When Elizabeth’s husband hires a maid to help with the house, she’s touched by his sudden thoughtfulness. But a hidden camera, and a single moment of footage, shatters her sense of trust. As suspicion spirals, Elizabeth uncovers a secret she never saw coming… one that might just break her heart or heal it.
When I got promoted, I cried in the breakroom. Not because I was emotional, but because I was exhausted.
Years of overtime, missed birthdays, quiet sacrifices, finally, someone saw me. I texted Greg, my husband.
“I did it.”
An emotional woman standing in an office | Source: Midjourney
He replied with confetti emojis and said that he’d be ready with a bottle of wine and dinner when I got home.
Success was sweet, of course, but it came with a sour aftertaste. Longer hours, late dinners, and laundry that never folded itself. I stopped wearing mascara because I couldn’t be bothered to scrub it off at night. I stopped taking lunch breaks and would eat at my desk while still typing away.
My inbox never slept, and neither did I.
A woman sitting at her desk and working | Source: Midjourney
One Tuesday evening, as I reheated my third takeout meal for the week, Greg looked up from the kitchen island.
“You’re doing too much, Lizzie,” he said. “Let’s get a maid. We need someone who can… help out.”
“A what?” I blinked at him, still holding my fork while the microwave brought the Indian leftovers back to life.
“A maid, a helper. My mom’s friend’s daughter is looking for a job. She’s young, polite. I thought… why not?”
A container of food on a counter | Source: Midjourney
Now, Greg came from a long line of “a woman’s place is in the home” men. Once, just before we headed out to dinner, Greg was busy changing while I vacuumed, fully dressed.
“You make it look good, babe,” he said, pointing to my heels. “Wow.”
Since then, he’d been trying to change… He’d been helping out more.
So this? This offer? It almost knocked me over.
A close up of a vacuum cleaner | Source: Midjourney
“You shouldn’t have to come home from work and clean, Lizzie,” he nodded. “I can do the easy things when I get in… but the construction site’s been gruelling lately, my back is constantly sore. We need someone to take care of the deeper cleaning and all the laundry.”
I was so grateful to hear him say this that I almost cried.
“I’ll take care of everything, my love,” he said. “Just… say yes.”
A construction site | Source: Midjourney
“Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s do it.”
Maria started the following Monday. I barely saw her. She came home during my work hours and left polite sticky notes on the fridge.
“Washed the bedding!”
“Scrubbed the oven. Have marinated chicken for dinner. Just throw it in.”
“Hope your big conference went well!”
Colored post-it notes on a fridge | Source: Midjourney
It was like a ghost that left everything better than it found it.
For the first time in months, I exhaled. The house smelled like lemon, my clothes magically reappeared in drawers, perfectly ironed. The house stayed clean and fresh.
It felt like we were finally getting a rhythm back.
Clothing on hangers | Source: Midjourney
And then I started sleepwalking again.
It had been years since I’d experienced that pesky problem, since high school, really. But one morning, I woke up with bruises on my shins and my robe tangled in the hallway.
“Stress can trigger old habits, Elizabeth,” my doctor said. “That’s what’s happening right now. You mentioned a new promotion at work? I’m sure that’s come with its fair share of issues.”
“It has come with a larger workload,” I agreed. “Longer hours, more meetings, and the admin of paperwork…”
A close up of a doctor | Source: Midjourney
“I can give you medication, Elizabeth,” he said. “But I don’t want that to be our first step. You’ve conquered this before, so it’s all about training your brain to get back into that system. I’m going to suggest a sleep journal.”
I nodded, making notes as he spoke.
“And if you can,” he added. “Try motion-detecting cameras. Sometimes just seeing what happens helps you understand the pattern.”
A woman sitting in a doctor’s room | Source: Midjourney
Greg didn’t know. And I didn’t want to worry him and have him question my promotion. So I went out on a lunch break and bought two small, discreet cameras, one for our bedroom and one for the hallway.
Nothing fancy. Just enough to catch me if I wandered in the night.
But I didn’t expect to catch him… Greg.
Two cameras in a box | Source: Midjourney
It was Friday. I had the afternoon off, finally. I curled up on the couch with leftover Thai food and decided to review the footage. Greg was still at work, so there was no need to hide anything.
I hadn’t sleepwalked in three days, my sleep journal was sounding more normal, but I wanted to double-check before updating my doctor.
The hallway cam showed Greg coming home around noon. It was odd. He usually worked until five or six. I tilted my head, curious.
