Christine wasn't about to get what she wanted.
While she believed Joyce to be her biological daughter and wouldn't hurt her because of it, how could I possibly let someone so manipulative stay around my child?
"Christine, I'm terminating your employment," I said.
"Mrs. Turner!"
Christine was visibly shocked. She dropped to her knees with tears streaming down her face. She cried, "I haven't even had the chance to properly serve you and Ms. Joyce yet! Please don't make us leave!"
I looked down at her from where I sat on the couch.
"You're a nanny, Christine. How are you supposed to do your job while caring for a baby? Should I hire another nanny just to look after you during your recovery? We're not running a charity. Take your filthy brat and leave."
Christine's face twitched uncontrollably at my words. While hearing me call "my baby" names made her feel smug, she knew leaving would mean losing any chance of seeing Joyce again.
"Mrs. Turner, I'm begging you! I have nowhere else to go. I'll do anything!"
She came closer on her knees and continued, "I'll take perfect care of Ms. Joyce, and Filthy will devote her life to serving Ms. Joyce. If she ever slacks off, I'll beat her to death! In fact, if it'll make you let me stay, I'll kill her right now!"
Sarah looked horrified. "Christine, are you out of your mind? Why do you hate your child that much?"
"You don't know a thing!" Christine shrieked. Her hysteria was bordering on madness.
But in the end, Christine didn't have the nerve to harm Hazel in front of everyone, nor the courage to reveal Joyce's "true identity." Hence, she was thrown out of the house.
She clutched Hazel tightly, and her face froze in a chilling expression.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible would follow.
Afterward, I had someone keep an eye on Christine and Hazel, as well as Randy and Doris.
The elderly couple moved back to their rundown apartment complex and brought along Christine and Hazel. United by their hatred for me, the four of them formed a neat, cozy family.
As "my daughter," Hazel became their target for venting all their bitterness.
According to neighbors, shouting, vile insults, and the sound of beatings frequently came from their apartment, followed by the hoarse cries of a baby.
When Hazel's cries eventually stopped, one concerned neighbor investigated and discovered the Turners had sealed her mouth shut with duct tape.
The infant lay in filth with vacant eyes, while her fragile body was covered in bruises. Intervention from social services did little to help, and the abuse only escalated.
By some miracle, Hazel survived.
Nonetheless, even as a toddler, she was forced to do household chores. Any mistake would result in a beating. She must have wondered why her mother despised her so much.
The more Christine longed for Joyce, the deeper her hatred for Hazel grew.
I had done everything I could to keep Christine away from Joyce. But one day, Christine managed to find her after school.
"Hazel! Mommy's finally found you! Lana killed your father, kicked me and your grandparents out of the house, and kept us apart all these years!"
By the time I arrived, Christine was weeping and trembling as she clung to Joyce. "Hazel, I've thought about you every single day!"
However, unlike Hazel in the previous timeline, Joyce broke free from Christine's grasp and said, "I'm not your daughter!"
"But you are!" Christine cried in distress.
"Hazel, how can you deny your mother? If you don't believe me, we can do a DNA test! Hazel is your name, and it was chosen by your father and me. After I gave birth to you, I swapped you and Lana's baby so you could have a better life. No one loves you more than I do!"
I paused mid-step.
In my previous life, Hazel had believed Christine's story despite all the love I'd showered her with. She'd turned against me, even going so far as to take my life to legitimize their reunion.
But what would Joyce do?
