Charlotte
Nicole achieved a feat that I considered impossible: we both had a day off on the same day. She would have the entire weekend free, as her birthday was on Sunday, and I was also given time off starting Saturday evening, returning to Mackenzie's residence on Monday morning.
As planned, I met Nicole at the subway station near her house in Bronxdale. I was introduced to her sister and her nieces and nephews, and I felt very welcomed by Nicole's family. Her sister was younger than I had imagined, considering she had mentioned that her nieces and nephews were a five-year-old twin couple. I had deduced a woman in her thirties, but Emily was only twenty-four and was extremely kind, treating me as part of her own family.
They were very close, and I loved sharing those family moments with the two sisters and the adorable children, Benjamin and Karen. It was a completely new experience for me to be in a family environment where love was evident among everyone, and it touched my heart deeply.
Upon returning to my employers' residence on Monday, I felt a strange discomfort after two wonderful days, discovering what a home was like where love prevailed among its members. Being in that house was unpleasant. The only person I truly liked in that place was Eloá, and I made an effort to show her the love I already felt, just as Nicole also showed her immense affection for the girl since her mother was completely absent from her daughter's life.
One week after our exceptional day off, on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Mackenzie asked me to get Eloá ready as we would be going on an outing with her. Nicole was off, so I would accompany them since Mrs. Martina claimed to have an unavoidable commitment. It would be the first time I participated in an outing with the family, and I was very excited to do something different.
We went to the American Museum of Natural History, and for the first time, I saw Eloá truly excited, which genuinely made me happy. It was rare to see her so relaxed, and I could perceive how much that house and Martina's presence were harming the girl.
"You need to walk slower, Eloá," I said, raising my voice as I noticed the girl was almost running ahead of us.
"Charlotte is right, honey," Mr. Mackenzie said to his daughter, but there was a smile on his face.
Eloá quickly stopped walking and approached her father, holding his hand and smiling happily. She was a very calm child, always obedient, and it was very easy to take care of her.
"Where are my uncles, Daddy?" Eloá questioned, and I looked at her intrigued. "You said they would come too."
"They're already coming, sweetheart. Aunt Melanie is coming too," Mr. Mackenzie replied.
"Really, daddy?" the girl practically exclaimed with joy.
I paid close attention upon hearing Eloá's question because I didn't know we would be meeting other people, and I felt shyness taking hold of me. But I quickly reprimanded myself mentally because Mr. Mackenzie's friends wouldn't give me a second glance.
"Look, there they come," Mr. Mackenzie said, gesturing with his head, causing both of us to look in the indicated direction. I noticed two men and a lady coming toward us, all looking in our direction, and I understood they were the people he was referring to.
"Auntie Melanie!" Eloá let out a little shout of joy as she embraced the elegant lady who approached.
"Hello, my dear," the lady responded, her joy evident in her voice. "I missed my little one."
"I missed you too, Auntie," the girl said, smiling with satisfaction.
A content smile remained plastered on my face as I saw how different Eloá was from her usual self, truly resembling a normal child and not a little robot, as Martina demanded her to behave.
"And what about us, Eloá? Weren't you missing us?" one of the men jokes, feigning indignation, and I couldn't contain the smile growing on my face.
"Of course, I missed you, Uncle Douglas!" The girl smiled even wider, and he lifted her from the lady's arms, hugging her and planting a kiss on her hair.
I was so engrossed in the unfolding scene that I didn't pay attention to the second man, who maintained a serious posture, simply observing the interaction between Eloá and the other two.
"Have you been at the museum for a long time?" the man asked after discreetly clearing his throat, addressing Mr. Mackenzie.
"Yes, we've been here for quite a while, Uncle Brian. You took so long!" Eloá said, eliciting laughter from everyone.
Seeing Eloá so comfortable and talkative was completely unprecedented, and I'm sure if her mother were there, she would have reprimanded her for "interrupting" the adults' conversation. But everyone seemed to really like her and didn't mind at all.
