I had trusted a new babysitter with my children, and she seemed perfect.
I thought everything was going great until my four-year-old daughter tugged at my sleeve and whispered something that sent ice down my spine.
At that point, I knew I had to find out the truth, even if it meant destroying my closest relationships.
Motherhood changes you in ways you can never imagine.
It teaches you to put others first and to give without thinking of yourself.
And that’s exactly what I did.
I poured my love into my family, my home, and my children.
So, when it was time to return to work after maternity leave, I wanted someone who could look after my kids as well as I did. And that’s when I found the perfect babysitter for them.
Little did I know the person who seemed the best for this job would soon turn my world upside down.
Liam was born just six months ago, and before that, my days had been filled with the laughter and chaos of raising my four-year-old daughter, Lily.
She was my little curious little girl who was always ready to ask a hundred questions about the world. When Liam arrived, she was fascinated by him.
She’d peer into his crib and giggle every time he yawned.
But as much as I loved my time at home with them, reality was knocking. My maternity leave was ending, and I had to return to work soon. The thought of leaving my children made my chest tighten, but I had no choice.
That’s where Janice came in.
We had hired her months before my leave ended, just to see how well she got along with Lily and Liam.
From the very first day, I could tell she had a natural warmth with children.
“Hey, munchkin,” she greeted Lily with a wide smile that first morning. “I hear you love drawing. Want to show me your masterpieces?”
Lily hesitated for half a second before nodding eagerly and pulling Janice by the hand toward her little art table.
And Liam?
He settled almost instantly when Janice held him and hummed softly. I had never seen anyone besides myself or Paul soothe him that quickly.
Even in those first few weeks, I knew she was special. She handled the kids like they were her own.
“She’s a godsend,” I told Paul one evening, watching from the kitchen as Janice helped Lily with her puzzles while bouncing Liam on her knee.
“She really is,” Paul agreed.
“We lucked out with her. It’s hard to find someone you can actually trust these days.”
The best part was that Janice didn’t just take care of the kids. She kept me in the loop throughout the day and sent me little messages and pictures while I was at work.
Liam just finished his bottle and is already dozing off.
Such a sleepy little guy! ☺️
Lily wanted to show you her drawing! She says it’s a ‘unicorn princess astronaut.’ I think it’s a masterpiece.
She even helped with small things around the house like setting up dinner ingredients so I wouldn’t have to scramble after work.
“I don’t know how we got so lucky,” Paul said one night as he stirred the pasta Janice had prepped earlier.
“She’s honestly the best thing to happen to this house in a long time.”
At the time, I had smiled, agreeing with him completely. I didn’t know that just a few weeks later, I’d be replaying these conversations in my mind.
Because as perfect as Janice seemed, there was something she hadn’t told us.
And I wouldn’t find out until the day Lily tugged on my sleeve and whispered a chilling secret in my ear.
It was an ordinary Sunday. The kind of day where everything feels comfortably predictable.
Liam was napping in his crib, Paul was fixing something on the patio, and I was in the kitchen.
That’s when I felt a small tug on my sleeve.
I looked down to see Lily standing there.
“Mommy…” she said in a whisper. “Janice has a secret.”
A strange chill ran down my spine.
I crouched to her level, brushing a curl from her face. “A secret?
What kind of secret, baby?”
Lily shifted on her feet. “It’s what she does when she puts me down for my nap.”
I frowned. “What does she do?”
Her voice dropped lower as if she was afraid someone else would hear.
“I followed her once. Well… a few times. I pretended to sleep, but I didn’t.”
I stared at her, my heart suddenly beating faster.
“And then what happened?”
“When she thought I was asleep…” Lily swallowed. “She went into your bedroom. And she took off her clothes.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“What?” My voice barely came out.
Lily nodded solemnly.
“And then I heard weird noises.”
Weird noises? I thought as a sickening feeling crept through my body.
“What kind of noises?” I asked.
Lily thought for a while. “I don’t know.
Just… weird sounds. I didn’t look for long. But she always does it when I take my nap.”
I couldn’t breathe.
Janice.
In my bedroom. Taking off her clothes. Weird noises.
What made things worse was that I knew Paul had been coming home earlier than usual the past couple of weeks.
I had even commented on it.
“Wow, you’re home early,” I had said, setting the table last Tuesday.
Paul had just shrugged, loosening his tie. “Yeah, things were slow at the office. Figured I’d head home and relax.”
Relax.
My fingers curled into my palm.
Was it possible…?
I shook the thought away, forcing myself to stay logical.
I couldn’t jump to conclusions. Not yet.
But later that night, my suspicion only grew.
We were sitting on the couch, watching TV. Paul was beside me, scrolling through his phone.
I kept stealing glances at him and noticed the way his gaze followed Janice when she moved around the house.
It wasn’t obvious. Not the way some men leer.
But there was something. A certain awareness.
The kind of
Doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page. Tap READ MORE to discover the rest 🔎👇
