After my wife, Estelle Parks, gave birth, I hired a live-in nanny to take care of her and the baby.

I never expected that paying top dollar would bring home someone who acted like she owned the place. I had to cook every meal after work and mop the floors before bed. She even helped herself to the pricey bone broth I had bought for Estelle.

I got so fed up that I wanted to fire her, but Estelle just shrugged it off.

"As long as she takes care of the baby, what does it matter if she rests or eats a little? It's not like we're struggling."

And yet, Estelle had always hated people who took advantage of others.

I didn't get off work until ten at night. By the time I dragged myself home, my whole body felt like it was made of lead.

The second I opened the door, a wave of stench hit me so hard that it made me flinch.

I instinctively looked around for the source and found a pile of trash bags right by the entrance. It was stuffed with used diapers, all of them smeared and reeking.

I hung up my coat and walked straight into the living room.

The lights were dim, the TV flickering nonstop.

Lillian lay half-reclined on the couch, propping her head up with one hand, completely absorbed in her show. The coffee table was covered in empty snack wrappers and peels from the expensive fruit I had just bought for my wife, Estelle Parks.

She saw me, smiled lazily, and didn't move an inch.

"Vincent, you're back. Just do a quick clean tonight. It's late, so wrap it up and get some rest."

Estelle had just given birth not long ago. To make things easier for her and the baby, I paid three times the usual rate to hire what was supposed to be the best nanny in the city.

Lillian Moore was said to be a great cook, hardworking, and knowledgeable about childcare. Everything sounded perfect on paper.

After bringing her home, I realized it was all just polished resume talk. She always had an excuse to avoid chores. She never cooked or cleaned.

Since Estelle was still recovering and needed rest, all of it naturally fell on me.

Every night after overtime, I came home to wash clothes, mop the floors, scrub bottles, and take out the trash. After all that, I still had to get breakfast ready the next morning.

Not for Estelle and our daughter, Belle Parks.

No, it was for Estelle and Lillian.

That's right. The nanny I was paying a few thousand dollars a month expected me to make her a nutritious breakfast.

Just thinking about it made my chest burn.

"Lillian, you handle it tonight. I'm exhausted."

Lillian's expression darkened for a second, but she didn't say anything. More importantly, she didn't move.

I ignored her and went straight into the bedroom.

Estelle had come in and was lying there, watching a show. I dropped onto the bed and slumped against her, letting out a long sigh.

"It's way too hard to find a decent nanny these days. The cleaner ones are too young, and the younger ones don't have enough experience with babies. I thought we hit the jackpot and even paid extra to bring Lillian from another family. I didn't think it'd turn out like this. It's driving me crazy."

Estelle set her tablet aside and gently ran her fingers through my hair.

"Honestly, Lillian isn't that bad. Sure, she's lacking in some areas, but she's amazing with the baby. Belle doesn't cry or fuss at all anymore. I feel so much more relaxed these days, like I've actually gotten my energy back. How about this? I'll talk to her tomorrow. We're together all day anyway, so it'll be easier to work things out."

She leaned in and kissed me softly. Just like that, most of my irritation faded.

A sharp cry suddenly rang out from the next room.

I was about to get up, but Estelle grabbed my arm. With a mysterious smile, she started counting down with her fingers.

Ten seconds later, the crying stopped.

"See? Told you. Lillian knows what she's doing. You can't buy that kind of experience."

I had to admit that ever since Lillian arrived, the baby slept better, ate more, and grew chubbier by the day, all soft and rosy like a baby in a diaper commercial.

Still, something about it didn't sit right with me.

"What if we lower her pay? A nanny who only watches the baby shouldn't cost this much."

Estelle didn't respond.

I lifted my head and realized she had already fallen asleep.

She never used to do that while we were talking. The birth had really taken a toll on her.

I gently brushed her cheek, then closed my eyes and drifted off beside her.

The next morning…

When I first got together with Estelle, I was just a department manager. I pushed myself nonstop, climbing all the way to a director role so I could give her a better life.

Now that we had Belle, slowing down wasn't even an option.

I was halfway to the office when I realized I had forgotten some documents. I turned the car around immediately.

As the elevator reached a few floors below our place, I suddenly heard Belle crying, sharp and desperate. This time, it only got louder and more frantic.

My chest tightened as a bad feeling hit me. I pulled out my phone to call Estelle, only to notice a message she had sent 15 minutes earlier.

[Honey, I booked a postpartum recovery session this morning, so I went to the clinic early to get in line. Let's have lunch together later!]

Something felt wrong.

The moment the elevator doors opened, I ran straight for the apartment.

That damn Lillian! If Estelle wasn't home, she might've just let Belle cry and not bothered to check on her.

My hands were shaking so badly that I had to enter the door code three times before it unlocked. The second I stepped inside, Belle's crying stopped.

Lillian was standing there, holding Belle in one arm while feeding her with a bottle in the other. On the edge of the table nearby sat an open bottle of medicine, with a small pile of crushed powder spilled beside it.

A chill ran down my spine.

Was this how she kept the baby quiet? By feeding her sleeping pills?

Belle was barely a month old!

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I kicked the table aside and snatched Belle out of her arms.

The sudden movement made Belle spit up the milk in her mouth, and she burst into loud cries again.

Somehow, that sound steadied me.

I clumsily rocked her until she calmed down, then turned on Lillian, fury boiling over.

"How could you do such a thing? I'm reporting you! How much of that stuff have you been feeding my daughter these past few days?! She's only a month old! That's not negligence, that's attempted murder! I'm calling the police!"

Lillian didn't look the least bit panicked. She picked up the bottle from the table, walked to the bathroom, and dumped everything into the toilet before flushing it away.

"Where's your proof? You're just making blind accusations. If anything, I should call the police on you for slander!"

So she had done this before.

My phone started buzzing again. The company was urging me back. A major client was waiting. If I lost this deal, I might not just lose my position; I could lose my job entirely.

But there was no way I could leave Belle with that woman again.

I called Estelle right away.

"Estelle, Lillian's been giving Belle sleeping pills. I'm done putting up with this. I'm calling the police! You need to come back and watch Belle."

On the other end, Estelle gasped sharply, her breathing uneven.

"Can you just watch her for a bit? I'm only halfway through my session. It costs a few hundred dollars each time. I can't just waste it."

Another message popped up on my phone, urging me to hurry.

I gripped the phone tighter, my voice rising. "I have a meeting I can't miss. You need to come back now. Lillian's been feeding Belle sleeping pills!"

Estelle's tone suddenly turned sharp, edged with anger I didn't understand.

"Vincent, are you done yet? Those pills are for Lillian herself. She's the baby's… Why would she give sleeping pills to a child?

"Ever since she came here, you've had a problem with everything she does. I've tried to talk to you so many times, and you never listen.

"As long as she takes care of the baby, what does it matter if she rests or eats a little? It's not like we're struggling. I really don't get why you keep acting like this.

"If you don't want to spend money on a nanny for us, then just say it!"

The line went dead.

When I tried calling again, her phone was already off. She didn't give me a chance to say another word.

I stood there, phone in hand, a cold weight settling in my chest.

I should have installed cameras at home.

Now, I had no way to prove anything, even if I was telling the truth.

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.