"We were so focused on Eloá that we ended up being rude," Mrs. Melanie spoke at one point, addressing me and making me look at her inquisitively. "We didn't even introduce ourselves to the lovely young lady," she explained her statement.
"You're right, Aunt Melanie," Mr. Mackenzie quickly agreed. "This is Charlotte Thompson, Eloá's nanny."
"I'm Douglas Carter, Oliver's best friend," the seemingly friendliest of the three men spoke and extended his hand to me with a handsome smile still on his face.
Everyone smiled, and I didn't quite understand the joke. I simply accepted the polite greeting and nodded while smiling shyly. Mr. Carter was a very interesting man, appearing to be quite easygoing. He was tall and blond, almost resembling a Norse god with his bright blue eyes.
"I'm Melanie Taylor, the official aunt of these three handsome men in front of you," the lady jokes, extending her hand to me but pulling me into a quick hug accompanied by a kiss on each cheek.
I then looked at the last person to approach, who was the complete opposite of Carter, with a serious and focused expression, seeming to smile rarely.
"Brian Taylor," he said simply, and briefly shook my hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," I said, mustering all the willpower within me, as I felt quite embarrassed, especially after noticing how Mr. Taylor looked at me.
CharlotteWe continued in the museum, on the fourth floor, where the dinosaur fossil exhibit was, Eloá's favorite. The lively conversation between Mr. Mackenzie and Eloá continued, while I remained discreet. Mrs. Melanie included me in the conversations subtly, showing interest in my work at Mackenzie's house.I realized that she also didn't like Martina, as her statements indicated her agreement with me regarding the unpleasant treatment Martina gave Eloá. Although we didn't directly mention it, I understood her opinion."I don't understand why Martina needs to have two nannies," she said at one point, and I looked at her alarmed. "Eloá is the calmest child I've ever seen in my entire life, and Martina doesn't even work."I remained silent because I didn't even know what to say. I also feared saying something foolish and preferred not to take that risk."But I'm very happy to see that Eloá has you and Nicole with her," she said, surprising me once again. "It's evident how much Nicole
BrianThe fact that they were my best friends didn't interfere with my judgment in any way, and I was very satisfied with the work they performed in my company.The two of them sat in the chairs facing my presidential desk and appeared quite comfortable, with a relaxed posture, as if they had no worries in the world, just waiting for what I had to tell them."I really admire the respect you guys show me," I said sarcastically. "I believe you're wishing to work for another company. Am I right?"I rested my elbow on the table and propped my chin in my hand."I couldn't care less about this job at Reloading," Douglas spoke, being completely sincere. "Did you call us here just to show us your sympathy, or is there something else?"Douglas was the heir to one of the country's largest fortunes, and money was not among his concerns. Despite that, he enjoyed working, and the fact that he didn't get along with his own parents led him to be in my company since he graduated from Computer Enginee
BrianI thought about Oliver's own situation, and it was difficult to contain the expression of pity since he seemed to be the only one who couldn't perceive that his own wife, Martina, was a snake and didn't seem to love their daughter, little Eloá, at all.Douglas and I had tried to warn him about that fact, but he seemed enchanted by his wife, not realizing that she had a different demeanor in his presence than who she truly was.When she was in front of her husband, Martina spoke with a high-pitched and sweet voice, pretending to love her daughter. But we had already seen her without Oliver around, and she was extremely malicious, treating her daughter with genuine contempt.I didn't want to go through something similar, and I would not put myself at risk in any way. In addition to my own experience, I could still witness my friends."I greatly appreciate your honesty in your positions," I said."But you're going to do what you want and how you want," Douglas was right.They had b
