I got to my room and quickly fetched my ID card from the place where I had hidden it. My hands were already shaking as I held it. But suddenly something struck my mind.
"Come up with a story. If he finds out who you really are now, you are finished."
My heart began to beat faster and louder in my chest. I stood there for a few seconds, thinking hard about what to do next. Before I could even decide, I heard him shout my name from the living room.
"Shari!"
"Yes sir," I answered quickly, trying to sound normal.
"Bring your ID card quickly."
For a moment I froze. Then I quickly hid the ID card in another place where I believed no one could easily find it. After that, I walked slowly back to the living room.
"I am sorry sir," I said quietly.
He looked at me with an impatient face.
"What took you so long?"
"I couldn't find it, sir. I don't know where I left it."
He frowned immediately.
"You are not serious. How can you lose your ID card?"
"I'm sorry sir. When I find it, I will let you know."
He stared at me for a few seconds, shaking his head in disappointment, but he didn't push the matter further.
Deep inside my mind, I knew I couldn't just reveal my real identity like that. Not yet.
I needed time.
Time to recover properly.
Time to gather evidence.
And most importantly, time to get back what he had stolen from me before letting him know who I truly was.
I knew very well that he had already sent someone outside to search for me. Someone like a spy. But that didn't mean they would easily find me.
After all, I was already right under his nose while he was busy searching for me out there on the streets.
Sometimes when I thought about it, it almost made me laugh.
My main goal now was to hide my identity from him until the day I would have enough proof against him to finally expose all his lies.
There was one very important document that he had taken from me.
While I was living in that house as a housemaid, that was the document I was secretly searching for.
Our marriage certificate.
That paper was very important. It was the strongest proof that I was his legal wife.
If I could find it, everything would change.
One day, his wife left for the company early in the morning. That day, only the two of us were inside the house while the gateman stayed outside at the gate as usual.
I saw it as a good opportunity.
I had been looking for a chance like that for a long time.
I wanted to find any clue about where he might have kept the document, but honestly, I had no idea where to begin searching.
Later that day, he asked me to go and clean his room and arrange the bed.
Immediately, I saw it as an opportunity too.
As I cleaned the room, I carefully looked around. I checked the table drawers, the wardrobe, and every corner my eyes could reach without making it obvious.
I was hoping to find any document related to our marriage.
That was the proof I needed.
With it, I could easily report everything and make the truth come out.
But unfortunately, I didn't find any document like that.
Not even a single clue.
For a moment I felt discouraged, but I refused to give up. I still had the determination to continue searching until I found what I was looking for.
Then one day, the company manager came to visit them at home.
I was sure he didn't even suspect that this man was once the boyfriend of Maika Jolly when he was not around.
That day, my boss ordered me around like usual.
"Go and bring wine," he said.
I went to serve them wine while they sat in the living room.
My madam was sitting comfortably beside him, laughing and talking.
I noticed the manager trying to behave normally, but something felt strange. It was obvious that he and my madam were trying to act like nothing had ever happened between them.
They didn't show any sign of the closeness they once had when my runaway husband was not around.
As a housemaid, despite my condition, I was still the one doing almost everything in that house.
Cleaning.
Cooking.
Washing.
Running errands.
They believed it was just the salary that kept me there, not knowing that something much bigger was holding me back.
Sometimes I would stand there quietly and watch everything happening around me.
Imagine me watching another woman living comfortably with the man I had called my husband for almost two years.
Every night they slept in the same room.
And the worst part of it was that the woman would command me around the house as if I was nobody.
Meanwhile, she didn't even know that the house she was living in, the cars she was driving, and even the company they were running had been built from the money he had stolen from me.
Many evenings they would sit in the living room laughing, drinking wine, and enjoying themselves while I moved around doing all the housework.
But one thing was certain.
My identity would not remain hidden forever.
One day, the truth would surely come out.
My runaway husband and his fiancée decided to organize a small private party for the company staff and a few of their close friends. It wasn't a very big event, but it was enough to bring together some important people connected to the company.
That night, something happened at the party that truly touched my heart.
Among all the guests who came, there was one man whose gesture stood out to me.
