GIRL GETS A JOB AS A MAID & FINDS A PHOTO OF HER YOUNG MOM IN HER BOSS’S ROOM
“I’m going to do a great job,” Caroline psyched herself up ahead of her first assignment. She and her friend, Melissa, moved to New York a few days ago to make their dreams of being Broadway stars come true.
But they needed to find jobs first to rent an apartment together. Luckily, Melissa got hired at a clothing store, and Caroline got a job at an agency for domestic cleaners.
When Caroline finally walked inside the house she needed to clean, using the key under the mat as instructed, she wasted no time getting started — first, the kitchen, then the living room, and moving towards the bedroom.
Caroline tidied as quickly and thoroughly as she could but stopped short at the mantelpiece. There were several pictures on top, but one caught her attention. A picture with her mother’s face. She was at least 18 years younger, but it was her. “Why is my mother in this man’s pictures?” she wondered out loud.
“Oh hello there! You must be the new cleaning lady. I’m Richard Smith. I own this house,” the man introduced himself with a warm smile. “Are you done in here already?”
“I’m almost done, sir. But may I ask a question?” Caroline hesitated, hoping that the man wouldn’t be mad if she asked about the image. “Who is this woman?”
Richard’s warm smile faltered for a moment, and his eyes flicked to the photo Caroline was pointing at. She noticed a quick flash of surprise, maybe even recognition, in his eyes, but he quickly masked it with a casual shrug.
“Oh, her?” he said, trying to sound nonchalant. “That’s… an old friend. We knew each other a long time ago.” He looked at the photo for a moment longer, as if lost in a memory, then turned back to Caroline. “Why do you ask?”
Caroline’s heart was pounding, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She had no idea what to say. It seemed too bizarre, too coincidental to be real. She wasn’t sure whether she should mention that the woman in the photo was her mother, especially to a stranger she had just met. But something about Richard’s reaction made her feel like there was more to this story, something she needed to understand.
“She just… looks familiar, that’s all,” Caroline said, trying to keep her voice steady. She quickly moved away from the mantelpiece, not wanting to make it obvious that she was still staring at the photograph. “I’m sorry for asking. It’s none of my business.”
Richard’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, and she could tell he was trying to read her. She could feel the weight of his stare, and she wondered if he knew more than he was letting on. “No, it’s fine,” he said finally, his tone a little softer. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve thought about her.”
Caroline finished her cleaning quickly, feeling like she had stumbled into something she wasn’t supposed to see. As soon as she was done, she gathered her things and headed for the door, trying to act normal even though her mind was buzzing with questions. Just as she was about to leave, Richard called out to her.
“Wait,” he said, his voice stopping her in her tracks. “What’s your name?”
“Caroline,” she replied, turning around to face him.
Richard nodded, as if rolling the name around in his mind. “Caroline,” he repeated slowly. “Well, thank you for your work today, Caroline. I’ll let the agency know you did a good job.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said quickly, and then practically ran out of the house. As soon as she was outside, she pulled out her phone and called Melissa.
“Mel, you won’t believe what just happened,” she said as soon as her friend picked up. “I found a photo of my mom in the house I was cleaning. She looked so young, and the man there said she was an old friend.”
“What?” Melissa exclaimed. “Are you serious? What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know,” Caroline said, biting her lip. “But I need to find out. I’m going to call my mom and ask her about it.”
Caroline’s hands were shaking as she dialed her mother’s number. She hadn’t spoken to her mom in a few days, and now she was about to ask her something that could open up a whole can of worms. Her mom picked up after a few rings, sounding cheerful.
“Hey, sweetie! How’s New York treating you?”
“Hi, Mom,” Caroline said, trying to keep her voice calm. “It’s… it’s going okay. I actually got a job cleaning houses. But, um… something happened today, and I wanted to ask you about it.”
“What is it, honey?” her mom asked, her voice instantly concerned. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” Caroline said quickly. “It’s just… I was cleaning a house today, and I saw a photo. A photo of you, from years ago. You were young, maybe around my age. And I asked the man who owned the house about it, and he said you were an old friend.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and Caroline could hear her mother take a deep breath. “What was the man’s name?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Richard Smith,” Caroline replied. “Do you know him?”
Another silence, and then her mother spoke, her voice heavy with emotion. “Yes, I do. I haven’t heard that name in a long time.”
Caroline’s heart skipped a beat. “Mom, who is he? How do you know him?”
“I… I can’t talk about this right now, Caroline,” her mom said, sounding more anxious than Caroline had ever heard her. “Please, just forget about it.”
“But Mom, why?” Caroline pressed, her frustration bubbling up. “I need to know. Why would there be a picture of you in his house?”
There was another pause, and when her mother spoke again, her voice was filled with a sadness that made Caroline’s chest tighten. “Because he’s your father, Caroline.”
The words hit Caroline like a punch to the gut. “What?” she whispered, barely able to breathe. “But you said my dad… you said he died before I was born.”
“I know,” her mom said, her voice trembling. “And I’m so sorry for lying to you. But I thought it was for the best. I thought I was protecting you.”
Caroline felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her. She had grown up believing her father had died in an accident, that her mother had been alone ever since. But now, all of a sudden, everything she thought she knew was a lie.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Caroline asked, her voice cracking. “Why would you keep this from me?”
“I was young, and things were complicated,” her mom said softly. “Richard and I… we were in love once, but it didn’t last. When I found out I was pregnant, he was already gone, and I decided to raise you on my own. I never thought you would find out like this.”
Caroline felt a rush of emotions — anger, confusion, sadness — all swirling inside her. “I have so many questions,” she said. “I need answers, Mom. I need to understand.”
“I know,” her mom said. “And I’ll tell you everything. But please, come home. Let’s talk about this in person.”
Caroline nodded, even though her mom couldn’t see her. “Okay. I’ll come back. But I’m not going to let this go, Mom. I need to know the truth.”
“I understand,” her mom said quietly. “I’ll be waiting.”
As Caroline hung up the phone, she felt like her whole world had been turned upside down. She had come to New York to chase her dreams, but now she was tangled in a past she never even knew existed. She thought about Richard, the man who had smiled so warmly at her, the man she now knew was her father. She wondered what he would say if he knew who she was. Did he even know he had a daughter?
Caroline knew one thing for sure — she wasn’t going to let this mystery go unsolved. She was going to find out why her mother had kept this secret, and she was going to confront Richard, whether he was ready for it or not.
