I was hurting their pride, but if I let it slide, they'd walk all over me.

Just then, Mom came back from her test drive, grinning.

"Thanks, sweetie! I love it! Let's go inside and eat, I'm starving."

Mom wrapped an arm around my shoulder, ignoring the two who were standing there like statues.

My mom is smart, of course she knows what I was doing. But whether it's at the office or at home, she respects my decisions.

After that little scene, Brenda was quiet while serving dinner. She barely spoke a word, which was a far cry from her usual self.

The wine was taken off the table, replaced with something else.

The only sounds were Mom and I talking and the clinking of silverware.

"Hey, Hailey, Mrs. Davis! I'm sorry I'm late. This is for you, Mrs. Davis, I hope you like it." Chris handed Mom a gift and flowers, smoothly taking a seat next to me.

Chris didn't have a lot of money growing up, he was an orphan, but he's never acted like he had a chip on his shoulder.

We went to middle school together. When I offered to help, he started coming over for dinner and homework. It was natural that we ended up together.

"You're not late at all! Here, have some soup. Has it been busy at work?" Mom was very happy with Chris, she treated him as one of her own.

Chris took the soup from Brenda, and noticed she was acting strange.

"Is everything okay, Brenda? If you need anything, just let me know."

He's always been like that, kind and friendly with everyone.

Brenda shook her head, her eyes welling up. She looked at Mom, then at me, like she'd been mistreated. "Thanks, Chris, I'm fine."

My eyebrows furrowed, and I mentally marked her for termination at the end of the month.

I would tolerate a housekeeper who thought of herself as family giving suggestions, but I would never allow someone who tried to cause problems to stay in my home.

At the same time, I watched Chris' reaction.

"Is something going on at home? If so, you should take a few days off. Both work and life are important." Chris took a sip of soup, and then, suddenly looking enlightened, cut a big piece of cake from the center of the cake and gave it to Brenda. "Happy birthday, Brenda."

The cake was for Mom, it had all her favorite fruit on it. Giving away a piece wasn't a big deal.

But Mom hadn't even sung "Happy Birthday," or made a wish. The cake had been cut into, ruining the original shape.

"Oh, you shouldn't have! Thank you, Chris, I've never had such a nice cake!"

Brenda had been here the whole time, and knew exactly when the cake came out. But she didn't ask Mom or me, she simply thanked Chris.

My displeasure was growing.

Mom gently patted my hand. "Take the rest, Brenda. I'm trying to lose weight. In a few days Hailey and I will make another one, it'll be better."

"Oh, wonderful! Well, I'll take it then. Thank you, Mrs. Davis. Thank you, Hailey."

I thought that was the end of it.

Then, halfway through the night, I got up to get a drink of water. As I approached the stairs, I saw a light in the kitchen, and could hear Brenda talking to Chris.

"Did you see that car? How much did that thing cost? It's just a birthday! What a waste!"

I ignored it, and she was still running her mouth behind our backs?

I was about to go out there and fire her when Brenda's voice rang out again.

"It's my birthday today too, and what did I get? A piece of cake? Get out of here! Once you two get married, you can't let her send all your money to her family!"

Frank chimed in. "Spoiled woman, just like her mother.

"What's an old broad like her gonna do with a fancy car? Should've given it to me! Chris, you need to get her pregnant already, that'll lock things down!"

My mind reeled. The housekeepers rotated, so I never really knew who was staying. But what was Frank doing here?

Also, what did he mean by "Chris?" What did he mean by "Get her pregnant?"

Bad thoughts swirled in my mind. As if to confirm my fears, that familiar, gentle voice sent a chill down my spine!

"I'm already planning the proposal. It's just a matter of time, don't worry."

Chris had never told me who his last name was. He's an orphan, I assumed he didn't have a last name.

Now that I knew the truth, everything that had seemed strange in the past suddenly made sense.

No wonder Brenda and Frank knew what we liked and didn't like when they first started working here! I thought it was because they had a lot of experience, but they had inside information!

No wonder Brenda put on a show of being mistreated in front of Chris! She was trying to manipulate him!

My face must have looked terrible. My grip on the glass tightened, turning my knuckles white.

I knew Chris was secretly planning to propose, but I didn't let on, so I wouldn't ruin the surprise.

Now it felt like the whole relationship had been a lie!

He wasn't an orphan, he had an entire family that he had gotten into our house.

I didn't believe for one second that there wasn't another reason behind it.

Taking a deep breath, I quietly went back to my room.

I wanted to see what he would do.

If he was just saying that to appease his parents, I could give him a chance to explain.

But if he actually tried something, I would know that he had a purpose for being here, and I wouldn't be so forgiving.

The next morning, Brenda was as happy as ever, acting like last night hadn't happened.

"Hailey, come eat. You know, girls shouldn't try to be too skinny. It can affect your ability to have kids!"

I sat down, but didn't touch anything.

I usually work out before breakfast, but Brenda had never said anything. Did she think that everything between me and Chris was settled, so she was already my mother-in-law?

"Brenda, after this month, you're gone. I'll pay you everything you're owed."

"What!"

Brenda's voice was loud and shrill, her face was contorted in anger. "Is this because of last night? I won't do it again! Please, give me another chance!"

I shook my head, sensing the hatred in her eyes.

"It's a mutual agreement. I don't think that you're right for this house. I'll find someone new for next month. This is a notice, not a discussion."

Then I left the dining room, to go for a morning run.

Once I was outside, I pulled out my phone.

We've always had security cameras in the house, Mom and I are the only ones who know. Nothing had ever happened, but now I know why it was there.

In the video, Brenda went upstairs and knocked on Chris' door. They went to the balcony, and I put on my headphones so I could hear what they were saying.