The maid walked into the living room one afternoon and calmly told her boss’s wife that she wanted a raise.

The wife immediately looked annoyed.

She put down her coffee and crossed her arms.

“Now, Helen, why do you think you deserve a pay increase?”

Helen smiled politely.

“There are three reasons. The first is that I iron better than you.”

The wife raised an eyebrow.

“Who said that?”

Helen answered without hesitation.

“Your husband.”

The wife went quiet for a moment.

“Oh.”

Helen continued.

“The second reason is that I am a better cook than you.”

Now the wife looked even less impressed.

“Who said that?”

Again, Helen answered calmly.

“Your husband.”

The wife took a slow breath.

“Oh.”

At this point, she was clearly reconsidering several things about her marriage, but Helen wasn’t finished.

She folded her hands and delivered her final reason.

“The third reason is that I am a better lover than you.”

The wife’s eyes widened.

She nearly dropped her coffee.

She leaned forward and demanded,

“Did my husband say that as well?”

Helen shook her head.

“No, the gardener did.”

The room went completely silent.

The wife stared at Helen for several long seconds.

Helen simply stood there waiting, perfectly calm.

Finally, the wife cleared her throat and asked,

“So, how much do you want?”