I arranged a month-long leisure trip for my mother-in-law and her friends, and they set off the next day.

She explained all the household chores to Emma, who quickly adapted and worked hard.

By the end of the afternoon, the house was tidy, and the dining table was set with six dishes and a soup, looking delicious.

Nina, ever the enthusiastic cheerleader, exclaimed, "Auntie Emma's food looks so fragrant!"

For a moment, I thought we had made the right choice with this nanny.

But what happened next left us all dumbfounded.

As we sat at the dinner table, nobody had touched their chopsticks when James suddenly grabbed a handful of corn nuts and stuffed them into his mouth.

Then, he plunged his dirty hand into the rib soup, fishing out goji berries one by one.

Throughout this, Emma merely gave her son a token admonition, continuing to watch him affectionately.

We were all too embarrassed to say anything, but Jeremy slammed the table. "Emma, how are you raising this child? This is such bad behavior; he's going to suffer for it later!"

Emma finally looked a bit awkward. "James has been spoiled by his grandparents. I can't control him; he was quite well-behaved in kindergarten back in town, but now, there's just no discipline."

Jeremy looked disgusted. "I'll find him a kindergarten soon, and in the meantime, I'll take some time after work each day to teach him properly; this is unacceptable!"

From that day on, Jeremy's first action upon coming home was no longer to kiss and hug Nina or read storybooks with her.

Instead, he took out the early childhood education materials and behavioral habit books he had meticulously prepared during the day to teach James.

But this child was simply not bright; even simple knowledge had to be repeated many times before he grasped it.

Our home, which used to be filled with laughter and joy, was now replaced by Jeremy's harsh reprimands aimed at James.

Emma kept bustling in and out of the study, busy with chores.

If I assigned her anything, she would ignore me, focusing entirely on Jeremy and James.

One moment she'd be serving tea, the next bringing fruit, happily attending to the two of them.

It seemed like they were a family of three.

Back in my room, I tried hard to lift my spirits and cheer Nina up, hoping she wouldn't be affected by the earlier events.

She played and cried today and was very tired, quickly drifting off to sleep.

I loved watching her little face when she was fast asleep, chubby and cute, always filling me with endless happiness.

But today, looking at her sleeping face, I felt a weight in my heart, making it hard to breathe.

Late into the night, I could still hear Jeremy teaching James in the study, punctuated by occasional thuds and shouting.

When Jeremy and I were dating, his patience and emotional stability attracted me the most.

My parents were in business abroad and had entrusted me to relatives, seldom returning home.

I had long grown accustomed to living independently, feeling as though there was nothing I couldn't handle on my own.

In my sophomore year, during a New Year's Eve gala, I was the lead dancer, but before going on stage, someone intentionally bumped into me and twisted my ankle.

I performed through the pain, surrounded by applause and flowers, but only Jeremy noticed my injury.

On that cold, snowy night, he carried me step by step to the school gate, turning to say softly, "If you ever feel wronged, don't hold it in; I'm here for you."

But now, the grievances of me and my daughter felt trivial compared to the "children's issues" in someone else's house.

How much longer must we endure these days?

As midnight approached, the bedroom door finally creaked open.

I turned away, but Jeremy wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin in the crook of my neck.

"Baby, are you still mad? I was wrong; please don't be angry, okay? I know you're the bigger person."

He leaned in to kiss me with a hint of aggression, his long fingers caressing my waist.

Yet, the familiar scent that once made my heart race now brought no excitement.

I turned my head away, looking for an excuse to refuse him. "Nina is still here; please don't wake her."

Jeremy gently picked Nina up and took her to his room.

Our married life has always been harmonious.

But this time, I couldn't fully immerse myself due to my resentment; for the first time, it felt like I was just going through the motions.

He, however, seemed oblivious to any abnormality.

Once things settled down, he held me close, gently stroking my forehead like before.

"James is such a stubborn child; no matter how I teach him, he just doesn't get it. I lost my temper for a moment and took it out on you and Nina. I promise I won't let that happen again."

I wanted to fiercely blame him, but as I opened my mouth, tears uncontrollably spilled out.

"Baby, I know I've been a bit off, and you've been wronged. It's because... sigh, Sister Emma shouldn't have to suffer like this."

"When I got into college, my dad passed away. My family went into debt to pay for his treatment, and finding money for my tuition was already difficult."

"I considered giving up on college, thinking it might be better to start working early to earn some money."

"But in the end, it was Emma and her husband who covered my tuition and encouraged me to continue my studies."

"I later learned that Sister Ping married that abusive man for a dowry of thirty thousand dollars, which came from my tuition."

"She sacrificed her entire life for the good life we have now."

"That's why I want to do something for her; maybe teaching her child could help repay my debt to her."

Jeremy slowly recounted the past, his eyes reddening.

I sighed.

"Honey, Emma indeed has it tough, and I don't oppose your gratitude; perhaps we can offer her some financial assistance."

"But right now, my life with Nina is being significantly affected."

"Don't worry, I've thought of a solution."

"It's more suitable to send James to kindergarten. If he could attend the same kindergarten as Nina, that would be perfect; Emma could then pick up both kids together."

Nina's kindergarten was a provincial model, with top-notch facilities and teachers, and parents across the city competed to get in.

But without a house in the district, there was no way to squeeze in.

He spoke as if it were easy.

"Babe... the unit in your name next door is still vacant; how about letting James use it? This way, we can solve our family's problem, and everything can return to normal."

I sat up straight, staring intensely at Jeremy.

"What do you mean? You want me to transfer the house to her and her son?"