Lauren hesitates when her MIL offers free childcare, but the high cost of daycare forces her to agree. Everything seems fine… until Kelly "accidentally" breaks the nanny cam. Suspicious, Lauren checks the audio and hears a secret meeting — proof that Kelly has been up to no good.

I stared at the numbers on my laptop screen. My maternity leave was ending soon, and no matter how I ran the numbers, the cheapest childcare option was still out of reach.

A woman using a laptop | Source: Midjourney A woman using a laptop | Source: Midjourney

"If only that place near the mall still had space," I muttered.

"I still don't understand why you want to waste money on daycare when I can watch this little angel for free," Kelly, my MIL, chimed in. She peered over my shoulder as she swayed baby Lily in her arms. "Those prices are ridiculous!"

My jaw clenched involuntarily. From the moment Jordan had introduced us six years ago, his mother had made it clear no woman would ever be good enough for her precious son.

A tense woman working on a laptop | Source: Midjourney A tense woman working on a laptop | Source: Midjourney

The passive-aggressive comments about my cooking and the cleanliness of my house were already too much to bear. I had no desire to give her an opening to become overbearing about Lily, too.

"I don't know…" I replied hesitantly.

Kelly tutted. "It's simple, Lauren. Just say 'yes.'"

I looked at my beautiful daughter sleeping peacefully in Kelly's arms. "I'll think about it, Kelly."

A woman holding a baby | Source: Pexels A woman holding a baby | Source: Pexels

When I discussed Kelly's offer with my husband that evening, he thought it was the perfect solution.

"I know you two have had your differences," Jordan said. "But she raised me just fine, didn't she? And it doesn't have to be a permanent arrangement. You said that woman from the daycare center you liked would contact you when they had an opening, right?"

I nodded. "Okay. We'll have Kelly watch Lily for now."

A dissatisfied woman | Source: Midjourney A dissatisfied woman | Source: Midjourney

"But you have to ensure she understands we want her to follow normal babysitting rules, okay? Even if she is family. No guests, no extended phone calls, no afternoon glasses of wine," I added. "If I tell her, it'll probably start a fight."

"I'll tell her." Jordan leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Don't worry, babe. I'm sure everything will be fine."

And he was right. It was fine… at first.

A thoughtful woman in a living room | Source: Midjourney A thoughtful woman in a living room | Source: Midjourney

For the first week, I got a steady stream of updates from Kelly on how well Lily ate and slept, how her mild diaper rash was doing, and photos of their walks in the park. I'd come home from work to find dinner waiting and the house tidier than I'd left it.

Maybe this arrangement could work after all.

"Thank you for everything this week," I said sincerely that Friday. "It's been a huge weight off our shoulders."

Two women speaking | Source: Midjourney Two women speaking | Source: Midjourney

Kelly smiled, her eyes never leaving Lily's face. "Being a grandmother is the greatest joy of my life. I should be thanking you."

I was ready to put all my doubts behind me until the nanny cam incident.

When I got home on Thursday evening, Kelly was standing in the kitchen, nervously wiping her hands on her pants. Her smile seemed forced, her eyes not quite meeting mine.

"How was your day?" she asked too brightly.

A woman with a forced smile | Source: Midjourney A woman with a forced smile | Source: Midjourney

"Fine," I replied slowly, setting down my bag. "Where's Lily?"

"Napping in her crib."

I nodded, searching Kelly's face. "Is everything okay?"

She sighed dramatically, reaching into her pocket. "Actually, there was a little accident today. I was cleaning around the shelves and this fell."

She handed me our nanny cam. Its screen was shattered beyond repair.

A broken camera | Source: Midjourney A broken camera | Source: Midjourney

Later that night, after Kelly had gone home and Jordan was asleep, I examined the damaged nanny cam more closely.

The screen was destroyed, but when I connected it to my laptop, I discovered the audio files were still intact.

I hesitated, finger hovering over the most recent recording. Was I being paranoid? Maybe, but I couldn't shake the feeling that Kelly had wrecked the nanny cam to hide something. I had to know for sure.

I clicked play.

A woman staring at something in disbelief | Source: Midjourney A woman staring at something in disbelief | Source: Midjourney

At first, everything sounded normal. Kelly singing lullabies, Lily cooing, and the gentle creak of the rocking chair.

Then, the distinctive sound of our front door opening.

A woman glancing to one side suspiciously | Source: Midjourney A woman glancing to one side suspiciously | Source: Midjourney

"Hello?" Kelly called out.

"It's just me," a man's voice responded.

A voice I didn't recognize. Who on earth was in my home with my child?

Kelly wasn't just babysitting. She was using my home as her personal dating venue!

I slammed the laptop shut and paced the room, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Eventually, I crawled into bed next to Jordan, but sleep refused to come.

By morning, I had formulated a plan.

A key in a door lock | Source: Pexels A key in a door lock | Source: Pexels

There they were. Kelly and a silver-haired man I'd never seen before, sitting at my dining table. Two half-empty wine glasses between them.

And not a baby monitor in sight.

"Where's Lily?" I demanded, making them both jump.

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

Kelly's face drained of color. "Lauren! What are you doing here?"

"Where is my daughter?" I repeated, my voice steady but cold.

Kelly stammered, "In her crib, sleeping."

But I had heard Lily fussing from the hallway. Rushing into the nursery, I found her in a soaked diaper, her cheeks red from irritation. That was the last straw.

That afternoon, I sat Jordan down and told him everything.

Jordan's face darkened with each detail. I'd rarely seen him angry, but by the time I finished, he was seething.

"We're changing the locks," he said immediately.

That night, as I lay beside Jordan, I felt relieved. We had to find new childcare arrangements, but at least now, our daughter was truly safe.