Her chest tightened as she remembered how he always kissed her forehead before bed. How he smiled at her in front of their friends. How he always said, “You’re my everything, Amelia.” Now all those memories suddenly felt fake.

She tried to stand, but her legs felt weak. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered, “No… not Gabriel. He can’t do this to me.”

Olivia knelt beside her and held her hand gently. “Madam, I didn’t want to tell you this way, but it’s better you know the truth.”

Amelia sat frozen for a moment, her mind blank. Her heart told her it was true, yet her mind refused to believe it. Slowly, she stood up, wiped her tears, and took a deep breath. Amelia closed her eyes, her heart breaking inside her chest. Her whole body trembled as she tried to hold back her tears.

“If what you’re saying is true,” she whispered softly, her voice shaking, “then I must see it with my own eyes.”

Olivia took a deep breath. She had been holding this secret for too long. And now that the moment had come, she knew there was no going back.

“Madam,” she said quietly, “please listen to me. There’s only one way for you to know the truth without anyone lying to you.”

Amelia lifted her head slowly. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Olivia swallowed hard and spoke carefully. “If you pretend to be a maid, madam, you will see everything yourself. Bella doesn’t know you. She will treat you the same way she treats me. Then you will see how she behaves and how Gabriel treats her.”

For a few seconds, Amelia just stared at Olivia—shocked and speechless. Her own maid was asking her to pretend to be a servant in her own house. The thought stung her pride. How could the wife of Gabriel—the so-called perfect husband—dress like a maid in her own home?

But as she thought about everything Olivia had said, a fire began to burn inside her heart. Her pain slowly turned into anger. If Gabriel had truly turned their home into a hotel for his mistress, then she needed to see it with her own eyes. She wanted to catch him red-handed so he would never be able to deny it.

Amelia stood up slowly. “Give me one of your uniforms,” she said in a low voice.

“Madam…” Olivia hesitated. “Are you sure?”

Amelia looked at her, her eyes red from tears but filled with determination. “If this is the only way I can know the truth,” she said firmly, “then so be it.”

Olivia quickly brought one of her uniforms. It was a simple black dress with a white apron. Amelia took off her jewelry, wiped her makeup, and changed her clothes. When she looked in the mirror, her reflection broke her heart. She no longer looked like the elegant woman everyone respected. She looked like a maid. But her eyes—her eyes were sharper than ever.

“Let him see the kind of woman he betrayed,” she whispered under her breath.

Olivia stood behind her, trembling. “Madam, I’ll act normal. Just do as I do, and you’ll see everything.”

Amelia nodded slowly. Her lips trembled, but her spirit was strong. In that moment, she made a silent vow: if Gabriel was truly cheating, she would never forgive him.

Not long after, the sound of a car horn echoed through the compound. Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. Moments later, the front door opened and Bella walked in proudly, holding several shopping bags. She was humming loudly, swaying her hips as she entered the living room. Her perfume filled the air, and her gold bangles jingled with every movement.

When her eyes landed on Amelia, sitting quietly beside Olivia, she stopped and frowned sharply.

“And who is this one?” Bella asked rudely, pointing at Amelia as if she were pointing at a stranger on the street.

Olivia forced a smile and quickly replied, “Oh, she’s also a maid. She went to visit her sick mother, but she just came back today.”

At once, Bella’s face changed. Her lips curved into a wicked smile.

“Ah, two maids,” she laughed mockingly. “Perfect. Now I can finally relax.”

She dropped her shopping bags carelessly on the floor, clapped her hands together, and said proudly, “Both of you, come here. I have work for you.”

Amelia’s heart began to race. She could barely breathe as Bella stood like a queen giving orders in her own living room. Bella sat heavily on the sofa, crossing her legs and adjusting her hair with pride.

“You,” she said coldly, pointing at Amelia without even looking properly. “Come and massage my legs. They are aching from walking in the mall.”

For a moment, Amelia froze. Her chest rose and fell as anger burned inside her. She looked at Olivia, and Olivia gave her a small, pleading nod—silently begging her to stay calm.

Swallowing her pride, Amelia knelt down slowly in front of Bella and began to press her legs gently. Every touch felt like fire on her hands. Tears filled her eyes as her heart screamed in pain.

This is my house. That is my sofa. You’re lying there like a queen in the home I built with my husband.

Bella leaned back comfortably, sipping a chilled drink. She looked at Olivia and said lazily, “Go to the kitchen and make me something special. I’m tired of ordinary food. I want pepper soup with plenty of meat—and make it fast.”

Olivia nodded quickly and hurried away, glancing back at Amelia with eyes full of pity.

Meanwhile, Bella looked at Amelia again. “What’s your name?” she asked carelessly, scrolling through her phone.

Amelia bowed her head and said quietly, “My name is Amaka.”

Bella smirked proudly. “Amaka, good. You will wash my clothes tomorrow. But for now, go upstairs and bring me my phone charger.”

Amelia’s chest tightened instantly. Upstairs—that was her bedroom, her private space, her sanctuary.

She stood up slowly and began to climb the stairs. Her legs trembled as she reached the top and opened the bedroom door. What she saw made her knees weak.

Bella’s handbags were scattered across the bed. Her makeup items lay on the dressing table. Amelia’s perfumes, jewelry, and clothes had been pushed aside to make space for another woman’s things. Tears welled in Amelia’s eyes as she stood there staring at the bed she once shared with Gabriel. Memories of their laughter, their nights together, and his promises came flooding back. She pressed her lips tightly together to stop herself from screaming.

With shaking hands, she picked up the charger and went back downstairs, quietly placing it beside Bella.

Hours passed. Bella continued her insults, ordering Amelia to sweep, to serve drinks, to kneel and scrub the floor. Amelia obeyed silently. Her face stayed calm, but her heart was raging like fire. Every command was like a knife cutting through her soul.

She wanted to shout, “I am the wife of this house, not your maid.” But she held herself back. She reminded herself that the perfect moment hadn’t come yet. She needed Gabriel to see everything with his own eyes.