The Private Chef: Serving Up Boundaries

I had cooked for Liam ever since college. Six years, straight. The job was easy, though occasionally, I had to handle things outside of my job description—like picking up condoms for him. A woman wrapped only in a bath towel leaned against his door, eyeing me with a mocking smirk. "Wow, you're pathetic. You're still chasing after him even when things are like this?" The door wasn't shut completely. As I walked away, I heard Liam's voice drifting into the hallway. "I wouldn't dare touch her. A woman like that... if I slept with her, she'd probably threaten to kill herself if I ever tried to leave. I'm not dealing with that kind of crazy." Later, Liam's mother tracked me down. She slid a sleek, black debit card across the table. "There’s a hundred grand on this card. Leave my son alone." I swallowed the words I originally wanted to say. But in the end, I couldn't resist the temptation of cold, hard cash. I just nodded and said, "Okay." When I went to interview for a new job, I ended up face-to-face with Liam's best friend. He looked at me, a half-smile playing on his lips. "How much was Liam paying you?" I answered cautiously: "A thousand..." 01 When I said that, Ethan clearly looked taken aback. "A thousand?" "You were with Liam for all these years, and he was only paying you a thousand dollars a month?" My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately scrambled to justify it. "A thousand was my starting rate! I have years of experience now, and my cooking has improved significantly. My current rate should be at least..." I racked my brain, worrying that a thousand sounded way too cheap to someone like Ethan. But as a private chef/housekeeper, I didn't want to quote an astronomical price and lose the job. I held up a few fingers, answering nervously: "Fifteen hundred." Ethan just stared at me with that half-smile. It was giving me the creeps. I never expected that when I applied for this private chef position, the employer would turn out to be Ethan. Ethan and Liam were close friends. The moment I saw him, my stomach dropped. I wanted to turn around and walk right out, but he stopped me. "You say you have experience, and you're a good cook. How good are we talking?" Ethan suddenly stepped forward, leaning in close, practically sniffing my neck. "How will I know if I don't give you a try?" I figured he had a point. Even if I didn't get the job long-term, cooking a trial meal would be good interview practice. "Alright. I'll do a trial run." 02 I went into the kitchen. Ethan's kitchen was fully stocked with top-of-the-line appliances, and the ingredients in the fridge had just been delivered that morning by a premium grocery service. I turned back to look at him. "Do you have any dietary restrictions or allergies? Garlic, onions, cilantro?" Ethan froze for a second, taking a moment to answer. "No ginger, no green onions..." When he saw me tie my hair back and start washing the vegetables with practiced efficiency, he couldn't help but ask: "Are you really here just to interview as a chef?" I shot him a weird look. "What else would I be interviewing for?" Ethan went quiet. He leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me prep the ingredients and chop the vegetables. "Liam's getting engaged." I paused for a fraction of a second, then just said, "Oh." "Tell him congratulations for me." Ethan leaned in closer. "You've been hovering around him for six years. Are you really okay with just walking away like this?" I thought about it for a second. "It was a job. It's not about being 'okay' with it or not. He doesn't need my services anymore, so I leave. I've been cooking for him since college. His standards were low, the work was easy... honestly, it is a shame to lose the gig. If he still needed me, I could have cooked for him for the rest of my life." Ethan burst out laughing. "Avery, you are seriously hilarious." 03 Liam and I met during our junior year of college. It was purely by chance. I was broke and trying to pay for textbooks, so I started making homemade panna cotta and selling it out of my dorm room. Business was surprisingly good. Through my little side hustle, I ended up adding a lot of people on campus to my Snapchat. Liam was one of the people who bought my desserts. When I delivered his order, he stopped me and asked: "If you can make panna cotta, can you cook real food?" I was surprised, but I nodded. Growing up poor meant learning to take care of the house early. I wouldn't claim to be a Michelin-star chef, but I could definitely throw down some solid, home-cooked meals. Liam just grunted in approval. "Make me a few dishes. I'll pay you." When I walked into his dorm, I realized he wasn't in the standard, cramped student housing. He was living in the luxury, off-campus student apartments. Three bedrooms, a massive living room, and he had the entire place to himself. He said the dining hall food was garbage, and he was sick of ordering DoorDash every night. He wanted someone to cook him a decent lunch. I made him three classic, home-style dishes. When he ate them, he didn't say much, but he Venmo'd me twenty bucks. Making twenty dollars just for cooking a quick lunch on campus? I was thrilled. After that, Liam started asking me to cook for him regularly. Every time I cooked, he sent me money. When he was in a good mood, he'd randomly Venmo me a hundred or two hundred dollars. Eventually, he got tired of sending individual payments, so he just started sending me a flat thousand bucks a month to handle his lunches. But he wasn't always at his apartment for lunch. Over the course of a month, I probably only ended up cooking for him a dozen times. Honestly, it was Liam's money that got me through college without drowning in student loans. Because of that, I practically viewed him as my savior. So, when graduation rolled around, I tracked him down, nervously asking him: "Liam, now that we're graduating... do you still want me to cook for