"What are you doing in Los Angeles? I'm in San Francisco right now."
He sounded anxious, which only made me more convinced of what I had been suspecting.
He had another family, and they were living very comfortably.
"Maybe I was mistaken. You go ahead and get back to work."
Even the maid's uniforms here were custom-made by a luxury brand. The owners of this place were undoubtedly very wealthy and powerful.
I put the maid's uniforms aside and walked back to the playroom from earlier.
The little master, Leon Smith, was inside, busy building a block tower as tall as he was.
"Go away, stinky maid!"
Seeing me step into his territory, Leon immediately stood up, trying to chase me out.
I bent down next to him, took a deep breath, then covered my nose, and took two steps back, making a face as if I was utterly disgusted.
"Mr. Smith, what are you talking about? Is it because you soiled your pants that you've been saying there's a bad smell?
"Do you want me to help you change?"
Upon hearing this, Leon started to sob. Kids this age were easy to handle.
"I did not soil my pants! I don't stink! You go away!"
"Alright, alright, I get it."
I pulled out my phone and showed him a picture of my father.
"Who is this? Do you know him?"
"Why do you have a picture of my dad?"
It took me a few seconds to process this information—my father really did have another family, and his son was already five years old.
"Do you know what your dad is doing?"
"He's on a business trip. When he comes back, he's going to bring me the newest toys."
Leon's face lit up with pride as he talked about his father. He no longer felt like crying.
But I wasn't about to let him stay happy for long.
"No, he's not. Your dad was taken away by the police. He's been telling you a huge lie."
"You're the liar! My dad would never lie!"
"Believe whatever you want, but your dad hasn't come back in a long time, right? They're all lying to you."
As soon as I said that, Leon started bawling. I quickly ran back to my room, put on the maid's uniform, and then rushed back out, pretending to be concerned.
Erica and Monica were already gathered around him.
They treated the child's words as nothing more than a joke, and after some coaxing, the incident was brushed off.
But the look in Leon's eyes when he glanced at me held a level of resentment far beyond his years.