Leftover food on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney
Twenty minutes later, Maria walked in, hands full of groceries.
They were both laughing. Not like coworkers, or an employer-employee relationship… but like friends.
I paused the video. Then rewound it. Then watched it again.
Maria set the groceries down. Greg fussed around the kettle and set down a cup of tea in front of her. She touched his arm when she laughed. She leaned in too close.
Brown paper bags on a kitchen counter | Source: Midjourney
And then… they hugged.
Not a side hug. Not a quick pat. But a long, intimate, familiar hug.
I felt something cold crawl up my spine.
No. No, it couldn’t be that. I refused to jump to conclusions. Maybe she was upset. Maybe he was comforting her. Or… thanking her for keeping our house afloat.
A woman sitting on a couch and using her phone | Source: Midjourney
But then I clicked on another clip.
Greg and Maria standing in the hallway. Greg brushing her hair back from her face. Maria touching his chest.
Then they walked out of frame.
An upset woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney
That night, I moved around in autopilot. I made a pasta salad and grilled chicken for supper, grateful for something to do. I did the dishes and waited for Greg. We sat down and ate together.
“My back is killing me,” Greg said. “I’m going to take something for it and sleep it off after dinner.”
Other than that? Silence.
Food on a kitchen counter | Source: Midjourney
Later, I lay next to Greg and stared at the ceiling. He slept soundly, his arm casually draped over me. I didn’t move. Didn’t blink. My thoughts were sirens, loud and panicked.
Was I being cheated on in my own house?
Had I let her in? Thanked her? Smiled at her damn fridge notes and eaten the meals she’d sometimes prep… while she slept in my sheets?
A close up of a sleeping man | Source: Midjourney
I couldn’t eat. Couldn’t sleep. Just existed in a fog.
So I made a plan.
The next day, I told Greg my client meeting was rescheduled and that I’d be working late. He smiled and kissed my forehead like nothing in the world was wrong.
At 13:15, I parked three houses down.
At 13:35, I walked through the front door, quietly.
A young woman standing outside a house | Source: Midjourney
I heard music. Classical music, not Greg’s usual type of loud and raging sounds that he called music.
And then I heard voices.
Greg and Maria were standing together in the kitchen. Laughing.
Maria’s hand rested lightly on the counter, there were chopped vegetables on the board next to her. Greg stood close.
Chopped vegetables on a wooden board | Source: Midjourney
“What’s for dinner?” I asked from the doorway.
“You’re home?!” Greg said, his face crumbling before my eyes.
“Oh no,” Maria whispered, her face draining of color. “We weren’t ready to surprise you yet.”
“Elizabeth,” she said, stepping forward. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you to find out like this.”
My throat closed. My hands trembled.
A young woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“Lizzie, wait. Please, sweetheart… Just come with me,” my husband said.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw something. I wanted to run. Instead, I gave my husband the benefit of the doubt, I followed him into the dining room.
Unlit candles were set on a white tablecloth that I hadn’t seen in months. There was a bouquet of red roses. Two plates were set with our wedding silver and champagne glasses.
An upset woman standing in a hallway | Source: Midjourney
And in the center, a small, framed photo.
A sonogram.
My breath caught in my chest like a punch.
A close up of a sonogram | Source: Pexels
“What is this?” I croaked.
Greg turned to Maria and nodded.
“It’s yours,” she gave me a soft, nervous smile.
I stared blankly, my mind blank, my pulse roaring.
A smiling young woman wearing a white tshirt | Source: Midjourney
“She’s not a maid, Lizzie. She’s a surrogate. She’s carrying our child,” Greg gently took my hand. “Maria and I were planning the dinner tonight to tell you.”
My knees buckled. I gripped the back of a chair.
“You’re lying. You’re both lying.”
“I’m not, sweetheart,” he said softly. “Do you remember last year, when the doctor told us we couldn’t conceive?”
An upset woman standing in a dining room | Source: Midjourney
Of course, I remembered. The sterile white office. The quiet tone. The pity in the nurse’s eyes. I remembered how I shut down, how I cried for days, then shoved the grief somewhere far away where it couldn’t touch me.
And then thrown myself into work. I wanted that promotion. I wanted all my hard work and stress to go into something that could provide me with enough financial support for anything I wanted.
“You said you didn’t want to talk about IVF or adoption,” Greg went on. “You said that you needed to forget it. That you needed a moment…”
“I did,” I whispered.
