Chapter 4
“Oh my god, what a beautiful bouquet! Why is it lying on the floor?”
Emma. Of course.
“Oh, my poor Ethan, why are you sitting on the floor crying?”
mma rushed into the room, her eyes wide with feigned concern, her hands fluttering around her face. She was back in her usual uniform of jeans and a t–shirt, her hair pulled back in a messy bun. Gone was the glamorous vixen I’d seen earlier. She was back to playing the role of the innocent, put–upon nanny.
“It’s not right to take out your anger on a child, even if you are arguing.”
Her words, dripping with faux sympathy, made it sound like I was the villain, and they
were the victims.
“If you don’t like the flowers, Evelyn,” she said, bending down to pick up the lilies, “I’ll gladly take them off your hands.” Her eyes darted between David and me, silently gauging
our reactions.
From the corner of my eye, I saw David shaking his head subtly, silently pleading with her
to drop it.
“Emma,” I said, my voice deceptively calm, “I pay you a very generous salary, one of the
highest in the industry. Why do you insist on collecting other people’s unwanted things?”
Emma froze, her face turning a delicate shade of pink. She finally seemed to realize that something was different. That I wasn’t the pushover I usually was. I normally treated her
with respect, even calling her Emma instead of Ms. Miller. I had even let her get away with
calling me Evelyn instead of Mrs. Hayes. I had foolishly believed that treating her with kindness would earn her loyalty.
“I…I’m sorry, Evelyn,” she stammered, flustered. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just came by to bring Ethan his favorite pizza. He’s been asking for it all week.”
Ethan, who had stopped crying, was now nestled comfortably in Emma’s arms.
“Thank you, Emma! You make the best pizza!”
My heart twisted painfully. This was a scene that used to warm my heart, watching them interact, believing they had a special bond. Now, it felt like a slap in the face.
I glanced at David, who was watching the exchange with a look of growing unease.
Emma, mistaking my silence for forgiveness, decided to push her luck. She slipped off her shoes and, without asking, put on a pair of my guest slippers.
“Well, since I’m here already, I might as well feed Ethan and maybe whip up something quick for dinner before I leave,” she said, already heading towards the kitchen.
I watched her go, my mind racing. She was good, I had to give her that. She knew exactly how to play the role of the innocent, helpful nanny, all the while subtly undermining my authority in my own home.
But her charade was about to end.
“Ms. Miller,” I asked, my voice deceptively sweet, “You weren’t at work yesterday, were you?”
Emma’s hand tightened around Ethan, and she glanced nervously at David. “Uh, no,
ma’am,” she stammered. “My father wasn’t feeling well, so I took a personal day. I told Mr.
Hayes.”
A personal day, spent in the arms of my husband. The lies just kept piling up, each one more outrageous than the last.
“And the necklace you’re wearing, Ms. Miller? That looks rather expensive for someone who claims to be struggling with their father’s medical bills.”
I recognized the necklace instantly. It was the same one I’d seen in a photo on the phone of David’s personal shopper, a birthday gift “for a special someone.” At the time, I had been touched, thinking he had bought it for me. Now, I realized just how naive I had been
Emma’s hand flew to her neck, her fingers instinctively clutching the pendant. “It… It was a gift from my boyfriend.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Evelyn, please… I’ll be more
careful next time, I promise. Please, David…”
She turned to David, her eyes pleading for help.
He couldn’t ignore her any longer. Not with the wounded doe eyes and the trembling lower lip.
“Evelyn,” he said, his voice exasperated, “Come on, let it go. It’s not a big deal. It reflects poorly on all of us if this gets out. Besides, Emma is usually very good with Ethan. There’s
no need to be so harsh.”
His words, intended to make me seem unreasonable and cruel, only fueled my anger.
“She broke my antique vase last month, remember? Did you ask her to replace it? No, you just let it slide, as always!” I snapped. “If you’re so concerned about fairness, why don’t you
ay her salary and let her live with you?”
David flinched, his face turning red. He had no response.
