I Earn Millions Monthly, Maid Wants Me Marrying Her Son

After she found out I made a million a month, my housekeeper took it upon herself to set me up with her son.

She brought him straight into my house and, all confidence, introduced us.

Ruby Galloway, my son Roy Dickerson is a good, honest man. The two of you are a real match. Get to know each other a little, then pick a date and get the wedding done.

I stared at the balding, potbellied, greasy man in front of me and questioned every life choice that had led here.

On the principle that the one who's better off should be the one to give ground, I didn't blow up on the spot. Swallowing my disgust, I turned him down. "Aunt Irma, I'm sorry, but I'm not thinking about my personal life right now."

Irma Dickerson's face darkened. "Ruby, you're not exactly young anymore. Keep putting off marriage and kids and you'll be an old maid nobody wants. I only introduced my son to you because I think you meet the standard to be my daughter-in-law."

Roy opened his mouth in a grin full of yellow teeth. "It's Ruby, right? I know you're ambitious about your career. Don't worry. After we're married, you can keep working. I'll raise the kid myself, won't get in the way of your career at all."

I understood at once.

It wasn't just that they had no sense of their own place.

They also thought I was some little girl they could push around, that they could waltz in and take over.

Too bad they had no idea what I did for a living.

Try to push me around, and it would end badly for them.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in you, and I will never marry you."

I hated this kind of self-satisfied, boundary-less behavior of theirs, and I dropped the politeness and made my position clear.

Irma bristled instantly. "Oh, come on, Ruby, I'm doing this for your own good. My son is a steady, honest man who knows how to build a life. Marry into the Dickerson family and you won't come out the loser."

A wave of nausea rolled through me, and I warned her, my tone hard. "Aunt Irma, you're just the housekeeper I hired. You don't have the standing to worry about my personal affairs."

At those words, Irma's face fell in an instant.

"Ruby, you can't cook, you don't do the housework. Lazy, fine. But you also love throwing money away. What kind of woman who knows how to run a household is that? If it weren't for your decent circumstances, I'd never let my son marry you!"

Beside her, Roy chimed in, fierce. "Heh, you really don't know a good thing when you see it. Watch how you talk to my mother. A woman who doesn't even understand respecting her elders. No manners at all."

I could see it clearly now. There was no reasoning with people like this.

"Aunt Irma, as of this moment, our employment is over. Both of you, leave."

Too tired to keep tangling with them, I settled her wages right then and told them to get out.

But the second she heard she was being fired, Irma didn't so much as flinch with shame. She flew into a rage and shrieked at me.

"Ruby, don't push your luck. You haven't even married in yet and you already dare to throw your mother-in-law out? Look at you, so full of yourself!"

Roy let out a cold snort, his face going dark. "Hmph. If you don't fix that temper, don't blame me for setting you straight later."

I laughed in spite of myself.

All this time, I'd thought it was hard on Irma, still working at her age.

On top of free room and board, I paid her ten thousand a month, and slipped her a red envelope for every holiday.

Every few days I'd buy her clothes or little gifts too.

I never imagined that the better I treated her, the less she'd know her place.

"Aunt Irma, I'll give you one hour to pack your things, take your wages, and go. That way we can all keep it civil."

I stopped indulging them, and delivered the ultimatum in a voice cold as ice.

But Irma wasn't grateful for the courtesy. She just planted her hands on her hips and turned shameless. "You little brat, give you an inch and you throw the whole thing back in my face. I'm not leaving. What are you going to do about it!"

Roy's menace came out in full. "Out there you can put on your high-and-mighty airs, but at home you'd better act like a gentle, dutiful woman. Today I'm going to beat that snobbish, looking-down-on-people attitude right out of you!"

And with that he actually rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to get physical.

I could see it now. Reasoning with ignorant, self-important people like this was pointless.

I needed a harsh move.

Make them afraid!

I've ended my employment with this woman, and now she's parking herself in my apartment with her son. I need you to remove them.

I'd called building security straight up and told them to escort Irma Dickerson and her son out.

What I didn't expect was that the guard didn't move. He just looked uncomfortable and said, Miss Galloway, this is a family matter. Please don't put us in the middle of it.

That caught me off guard. The guards here were usually pretty reliable. What was going on today?

Ruby, that's enough. However far you and my mom want to take this, there's no need to drag the poor guard into it. Have you no shame?

Before I could think it through, Roy Dickerson suddenly started yelling at me.

Irma gave the guard a sheepish smile. I'm so sorry. My daughter-in-law here has a nasty temper and doesn't know any better. Once she starts, she never lets it go. Please excuse her.

The guard waved it off, then gave me a heartfelt little lecture. Miss Galloway, you're married now. Settle down and make it work. Carrying on like this doesn't look good.

I understood at once what was going on.

Irma had obviously been feeding the guards a story about me and Roy being married.

She went out for groceries all the time, after all, and ran into the guards constantly.

I had to admit it. I'd underestimated just how shameless this pair really was.

Sir, whatever Irma Dickerson told you, none of it is true. She's just a housekeeper I hired, and I am certainly not married to Roy. Right now they're squatting in my home. This is absolutely not a family matter.

I didn't rush to shout. I kept my voice as level as I could and told the guard the truth.

But instead of panicking, the two of them didn't so much as flinch at what I said.

