My Child's Life Stolen by the Nanny's Child

I don't understand this operation. In the evening, I left the company directly and drove home. Seeing that I left the company early today, many senior executives of the company were surprised. Recently, the company has developed very fast. I am so busy that I have regarded the office as my home, eating and living here. Many people in the company have nicknamed me behind my back, calling me the "hardworking iron lady". In my career, I am very successful. In just a few years, I have multiplied the inheritance left by my parents several times, and many bigwigs in the business world have praised me. However, I have failed a bit in being a wife and a mother. I owe a lot to my husband and daughter, and I have little time to accompany them. I will go home early today. I plan to make a hearty dinner for my husband and daughter, accompany them well, and make up for my debt to them. When I got home, Jessie had finished school. She was wolfing down cheap instant noodles, as if she hadn't eaten for a day. I was stunned at first, and then a little angry when I saw this scene. I looked at the nanny at home and said in an unhappy tone: "Aunt Elsa, the child is hungry, and you give her this?" Aunt Elsa's face flashed a trace of panic, and then she smiled and said to me: "Ms. Rosa, Jessie clamored for instant noodles after school, saying that she wanted to try what instant noodles taste like." "Jessie, tell your mother quickly, is it you who asked for instant noodles?" Jessie seemed to be a little afraid of Aunt Elsa, and nodded to me timidly. Aunt Elsa smiled even more and said to me: "Ms. Rosa, you didn't call in advance when you went home today, and I haven't prepared dinner yet. You take a rest first, I'll go cook now!" After that, she went to the kitchen to get busy. I walked to Jessie's side, and seeing that she looked like she was starving, I felt distressed and said softly, "Jessie, didn't you eat enough at the kindergarten at noon?" Jessie looked at me timidly and said cautiously, "I ate enough. Jessie is hungry quickly. Mom won't think that Jessie ate too much!" Seeing my daughter's cautious look, I felt even more distressed. I held Jessie in my arms and comforted her softly. The company was too busy during this period, which led to my less care for Jessie, and also made Jessie a lot more unfamiliar with me. Her temperament seemed to have become much more timid and sensitive. In the next period of time, I have to accompany her well. At Jessie's age, it is the time when her mother needs to accompany her. If the relationship between us mother and daughter gradually becomes estranged, or even cracks, then what's the use of earning more money? During dinner, I chatted with Aunt Elsa about Jessie. Aunt Elsa praised Jessie for being well-behaved and sensible, but Jessie was not happy about the praise. Facing the gentle Aunt Elsa, Jessie always showed a fearful look. I noticed this, glanced at the busy Aunt Elsa, and held back my anger. As night fell, when I was bathing Jessie, I saw a few bruises on her body and asked her what happened. Jessie whispered: "Mom, Jessie accidentally bumped into it. Jessie will pay attention in the future." Seeing Jessie's sensible and well-behaved appearance, I felt sad. I don't want my daughter to be so well-behaved and sensible like a little adult. I want her to be as lively and naughty as other children of the same age. I want her to release the nature that children of this age should have.

Jack’s timid and cautious demeanor only deepened my feelings of guilt and distress. As I lay beside her, reading a fairy tale before bed, my phone suddenly rang. It was Al. "I drank too much with my clients today and couldn’t pick up our daughter." "I heard from Aunt Elsa that you came home early from work today? Did you finish everything at the office?" "I won’t be coming home tonight. Mr. Moore insisted on dragging me to play mahjong, so I’ll probably be staying out all night." After a brief exchange, I hung up the phone. Ever since Jack started kindergarten, Al and I had been drifting further apart. With the company expanding rapidly, I established a new branch, which Al took over. He became too busy to take care of Jack, so he hired our current nanny, Elsa Grant. From the very beginning, I never liked her. She didn’t seem like a professional nanny. When she first started working for us, she often complained that Jack’s food and clothes were too extravagant. She even made comments like, "Girls don’t need to be raised so well." If she hadn’t been a distant relative of Al’s, I would have dismissed her right away. But Al trusted her completely, insisting that she would take good care of Jack. In the end, I relented. Over the past year, my career soared to new heights, but at the same time, Jack had lost her former liveliness. She had become overly cautious, as if she were always afraid of being abandoned. It reminded me too much of my own lonely childhood. My parents had been preoccupied with their careers, leaving me with everything I needed—except love and attention. My childhood was far from happy. Some say that people spend their entire lives trying to heal from their childhood, while others use their childhood to heal their entire lives. I refuse to let Jack go through what I did. Maybe it was time to slow down and refocus on what truly mattered—my daughter. Just as these thoughts filled my mind, Elsa suddenly pushed open the bedroom door, walking in with a glass of milk. Jack, who had been listening intently to my story, suddenly shuddered. I didn’t know if it was because of the abrupt intrusion—or something else. My expression darkened as I snapped, "Why did you come in without knocking?" Elsa blinked in surprise before blurting out, "There’s no outsider in the house. Why do I need to knock?" Was she really treating my home as her own? I gave her a cold stare and said in a firm voice, "Learn the rules. This is not your house." "Without my permission, you are not allowed to enter mine or Jack’s room whenever you please. Do you understand?" A flicker of displeasure crossed her face, and she muttered, "Fine, I got it." She then placed the glass of milk on my bedside table and added, "Jack always drinks milk before bed. She won’t be able to sleep without it." With that, she left, her expression dark. I watched her retreating figure, my irritation growing. She had no sense of boundaries, no professionalism. I was seriously considering replacing her. I reached for the glass of milk, smiling at Jack as I said, "Sweetheart, drink this and get some sleep. Mommy will take you to kindergarten tomorrow morning, okay?" Jack hesitated, shrinking away from the milk. Her voice was small as she whispered, "Mom… can I not drink it?" I frowned. "But you used to love drinking milk, didn’t you?"

