A Fragile Wife

“I’m serious. I think there might be something going on between him and Chloe.”

Roberta shrugged. “What evidence do you have of this?”

Classic Roberta. She had no other reaction than, “Evidence? Where’s your evidence?” This was why Lana liked her. That and she cooked a mean lasagna.

“I have my reasons for thinking this.”

“That means you have no evidence.”

Lana huffed. “I caught the girl reading something on my husband’s stationery. She was being secretive about it. And giggling over it.”

“Okay, but have you seen them together like that? Has either of them said anything?”

“Well, no…”

Roberta shrugged again. “If you’re that worried, fire the girl.”

“That doesn’t solve my problems.” Ken would find someone else to fool around with. Probably in the city where Lana would never find out. “Besides, it’s such a pain in the ass hiring live-in maids around here. I have to take applications, interview them, give them trial runs… Chloe’s only been here a few months. I don’t want to go through that again if I don’t have to.” Obviously, if Chloe were screwing the boss’s husband, then she would have to go.

“Your problems sound like they’re in your head.”

Lana could have responded in any number of ways. She could have yelled at Roberta. Could have fired her on the spot for saying such a thing. Could have sent a warning shot with her sharp, biting tongue.

Instead, Lana said, “You’re right. They are. Except my instincts have brought me this far in my life, and my instincts say that there’s something going on. Something is being kept from me in this house.”

“Well, I know nothing about it, ma’am.” Roberta waved her knife around for emphasis. “But if you do find out that the bastard is cheating on you, know that I can slip any ol’ thing into his chicken soup. Like a shitton of laxatives, if you know what I mean.”

“I think I get your point.” As amusing as it would be to destroy the man’s colon for a day or two, Lana wasn’t sure what that would accomplish. “I appreciate your candor, as always.”

“That’s why you come to me.”

“Indeed.” Lana turned, shoulders square and ponytail pulling tight against her scalp. “Let me know if you notice anything, though.”

Before she could step out of the kitchen, Roberta called out, “There was one thing, ma’am.”

Lana stopped. “Oh? Do tell.”

“This is conjecture on my part, but maybe it will mean something to you.”

“Please, go on.”

Roberta looked around the kitchen, as if anyone but her, Lana, and the deliveryman who brought the food three times a week ever came in there. “The other day when I was serving Mr. Andrews breakfast, I saw him pull the maid aside and whisper something into her ear. It was not work related, ma’am. The girl was blushing like crazy and your husband looked fairly pleased with himself.” Roberta caught her words. “More so than usual.”

“I see. Is that all?”

“No.”

Lana braced herself.

“He then asked her if she would meet him in his office for something personal on a day you went shopping in town. They were in there for two hours. I had to clean the whole dining room by myself, so I gave her a bit of an earful on your behalf.”

Well, that was certainly not something Lana wanted to hear. Nevertheless, she thanked Roberta again and wandered off to consider this information and what it possibly meant.

Ken and Chloe definitely had something going on. Lana could confront her. She could pull that maid aside and demand a confession. Yet what good would that do? All Lana would do was scare her into either quitting or lying. And Ken would keep on keeping on.

Ken.

Her fucking husband.

If the bastard were cheating on her, then getting rid of Chloe wouldn’t do a damn thing. And if he were cheating? That was it. That was the final breaking point. He thought it was cute to bug her about calling for a divorce, but he didn’t know the full fury of Lana Andrews, a woman he helped create over the past decade.

I mean, he has every opportunity to explore his sexuality with other people. The deal was it happened with Lana present and with her consent. Ken going off secretly with people, keeping his wife in the dark, was such a breach of trust that Lana was certain she could never recover from it.