My Marriage was In Crisis After A New Nanny was Hired

I accidentally sent a screenshot of our tax amount to our new housekeeper, Hailee Johnson, who mistakenly assumed that my husband, Ethan Carell, was my sugar daddy.

Ever since that day, she had taken to showing up late at night in her low-cut mini-dresses, delivering hearty bowls of tonic soup.

At first, I shrugged off her antics, too wrapped up in work to give it a second thought.

But then, one day, my son Barry Carell flunked an exam, and when I confronted him, he ran crying to Hailee, shouting, "I don't want you. I want Ms. Johnson to be my mom!"

It hit me hard at that moment—she was clearly trying to worm her way into both my husband's and my son's lives.

I smirked to myself, thinking, Alright, let's see how well you can handle these two troublesome characters!

——

I had inadvertently sent the housekeeper the screenshot of our tax amount. Although I quickly retracted the message, she'd seen it clearly.

[Oh wow, Mr. Carell sure knows how to rake in the dough if he pays that much in taxes!] Hailee texted me, her excitement palpable.

Then she added:[Mrs. Carell, since I've been working here, I've only had your WhatsApp. Could you share Mr. Carell's with me too? It'd make communicating easier.]

After mulling it over, I thought it made sense; I was often away on business, and if anything urgent came up while I was gone, she could easily get in touch with Ethan. So, I shared his WhatsApp with her.

Within no time, Hailee changed her profile picture to an over-edited selfie. I chuckled to myself, thinking how ridiculous it looked.

Let her be. A picture is a personal choice; it's none of my business," I reassured myself.

Not long after, I heard a noise coming from the study and thought it was Ethan.

Stepping out to investigate, I found him sipping water. I casually mentioned, "I just gave our WhatsApp to the housekeeper. Did she add you?"

He set the glass down. "Yeah, she did. Said she wanted to discuss Barry's growth and thought it'd be easier to chat in her room."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. Why would Hailee need to talk about the kid with you instead of me?

"Maybe she thinks you're too busy and not paying enough attention to Barry. She said she has some suggestions she wants to share with me directly. I'll listen and fill you in later," Ethan replied, shrugging it off.

I pondered his words, recognizing the logic but still feeling off about the whole situation. Talking about the kid's growth? Why on earth would that need to happen in her room? What's so sensitive that I can't hear?

Ethan headed into Hailee's room, and our house was pretty soundproof, so I couldn't catch a word of their conversation.

Back in the study, I messaged the agent to get Hailee's previous employer's contact information. Once I had it, I reached out to ask about her.

"This housekeeper may look young, but she's trouble. When I was away, she tried to seduce my husband and almost ruined our marriage. I had to let her go," was the response I received.

I felt uneasy but ultimately still trusted Ethan.

The next evening, I came home from work and happened to see Hailee returning with a package. I casually glanced into her room and noticed her measuring something. However, I didn't want to be rude, so I quickly looked away.

Later that night, she appeared in a maid outfit, gearing up to deliver some tonic to Ethan. I had just peeled off my face mask when I saw her sauntering towards our room.

"What do you have for Ethan?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

Hailee turned abruptly at the sound of my voice, her demeanor flustered. "I thought Mr. Carell could use a boost since he's been working so hard, so I made some tonic for him."

As she turned back, I caught a proper look at what she was wearing. The neckline was plunging, and the hemline was dangerously short—one wrong move, and she'd be bursting out of that outfit.

I said, "Sure, but please don't wear such weird clothes at home. We're familiar with each other, but this outfit really doesn't suit you." I thought I had been pretty polite, but she seemed to play dumb.

"It's fine," she replied, brushing off my comment. "The clothes are just a bit big. It's summer, after all. Loose is cooler."

I couldn't help but smirk. It looked like she was determined to wear it regardless. In my mind, I pondered that Ethan, our laid-back guy who didn't touch alcohol or cigarettes and headed straight home after work, definitely wouldn't be taking a second look.

After washing my face in the bathroom, I walked out to find Hailee just stepping out of her room. As expected, Ethan wouldn't have any inappropriate thoughts about her; no matter how much she tried to flirt, it was all pointless.

Later that night, as Ethan and I were settling into bed, there was a knock on the door. It was Hailee carrying a bowl of soup.

"What's this?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

She smiled softly. "It's a nourishing soup, good for Mr. Carell's body."

Ethan chuckled wryly, shaking his head at her. "You're always so thoughtful."

He took the bowl and downed it in one go.

I said, "Please, don't go making me those odd concoctions anymore."

Suddenly, Hailee piped up, "How can you say that? Mr. Carell works so hard; he deserves to be well taken care of!"

Ethan just smiled at her, a warm, genuine grin. "Let's stick with her advice. I'm getting older, and I really don't need all these supplements."

With that, Hailee finally left the room. But the way those two interacted left me feeling uneasy. Something was off.