The Maid? Honey, I'm Your Husband's Boss

Someone was about to kick my gate in.I was crouched in the dirt, covered in mud, tending the rare flowers I'd been growing for four years."Open up! Hey, lawn girl, are you deaf?"My new neighbor Sophie stood outside with her husband, David Miller.She wore heavy makeup, and the second she saw me, she pinched her nose in disgust."You again? God, you stink. Where the hell is your boss?"This was the fifth day in a row she'd pounded on my gate.I brushed the dirt off my hands."I've told you again and again. I'm the owner. If you have something to say, say it."Sophie burst out laughing as if I'd told the funniest joke she'd ever heard."David, did you hear that? If she owns this place, I'm the Queen of England!"David looked me up and down with open contempt."I already looked it up. The owner lives in Europe. You're just the caretaker they hired to watch the house. Quit pretending."He pulled out a wad of cash and slapped it against his palm."I'm about to be named vice president at

I called the police. An officer, Sergeant Briggs, got there fast.I thought the law would teach these lunatics a lesson.David slung an arm around the sergeant's shoulders like they were old friends, said something I couldn't hear, and slipped something into his pocket.Sergeant Briggs didn't even come into the yard to look. He just talked to me through the welded gate."Ma'am, this is a dispute between neighbors. Nobody's hurt, nobody's dead. The police can't help you. Go get a lawyer."I looked at the wreckage everywhere, shaking."They destroyed tens of millions of dollars' worth of research samples, and you call that a dispute between neighbors?"The sergeant's face hardened, like I'd said something absurd."Listen, girl. Mr. Miller is about to be vice president of Vaughn Realty, and he runs this whole estate. Don't make trouble, or I'll lock you up tonight."I pulled out my ID and handed it over."Here's my ID. I'm formally asking you to open a case for malicious destruction of pr

Marcus could barely speak. Every word sounded like a curse."Thank you, sir. I promise I'll always..."Before David could finish, I finally lifted my head.I tapped twice on the tray.The show was over.At those two taps, Marcus erupted like a volcano."Sir, why don't we have this bitch pour you a glass of..."David turned to grab me by the hair."You animal! Do you have a death wish?"Marcus roared. Unable to hold back any longer, he swung his cane hard into David's face.David screamed.All 220-plus pounds of him hit the ground, and two bloody teeth went flying.All the talking and laughing stopped.A few drops of blood spattered Sophie's face. She stood frozen for a few seconds, then rushed to David."Mr. Vaughn! Why did you hit him? You just promoted him to vice president yourself!""Vice president? I promoted him?" Marcus was so furious he was shouting. "Promoting this blind animal? Am I trying to get myself killed?"Marcus threw down his cane and walked up to me.Everyone was wat

Rachel signaled the officers forward, and David and Sophie were dragged into the police cars.Sergeant Briggs looked toward his gun, now lying out of reach, then at David as he was dragged away. He tried to keep up the bluff."There must be some misunderstanding. I just answered Mr. Miller's call. It was routine..."Rachel glanced at him. "The $50,000 you took to keep quiet is already in David's laundering ledger. And the person you pointed a gun at is the Stirling heir."At the name Stirling, the sergeant's legs gave out, and he started babbling."David put me up to it! I didn't know anything. I'll resign right now...""Nice try." Rachel's face didn't change. "You're removed from duty effective immediately, your assets are seized, and you're being transferred to Corcoran State Prison."That was a maximum-security prison full of gang leaders.Sergeant Briggs cried and begged, but they pulled a hood over his head and shoved him into a police car.Marcus frowned in disgust and glanced at