Chapter 7
When my maternity leave was up, I had no choice but to go back to work. Iris.
wouldn’t lift a finger to help with the baby, and Alan was MIA. So, I ended up bringing the baby to the office.
The constant crying was driving my coworkers crazy, and my boss had to sit me down. He was sympathetic but explained. gently that he couldn’t let me keep bringing the baby to work–it was messing with everyone’s productivity.
I felt awful about the whole situation and
decided I needed to hire a nanny to take care of the baby while I handled the divorce. With the baby still nursing, the court would likely give me custody, and Alan and his family didn’t seem interested in a baby girl, so they probably wouldn’t fight me on it. Even if they did, it’d be a matter of negotiating for more
money.
25% 11:10
1/4
Raising a kid is expensive, so I couldn’t afford to quit my job just yet. I needed a nanny. But Iris was dead set against it, saying we weren’t wealthy enough to hire one. Alan jumped in too, complaining that every woman handles her own kid and I was just being a drama queen and wasting money when we had family at home.
Eventually, Iris gave in and agreed to help. I’ll never forget her chilling words, threatening that if the baby cried again, she‘ d “take care of it” that threat stuck
with me.
“Either we hire a nanny, or I’ll quit and stay home with the baby!” I insisted.
This was the first time I’d ever stood up to them, and they were shocked. After a long, heated discussion behind closed doors, they finally agreed to pay for a nanny.
I figured it was because my salary was a thousand pounds, while Iris‘ s was only four hundred. If I quit, she would lose a
chunk of cash.
25% 11:10
2/4
Once the nanny was hired, I made it clear that she had to keep a close eye on the baby and not let anyone else handle her. I even
set up cameras at home to keep an eye on things.
But in just three days, I was filled with
regret.
That day, I was swamped and didn’t check the cameras. When I got home, the house was eerily quiet and empty–no sign of the nanny or the baby. My heart dropped, and I tried calling the nanny, but her phone was
off.
Panicking, I ran outside to look for them and was about to call the cops when I bumped into Iris, who was strolling in with a big smile.
“Mom, where’s the baby? Have you seen her? I can’t reach the nanny!” I asked frantically.
Iris waved me off casually. “Oh, the nanny? I fired her. You know, you spend all
25% 11:10
3/4
that money hiring someone, feeding her, and she wasn‘ t reliable…”
“Then where’s my kid?” I demanded, desperate.