BrianI agreed with her words and nodded my head. I had no sentimental intentions; I just didn't want any problems with my aunt. It would be purely a business arrangement, with a generous payment to the woman chosen by my lawyer to be the mother of my child. During the pregnancy, everything would be handled by intermediaries, and I wouldn't have any contact with the woman carrying my baby. But once I held my child in my arms, everything would change because it would be my family—just me, my aunt, and my little one. Until then, everything would be based on a contract.“ Alright, Aunt," I said in a conciliatory tone.“ And how is Eloá? - she finally decided to change the subject, which I internally appreciated.My aunt was very fond of Oliver's daughter, and her feelings were undoubtedly reciprocated, as little Eloá would be overjoyed whenever her father brought her to our apartment, which he did quite frequently.“ She's doing well," I said with a smile. "Oliver invited us to go to the
CharlotteI was paralyzed with fear, understanding what had just happened. I was in deep trouble!"But ma'am..." I still tried to argue."Get out!" she screamed. "Get out now! I want both of you out of my house! Leave!"Tears started pouring from my eyes uncontrollably! What would I do? Where would I go?"Mrs. Martina..." I spoke between sobs."Are you deaf, girl? I want you out of my house now, or I'll call someone to throw both of you out on the street.""Let us at least gather our belongings," Nicole requested in a low, almost inaudible voice.She had tears streaming down her face, but she was much more composed than I was. I was desperate."I'll send your rags through the driver," Martina remained firm."We need our documents, ma'am."Nicole was quite courageous because, if it were up to me, I would have just run away. The fear of what was to come was taking over my entire body. I didn't want to be thrown out onto the street."Then grab your things and get out now," she conceded.
OliverEloá was sitting on her bed, her swollen face covered in tears, as if she had been crying for a long time, while the lady stood by her side, now looking scared. "Yes, I'm Oliver Mackenzie," I said sternly. "And who are you?" "I'm the new nanny, hired by Mrs. Martina to take care of Eloá for tonight”"Please explain further," I requested, walking towards Eloá and picking her up, wiping her face and feeling slightly calmer. I imagined that something unexpected must have happened with the two girls who were taking care of my daughter, and that's why Martina hired a nanny to spend the night with Eloá. Although I was upset that the mother herself couldn't be available to stay with our daughter for just one night, I accepted the reality of the situation. "I don't have any further information, sir," the lady, who seemed to be around forty years old, spoke. "Alright then," I said. "I apologize for the way I treated you when I arrived. I simply wasn't aware that your presence was
CharlotteDespite my initial resistance to going to Nicole's house, I ended up accepting her offer to spend the night there, and I was warmly welcomed by everyone, which touched me deeply. Even Nicole's nieces and nephews ran to hug me when they saw me enter with their aunt, and that simple gesture from two children brought tears to my eyes.Nicole's bed was a double bed, as it had been donated by a neighbor who had moved to another country. For this reason, both of us were able to sleep quite comfortably.The next day, I woke up determined to seek out the nuns and explain my situation, to see if they could help me in any way, perhaps by finding me a new job where I could live, just like in the Mackenzie's house. However, Nicole didn't allow me to do so and insisted that I should accompany her to a job agency, where we could find some work, at least for one of us. And being as optimistic as only Nicole could be, she believed that both of us would leave there with job prospects.In the
CharlotteI still didn't know what could have happened to make Emily like that, but I was certain it must have been something very serious, and I told Nicole what I knew, which was nothing yet."And where is she now?""I believe she's taking care of the twins."Nicole sat thoughtfully in one of the chairs at the table, and I continued my task of preparing dinner. She must have been so overwhelmed with worry that she didn't even offer to help, something I wouldn't have accepted anyway since it was almost done, but it was part of her personality, always willing to help in any way she could."Emily!" Nicole jumped up from her chair when she saw her sister entering the kitchen. "What happened? Why were you crying?"Emily looked at us with such sadness that I turned off the stove and gave her my full attention because she surely had something to tell us that wasn't good at all."Thomas sold our house, and we're being evicted."I thought Nicole had fainted with how quickly she threw herself