"Who are those two women?" Stevanie asked as she got out of the car.
"Oh, I called them here. They're the housekeepers I hired to help take care of the home."
"Again? I never said I needed a housekeeper. Did you hire them so you could leave me again?"
"What are you talking about? I hired them because I care about our home. You shouldn't have to wait for me to come back from work to get things cleaned. Now, when we come home, there won't be a speck of dust left."
"You! How much money do you have to afford all these staff?"
"Uhh… like I said, my finances are more than enough to cover their salaries. Don't worry, I promise I won't take a single cent from you."
"I smell something fishy here. It feels like you're planning something."
"…"
"Fine, but don't think I won't notice if you're secretly planning to leave me again."
With a huff of frustration, Stevanie walked into the house, leaving Oska scratching his head in confusion.
"Alright, Mrs. Fexiao and Mrs. Bao, you can start working now. Please help with preparing dinner and don't forget to clean the front porch."
"Yes, sir," the two housekeepers replied in unison.
Fexiao, a plump woman with short bangs, set to work sweeping the front porch until it gleamed. Her colleague, Bao, a shorter, slimmer woman, busied herself preparing dinner. They both worked diligently.
Following Indonesian tradition, Oska retreated to the bathroom to soak in a hot bath. He sighed deeply, trying to release the stress of the day. So much had happened, including issues with Jennie…
"Problems with Jennie…"
Suddenly, the horrifying events from earlier that afternoon rushed back to him. His thoughts were interrupted by frantic knocking on the bathroom door.
"Dad! Are you in there?"
"Annchi, what's wrong?"
"Hurry out! Mom's in trouble!"
The sound of crashing dishes echoed through the house, vibrating the walls. Oska dashed out of the bathroom, barely covered by a towel, and raced toward the kitchen with his daughter in tow. He moved quickly, desperate to address the situation before it was too late.
Upon arriving, Oska was met with a horrifying scene. Stevanie was brandishing a kitchen knife at Mrs. Bao while clutching her stomach. Shattered dishes littered the floor. The short woman appeared terrified, her face pale and covered in a cold sweat. It looked like she was about to be killed.
"How dare you, you insolent maid! Are you trying to kill me?" Stevanie shouted.
Oska rushed forward, grabbing the knife from his wife's hand. "What are you doing, Stevanie?!"
"This maid tried to poison me!" Stevanie's voice was filled with fury.
"What? Is that true, Mrs. Bao?"
"F-Forgive me, sir. I didn't know madam was allergic to soy. She tasted my dish with soy in it and immediately got a stomachache."
"Wait, what? You're allergic to soy?"
Stevanie pulled away from Oska's grip and staggered towards the bathroom, clutching her stomach and grimacing in pain.
"Thank goodness I got here in time. Are you alright, Mrs. Bao?"
"I-I'm fine," the short woman stammered, still trembling.
"I'm sorry for my wife's actions. Here's five hundred dollars to make up for it. I hope this doesn't discourage you from working with us."
"Thank you, sir. I should be the one apologizing for not knowing about madam's condition. I should have asked her before preparing anything."
"It's alright. I didn't know about her allergy either. If something like this happens again, don't hesitate to call for me. Stevanie can still hear me if I speak to her calmly."
"Understood, sir."
Oska wiped the sweat from his forehead, relieved he had acted in time. The scene had been dire—if he had been even a moment later, the consequences could have been tragic. He was stunned by how easily Stevanie had brandished a knife at someone.
He moved quickly to the bathroom door, hoping to find out how his wife was doing.
"Are you okay, Stevanie?"
"No! My stomach is killing me. I feel like I'm going to pass out from being stuck in here!"
From inside, the sounds of discomfort and splashing made Oska wince.
"Well, there are some important things we need to discuss about our new housekeepers."
"Now? Can't you see what's happening to me right now?"
"I'm sorry, but this seems like the right time before something even worse happens. I need Mrs. Fexiao and Mrs. Bao to be treated as well as Jennie was. You can't mistreat them while they're working. They're officially my employees, and if you harm them, I can take legal action against you. Do you understand?"
"..."
"Stevanie, are you there?"
Oska pressed his ear to the door, straining to hear any sign of life. Silence was his only answer.
"Stevanie, are you okay? Please respond!"
"..."
"Oh no…"
Without hesitation, Oska kicked the door hard enough to break the hinges, sending it crashing open. Inside, he found Stevanie collapsed on the toilet, her eyes shut and her body limp.
"Oh god, you really did pass out."