Jessie hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "This milk tastes strange. Every time I drink it, I sleep so deeply that I don’t wake up—even if I wet the bed." My expression stiffened. I lifted the glass to my lips and took a small sip. The rich, creamy taste was laced with a subtle bitterness. No wonder Jessie disliked it. After tucking Jessie into bed and coaxing her to sleep, I picked up my phone, my face darkening. I needed to check the surveillance footage. I had to find out if Elsa had been mistreating Jessie. There was no other way to explain my daughter’s fear of her. The security cameras in our house had originally been installed by my parents. They had been too busy with work to care for me themselves, so they used surveillance to check in on me from afar. Since marrying Al, I hadn’t used the system much. But when Jessie started kindergarten, I quietly turned the cameras back on—without telling Al. I had my doubts about Elsa from the start. But since she was Al’s relative, telling him that I wanted to monitor her every move would only make him think I didn’t trust his judgment. Still, with my workload, I never had time to review the footage. Until now. I pulled up yesterday’s recording—Jessie’s birthday. As I watched, my blood boiled. Al hadn’t even been home. Jessie had spent her birthday with Elsa. But what infuriated me the most was the cake. Instead of the luxurious Black Swan cake I had specially ordered, Jessie had been given a cheap roadside pastry that cost only a few yuan. On-screen, Elsa’s face twisted with impatience. "It’s just a birthday. Be grateful you even have a cake! Don’t be picky." She sneered and added, "Your mother, that wasteful woman, throws money away on you, a useless brat." "My grandson’s birthday is tomorrow. This fancy cake will be perfect for him." Elsa’s voice turned sharp and threatening. "Listen to me, little loser. If your mother asks, you’d better say you ate that expensive cake. If you don’t—" her eyes narrowed dangerously, "I’ll beat you." She grabbed Jessie’s wrist, shaking her slightly. "Now hurry up and eat, then go to bed. And don’t forget to drink your milk. If you wet the bed again tonight, I’ll string you up and thrash you tomorrow. Do you hear me?" Jessie’s small face was frozen with fear. My hands trembled as I watched, barely able to contain my rage. That wicked old woman dared to treat my daughter like this? I wanted to storm out of my room and tear her apart. Then, I saw something that made my blood run cold. Elsa pulled a small packet from her pocket and poured something into the milk. Then, she forced Jessie to drink it, ignoring her frightened protests and struggles. Moments later, Jessie’s tiny body went limp in deep sleep. As if that wasn’t enough, Elsa then crept into my bedroom and ransacked my belongings. She stuffed my jewelry, Jessie’s designer clothes, custom-made shoes, and even her expensive toys into a bag. Finally, she picked up the untouched Black Swan cake and casually strolled out—leaving my daughter asleep on the floor. Elsa wasn’t just abusing my child—she was a thief. I would never forgive her. Furious, I reached for my phone to call the police. But suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me. My eyelids grew unbearably heavy. With my last bit of strength, I glanced at the glass of milk on my nightstand. I had only taken a sip, and the drug was already overpowering me. I could only imagine how much my daughter had suffered, drinking this poisoned milk night after night. Darkness swallowed me before I could do anything more.

