I wake up early alongside the other workers and housekeepers, preparing breakfast for Nikolai and the rest of the family: his mom, dad, and wife. He is the last to arrive at the breakfast table, and as he walks in and takes his seat, I brace myself to start serving him.
He glances around the room, and suddenly our eyes meet. A small smile crosses his face.
"Good morning, family!" he greets everyone cheerfully before turning his attention to me. As I approach to serve him, he casually takes the coffee I prepared and asks in a quiet voice, "How was your sleep, Lisa? I hope you rested well."
His comment doesn't go unnoticed by Meredith, who immediately jumps in before I can respond. "Did you just ask the maid if she slept well instead of your lawfully wedded wife?" She turns to Mrs. Romanov. "I want this maid fired immediately."
My heart skips a beat, and I glance at Mrs. Romanov, who looks concerned. She doesn't answer Meredith and instead turns to Nikolai, who sighs before speaking in a calm voice. "No. She will stay here. I won't give you permission to fire her. She is my maid, and that's how it will remain for as long as I want."
The atmosphere grows tense. Meredith glares at him, fury radiating from her. He remains unfazed, which only infuriates her more. "I should have a say in which maid tends to my husband, and I don't want her," she argues, her grip tightening on her mug.
"Oh, for God's sake, Meredith." Nikolai shakes his head in annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lisa just got hired yesterday, and she's already getting on your nerves?" He glances back at me, rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to his mom, looking determined. "Mom, I know you hired her yourself to be my personal maid. You picked her, but I'm the one paying her, right? I'm satisfied with her work so far. So keep her around. Understood?"
He shoots Meredith a quick glare, then smirks mockingly. "You heard that, Meredith? I have the authority to hire or fire someone in this house, and I'm satisfied with this girl. Now stop giving me unnecessary headaches and focus on your own life. Don't you have a party to go to or shopping to do or something?" He takes a casual bite of his bread and adds, "I have to deal with things too, and your bullshit is bothering me." He then sips his coffee, acting completely unbothered.
Well, this family is certainly strange.
I'm grateful to him for defending me again, but I can't shake the feeling that he doesn't like his wife very much. He's the one putting me in situations where Meredith gets mad at me—twice now—and he defends me each time afterward.
My mom, knowing that Meredith wanted muffins this morning, heads to the kitchen to bring them over, freshly baked and warm, to have with her coffee.
"See how he talks to me?" Meredith addresses his parents, her tone dripping with disdain. "I wouldn't be surprised if he cheats on me with this filthy maid."
Filthy? Really? She looks at me with such disgust, as if I'm a piece of trash on the street.
Just two days ago, I lived in a villa, not as a maid. How did it come to this? Does that make me filthy?
"Filthy maid? My goodness, you certainly have a sharp tongue," Nikolai replies, his voice laced with sarcasm. He suddenly stands, moving in front of her with a cold gaze. "My word is final. This maid will not leave this house. You have no say in this, Meredith."
Meredith grits her teeth, her rage palpable. "Fuck you, Nikolai."
I expect him to be angry, but instead, he laughs heartily, shaking his head. "Language, Meredith! Such foul words from a lady." He walks over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, his expression shifting to seriousness. "Listen to me, Meredith, dear," he says, his voice low and calm. "I don't care if you hate me or even cheat on me. I still have a reputation to uphold as my family's heir. So we will stay married; I'm stuck with you for that."
With that, he turns and walks away, leaving his breakfast barely touched.
My eyes follow Nikolai as he exits the room, then shift to my mom, who comes in with a tray of freshly baked muffins. She approaches Meredith, about to set them on the table. "Your muffins, miss."
But Meredith angrily slaps the tray from my mom's hands, sending the muffins crashing to the floor. "Get the hell out of my face."
I stare in shock, my mouth dropping open as I watch Meredith rise, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she storms out. I rush over to my mom, helping her pick up the scattered muffins.
