Chapter 1 Our Maid
“Get a little closer. Make it look more intimate. Yeah, just like that. Perfect,” a crew member said.
Queenie Emerson stood outside the door, watching her husband and her best friend on set.
Vincent Melendez had his arm around Vivian Lynn’s waist, their bodies pressed together. With his handsome face and her captivating charm, they looked like the perfect couple.
The thermos in her hand shook as she tightened her grip. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the sharp pain in her chest.
“Who are you? What are you doing here on our set?” another crew member snapped, his voice unfriendly. His outburst caught everyone’s attention inside.
“Mommy!” Archie Melendez called out, walking over with two bottles of water in his arms. When he saw Queenie, he looked both surprised and a bit guilty.
Queenie hadn’t expected to see Archie there. He had told her this morning that he was hanging out with his classmates. But it clicked for her instantly. ‘Doesn’t he always lie when he comes to see Vivian?’ she thought.
Drawn by the noise, Vincent and Vivian came out.
Vivian flashed a sweet smile. “Queenie, what brings you here?”
“What were you two doing just now?” Queenie demanded. ‘I’m his wife. I have every right to know what’s going on, right?’ she thought.
Vincent’s calm and handsome face turned cold with irritation and disdain.
“Vivian, who’s this?” the crew member asked, eyeing Queenie with curiosity.
Archie quickly said, “She’s our maid.” He thought, ‘Mommy never dresses up when she goes out. If anyone knew she was actually my mommy, Daddy would be so embarrassed.’
The crew member glanced at the thermos Queenie was holding and then looked her over. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt with no makeup. His curiosity faded right away.
“Maid?” Queenie scoffed, focusing her gaze on Vincent.
After seven years of marriage, he had never publicly acknowledged their relationship. Now, she was reduced to a maid, and Vincent didn’t even bother to correct anyone.
“Vincent, am I really your maid?” Queenie asked. She knew he would never stand up for her, yet she still felt the need to ask. Tears filled her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.
Vincent’s expression was icy, impatience clear on his face.
Vivian reprimanded Queenie with irritation. “Queenie, we are working. Do you really need to make such a scene?”
“Ignore her,” Vincent replied, his tone cold as ice. Without even glancing at Queenie, he turned and walked back onto the set.
Vivian smirked at Queenie before following Vincent inside.
Archie said, “Mommy, you’re being unreasonable today. Vivian had a magazine shoot, and since the model didn’t show up, Daddy stepped in. Why can’t you trust Daddy? Honestly, you really disappointed us.”
With that, Archie followed Vincent and Vivian back onto the set.
Vivian noticed Archie catching up and casually took his hand, making the three of them look more like a real family.
Vincent’s words about ignoring her replayed in Queenie’s mind. ‘So this is what my love amounts to, absolutely nothing,’ she thought.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a bitter smile. Without hesitation, she turned around, walked to the trash can, glanced at the thermos in her hand, and tossed it in.
After seven years with Vincent, she had given him everything, and all she ended up being was a maid.
*****
After leaving the set, Queenie hailed a cab and went straight home.
“Wow, back so soon?” Linda Melendez said mockingly.
Queenie fixed her gaze on Linda. “You set me up, didn’t you?”
‘She mentioned that Vincent was having stomach issues and hadn’t eaten, so she asked me to whip up some soup and bring it over. All she really wanted was for me to find him with Vivian,’ she thought.
“If you hadn’t lied to Vincent about saving him, would he have married you? I’m letting you see the truth. Look at yourself. Do you think you deserve my son? Yet, you still stick around the Melendez family,” Linda sneered, her face twisted in disgust.
Queenie shot her a cold glare, clenched her fists, then turned and walked upstairs.
She used to wonder why people still called her a liar, though she was indeed the one who saved Vincent. Now she understood.
‘He who has a mind to beat his dog will easily find his stick. They only need an excuse to kick me out,’ she thought.
Seeing that Queenie was ignoring her, Linda raised her voice and snapped, “If you have any sense, you’d leave voluntarily. Don’t wait until we have to kick you out and make it embarrassing.”
‘Leave?’ Queenie thought, glanced at the unfinished divorce papers, her eyes cold and blank. ‘After everything that has happened, leaving is the only option left.’
