The Maid is His Ex-Wife

On my wedding anniversary, my husband Ethan brought his pregnant mistress home and forced me to sign divorce papers. I left with one suitcase, pregnant and broken. My wedding anniversary was supposed to be romantic. I woke up early that morning and decorated our small house with fairy lights. I cooked Ethan's favorite steak dinner. I wore the red silk dress he loved on our first date. I even bought a small chocolate cake that said "3 Years Together - Forever Yours, Ella." I waited for him. 7 PM passed. 8 PM passed. My food got cold. I called him ten times. No answer. At exactly 9:07 PM, the front door opened. I ran to him with a smile, ready to hug him. But my smile died. Ethan walked in. He was not alone. His arm was around a beautiful woman. She was young, maybe 24, with long blonde hair, wearing a tight pink dress that showed her huge pregnant belly. She was at least seven months pregnant. My heart stopped. "Ella, this is Olivia. She is pregnant with my child. My son," Ethan said. His voice was cold, like he was reporting the weather. No guilt. No shame. My fork dropped from my hand and crashed on the floor. "What... what are you saying, Ethan? Today is our anniversary," I whispered. My voice was shaking. Olivia smiled. She rubbed her big belly proudly. "I'm sorry you have to find out like this, Ella. But Ethan and I love each other. We met at his company. It was love at first sight. And now we are having a son. We want to be a real family." Ethan threw a thick envelope on the table. Divorce papers. "Sign them, Ella. I want to marry Olivia before my son is born. I want my son to have my last name - Blackwood. You have one hour to pack your things and leave this house." Three years. For three years I was his wife. I cooked for him. I cleaned his house. I supported him when his father kicked him out. I gave up my college degree for him. And he brings his pregnant mistress on our anniversary and tells me to leave in one hour? Tears burned my eyes. "Where am I supposed to go, Ethan? I have no family here. I have no job. No money. My mother is sick in the hospital." "Not my problem," he said cruelly. "You were always useless, Ella. You couldn't even give me a child in three years. You are a defective wife. Olivia got pregnant in just one month. That's the difference between a real woman and you. A barren woman." Barren. He called me barren. I signed the papers with shaking hands. My tears fell on the paper. I packed one small suitcase. Just my old clothes. He watched me, his arm around Olivia. I left the house I cleaned, cooked, and loved for three years. I slept on the street that night. In the rain. What I didn't know then was that I was already pregnant. Two weeks pregnant with his child. A child he said I could never give him. Two years later... "Mama, I'm hungry. Milk please." My son Leo, two years old, looked up at me with big, beautiful blue eyes. Ethan's exact blue eyes. He was my everything. My reason to live. We lived in a tiny, cold basement apartment. I worked two jobs as a waitress. I had no money for his milk today. And my mother's hospital called again this morning. They will stop her cancer treatment if I don't pay 2000 dollars by Friday. This week. I was scrolling on my broken phone, desperate for a high-paying job. Then I saw it. An ad that made my blood freeze: "URGENT: Live-in Maid needed for Blackwood Mansion. Salary: $5000/month plus free room and medical insurance. Start immediately. Must be discreet." Blackwood Mansion. That was Ethan's family mansion. The richest family in the city. The house I was banned from. Should I apply? Work as a maid in my ex-husband's house? Where his pregnant mistress now lives as his wife? My pride screamed NO. But Leo cried again, "Mama hungry." And $5000 would save my mother. It would feed my son. It would give us medical insurance. I had no choice. I clicked Apply with trembling fingers. The next morning, I wore my only clean white shirt and black pants, my old maid uniform from my waitress job. I stood in front of the giant, golden gates of Blackwood Mansion. My heart was beating so fast. The huge doors opened. Ethan stood there. In a $10,000 black suit. More handsome, more cold, more powerful than ever. He was now the CEO of Blackwood Corporation. When he saw me, his eyes widened in pure shock. His face turned white. "Ella? What the hell are you doing here? How dare you come here?" Before I could answer, a sweet, arrogant voice called from inside the mansion. "Ethan honey, who is it at the door? Is it the new maid? Tell her to hurry, I need my juice!" Olivia waddled to the door. She was pregnant again! Her belly was even bigger now. She looked rich, spoiled, wearing designer clothes and diamonds. She looked at me up and down with disgust. "Oh, is this the new maid? She looks poor and dirty. Ethan, are you sure she is clean enough to work in our house?" She had no idea I was his ex-wife. The first Mrs. Blackwood. And Ethan looked terrified. Because he was hiding his biggest secret. He had no idea he had a son. A two-year-old son with his exact blue eyes, who was hungry right now.I clenched my fists. I wanted to scream. I wanted to slap him. But I remembered Leo's hungry face. I swallowed my pride. "Hello sir, madam. I am here for the maid job. I need this job very much," I said, looking down. Ethan stared at me like he saw a ghost. His secret was standing in front of him.