you?" Liam looked at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. Finally, he let out a scoff. "Whatever. But Avery, make sure you remember your place. You're just a private chef who cooks my meals." I didn't catch the underlying sneer in his words. I just nodded happily. "Okay!" 04 Back in college, Liam actually needed someone to cook for him because of his living situation. But once we graduated, his family had actual professional chefs ready to cater to him. He obviously didn't need my home cooking anymore. He only called me over occasionally, and when he did, it was usually to run errands for him. I felt like I owed Liam a debt of gratitude. When he called me to pick up cigarettes, alcohol, or even condoms, or when he needed a designated driver to pick him up from a club at 2 AM, I did it without asking for extra pay. I never complained. Because every now and then, Liam would drop a little extra cash my way, and that was more than enough to keep me living comfortably. This arrangement lasted for six years. Even years after graduation, I was still his go-to errand girl. A few weeks ago, Liam called me and told me to bring something to his hotel. He sounded incredibly impatient. I hurried to the pharmacy, bought what he needed, and rushed upstairs. When I knocked, a woman wearing nothing but a plush hotel bathrobe leaned against the doorframe. She looked me up and down like I was a circus animal, her voice dripping with mockery. "Wow, you're pathetic. You're still chasing after him even when things are like this? Do you have zero self-respect?" The woman flashed her wrist, showing off a dazzling Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet. "See this? Liam bought this for me. This one bracelet cost four grand. How long do you have to hover around him like a desperate puppy to make four grand, honey? He's never bought you anything like this, has he? Take my advice—just give up." I was completely dumbfounded by her rant. I couldn't think of a single thing to say. Liam, shirtless, walked up to the door and snatched the box of condoms out of my hand. "Why are you wasting your breath on her?" He didn't even give me a second glance before slamming the door. But the door didn't latch completely. Through the small crack, I heard Liam and the woman talking. The woman asked: "She's been obsessed with you for years. Have you ever actually slept with her?" Liam sounded like he had just heard a hilarious joke. "Do you really think my standards are that low?" "I wouldn't dare touch her. A woman like that... if I slept with her, she'd probably threaten to kill herself if I ever tried to leave. I'm not dealing with that kind of crazy." The woman sounded confused. "Then why do you keep her around?" Liam raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with arrogant amusement: "Am I keeping her around? If she didn't show up, I wouldn't stop her. She's the one who insists on being here." 05 I quietly pulled the door shut until it clicked, and walked out of the hotel. I didn't know exactly who they were talking about, but for some reason, it felt like they were talking about me. But what did I actually have to do with Liam? I was just his part-time chef and personal assistant. Why would they be talking about me like that? I tried to push the crazy thoughts out of my head. But a little over a week later, a wealthy, elegant woman tracked me down. She introduced herself as Liam's mother. Her eyes were ice-cold as she slid a cashier's check across the table. "There's a hundred thousand dollars here. Stay away from Liam." I froze. It took my brain a second to catch up. Was I being fired? "Does Liam... not want me to cook for him anymore?" I murmured. Liam's mother gave a curt nod. "Take the money, and stay far away from my son. Do not ever show your face in front of him again." I was incredibly flattered by the amount, and instinctively pushed the check back toward her. "I don't need this much... this is way too much..." Even if I was being let go, I didn't deserve this kind of severance package, especially since Liam and I never even had a formal employment contract. Liam's mother let out a cold, cynical laugh. "Stop playing hard to get. If you don't take this money now, you'll get absolutely nothing." I swallowed hard. The words I originally wanted to say died in my throat. I couldn't resist the temptation of that much cash. I carefully took the check. "Okay." 06 I cooked Ethan a solid four-course meal with a soup. Garlic butter shrimp with glass noodles, spicy and sour cabbage, tomato and egg stir-fry, braised pork belly, and a simple seaweed egg drop soup. I wasn't capable of making complex, Michelin-star dishes, but I could make comfort food in my sleep. Ethan ate his fill and nodded in approval. "You really do know what you're doing." "Start tomorrow. Come here every day at 4:00 PM to cook dinner. The groceries will be delivered for you. As for your salary..." He looked at me, a faint smile playing on his lips: "I'll pay you three thousand a month." I was ecstatic. But I still had a few lingering concerns. I wanted to make things very clear: "If I'm cooking for you, I'm only cooking. I don't do any other kind of personal assistant work." Ethan nodded. I bit my lip, then added: "And please... don't tell Liam about this." Ethan nodded again, not even bothering to ask why. "Deal." Liam's mother had paid me to stay away from him, so it was best if Liam never found out about my new job. Since I took the money, I intended to completely sever all ties with him. After being fired by Liam, I had immediately found a great new job. Ethan was actually a pretty relaxed boss. All I had to do was cook dinner for him every night. He wasn't a picky eater; whatever I made, he ate. I thought my life was completely separated from Liam's now. But I never expected Liam to call me. Staring at the familiar number on my screen, I froze. I let it ring until it went to voicemail. Immediately, Liam called back. Again and