*****
Before dinner, Archie came home. Vincent had sent the driver to pick him up, but he didn’t come back himself.
Archie went straight to the dining room and saw that dinner hadn’t even started. “Mommy, didn’t you make dinner?” he shouted.
Queenie slowly walked down the stairs.
“Mommy, why didn’t you make dinner?” Archie complained, sounding a bit impatient.
“I didn’t know you’d be home for dinner. If you’re hungry, I can ask Eileen to whip something up for you,” Queenie replied.
“Forget it. I’m not eating,” Archie muttered. ‘Eileen always makes stuff I don’t like anyway. Good thing Vivian gave me fried chicken and a burger earlier. Vivian’s way better than Mommy. Vivian lets me eat what I want and doesn’t nag about everything,’ he thought.
Queenie looked at Archie, feeling a mix of emotions. She thought, ‘Will sons not empathize with their mommies? When Archie was little, he was always by my side and couldn’t stand being away from me.
‘When did everything change? Probably after Vivian came back from abroad. He stopped being my little shadow and started talking non-stop about her. Now, he even lies to me to see her.
‘Archie isn’t the only one. Vincent is worse. He’s always been indifferent to me, but ever since Vivian came back, he’s been even colder towards me.’
“Archie, if your dad and I get divorced, who would you want to stay with?” Queenie asked. ‘He’s my son, and I have to raise him until he’s eighteen. But whatever he decides, I’ll respect it,’ she thought.
“Mommy, I’ve already told you. Daddy and Vivian were working. Can you please stop overreacting?” Archie replied.
Queenie could see where his loyalties lay. “Alright, I got it,” she said softly.
Seeing her give in, Archie let out a sigh of relief and rushed over to hug her. “Mommy, I know you’re upset about my lie, but I was really hanging out with my friends. I happened to pass by Daddy’s office.”
He thought, ‘If Mommy didn’t get so upset when I spent time with Vivian, I wouldn’t have to lie to her. Vivian is Mommy’s best friend. Why does Mommy have to be so hostile to her? Is she jealous of Vivian?’
Archie sized Queenie up and wondered, ‘But honestly, Mommy’s not as pretty as Vivian. That’s the truth. Why would she even be jealous?’
Queenie didn’t hug him back or say anything. Whether he dropped by or went there on purpose, she didn’t care anymore.
“Mommy, I’m tired. I’m going to bed. By the way, I want salmon salad for breakfast. No cucumbers or carrots, okay?” Archie said as he headed upstairs.
Queenie followed him upstairs. After finishing the divorce papers she had partly done, she placed them on the nightstand, then changed into her pajamas and headed for a shower.
*****
When she came back from the shower, she automatically checked her phone for the time. It was already midnight, and Vincent still hadn’t come back.
She opened their chat and started typing to ask when he would be back.
But before she hit send, she stopped. Slowly, she deleted the message, thinking, ‘What’s the point? I’ve already decided to get a divorce.’
In the past, Queenie would always text Vincent when he wasn’t home after midnight.
It all went back to before their marriage. Coming home late one night, Vincent was caught in a car accident. He bled heavily and almost died since no one was around.
Luckily, Queenie happened to be nearby and called an ambulance in time. That incident was what led Vincent to marry her.
After they got married, Queenie kept that habit. Every time Vincent was out late, she would text him.
At first, Vincent would reply with short messages. But when Queenie looked through their chat history, she realized he hadn’t texted her back in two years.
Feeling defeated, she switched off her phone, tossed it aside, and crawled into bed. As she drifted off, she heard footsteps and peeked through her half-closed eyes to see that Vincent had returned.
Vincent glanced her way. Noticing she was already asleep, he looked even colder. He recalled how Queenie used to wait up for him, no matter how late he came home, always ready to run his bath and lay out his pajamas.
Queenie glanced at Vincent, then turned away and closed her eyes. She thought he might say something, but he only stood there in silence.
‘Yeah, there have been rumors about him and Vivian for a while now. When has he ever explained anything to me?’ she thought. ‘Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m waiting for.’
“Vincent, let’s get a divorce,” she said.
