He caught sight of their old maid while taking out the trash and discovered that she had been hired by another family in the building.
The little boy didnât fully grasp the situation, but he understood that the maid had quit because she wasnât comfortable taking care of him, seeing him as a burden.
Elissa was kind of stunned to hear this from Brantley.
She felt a little angry.
She had once been a proud person, but now people treat her like sheâs not worthy of their respect.
Suddenly, she realized what the maid meant with her parting words.
She obviously meant to say that Elissa deserved better than someone Like Raphael.
But then she stroked Brantleyâs head and said softly, âEveryone has the right to make their own choices.
We might not agree, but we need to respect their choices, okay?â
Brantley nodded in understanding.
After they finished the fruit, Elissa told Brantley to go back to his room and take a nap.
Then she contacted the agency and asked them to find another maid as soon as possible, with the same requirements as before.
The agent informed her there might be a two-week wait due to an insufficiency of applicants.
Elissa didnât mind, as she still had a few months before the baby was due.
On her way back, she ran into her formal maid.
In fact, she was having a chat with some people.
While cracking melon seeds, the maid animatedly talked to her friends.
âYou know, itâs such a shame about my previous employer! That young woman is so sophisticated, itâs clear she had never known hardship.
Sadly, she married a horrible man.
That man is not only broke, but he also brought his love child home and made her take care of the kid! He seems kind and easygoing, but how could he do such a terrible thing to his wife? And the poor woman didnât even object; she consented to taking care of the boy⦠Then, the boy fell ill last night.
The man was not around.
He was on a business trip, so she had to tend to the boy alone⦠Sheâs capable, but Iâm not up for that!â
The maid paused briefly and went on, âLuckily, I got out of there as soon as I could! Otherwise, there is bound to be a lot of trouble ahead!â
..
Library
Just as the other women there with her were about to chime in, they noticed Elissa standing not far away.
Seeing their expressions shift, the maid turned to look as well.
Her face twitched, but then she forced a smile.
âIsnât it a small world⦠Mrs.
Jones!â
Elissa replied with a faint smile, âThatâs right! I was just thinking about you, and here you are, chatting about my affairs! But youâre mistaken.
Brantley is my younger brother and actually my fatherâs love child, not my husbandâs!â
The maid was left speechless by this revelation.
Meanwhile, the other women gathered their things and dispersed.
Elissa wasnât one to cause trouble so she wouldnât make things hard for the maid.
After speaking her mind, she was about to leave, but the maid stopped her and said honestly, âMrs.
Jones, please donât hold it against me for being practical.
As a maid, my first rule is to avoid working for families with multiple children or caring for pregnant women.
I hope you donât take this personally.â
Elissa replied with a gentle smile, âI get it! Iâm still thankful for what you did for me and my brother last night.â
Although Elissa spoke sincerely, the maid held a grudge in her heart.
She felt Elissa would look down on her and resent her after catching her speaking ill of her behind her back!
From that day forward, even when the maid would occasionally run into Elissa, she acted as if they were strangers.
This behavior made Elissa feel a bit uneasy and somewhat down.
Luckily, she had Brantley with her.
Brantley did well in school and was always sweet to her.