On the contrary, it irritated her that Natalie was always cheerful, smiling with the girl. And Alice, happy and content. Inside, Zoe was burned by an unfamiliar and very unpleasant feeling of jealousy.
And when her husband returned from work, she repeatedly told him straight out. «The nanny needs to be fired. Tomorrow.
Tell her not to come here anymore.» «Why?» – Vincent was amazed. Alice is delighted with her, and I see she’s diligent and kind.
Rarely meet such positive and open people nowadays. You look at her, and your mood lifts. This answer literally drove Zoe mad.
It infuriated her that her husband was suspiciously content lately. She understood that the compliant Natalie, even if not a beauty, could take her place as wife in the house. It’s enough already that Alice doesn’t want to part with Natalie, doesn’t let her go home, cries for her and categorically doesn’t want to be with Zoe.
Every time Vincent praised the nanny, he looked at her with such warmth. And inside Zoe, everything turned over from jealousy. And in Natalie’s work, Zoe kept looking for flaws.
Seeing a rival in her, she kept trying to harm, do some nastiness and triumphantly report it to her husband. However, the nurse had received too harsh a lesson from the school to not draw the proper conclusions from it. Everything Zoe could use for harm to both Natalie and Alice was recorded on the phone, so evidence of the contrived accusations was always at hand.
Before the caregiver came to the family, Zoe absolutely didn’t pay attention to his daughter’s development. Alice didn’t go to kindergarten, no one took her for walks. She didn’t play with other kids, although she dreamed of making friends.
And therefore, with great willingness, having strengthened a bit and starting to eat with appetite, she went out with the caregiver to the nearby park, with children’s swings and sandbox. There, soon she first made one friend, then another. All three built sand houses, ran after each other with screams, playing tag.
Alice started returning home cheerful and energetic, ate lunch with appetite. Dad soon noticed too that his daughter cheered up, blush appeared on her cheeks, and she started telling how she and Aunt Natalie walked, what they saw, how they fed pigeons. Now, who categorically didn’t like all this, it was Zoe.
She simply harbored malice, seeing how Alice cheered up, how she befriended the caregiver. After all, on the contrary. From the first days of living together, she tried to convince her husband that his daughter was weak and lazy.
The stepmother didn’t want to sacrifice her time and attention, which she could spend on herself beloved. Alas, the maternal instinct never awoke in her. She perceived Alice as someone else’s child, reasoning like, do I need all this.
She’ll grow up and won’t say thank you. Zoe loved taking care of herself. Going to beauty salons, boutiques, lounging in spas.
And to justify herself in her husband’s eyes, she accused the stepdaughter of being lazy, doesn’t want to dress, doesn’t want to walk. And then once, having walked with her just once near the house, it so happened that the girl got sick. So there was another reason not to walk with her at all.
Like, she’s weak, might get sick again, better sit warm at home. That she gets sick often and doesn’t need extra contact with other children. But here it turns out the opposite, and the caregiver ruined her game.
Meanwhile, walking after lunch in the park with Alice, Natalie sometimes met Steve there too. After work, he specially hurried here to meet Natalie. Both had something to tell each other, they were drawn to meet and talk.
For Alice, deprived of her dad’s attention, eternally busy at work, it was also joyful that Uncle Stephen willingly helped learn to ride a bike, played ball. Choosing the moment when the caregiver went for a walk with Alice in the afternoon, Zoe decided to follow the nanny. She saw a man join them, and all three, chatting cheerfully, went to the playground.
That’s when Zoe recorded on her phone how amiably Natalie talked with this person, and full of thirst for revenge, in the evening showed the photo to her husband. Maliciously chattered. «Darling, look what’s happening.
This caregiver doesn’t suit us. Fire her immediately.» On walks, instead of watching Alice, she’s flirting with some lame cripple.
«How about that? Why should the girl interact with such people? She’ll pick up bad manners and words. If she knew what this would lead to, she would have dropped the thought of harming Natalie.» Vincent, looking at the photo, almost immediately recognized the man as the one who essentially saved his life two years ago.
He gestured to stop his wife and snapped. «Shut up! It’s him! Definitely him!» «Can’t be! And I couldn’t find him all this time. Need to ask Natalie everything.
As if not noticing Zoe, Vincent muttered.» Zoe looked at him puzzled and angry. «Who is he? What to ask? Need to drive her out of here.
Are you even hearing what I’m saying? Or has this impudent one already wormed her way into your trust? Watch out, soon she’ll replace me in bed too.» The man sharply replied. «Don’t talk nonsense.
You’re taking too much on yourself. I’ll figure it out myself. And you go to the bedroom.
Let me think. Instead of spying on the caregiver, you could walk with Alice at least once yourself.» Annoyed Zoe slammed the door and left.
Her cunning plan failed again. She hated the caregiver even more and decided to get rid of her by any means. Vincent plunged into memories.
Once a friend was giving him a ride in his car. He was always a reckless driver, and that day he had drunk. At the intersection, without waiting for the green light, he hurried to drive through.
And then from the perpendicular street, a taxi flew out. Right into the side where Vincent sat next to the driver. He was already saying goodbye to life, but the experienced taxi driver reacted instantly and steered the car away from collision to the roadside, crashing into a tree.
When Vincent and his friend ran to the taxi, behind the wheel was exactly this man from the photo. He was pale, got a complex leg fracture. The friend then promised to help the taxi driver materially, and Vincent, to his shame, never inquired what happened to him further.
Here’s the chance to correct the oversight, the businessman decided, after all, the guy saved my life. The taxi could have simply crushed me in the car then. Need to find out if the friend helped him then.
And interesting, how does Natalie know him? He immediately called the caregiver to his office and showed her the photo. Asked sternly. Where do you know this person from? And why does he accompany you on walks with my daughter? Is he your fiancé? Husband? Natalie was taken aback, but she had nothing to hide.
Not at all, he’s my friend. Name’s Stephen, he’s the custodian at the school where I worked. Hard fate for him.
Needs urgent surgery on his leg, but no money. We just communicate, he taught Alice to ride a bike. And why are you asking? And where’s this recording from? Are you spying on me? Even unpleasant.
If you don’t trust me that much, I can quit. Just know, you’re a blind fool. Yes, you heard right.
You say you love your daughter, but you hardly spend time with her. Don’t you understand that this can’t be compensated with toys? Alice isn’t sick at all, she’s just withering from longing. Lost her mom, and dad’s always busy.
Tell me, when was the last time you spent time with her? Not five minutes, but at least half a day. And about your wife, I could tell a lot too, but I won’t, it’s not my business. Well, should I leave? Am I fired? Vincent was shocked and not offended at all, on the contrary.
Natalie seemed to open his eyes to obvious things. He justified himself. You’re probably right.
Always no time, either business trips, or meetings, or emergencies. But I’m trying for the family, so they lack nothing. Though who am I kidding? I don’t remember myself when I took a day off.
And this is abnormal. It’s decided. Tomorrow we all go to the park together.
Promise you’ll introduce me to Stephen. I owe my life to this man and want to help him. And forget about quitting.
I’m not that blind not to see how my daughter changed. Eyes lit up, laughs, chatters, gained weight. Thank you, Natalie, for everything.
I’m very satisfied with your work. How Alice rejoiced when dad announced the walk. It was probably the best day of her life.
But Zoe got angry. She didn’t want to waste a whole day fussing with this kid at all. She was against Natalie going with them, but her husband was adamant, had to yield.