Roy just gave the guard an awkward smile. See what I mean, sir? My wife really doesn't know any better. When she loses her temper she'll even deny we're married.

I froze for a second, then it clicked. This wasn't Roy's first time coming to my place while I was out.

He'd gotten friendly with the guards too.

Sure enough, the guard nodded along in agreement and started lecturing me. :

Miss Galloway, fight with your husband all you want, but treating your mother-in-law like a housekeeper and trying to kick her out is just wrong. And I'm a building guard, not your personal bodyguard. I can't be handling your family business.

The moment he said it, Irma and Roy both turned to me with smug looks, like there was nothing I could do to them.

So counting on the guard was a dead end.

I took a deep breath, forced myself to stay calm, and apologized to the guard right away. I'm sorry. My mistake.

The guard waved it off, said it was fine, told me once more to make my marriage work, and left.

You two are really something!

Once the guard was gone, I gave the pair a thumbs-up.

Fine. If you want to play it this shameless,

then don't blame me for what comes next.

I understood now. Roy showing up today was no accident. It had been planned for a long time.

So I pulled out my phone.

"You thinking about calling the cops? Heh. Won't do you any good."

Roy acted like he'd seen it coming. The sight of my phone didn't rattle him at all. He just curled his lip and smiled, unbothered.

"Go ahead, call them. Let's see whose side the officers take when they get here!"

Irma gave a contemptuous little snort along with him.

Watching how sure of themselves they were, I felt a flicker of curiosity. Where did they get the nerve? Not even afraid of the police.

"Hey. Bring a few people over to my place."

I placed a call anyway, letting them keep their careless attitude.

Neither Irma nor her son took the call seriously.

Irma dropped all pretense. She untied the apron from her waist, tossed it at my feet, and looked down at me.

"Ruby, trust me. No matter how much of a scene you make, when the officers arrive they'll just treat it as a domestic dispute and try to smooth it over."

"That's right. The police don't get involved in family matters. If you're a good girl and go along with me, I'll treat you well. If you don't, heh..."

Roy's threat was even more open, no dressing it up.

I asked them, curious, "What makes you two think you've got me cornered?"

The corner of Irma's mouth tilted up, smug. "You really think I'm some clueless old woman from the countryside? I waited on you for over a year. I figured out who you really are a long time ago."

I laughed and asked her what I was.

Irma tugged at the corner of her mouth. "A real young lady with backing and power, we wouldn't dare touch. But you? No parents, no boyfriend worth anything. A girl who can earn money but has nobody behind her. That's a fat lamb."

Roy's smile turned vicious. "Heh heh. Be a good girl, have a wedding with me, take good care of me, and I won't shortchange you down the road. Otherwise I've got plenty of muscle and plenty of ways to deal with you."

I said we lived in a society ruled by law. Pulling this kind of shameless stunt in broad daylight, weren't they afraid the police would come after them?

"Ha ha."

Roy laughed out loud, then pulled out a little red booklet. "With this, you think the officers are going to come after us?"

The moment I saw it, my face changed.

It was a marriage certificate.

See that? We're legally husband and wife now. I'm doing you a favor by even showing up today to sit down and talk this out with you.

Roy tossed the marriage certificate down in front of me.

My brow tightened. I flipped it open, and the woman's photo and personal details on the certificate were mine.

And I could tell it wasn't a fake.

You stole my documents while I was out and registered this, didn't you.

My eyes went to Irma, and it clicked at once how the certificate had come about.

I knew Irma and her son had nerve.

But I never thought they'd go this far.

They'd actually stolen my ID to register a marriage?

The ignorant really do fear nothing.

Irma's eyes went wide Don't say stole, it sounds so ugly. From now on we're family.

Roy leaned back into the couch As long as you're smart about it, I won't make things hard on you. But from now on your paycheck gets handed over, and my name goes on the deed to this place too.

Then he stuck out his hand Give me the bank card now. A wedding costs plenty.

I looked at them coldly Honestly, you two are the most shameless people I've ever met. Your little scheme is not going to work.

Neither of them felt any shame. If anything they were proud of it, Roy especially, crossing one leg over the other as he said,

Curse me all you want. With this certificate, once the cops get here, nothing you say will matter. Even if you file for divorce, that goes through the courts, and I can outlast you.

Irma switched right back to playing nice But don't you worry, Ruby. As long as you accept your lot and settle down with my son, we won't give you any trouble. Best you hurry up and give me a grandson.

She paused, then went on all earnest and coaxing, saying a woman ends up married to someone no matter what, and sure, her son Roy was a little ugly, but he was an honest man, and as long as I didn't make a fuss, he'd cherish me and treat me well.

I nearly threw up.

Roy, an honest man?

I wasn't about to swallow that disgusting little speech of theirs.

I drew a deep breath, my eyes turning cold If you turn yourselves in right now, I can still pretend none of this happened. This is your last chance.

Roy scoffed at that, and the mask came all the way off Still won't give it up, huh? Let me put it plainly right here. I want you, and I want your money. We'll see what you've got to say when the cops show up!

I smiled too Who told you I called the police?

The words had barely left me when my phone rang. I answered, and a cold voice came through Boss, we're here.

I said just one word Come in.

The lock turned, and a group of burly men in suits came storming in