"Who are those two women?" Stevanie asked sharply as she stepped out of the car, her heels clicking against the stone pavement.
"Oh, them?" Oska replied calmly. "I called them here. They're the housekeepers I hired to help around the house."
"Again?" Her tone turned cold. "I never said I needed a housekeeper. Did you hire them so you could leave me again?"
Oska rubbed the back of his neck, suppressing a sigh. "What are you talking about? I hired them because I care about this home. You shouldn't have to wait for me to get back from work just to have things cleaned. From now on, when we come home, it'll be spotless."
"You!" Stevanie snapped. "How much money do you even have to afford all this?"
"Uh… as I said before, my finances are more than enough to cover their salaries. Don't worry, I'm not using a single cent of your money."
Her eyes narrowed, suspicion darkening her expression. "I smell something fishy here. You're planning something, aren't you?"
Oska didn't answer. Silence was safer.
"Fine," she muttered, brushing past him. "But don't think I won't notice if you're secretly plotting to leave me again."
With that, she stormed into the house, her perfume lingering in the air like smoke after a fire. Oska could only scratch his head, baffled by her paranoia.
"Alright, Mrs. Fexiao and Mrs. Bao," he said, turning to the two women. "You can start now. Please prepare dinner and make sure the front porch is spotless."
"Yes, sir," they replied in unison, bowing politely.
Mrs. Fexiao—a plump woman with short bangs—immediately began sweeping the porch until the tiles gleamed. Her colleague, Mrs. Bao, petite and nimble, set to work in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared dinner.
Their dedication brought a rare sense of peace to the house.
While watching them work, Annchi looked unhappy. Her eyes looked at the two of them with feelings of doubt and anxiety.
"What's wrong, Annchi?" asked Oska. "Shouldn't you be happy to see our house getting busier with people?"
"Uncle, you made a mistake. You shouldn't have found a maid for mom."
"Why not?"
"I told you that my mother's behavior has become strange since you left. Three months ago, Mr. Han found a housekeepers for my mother because you left. But after only one day of work, the housekeepers disappeared. Mr. Han then found a new one, and the same thing happened. All the maids who worked for my mother suddenly disappeared. I'm worried that the two women you hired will also experience the same thing."
Oska was lost in thought and couldn't answer. He then changed the subject, "Come on, don't overthink it. They are both under my protection. I guarantee your mother won't do anything."
After that, Oska following his evening ritual, retreated to the bathroom for a hot soak. The steam filled the air as he sank into the water, exhaling a long sigh. His mind replayed the chaos of the day.
"Jennie…" he murmured. "I can't believe she's gone through all that because of Stevanie. Should I be worried about what Annchi said before?"
Just as the tension in his shoulders began to ease, frantic knocking broke through his thoughts.
"Uncle! Are you in there?"
"Annchi? What's wrong?"
"Hurry up! Mom's in trouble!"
The sound of breaking dishes echoed down the hallway, sharp and terrifying. Oska leapt from the tub, barely wrapping a towel around his waist before sprinting out of the bathroom. Annchi followed close behind, her face pale with fear.
When he reached the kitchen, the scene froze him in his tracks.
Shards of porcelain littered the floor. Stevanie stood in the center of the chaos, one hand clutching her stomach, the other brandishing a kitchen knife at Mrs. Bao, who cowered against the counter, her face drained of color.
"How dare you, you're a fucking stupid maid! Are you trying to kill me?!" Stevanie screamed.
"Stevanie!" Oska lunged forward, seizing her wrist and wrenching the knife away. "What are you doing?!"
"She tried to poison me!"
"What? Mrs. Bao, is that true?"
"F-Forgive me, sir," the trembling woman stammered. "I didn't know madam was allergic to soy. She tasted the dish I made, and then she started to feel pain."
"Wait—what? You're allergic to soy?"
Stevanie pushed Oska away, clutching her abdomen tighter as she stumbled toward the bathroom. "I told you—I feel sick!" she groaned before disappearing behind the door.
Oska turned to Mrs. Bao, whose hands still shook. "Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine, sir. I didn't mean to cause trouble."
Oska sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. "I'm sorry for what she did. Here—take this." He handed her five hundred dollars. "Please don't let this discourage you. I know you were only trying to do your job."
"Thank you, sir," she whispered. "I should've asked before cooking. I'm sorry for the mistake."
"It's okay. I didn't even know about her allergy. Just be careful next time—and if anything happens again, call me immediately. Never try to handle her alone."
"Yes, sir."
Oska exhaled, relief washing over him that the worst had been avoided. But deep down, he couldn't shake the horror of what he had just witnessed—his wife, knife in hand, ready to strike.
He walked toward the bathroom door, knocking gently. "Stevanie, are you okay?"
"No!" came her muffled voice, pained and weak. "My stomach feels like it's tearing apart! I'm going to pass out!"
Oska frowned. "You'll be fine. Just stay calm. But listen, there's something important I need to talk about—our new housekeepers."
"Now?" she snapped. "Can't you see what's happening to me?!"
"I know, but this can't wait. You can't treat them like you did to Jennie. Mrs. Fexiao and Mrs. Bao are under my employment. If you lay a hand on them, I'll have no choice but to take legal action. Do you understand?"
Silence.
"Stevanie?"
He pressed his ear to the door. No response.
"Stevanie, are you there?"
Still nothing.
"Damn it…"
Oska stepped back and kicked the door with all his strength. The wood splintered, the hinges gave way, and the door crashed open.
Inside, Stevanie lay slumped on the toilet, her body limp, her face pale as porcelain.
"Oh God…" Oska rushed to her side. "You really did pass out."