The Trouble I Brought Home

I uploaded the documents to my assistant and stayed home, pacing, waiting for Estelle to come back.

Two hours passed, but she still wasn't answering me. Whatever anger she had, she was holding onto it.

The office kept calling, pushing me to return. I had no choice but to go back. Thankfully, my assistant held things together and bought me two extra hours.

I couldn't focus during the meeting, my mind drifting the entire time. However, I still managed to close the deal on skill alone and didn't let anything fall apart.

Some coworkers invited me out to celebrate, but I turned them down right away.

I couldn't stop thinking about Belle.

I called Estelle again, but her phone was off.

A cold unease crept up my spine as images of the three of them at home together kept flashing through my mind.

Lately, there had been news stories about nannies turning on the families they worked for, things that ended in blood. The thought alone sent a chill through me.

Estelle had always been slim from careful dieting. Lillian, on the other hand, was broad and strong. And Belle… She was just a helpless baby.

If Lillian decided to take revenge…

I cut the thought off before it could finish forming.

Right after I parked, I ran upstairs.

When I got off the elevator, I saw the door slightly ajar. I slowed down, instinctively holding my breath, and peeked through the crack.

Estelle was sitting on the couch with Belle in her arms, watching TV with Lillian. The two of them were chatting and laughing, even sharing slices of fresh fruit together.

It looked completely normal, as though the sleeping pills from earlier had just been my imagination.

Anger surged up instantly.

Lillian must have talked her way out of it. Estelle was too trusting, but I wasn't.

There was no way I could keep this nanny!

I was about to rush in when Lillian suddenly sniffed, set the fruit down, and spoke in a shaky voice.

"Estelle, I'll pack my things. I'll leave tonight. Don't worry about paying me for these past few days. Just think of it as my apology."

Estelle grabbed her arm right away, trying to stop her. "Mom, don't go. You're my mom. Why does it matter what Vincent says? You're family. There's no way you'd ever hurt the baby."

Lillian insisted on leaving.

As she stood up, Belle suddenly burst into loud cries.

Lillian hesitated, then sat back down, soothing her in seconds until the crying stopped. She sighed softly. "I really can't bear to leave this little one."

I froze where I stood.

When I met Estelle, her mother had already passed away. Who was this, then?

Even if there had been some complicated story behind it, we had been together for years. Estelle could have told me.

I couldn't make sense of it.

I stumbled downstairs and sat outside a corner store, grabbing two beers.

As I drank, memories surfaced one after another, all the moments Estelle and I had shared over the years.

She had always been good to me, always thoughtful and caring. We weren't just husband and wife. We were best friends who told each other everything.

I wasn't upset about her mother coming back. If anything, I would have been happy for her to have that kind of family again.

What I couldn't accept was being lied to.

The March wind still carried a chill. After a few drinks, I shivered, and my head cleared a little.

Then, something clicked.

Out of nowhere, Lillian and Estelle's faces flashed through my mind. Their features, their height, even their skin tone… None of it matched, not even a little.

That news story flashed back into my mind again.

What if Lillian wasn't her mother at all? What if she had fooled Estelle?

If that was true, then she must have already dug into our background and figured out everything about our family.

My chest tightened.

She hadn't come here to enjoy an easy job. She had come for us!

I shot to my feet and ran back upstairs. I entered the passcode a few times, but they all failed. My heart slammed against my ribs as I realized the code had been changed.

I started pounding on the door, shouting Estelle's name, panic choking the air out of me.

The door creaked open.

A strong hand grabbed me and yanked me inside. I lost my footing and crashed to the floor. When I looked up, Lillian was there, wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, staring straight at me.