The night after my mom’s birthday, I overheard a conversation that made my skin crawl.
The nanny was grumbling to my boyfriend, her voice laced with irritation, “Today is my birthday, but she only gave her mother a gift and not me. When you two get married, you can’t let her keep spending money on her family like this.”
The driver jumped in, just as annoyed. “Exactly! Why does an old lady need a sports car? She should’ve given it to me! Son, you’d better get her pregnant soon. That way, she won’t have time to waste on things like this.”
Son?
A cold chill ran down my spine. My boyfriend always told me he had no parents, that he saw my mom as his own. So why were they talking to him like that?
The next morning, I checked the security footage, still feeling uneasy. That was when I saw it; him swapping out my vitamins for folic acid.
——
My mom loves fast cars, so for her birthday, I got her a customized sports car. I knew she would be thrilled.
However, before I could even say anything, Alexis, our nanny, jumped in, shaking her head. “Stella, why would you buy this kind of car? It’s just flashy, not practical at all! You should return it before your mom even drives it, don’t waste your money like that.”
Just like that, the excitement in the room disappeared. The conversation died and everyone fell silent. But Alexis didn’t seem to notice.
She grabbed my phone off the table and shoved it into my hand. “Well? What are you waiting for? Call them! What if it’s too late and they refuse to take it back? You young people are so reckless with money, you have no idea how to be responsible.”
I frowned, my grip tightening around my phone. Who wouldn’t be annoyed if their nanny acted like this over a gift they’d carefully picked for their own mother?
But I didn’t want to ruin the moment for my mom. It was her birthday, after all. So instead of arguing, I just slid my phone into my bag and smiled. “Mom, here are the keys. Take it for a spin and see if you like it.”
She smiled, got into the car and ran her hands over the steering wheel, clearly pleased. Meanwhile, I turned back to find Alexis glaring at me like I had just committed some horrible crime.
I was about to put her in her place when Ulrich Zielinski, our driver, strolled over, his face flushed, reeking of alcohol.
My eyes flicked to the table. The expensive bottle of red wine I’d bought for the celebration, the one that cost me thousands, was open. More than half of it was gone.
Ulrich waved his hand dismissively, looking far too comfortable. “Stella, don’t take it to heart. Alexis only said that because she cares about you, like family.”
Then he chuckled, shaking his head. “But let’s be real, she’s got a point. Buying a car? That’s something a man should decide. Did you even talk to Spencer about it first?”
Spencer Sherman—my boyfriend. But the thing was… I bought that car. Just like I paid their salaries. And trust me, I didn’t spend my hard-earned money just to let people walk all over me.
"Enough!" I cut him off, my patience gone. I shot a sharp look at both of them. "I can spend my money however I want. Alexis, you’re the nanny, not my financial advisor, stay in your lane. And Ulrich, you’re the driver, should you really be drinking on the job?
“Oh, and that expensive wine? I bought it. What made you think you could just help yourself? Next time, you’re paying for it."
The room fell silent.
I let my gaze sweep over everyone before continuing, my voice calm but firm. "Today is my mom’s birthday. If anyone here has a problem with that or doesn’t know their place, feel free to leave right now."
I folded my arms. "I’ve always been generous. Your salaries? Your benefits? Top-tier. I’ve made sure you have the best of the best. But that doesn’t give you the right to walk all over me."
Most of the people around us nodded in agreement. Only Alexis and Ulrich stood there, their faces flushed, looking like they wanted to disappear.
I knew I had embarrassed them, but honestly, if I didn’t say something now, they would just keep pushing their luck.
Just then, my mom stepped out of the car, a huge smile on her face. She walked over, slipping her arm around my shoulders.
"Thank you, baby. I love it," she said, squeezing me affectionately. "Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starving."
She walked right past Alexis and Ulrich like they weren’t even there.
Of course, my mom had picked up on what happened. She always did. But she didn’t interfere, she respected my decisions, whether at home or at work.
At dinner, Alexis barely spoke. For once, she just focused on doing her job. No unnecessary opinions, no complaints, just silence. Exactly how it should’ve been from the start.