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
“I know. And I wanted to respect that. But one night, when we were laying on the couch and watching that cooking show you like, I asked… What if we found someone else? A surrogate? You looked at me and told me to do whatever I wanted. That you were tired.”
A flash of memory hit me. Me in my robe, cradling a mug of wine because I couldn’t be bothered to pour it into a wineglass. I remember blinking slowly while Greg rubbed my feet. I had said that. I just hadn’t… processed it.
Greg had given me paperwork to sign, and I did. But I just didn’t ask about it. I thought it was insurance forms or financial documents. I barely skimmed them. I’d checked out, and Greg… well, Greg had always handled the boring stuff.
A mug on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney
I wanted to be mad. But I couldn’t. A sliver of hope had begun to rise inside me.
“I thought you were just talking,” I said. “I thought…”
“I didn’t want to bring it up again. But I reached out to my mother. She knew Maria. She told me that she’d done this before. And… she would be willing to do this for us. I wanted it to be real before I told you.”
“But… the procedure? Did we really freeze embryos that long ago?”
An upset and frowning young woman | Source: Midjourney
“Yes. From before we even started IVF. Remember the two that were viable? One didn’t survive. This one did. Please tell me that you still want this… Because if you don’t, everything will fall apart now.”
I paused. I let the weight of everything sink in. We were going to be parents. Finally.
I nodded.
A closed door at the end of a hallway | Source: Midjourney
“And Lizzie, we’ve been working on the… nursery. I’ve been turning the guest room into the nursery. I took a few flexible shifts this month to help Maria settle into our space. I told her to feel at home, to get used to the space. But nothing ever happened, Lizzie. Nothing like that.”
“I enjoyed cleaning up and helping out,” Maria said. “I liked prepping meals, folding laundry… light stuff. I wasn’t really a maid, just… helping out where I could. I wanted to feel useful, part of something. And Greg made sure I took it easy.”
A close up of a pensive woman | Source: Midjourney
My hands were still shaking.
“Why not just tell me?” I asked, finally.
“I told Maria to say she was a maid, just in case you came home early and saw her. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise until I could tell you the whole story. But also… we’re covering her as a household helper on paper, just until we were ready to reveal the truth.”
Greg pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it.
A velvet box on a table | Source: Midjourney
Inside, was a delicate silver bracelet. A tiny charm in the shape of a heart and a baby’s footprint.
“I was going to give this to you at dinner, tonight,” he said. “I thought… maybe it would bring back your smile.”
“You should’ve told me,” I said, but my voice was already cracking.
A bracelet in a box | Source: Midjourney
“I know,” he whispered. “I wanted to. A hundred times. But every time I saw you dragging yourself through another 12-hour day, I kept thinking… what if it just made things worse? What if it broke your heart all over again?”
I swallowed hard. I remembered the silence that followed our diagnosis. I’d put up walls. Maybe he’d just tried to build something behind them.
“Five months, Elizabeth,” Maria said. “It’s a boy.”
And suddenly, I was crying. Because none of this made sense. And yet… in the strangest way, all of it did. Greg had forced my hand a little bit, but I wasn’t upset about that. In fact, I was glad that he did what he did… I wanted this. I wanted this baby more than I cared to admit.
A crying woman looking down at the ground | Source: Midjourney
That night, we lit the candles again. We ate the dinner that Maria had prepped. She left early, promising to be back the next week.
“I’ll keep working for as long as I can,” she said. “For as long as my belly will allow it.”
“You’ve got to take it easy,” I said. “You’ve got precious cargo in there.”
A dinner table setting | Source: Midjourney
Later, Greg and I sat on the couch with bowls of ice cream and chocolate sauce.
“I’m scared,” I admitted.
“Me too,” he said.
“But I’m happy,” I continued. “And thank you for believing that everything would go smoothly. That everything will be okay. I thought our dream of being parents was over… but it’s only beginning.”
Bowls of ice cream on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney
“You’re going to be the most incredible mom, Lizzie. I’m sorry… I should have kept you in the loop. But I wanted to be sure. I wanted to wait until we reached the second trimester. And then… I wanted to wait a little longer to make sure that we were safe. But he’s a happy and healthy baby.”
I rested my head on his shoulder. I glanced down at the bracelet on my wrist, the tiny silver footprint glinting in the glow of the television, and for the first time in months, I reached out and placed my hand over my belly.
A woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
I wasn’t carrying him yet… But this home would be his, and my lap would be his safe space. My arms would hold him through every storm.
I knew that I needed to be more present. I needed to be back on track with Greg. I needed to listen more and be there, in the moment. I couldn’t let things slip through my fingers anymore…
For the first time in a long time, I believed that everything was going to be okay. And I haven’t sleepwalked since. Maybe the truth, as messy as it was, calmed something deeper in me than any sleep journal ever could.
A smiling woman standing by a window | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
There’s more drama ahead—keep reading!
My Mom Told Me Not to Wear My Wedding Dress Because “It Would Outshine My Sister’s” — At My Own Wedding
When Mom asked me not to wear the dress of my dreams at MY OWN WEDDING because it might “outshine my sister,” I finally understood my place in her heart. Second. Always second.
I got married to the love of my life, Richard, last month. It’s been wonderful starting this new chapter together, living in our cozy apartment downtown, and figuring out whose turn it is to do dishes.
We had a beautiful ceremony with our closest friends and family surrounding us with love and support.
A bride and groom holding a bouquet | Source: Pexels
But the days leading up to my wedding? They were far from the dreamy, magical experience I’d always imagined.
Ever since I was a little girl, I’d dreamed about my wedding day. I’d close my eyes and picture myself floating down the aisle in a breathtaking dress that made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Not because I was vain, but because isn’t that what every bride deserves to feel on her special day?
When the time finally came to choose my dress, I invited my mother, Martha, and my younger sister, Jane, to come with me to the bridal salon. I was so excited I could barely sleep the night before.
A shop | Source: Midjourney
“What about this one?” I asked, twirling in the third dress I’d tried on. It was perfect. Soft ivory, off-shoulder, with delicate lace detailing that caught the light when I moved. The train was magnificent, flowing behind me like something from a fairy tale.
The bridal consultant clasped her hands together. “Oh honey, that’s the one. You look stunning.”
I caught my reflection and felt tears spring to my eyes. This was it. This was my dress.
A woman in a white dress carrying her sandals | Source: Pexels
“What do you think?” I asked, turning to Jane and Mom.
Jane jumped up from her seat. “Lizzie! You look incredible! Richard is going to pass out when he sees you!”
But Mom? She sat there, arms crossed over her chest, lips pressed into a thin line.
“It’s… a bit much, don’t you think?” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly.
My smile faltered. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe we should find something simpler.” She gestured vaguely toward the racks of dresses. “You don’t want to outshine your sister.”
A rack of dresses | Source: Pexels
Did I hear that right?
“Excuse me? Outshine my sister? At my own wedding?”
I laughed, thinking she must be joking. The look on her face told me she wasn’t.
“Mom, I’m the bride. I’m supposed to be the center of attention.”
She leaned closer, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “Sweetheart, you know your sister hasn’t found anyone yet. What if someone notices her at the wedding? You have to help her. Don’t be selfish.”
I was speechless. The joy I’d felt moments before evaporated, replaced by a familiar ache. And Jane? She looked mortified.
A close-up shot of a woman’s face | Source: Midjourney
“Mom, stop it,” Jane whispered. “This is Lizzie’s day.”
But Mom just gave that little sigh she always does when she thinks we’re being difficult.
Still, I bought the dress. I figured this ridiculous moment would blow over. That my mother would come to her senses and realize how absurd she was being.
Spoiler: it didn’t. And she didn’t.
And that was just the beginning.
***
That night, I collapsed onto our couch, still reeling from what had happened at the bridal salon. Richard took one look at my face and knew something was wrong.
A man standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney
“Babe, what is it?” he asked, settling beside me and taking my hand.
“My mom thinks my wedding dress is too showy. She said—” My voice caught. “She said I shouldn’t outshine Jane at our wedding.”
“At our wedding? Is she serious?”
“Dead serious,” I said. “This isn’t the first time she’s done this. My whole life, it’s been ‘make room for your sister’ or ‘let Jane have this one.’ I’m just so tired of it.”
“Wear the dress you love, Lizzie,” he replied with a smile. “It’s our day. Your mom will get over it.”
A man sitting in a living room | Source: Midjourney
“You didn’t see her face, Rich. She meant it.”
“Then that’s her problem, not yours.” His voice was firm but gentle. “I want to marry you while you’re wearing whatever makes you feel beautiful.”
I nodded, trying to believe him. “You’re right. It’s our wedding.”