As usual, I was the one moving up and down the house serving drinks and food. From the beginning of the feast until the middle of the night, I was always doing one thing or the other; bringing wine, clearing plates, arranging chairs, and making sure the guests were comfortable.
But while I was doing my work, I noticed something strange.
One man kept looking at me.
At first, I tried to ignore it. After all, I was only a housemaid in their eyes. But the way he looked at me was different. It wasn't the usual look people gave a servant.
It was as if he was studying me carefully.
I didn't know why he was looking at me that way.
At a certain point during the party, he suddenly stood up from his seat and spoke to my runaway husband.
"Let me help this servant with the bandage on her head," he said calmly. "She has not rested since this event started. She hasn't eaten anything, and not even half a glass of water has gone into her throat. She must be tired and thirsty."
My runaway husband laughed carelessly.
"No sir, it is the reason she is being paid for."
The man shook his head.
"No, I just want to help."
My husband looked at him suspiciously.
"Why?"
The man replied slowly, almost thoughtfully.
"The innocence in her eyes, the devotion in the way she works… no sighs, no complaints. Just politeness. Even the sound of her voice is gentle. I am curious to see the face behind that bandage."
My madam quickly spoke before anyone else.
"She was just a beggar we found on the street," M.J said proudly. "We only gave her this job so she wouldn't suffer from hunger."
Then she turned toward her secret boyfriend and said, "Is that not right, Mr. Lailam Jones?"
Lailam nodded quickly.
"You are right, madam. I was the one who saw her on the street that day. I even wondered how such a lady had ended up begging. Then I remembered madam Maika was looking for a humble housemaid."
The man who had spoken for me looked even more curious.
"With the way her voice sounds," he said slowly, "I truly wish I could see the face behind that bandage. Her voice reminds me of someone… someone I met somewhere before. The way she spoke to me earlier today sounded exactly the same."
As he said that, I suddenly remembered something.
Earlier that evening, before the party became lively, I had seen him standing outside alone in the compound. He looked worried, as if something heavy was on his mind.
At that time, I was cleaning some glasses nearby.
I had walked up to him politely and said, "You look worried, sir. Do you need anything?"
He shook his head slightly.
"No, my dear."
I smiled gently and replied, "We always need something, sir. It may not always be wine or food or luxury. Sometimes what we really need is peace… and the right people around us."
I didn't think much about that conversation at the time.
But now, hearing him talk about my voice, I realized he had remembered those exact words.
From the way he was so interested in seeing my face, I knew his problem wasn't about money, food, or wine.
He probably needed peace.
And maybe someone who truly understood him.
Strangely, I also started liking the man.
I could see his face clearly, but he couldn't see mine because of the bandage covering my head and part of my face.
He had only heard my voice.
Yet, from the way he spoke about me, it felt like he saw more than others could see.
But the truth was, I didn't remember ever meeting him before in my life.
Still, I wanted to know who he was.
Finally, someone called his name from across the room.
"Mr. Bongajum," the person said, laughing lightly, "she is just a common beggar they picked up from the street."
But Mr. Bongajum didn't seem to care about that statement.
He smiled slightly and said, "From the sound of her voice and the way she carries herself inside that gown, if you already admitted she was a beautiful beggar the day you saw her, then I have every right to admire what I am hearing and seeing."
He paused and added playfully,
"I would really like to see the beautiful gift hidden inside the parcel covering her face."
Those words touched my heart deeply.
Since the day I had that accident and my life turned upside down, nobody had spoken about me in such a kind way.
Even the manager I once believed cared about me was ashamed to acknowledge me in public.
The way he talked about me now felt distant and uncomfortable.
But here was a man who had never even seen my face, yet he was speaking about me with admiration and respect.
That moment stayed in my heart.
And I made up my mind.
Before he left that party, I had to speak with him.
Even though my madam had warned me many times to focus only on my duties and never get too familiar with the guests.
Later that night, I saw him standing up from his seat.
It looked like he was preparing to leave the party.
He walked toward the compound where his car was parked.
Quickly, I found an excuse to step away from my work.
Then I quietly followed him outside.
My heart was beating fast as I walked toward him.
I knew this might be my only chance to speak with him.