Morning Ritual
She showed up at the house every morning, just in time to see Daniel off to work. It was their friendly, morning ritual, but he had no clue how much it truly meant to the maid.
But lately, there had been some warning signs that Daniel just couldn't ignore. That's why he decided to install the cameras. He watched in horror as she used his house for her own personal affairs. He couldn't believe it.
A Workaholic
Daniel Evanson was a 32-year-old, ambitious businessman. Every day, he would spend hours at the office, refining business ideas for his company. But he enjoyed every second of it. Daniel was a workaholic.
When he was just 25 years old, he started his very own coaching company. But by now, it had turned into a growing business with more than 100 employees to support.
He Was Always Busy
It was safe to say that Daniel was a busy man. But sadly, as his professional life was booming, his personal life took a bit of a tumble.
He lived his life in the office. You see, he struggled to find a balance between his work and the rest of his life. He was a bachelor, and he never got around to doing his housework. That was why he decided to hire help - at least, he thought he did.
Beside Himself
His jaw was unhinged as he stared at the screen. Daniel was beside himself. He couldn't believe what she was doing. His heart was pounding in his chest as his blood began to boil.
When he first met and hired Sarah, he had no clue that she was actually hiding ulterior motives. She was young and beautiful. He thought she was kind and harmless, but that wasn't the truth.
She Left Him Flowers
When she was first hired, her work was flawless! There was nothing he loved more than coming home to a clean house. She would always make sure to leave him some flowers, which he thought was thoughtful of her. It was a professional touch that he quickly got used to and loved seeing.
But he had no idea that these flowers were far more than a professional touch. In reality, they served as the first warning sign of what was to come.
She Showed Up Early
Sarah arrived at his house just before he left for work every morning, and she would make sure to always greet him. While he was gone at work, she would clean his house. She was then expected to be gone by lunchtime.
Weeks went by, and there were no problems. But soon enough, Daniel began noticing something strange.
As Time Passed
He noticed that the more time passed, the less she would clean the house. He would notice that it often seemed as though the floor hadn't even been vacuumed.
But what bothered him more than anything else was the odd smell that began to linger. To make matters even worse, his electricity bill had increased dramatically since she started working for him. He came up with an idea.
A Hidden Camera
He decided that the only way to see what she was really up to was to install a hidden camera. He was paying her a generous amount of money, therefore, he felt he had the right to see what she was up to all day.
But little did Daniel know that he was completely unprepared to see what the camera would capture.
Completely Normal
Daniel made his way downstairs and greeted Sarah before he made his way to work. Once he was at his office, he logged into the security camera system. As he watched, everything seemed to be completely normal.
He decided to put his phone away and focus on his duties for the day. Once he was finished at work, he logged back into the system and was surprised to see her only beginning to leave the house.
He Watched
She should've left hours ago. He sat up in his seat and replayed the video from the start of the day. He skipped a few hours in, watching as Sarah moved around the house. She was picking up things and cleaning the countertops.
But then, she began acting abnormally. Daniel’s heart dropped as he took in the bizarre sight. This was outrageous!
Fuming
Daniel was fuming as he drove home. He couldn’t believe he had let someone like that into his house for that long. As soon as he got home, he emailed her.
He sent her the video along with two simple words; ‘You’re fired.’ He decided not to pursue legal action, but anybody else might have. What did he see?
Bizarre Behavior
Daniel caught his housekeeper taking off her clothes and throwing them into the washing machine. She walked around the house in her underwear and made her way to his bedroom.
Daniel watched in shock as she began to try on his clothes, dancing around his room. Then she sat on his bed and sprayed his cologne on herself. But that wasn’t all.
Thief
After she washed her clothes, she put his clothes in the washer. Daniel watched as she snuck one of his t-shirts into her bag.
Suddenly, he remembered that he thought he had misplaced two other items. There was no doubt in his mind that she took them. Daniel fired her, but he was still worried about one thing.
Obsessed
It became clear that this woman had an obsession with him. He wondered if she’d be back or end up stalking him. He kept his security cameras installed and added more outside.
After a few weeks of radio silence, he concluded that she understood not to push her limit. She was lucky he didn’t press legal charges to begin with. But not everybody agreed with his decision.
Divided Opinions
Daniel shared his story online. He shared parts of the footage and warned people to vet their housekeepers properly. People were in disbelief at the recording and urged him to press charges.
“If you don’t pursue legal action, she could do this to someone else,” one user commented. But what do you think?