The morning of our wedding arrived with perfect blue skies and a gentle breeze. I was getting ready in the bridal suite when Mom walked in.
She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw my dress hanging on the mirror.
A wedding dress hanging on a mirror | Source: Pexels
“You’re really going to wear that?” The disappointment in her voice was unmistakable.
I took a deep breath. “Yes, Mom. I am.”
“You’ll make your sister look invisible standing next to you,” she said, not even trying to lower her voice. “Can’t you just… wear the one we saw at Macy’s? That cream one?”
“Mom, please. Not today.”
She pressed her lips together but said nothing more, busying herself with adjusting the flower arrangements. Then, she left.
A flower arrangement | Source: Pexels
An hour later, I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup when the door opened. Jane walked in, and my heart stopped.
She was wearing a white floor-length gown. Not cream, not ivory, but bright, bridal white. With a beaded bodice and fitted waist. Definitely not a maid-of-honor dress by any stretch.
Our eyes met in the mirror. I couldn’t speak.
Mom followed behind her, beaming. “Doesn’t she look lovely?”
An older woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
I couldn’t believe it. The room felt like it was spinning.
My best friend, Tara, grabbed my arm. “Lizzie? You okay?”
I wanted to scream and cry.
But I didn’t. This was my wedding day. I had a choice to make.
I could either let this ruin everything or rise above it.
So, I chose the second option and forced a smile. “Let’s do this.”
***
Walking down the aisle toward Richard and seeing his face light up as he watched me approach, I made my decision. I wouldn’t let anything steal this moment from us.
A man standing at the altar | Source: Midjourney
The ceremony was perfect despite everything. Richard couldn’t take his eyes off me, and when he whispered, “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” I almost forgot about the matching white dress standing just feet away from us in every photo.
Then came the reception.
The ballroom was stunning. It was full of twinkling lights, floral centerpieces, and champagne flowing. For a moment, I allowed myself to enjoy it all.
This was our day. Our moment.
Table in a wedding hall | Source: Pexels
But then I saw my sister approaching the DJ and taking the microphone for her maid-of-honor speech. My stomach knotted.
What now? I thought.
Jane tapped the microphone nervously. Her hands were visibly shaking.
A person holding a mic | Source: Pexels
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” Her voice wavered.
The room quieted. Richard squeezed my hand under the table.
“Before I begin,” Jane said, taking a deep breath, “I just need to say something…”
She turned to look directly at me, tears welling in her eyes.
“Lizzie, I’m so sorry.”
The room went completely silent.
“Our whole lives, Mom has put me in front of you. In school, on birthdays, and now, today of all days.” Her voice cracked. “She told me I needed to wear this dress to look better than you, so someone would notice me. She said it was my chance.”
That’s when I looked at my mother. She had turned pale.
A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
“But it’s not your job to make me feel seen,” Jane continued. “It’s your wedding. And I’m so proud of you and the beautiful bride you are today.”
She wiped a tear away. “I brought another dress. I’ll be right back.”
You could’ve heard a pin drop as she left the room.
A woman walking away | Source: Midjourney
Five minutes later, she returned in a navy-blue dress. Elegant. Simple. Beautiful.
The crowd erupted into applause.
I couldn’t stop the tears flowing down my cheeks. I ran to her and pulled her into a tight hug. Everyone clapped again.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered in my ear. “I should have stood up to her years ago.”
“We both should have,” I whispered back.
My mom sat frozen at her table, white as the tablecloths. After the speeches ended and the first dance began, she approached us, visibly shaken.
“I didn’t realize…” she stammered. “I thought I was helping.”
A woman talking | Source: Midjourney
For once, my sister and I spoke in perfect unison, “You weren’t.”
We stepped outside to the garden terrace. The night air was cool, stars twinkling above us.
“All these years,” Mom said, “I thought I was doing what was best. Jane always needed more help and more attention. I didn’t see what it was doing to you, Lizzie.”
“You never saw me at all,” I said quietly. “Not really.”
She cried. We cried. And for the first time in my life, I think she actually heard us.
A sad woman | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry,” she said, holding both our hands. “I’ll do better. I promise.”
Time will tell if she meant it. But it felt like a start.
Later that evening, as Richard and I swayed to our last dance, I noticed something over his shoulder. One of his friends, David, had approached Jane at the bar.
“That speech? That was brave,” I overheard him say. “Want to grab a drink?”
A man smiling | Source: Midjourney