again. I started to panic. I didn't know what to do. After agonizing over it, I figured it might be an actual emergency, so I finally answered. Liam's voice was harsh and commanding. "Come pick me up." 07 I was completely speechless. My throat felt like it was glued shut. Liam spoke again, his words slurring slightly like he had been drinking. "Did you hear me? Come pick me up...!" I answered, my voice small and cautious: "Liam, I don't work for you anymore. I think you called the wrong person." A string of curses exploded through the speaker. Liam snarled: "Get the hell out of here, Avery. If you have any guts, don't ever come looking for me again." He hung up. The next day, Ethan brought it up. "Did Liam call you last night?" I was washing vegetables. I nodded. "Yeah, but I think he just dialed the wrong number by accident." Ethan studied me, an amused, intrigued look in his eyes. "I don't think it was an accident. He was screaming your name all night long." I paused. "Screaming my name?" Ethan nodded. I was baffled. "Why would he be yelling my name...?" Ethan gave me a deeply significant look. "Why do you think he was yelling for you? Avery, I honestly thought you were a little slow, but you're actually brilliant. Playing hard to get, using absence to make the heart grow fonder... it's a masterful move." I looked at Ethan like he had two heads. "What on earth are you talking about?" Ethan just smirked. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." I gave up trying to understand and went back to cooking. Ethan wasn't a picky eater, and he never asked me to do anything outside of my job description, but the way he talked was baffling. I wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and half the time I couldn't tell if he was complimenting me or mocking me. But it didn't really matter. Even if he was insulting me, as long as I didn't understand it, it didn't count. On Sunday night, I finished cooking, but Ethan wasn't home. I texted him, cleaned up the kitchen, and left. Later that night, he called me. "Tomorrow, come to this address to cook." 08 I was a bit confused, but I agreed. Early the next morning, I went to the farmer's market to buy fresh ingredients. In the afternoon, lugging heavy grocery bags, I arrived at the address Ethan gave me. It was an ultra-exclusive gated community. Even after giving the security guards the address, I had to call Ethan to get cleared through the gates. I pulled up to a massive, three-story modern mansion and rang the doorbell. It took a long time for someone to answer. The person who opened the door was the woman from Liam's hotel room. She stared at me, lugging my giant grocery bags, and blinked in surprise. "You..." I peeked inside. The house was packed. It wasn't just Liam; there were dozens of guys and girls. It looked like they were throwing a massive house party. I frowned deeply. The woman let out a cynical scoff and stepped aside. "Come on in. Liam isn't even here yet." Liam is coming? I felt a surge of annoyance and asked: "Where's Ethan?" The woman gave me a weird look. "Why are you looking for Ethan? He's not here yet either. Just get inside. You're here to cook, right? Perfect. Whip me up a salad first, my stomach is killing me and I haven't eaten all day." I dropped the grocery bags by the door and immediately called Ethan. "I told you, I only cook for you. I don't cater parties." Ethan replied casually, completely unbothered. "I'll pay you extra. And it's not a catered party, just make the same kind of stuff you usually make for me." "Liam is going to be here. You purposely set this up, didn't you?" Ethan chuckled softly. "Maybe. But he's going to be late. He's dealing with some business right now. You'll be done cooking and gone before he even gets here. You won't even cross paths. Avery, do this one dinner for me, and I'll pay you ten grand." Ten thousand dollars. My heart hammered in my chest. After a moment of intense hesitation, I finally walked inside. I had brought a lot of groceries. As I lugged them through the living room, a few people recognized me. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Liam's little shadow. Haven't seen you in a minute. Here to cook for us today?" The woman from the hotel replied for me. "Yep. Showed up completely uninvited, too. I didn't hear Liam say anything about her coming. Women like her really need to learn some self-respect. Guys only want what they can't have. When you make it this easy, you're just worthless." 09 I knew they were talking about me. Liam's inner circle of trust-fund friends had always despised me. Every time I ran into them, I was the butt of their jokes. My parents always told me I was a bit slow on the uptake, but honestly, I thought it was a superpower. At least when these people looked down on me, I didn't let it bother me. Cooking requires total focus. I shoved the frozen goods into the massive fridge and immediately started prepping. I whipped up the salad the woman demanded, then started washing and chopping the rest of the vegetables. About an hour later, the front door opened again. This time, the person walking in was Liam, who had rushed over the second he heard the news. I was standing in the open kitchen, wearing an apron, working on a stir-fry. Liam ignored everyone else in the room and marched straight toward me. A few people tried to follow him, but Liam violently slammed the heavy glass kitchen doors shut behind him, locking them out. Hearing the loud bang, I turned around. Liam was standing right behind me. His eyes were dark and predatory. "Where the hell have you been?" I felt incredibly awkward. I had convinced myself that Ethan was lying, but here Liam was. "I've been... working..." Liam frowned deeply. "Working where?" "Doing the same thing I used to do." Liam looked genuinely taken aback. "The same thing? For who?" He suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist. His eyes were rimmed with a dangerous, feral red. He looked terrifying.