Different Path

She looked in the mirror, stretched her body, and smiled broadly.

“It turns out you are very beautiful… Even though you are not as beautiful as me, this is also okay,” she continued praising her while holding her face, “But now it is all mine, so still leave Ruby’s old style and become Maia’s cool style.”

Ruby began to dress up, coloring her face and styling her hair in a new style, far from the one her body owner usually showed her at home.

The very definition of waking from the dead, Ruby's appearance now was one of bold, bold beauty.

"Everything is perfect, Ruby. Beautiful face, popularity, perfect husband, and son. Maybe this accident of yours is a blessing for me.”

"I don't have to struggle to climb my career, find the love of a rich man, or give birth to a child. Everything is complete, I just have to fix the hole you always dig and cover it with good things."

Ruby smiled meaningfully at her new appearance. Along with fragments of the body owner's past, they surfaced automatically as she performed each action. The memories stopped with poor Leo, causing Ruby's smile to fade.

"Poor child. How could a child be born for such a ridiculous reason? His father was obsessed with his mother's love, but his mother preferred her reputation. Damn. Your mom and dad are so selfish, son."

Maia felt pity for Ruby’s son, “But now everything will change, Leo. Your mother will change because I am the one,” she murmured again.

“And the first thing I will do is… go to the kitchen!”

***

“What the hell? What are you guys doing out here?” an old maid stood at a distance, frowning as she saw several of the kitchen cooks standing outside the kitchen as if watching something from their usual work area.

“Um, Madam…” one of the cooks scratched his head as the old woman called Madam Brenda approached him, “That’s because Mrs. Ruby is in the kitchen. She is cooking.”

“What?!” Madam Brenda was shocked. The woman, older than Mariana, was the head maid in this house.

All the servants had obeyed her orders, at least for the past five years, when Ruby had paid no attention to the state of her household.

Hearing the mistress cook was like hearing the sun rise in the west. Her expression invited the chefs to make way for her, hinting at the kitchen situation where Ruby was the only one present.

Madam Brenda still couldn't believe it, so she rubbed her eyes, hoping she wasn't seeing things. But afterward, she found Ruby still busy at the stove, even singing.

Madam Brenda turned to the chefs, “This isn’t a joke?” she asked, ridiculously, and of course, all the chefs shook their heads quickly in equal astonishment.

The wrinkles on her forehead grew as she thought about something, “What is she thinking? Has she gone crazy from failing to die so often?”

The harsh murmurs weren't unusual, considering Ruby's personality, which was never one to do anything in the kitchen. Forget about serving her husband and son; even Mariana had to bring her food to the room and coax her mistress to eat.

“She must be planning something,” Madam Brenda thought, still suspicious. The butler began to slowly approach Ruby. She had to know exactly what her mistress was up to.

In a cold, domineering tone, Madam Brenda asked, “Mrs. Ruby, what are you doing here?” This made Ruby stop stirring the flour and chicken meat in the bowl.

"Then who are you? How dare you ask me questions like a boss?" Ruby muttered angrily as she glared at Madam Brenda. Seeing the old woman brought back memories of her.

“Your status is the same as Mariana’s, just different duties. But you’re more arrogant, as if you’re the master of the house,” Ruby’s lips curled slightly as she looked at Madam Brenda, “People like you are smart, but you’re as cunning and slippery as an eel.” She continued, sneering inwardly.

“Do I need two more eyes? Can’t you see what I’m doing?” Ruby asked, narrowing her eyes, “I’m making food for my son and husband,” she said confidently.

Not only was Madam Brenda shocked by Ruby's pedantic remarks, but the chefs outside the kitchen were, too. How could the diamond-like, cold, and indifferent mistress speak so long and sound so piercing?

However, for Madam Brenda, Ruby's words were an insult to her status as the maid. Her face tensed in annoyance, "But, Mrs. Ruby, Mr. Juan and Leo don't eat carelessly. So, let the chef do the cooking," she said firmly.

‘Say that to Ruby, not me!’ Maia thought angrily.

She set her spatula down, making it clink against the bowl. “Okay,” she said curtly.

‘Is it that easy?’ Mrs. Brenda asked herself, confused. ‘Yes, you are. You're just a worthless, expensive jewel,’ she continued, sneering. But that sneer changed after hearing her mistress's words.

"I know my husband and son don't eat just anything, which is why Juan hires expensive chefs like them. But tell me, where is my fault for wanting to make food for my own husband and son? Who understands Juan and Leo better than me?" Ruby asked loudly.

Everyone's faces paled with fear. How could a woman who had been silent for the past five years be like this now? That was what everyone, including Madam Brenda, was thinking.

“You are the ones who understand Mr. Juan and Leo, Mrs. Ruby,” she replied, playing it safe, even though Ruby could clearly see her reddened face from irritation.

“But I’m just afraid that you will hurt your soft hands. Since arriving here, you have never been to the kitchen, have you?” she continued, her tone scornful.

“Does that matter, or is it mocking me?”

‘Boom!’

One more sentence from Ruby made everyone even more afraid. Like a bombshell of anger, everyone hoped to escape this situation. Madam Brenda was speechless, unable to respond. Now the old woman lowered her head.

“Okay, I’m done here. You guys throw away the food I made for Juan and Leo,” she said as she walked past Madam Brenda, “But I’ll complain about this afternoon to my husband later,” she continued, walking out of the kitchen with relaxed steps.

The hostess could feel Madam Brenda's scornful and hateful gaze behind her, but again, she didn't care.

Maia Queen had lived for thirty years with the hatred of many enemies until the end. The Man Of My Dream

*

After leaving the kitchen, Maia went around the house. This was something she hadn't done since she married Juan O'Neil.

"This house is truly beautiful. That old lady really did a good job," she murmured, praising Madam Brenda for her disciplined care of the house.

Well, at least that was the only good thing Ruby's memory retained about the butler.

“But still, my house is bigger than this. It’s just…” Maia smiled sincerely, “It’s quieter here, and I can call it home.” She continued, savoring the memory of Ruby preferring to stay at home.

She walked again, following where her feet and mind took her.

“Ah, what is this? A mini cinema?”

Again, she smiled as she recalled this unique room. The mini cinema had been their first wedding gift to Ruby.

At that time, her husband said he had made the room especially for Ruby so she could watch movies in peace, since he knew Ruby preferred solitude.

"Even though your husband loves you this much, you still don't see a shred of good in him. You're such a jerk, Ruby…" Maia complained to the owner of her body.

“Whoa, what a huge collection of films! I definitely wouldn’t be able to do it like this!” she exclaimed as her eyes lit up at the shelves of film cassettes Juan had provided.

Maia's soul was filled with joy. Watching movies had been her passion since childhood, but this enjoyable hobby wasn't always possible, given the constant presence of problems and enemies. She couldn't relax while watching the blockbusters of the day.

Maia began using her fingers to sort out which movies to watch. Her fingers stopped on a row of shelves filled with discs of films in which her body had starred.

“Come on, let me see how you act!” she exclaimed to herself and started playing the movie.

More than two hours had passed. Her tired eyes couldn't lie, as they were exhausted from witnessing the star's magnificent spectacle. A gentle smile spread across her face.

"You're a really cool actress. Your acting is great. If that's the case, I believe you were truly devastated after that steamy night with the man who became your husband."

"I'm sorry for judging your feelings, but at least your life was ruined by a good husband, Ruby. It's a shame you didn't accept your fate and continued to ignore God's goodness through your husband."

"You don't understand the concept of life. When something doesn't go your way, it means God has a different path for you. So, be magnanimous. But you failed and hurt everyone along with you."