The next morning, Jessie wet the bed. Her small body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She clutched my sleeve and whimpered, “Mom, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even drink milk last night—I don’t know why this happened!” I gently pulled her into my arms, stroking her back. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Don’t be scared.” The moment Elsa found out, she frowned in clear annoyance. “She’s almost four years old and still wetting the bed? What a hassle.” As she yanked the sheets off the bed, she shot Jessie a sharp glare. Jessie flinched, shrinking into me, her tiny fingers gripping my shirt. I turned to Elsa, my gaze cold. “Aunt Elsa, you have a grandson, don’t you? His name is Jack. He goes to the same kindergarten as Jessie, right?” Elsa stiffened, her expression momentarily blank. Then, as if realizing what she had just admitted, her face darkened. “How… how did you know?” I crossed my arms and continued, my tone calm but laced with steel. “The elite kindergarten Jessie attends has a steep tuition fee. Your daughter must be well-off to afford it. So tell me, Aunt Elsa—if she’s so rich, why are you working as a nanny?” Elsa’s expression faltered. She forced a tight smile. “I’ve worked all my life. Sitting at home doing nothing just isn’t for me.” I held her gaze for a long moment before saying nothing more. Today was the weekend, so I took Jessie to the newly opened Capybara Theme Park. On the way there, I called the police. Elsa’s abuse and threats toward Jessie were unforgivable. But even if I set that aside, the fact that she had stolen from my home was enough to put her behind bars for years. At the amusement park, Jessie ran from one attraction to another, her laughter bright and unrestrained. Watching the pure joy on her face, I felt my heart soften. My sweet baby girl. No one will ever hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it. While Jessie was happily riding the carousel, my phone rang. It was my secretary. “Ms. Miller, I wanted to update you on a few company matters,” she began. I cut her off. “I’m at the amusement park with my daughter today. Work matters from the branch can wait.” There was a brief silence before she replied, “Understood, Ms. Miller. But there’s something urgent—our financial director found discrepancies in the branch’s accounts. Mr. Durham is in charge there. Should we inform him first?” My expression hardened. “No need. Tell the financial director to personally conduct an audit. If any irregularities are found, report them directly in the next morning meeting.” After ending the call, I clenched my phone tightly, my anger simmering. I had entrusted Al with managing the branch. He had always complained about not having a platform to showcase his skills—how he didn’t want people thinking he was just a man riding on his wife’s success. Yet here we were. Less than a year since the branch was established, and there was already a financial issue. If Al weren’t my husband, I would have fired him immediately without hesitation. Just then, my phone rang again. It was Al. So, he had already heard about the audit. Was he calling to plead with me, desperate to save face before the company meeting? I answered, fully prepared to ask about the financial mess at the branch. But before I could say a word, Al’s furious voice blasted through the receiver. “Rosa Miller, have you lost your mind?” he shouted. “Did you seriously call the cops on Aunt Elsa?” “What the hell did she ever do to you? Why would you have her arrested?” “Come home right now! The police are here, and they’re refusing to leave. You need to fix this mess immediately!”

I never expected Al to be this furious over Elsa. Even if she’s a distant relative—so what? If not for her, my daughter wouldn’t have suffered so much. Today, no matter who tries to intervene, I won’t back down. Elsa is going to jail. Just as I was about to tell Al about Elsa’s abuse and theft, a sharp scream cut through the air. Jessie. I spun around just in time to see her on the ground, tears in her eyes. A little boy stood over her, his face full of arrogance. Then, to my horror, he raised his foot—about to kick her. “Hey!” I roared, rushing over. I scooped Jessie up into my arms, my pulse pounding with fury as I glared at the boy. He looked familiar. Then it clicked. Jack. From Jessie’s class. And that outfit he was wearing—it was unmistakable. My stomach turned. The high-end, custom-made clothes I had ordered from abroad for Jessie. The neutral-toned design, because Jessie didn’t like frilly dresses. Jack was wearing them. Before, I had doubts. Maybe it was a coincidence. But after discovering Elsa had stolen Jessie’s things—her clothes, her shoes, even the expensive Black Swan cake—it all made sense. Jack was Elsa’s grandson. The realization made my blood boil. Jack’s bravado crumbled under my glare. He took a few steps back, his face turning pale. Just then, a woman stormed over. She was stylishly dressed, but what caught my attention was something else—her clothes, her heels, even her jewelry. They were mine. The custom pieces I had ordered. The necklace and earrings looked all too familiar. She didn’t recognize me. If she did, she wouldn’t be standing there with that smug look on her face. With a huff, she crossed her arms and sneered at me. “What the hell are you yelling for? If you scare my son, I won’t forgive you!” I stared at her, stunned by the audacity. “It’s just kids fighting. What’s the big deal?” she scoffed. “If you don’t want your daughter getting hurt, maybe don’t bring her to an amusement park. Honestly, it’s pathetic how delicate some people are.” I had no interest in arguing with an idiot. Instead, I pulled out my phone and called the police. The moment she realized what I was doing, her arrogance doubled. “You’re calling the cops over this?” She let out a loud, mocking laugh. “Seriously, who do you think you’re scaring?” She turned to the gathering crowd, playing up her outrage. “Look at this woman, everyone! She’s making a scene over kids playing!” Her words worked. Whispers spread through the crowd. “It’s normal for kids to push each other. She’s overreacting.” “What a waste of police resources.” “People like this think the world revolves around them.” I ignored them all. I didn’t care what they thought. Jack’s mother smirked at me, enjoying the support of the crowd. Just as she was about to open her mouth again, her phone rang. Her face lit up. Checking the caller ID, she answered in a sickeningly sweet voice. “Honey… Jack and I are being bullied at the playground. Come quickly…” Before she could finish speaking, her face suddenly changed, and she blurted out in shock, “What? My mother was taken to the police station?”