"I'm so sorry about that," we hear Mrs. Romanov say as we gather the fallen pastries.
Will Meredith now turn her wrath on my mom?
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"What was that all about?" my mom asks as we clean the kitchen.
I turn to her while wiping the surface. "Meredith is so mean to you, Mom. Are you okay?"
She shrugs. "I can handle it. We need to work for a living, so we have to deal with a certain amount of crap from people. It's no big deal; it was her food anyway. I'm more concerned about Nikolai asking you if you slept well—what made his wife flip out?"
I know my mom is reading my expressions, searching for something, so I make sure my face is as unreadable as possible. "It's probably nothing, Mom. He's just being friendly." I shrug nonchalantly.
But my mom's eyebrows furrow. "Are you sure? It could be that he already likes you."
I quickly shake my head. "Mom, he is married."
She gives me a fake smile and lowers her voice. "Your dad was married, but that didn't stop him."
My heart stops at her words, and a painful memory resurfaces. "Mom, what are you saying?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Nothing, Lisa. I just want you to be careful."
"Careful about what?"
"Honey, we are Christians. We follow the Bible's teachings and pray every morning and night. I know Nikolai is attractive, and I could be wrong or maybe it's too early to tell, but that guy could be a cheater. Adultery is a sin, Lisa. Don't become the reason another family falls apart."
I look away, my face falling. "Don't worry, Mom. I won't let that happen. I won't be like Wendy."
My mom smiles at that. "That's all I'm asking."
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The rest of the day is uneventful. Nikolai and Meredith leave for school, while his parents head to work, leaving just me until they all return at dusk. At dinner time, I'm told that Nikolai won't be joining us, and I'm to take his meal to his room. I load his food onto a tray and walk upstairs to his bedroom. Knocking on the door, I wait for a response.
A soft yet familiar voice calls out, "Is that you, Lisa? Come in."
I open the door with one hand, the other steadying the tray, and walk in, closing the door behind me. He's sitting at his desk with a book and a cup of tea in front of him. When he looks up, a small smile spreads across his face. "Come on in, love. I was just studying."
Love? My confidence wavers, and my legs feel wobbly. "Your dinner, sir," I manage to say, trying hard to maintain eye contact. "Where should I put it?"
Nikolai's room is large and elegantly decorated in black and white, everything looking quite expensive. I was here earlier to check for laundry and made his bed.
He raises an eyebrow and points to a table by the window. "You can put it there."
I nod and begin the long walk across the room. Nikolai's eyes follow me, and I feel so intimidated that I almost trip twice on my way over. I avoid looking at him, but I catch his smirk. As I reach the table, he rises from his chair and approaches me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I turn to face him, holding my breath, and see a soft expression in his eyes.
"Are you feeling okay after this morning? I hope Meredith didn't say anything bad to you again," he asks, his tone reassuring, his gaze fixed on mine.
I glance at his hand, hesitant to turn around and face him, so I keep my gaze over my shoulder. His touch feels like fire against my skin, awakening every nerve in my body and making me fidget nervously. I quickly turn around, hoping he doesn't notice my expression, and ensure the tray is set properly. "I'm feeling okay, sir."
He seems to notice my unease and gently pats my shoulder. "I'm glad to hear that. You shouldn't worry about Meredith; she's just a bit touchy. Just brush it off, okay?"
Without waiting for my response, he turns and walks back to his desk. I exhale the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "You may leave now if you have other things to do," he says calmly, returning to his book and flipping through the pages attentively.
I glance back at him, noting that his focus is on the book. Deciding to leave before anything else happens, I say, "Okay, sir."
I walk quickly to the door and close it behind me. I truly don't understand why I'm acting this way. I'm a Christian, a devoted Catholic. A man who belongs to another woman—a man married before God—is someone I shouldn't even consider. Assuming he was married in a church makes it worse; a marriage forged before God is a holy matrimony, and no one should come between that.