it.
For reasons she did not understand, it made her more nervous than the money.
Three days later, she officially became Ethan Caldwell’s household assistant.
Her salary increased dramatically.
Her benefits improved.
And for the first time in years, Catherine could help Megan with school expenses without standing in grocery aisles calculating what she needed to remove from the cart.
The work itself was manageable.
She coordinated maintenance.
Scheduled deliveries.
Tracked household appointments.
Managed vendors.
Organized paperwork.
And made sure Ethan’s large, strangely quiet home continued functioning.
Her greatest enemy
was the espresso machine.
Catherine distrusted it immediately.
It had too many buttons.
Too many lights.
And the confidence of an appliance that knew it cost more than her first car.
One evening, she approached it cautiously.
“Riley, we’re pressing one button.”
Riley remained supportive through silence.
“Exactly. Confidence.”
She pressed one.
The machine hummed.
A light flashed.
“See?”
Then another light flashed.
The machine hissed.
Catherine stepped backward.
“Why are you angry?”
Steam burst upward.
Coffee began pouring where Catherine had not expected it.
Milk foam followed.
Within seconds,