Lawyering Up
Daniel decided that before he did anything, he would need some legal advice. Who knew how things would end if he weren’t prepared for all outcomes? Daniel’s brother had a number he could call in situations like this.
He got the number of the lawyer and called them, seeking counsel. But he had no idea that this was just the beginning.
Figuring Out His Options
Daniel arranged a meeting with the lawyer to discuss everything that was on his mind. After disclosing all of the relevant information, the lawyer had a concerned look on his face.
“This could be a problem if we don’t deal with it correctly.” The lawyer informed him. The two men discussed what he could do going forward, but he wouldn’t be prepared.
Precautions
By the end of the meeting, Daniel knew that he’d have to set up a few precautions. After all, the woman did know the layout of his house and where all of his most prized possessions were kept.
He didn’t go directly home from the lawyer’s office. He had to make an important stop along the way.
A Stop Along The Way
Daniel decides to stop at a security store to beef up his security at home. He would make sure that if his ex-employee ever got any funny ideas, he would put a stop to them then and there.
He accessorized with things like cameras, security locks, a deadbolt, and even a panic button. Now he just had to get them all installed. But he had no idea how useless these things would end up being.
Installing Them
After getting home, Daniel would have to install the outdoor cameras, the locks, and everything else before he could sleep that night. It would take him a few hours, but he had to do it. It was for the sake of his safety.
He would make sure that no one ever took advantage of him ever again. The lawyer’s advice rang through his head the whole while.
Not Enough
After finishing up everything, Daniel felt an itch at the back of his head. Something wasn’t quite right. He wasn’t satisfied with the security. The next day it would be so back that he would do what people would start to think was extreme.
Nosy neighbors would watch the mental decline of their fellow neighbors as he went to more extreme methods to feel safe. But it would all be for nothing.
Upgrading The Alarm System
Over the next week, Daniel installed all sorts of new things that seemed very unnecessary to those around him. But in his mind, he needed them to sleep at night. He installed a panic button in every room in his house and an alarm system on his property.
His dark fixation on safety had been pushed to its limits. People in the neighborhood started to question his sanity. But in his mind, everything was necessary.
Talk Of The Neighborhood
Soon Daniel was the talk of the neighborhood. Everyone around him didn’t seem to be on his side. Had they never had anyone take anything from him? He couldn’t believe that the word “paranoid” was being thrown around.
He couldn’t wait for them to see how necessary it was. They would all ask for forgiveness when he showed them that he wasn’t being paranoid when the very woman that had stolen from him came back.
Finally Feeling Safe
After spending a fortune on his security measures, Daniel finally felt somewhat safe. He decided to try and move on with his life now. He wanted to forget about the incident, and now that could never happen again, he would feel reassured.
He could sit down and relax after work by watching television without the worry that anyone could be plotting to take advantage of him. But the last person he expected would have the audacity to come back.
Checking The Monitors
Now over a month had passed since the incident. Daniel was drained from his work that week but was now enjoying his Saturday off. But that’s when his camera picked something up. He got up and walked to the monitors.
He had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. But was he just being as paranoid as his neighbors said?
Nothing
Daniel didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. His backyard and front lawn all looked devoid of any life other than maybe the insects in the grass. But went back to sit down and enjoy the football on his television.
As he enjoyed his show, he had no idea that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. There was definitely something there.
Hearing A Noise
Daniel had sat back down for five minutes before he heard a noise outside of his front door. He jumped up and checked his alarm system. It was on, so nothing should have been able to get too close to his house without alerting him.
He tried to reassure himself that it was nothing but even he knew that was wishful thinking. Something was definitely close by.
Speechless
Daniel approached his front door and looked out of the peephole. But what he saw made his blood run cold. He had been preparing for this moment, but it still didn’t terrify him any less.
He was speechless. Sarah was standing on the other side of the door, waiting for him to open it. He was terrified.
Explanation
“Hello, Daniel? I’d like to offer an explanation as to why I’m here. Please open the door.” Sarah calmly said. The man stood frozen on the other side. What if this was some kind of trick, and there were other guys ready to jump him?
But then he heard the voices of his neighbors’ calling him paranoid. Against his better judgment, he opened the door. But what Sarah did next changed everything.
Reparations
Now face-to-face, Sarah explained everything. She was ashamed that she was caught stealing from Daniel and offered an apology. She was desperate for money and had to support her child in some way.
But more than that, she offered to pay reparations. She handed Daniel the value of the items she had taken and told him that she’d be on her way. Daniel couldn’t believe what had just happened. He decided that he had become too paranoid and stripped most of the security measures from his house. In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.