Chapter 6 Is Mommy Going to Divorce You?
“Mommy, I want your shrimp empanadas for breakfast tomorrow,” Archie said, as if it were the most normal thing. ‘Grandma always says that Mommy is supposed to take care of my meals and everything else,’ he thought.
“Not tomorrow. I have something planned. How about this weekend?” Queenie replied.
Making shrimp empanadas was a real hassle. The shrimp had to be fresh. It meant she needed to get up early to go to the market.
Then she would have to clean them, chop them up, and make the empanada dough from scratch. That was the only way they would turn out nice and chewy.
Whenever Archie wanted shrimp empanadas, Queenie would wake up at five, knead the dough, and head out to buy fresh shrimp.
Even making a couple of bowls would take her two or three hours. But tomorrow was her first day at work, and she knew she wouldn’t have the time.
Archie, who was used to getting his way, immediately got upset. “You’re home all day. What else do you do besides making food for us?”
‘See? No matter how I refuse, in his eyes, I’m just a maid,’ Queenie thought.
“I’ve got a job now. I’m starting tomorrow,” Queenie said flatly, her face calm. Having been hurt so much, she felt numb. She had stopped expecting anything from Vincent or Archie.
“You’re really going to work?” Archie exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise. “What do you even know how to do? Do you think you can actually get a job?” he blurted out.
The contempt in his voice made Queenie’s heart sink. She had given up her own career to take care of him, devoted everything to him, and all she got in return was pain.
“Mommy, just stop joking. All you know how to do is cook. Are you seriously going to be someone else’s maid? That would totally embarrass Daddy,” Archie scoffed.
Queenie’s hand, resting on the blanket, slowly turned into a fist. “Aren’t I already your maid? How would that embarrass you?”
“Mommy, you’re unreasonable!” Archie shouted, getting up and storming out of the room.
Queenie’s grip on the blanket tightened with every word. He was her own flesh and blood, and each thing he said cut deep, like a knife to her heart. The pain was overwhelming.
*****
The next morning, Queenie got ready and sat down at her vanity. ‘No wonder my son dislikes me,’ she thought.
Before marrying Vincent, she was an elegant heiress who always looked her best. Even after they tied the knot, she still cared about her looks.
But Linda frequently reminded Queenie that she was a wife and mother, questioning who she was trying to impress.
To make Linda happy, Queenie gradually stopped taking care of herself. After Archie was born, she hardly had time for anything else. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she checked her reflection in a mirror.
Now, as she looked at her tired face, she could hardly recognize herself. ‘How did I end up like this?’ she wondered, letting out a bitter laugh. She took her eyebrow pencil and began to do her makeup.
Once she finished her makeup, Queenie chose a dress, put on her heels, grabbed her purse, and headed downstairs. She could hear Linda’s voice before she even reached the bottom.
“Vincent, I swear Queenie is crossing the line these days. She was out all day yesterday and didn’t even bother to make breakfast this morning,” Linda complained.
Yesterday, Queenie had already told the maids to take care of breakfast since she wouldn’t have time.
By the time Queenie reached the bottom of the stairs, Vincent hadn’t said a single word to her. He didn’t respond to Linda, either. To him, it felt like Queenie was a stranger.
As Queenie came down the stairs, all three people at the dining table looked up at her. They were all taken aback by her appearance.
Archie had the most exaggerated expression. ‘Is that really Mommy? She looks amazing! Dressed up like this, she’s even prettier than Vivian,’ he thought.
Linda was startled at first, but her expression quickly darkened. ‘Dressed like that? Who is she trying to attract?’ she thought.
Vincent’s face was the calmest. His deep eyes lingered on Queenie for a moment longer than usual, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. It felt like a veil of dust had settled in his eyes, hiding any emotion.
Queenie looked at Archie, her lips parting slightly. “Archie, I’ve arranged for the driver to take you to school today.”
“Mommy, you’re not taking me?” Archie asked, a sudden emptiness settling in his chest for reasons he couldn’t explain.
Queenie replied, “Remember, I told you yesterday. I’ve started working, and my schedule doesn’t match yours. So, I won’t be able to take you to school anymore.”
Vincent’s brows twitched slightly when she mentioned her new job.
With that, Queenie turned and walked away. She blocked out anything they said after she left. After seven years, she had learned to ignore all the hurtful words.
Vincent watched Queenie until she disappeared through the door. He remained expressionless, revealing nothing.
Archie frowned deeply. ‘Mommy’s got a job now, and she’s dressed up. Is she really going to divorce Daddy?’ he thought, feeling uneasy. “Daddy, is Mommy really going to divorce you?” he asked.
Vincent’s brow twitched slightly, but he replied confidently, “No.” He thought, ‘If Queenie really wanted a divorce, would she have stalked me?’
‘Okay, if Daddy says no, then it won’t happen,’ Archie thought, sighing in relief. ‘Mommy’s probably just upset, like always. Let her be then. I can ignore her for a bit. She’ll come around and ask me what I want to eat soon enough.
‘Fortunately, I can now freely prepare a birthday present for Vivian. I used to worry that Mommy might get upset if she found out, but now I feel confident doing it without any concerns.’
*****
Queenie didn’t have a car because Vincent never set one up for her. Whenever she needed groceries or other daily items, she either called a cab or zoomed around on her little scooter.
When she took Archie to school, she usually hitched a ride whenever she could.
The N&Q Institute of Medicine was pretty far from the Melendez residence, so Queenie had to grab a cab to the subway station and then take the metro for the rest of the trip.
To avoid being late, she left at seven on the dot and arrived at the institute right at eight.
“You’re sweating and out of breath. Didn’t you drive here?” Nathan asked, noticing Queenie was practically panting.
Queenie offered a small smile. “Nope, I took the subway.”
“Vincent didn’t even bother to arrange a car for you?” Nathan exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration.
Queenie stayed silent.
Nathan took a deep breath to calm down. “Let’s go pick out a new car after work.”
“Sounds good,” Queenie said with a nod. She thought to herself, ‘Having a car would definitely make things easier. I already planned to get one on my way here.’
Nathan looked at her with concern in his eyes. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the R&D Department.”
“Okay,” Queenie said as she followed Nathan upstairs to the R&D Department.
When Nathan personally brought Queenie in, everyone couldn’t help but stare, sizing her up with curious eyes and thinking, ‘She’s gorgeous! Is she Professor Emerson’s girlfriend?’
“Let me introduce. This is Queenie. She’ll be joining our R&D Department from now on,” Nathan announced.
Everyone wondered, ‘Queenie shares the same last name as Professor Emerson, and her name starts with Q. Didn’t he say he named the lab the N&Q Institute of Medicine after the person who was most important to him? What’s her relationship with him?’
