Jane\u2019s employers plan a luxurious holiday away, tagging her along to look after their children. While they promised that they would take care of all the expenses, it is only when they return home that they demand that Jane play her part and pay for her plane tickets. But Jane won\u2019t give up that easily.\u201cJane, can you come into the living room?\u201d Mrs. Smith called out, her teaspoon clinking as she stirred sugar into the cup of tea Melanie, the helper, had just given her. I was tidying up the playroom. \u201cNow, please,\u201d she added. Her tone was sweet, but something felt off. I walked into the living room, trying to keep my nerves at bay. \u201cSure, Mrs. Smith. What\u2019s up?\u201d I replied, wiping the disinfectant onto my jeans. She was sitting on the couch, perfectly poised as always. Not even a strand of hair out of place. Mr. Smith was seated beside her, his phone in his hand. He gave me a tight smile.\u201c\n
Jane, we need to talk about the vacation.\u201d I nodded, curious. We had been home for two days now. Back from our trip to the seaside, staying in a luxurious resort. It was almost the break I needed, minus the fact that I had the Smiths\u2019 three children, and their friends, the Johnsons\u2019 two sons to care for as well. I was just doing my job in a fancier location. \u201cOf course,\u201d I said. \u201cIt was a lovely trip. Thank you again for inviting me.\u201d \u201cYes, well,\u201d Mrs. Smith started. \u201cWe need to discuss the plane tickets. When will you be able to return the $1000?\u201dI blinked. I was sure that I had misheard her.\n
\u201cSorry, $1000? For the tickets? What?\u201d \u201cYes, for the tickets, Jane,\u201d she spoke slowly as if I was stupid. \u201cWe spent a lot on them, and we thought you\u2019d be grateful enough to pay us back.\u201d My heart raced. I didn\u2019t have that kind of money to spare. I was their full-time nanny, with a mother to care for at home. \u201c But you told me that everything was sorted. You said, \u2018Don\u2019t worry about it, Jane. We\u2019ve got it all covered.\u2019\u201d Mrs. Smith\u2019s expression hardened. Mr. Smith gazed at me.\u201cThat was before the Johnsons refused to sign a business deal with Craig. That was the entire purpose of the holiday. Mr. Smith and I needed to woo them. So, there\u2019s no need to seem generous now, Jane. You have exactly one week to return the money, or it will be taken from your pay.\u201d I was stunned. The room felt like it was spinning. \u201cBut\u2026 I can\u2019t afford that, Mrs. Smith,\u201d I admitted. \u201cMost of my salary goes to the rent at home and my mother\u2019s medication. I can\u2019t take that away from her. And you didn\u2019t mention anything about paying you back!\u201d\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not our problem, Jane. One week,\u201d Mr. Smith reiterated, reaching for a croissant from the tea tray left for Mrs. Smith. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the end of the discussion. That night, I sat in my tiny room a few feet away from the Smiths\u2019 house. I was seething. How could they do this? I needed a plan, and I needed it fast.Then it hit me: the Smiths cared deeply about their social standing and their reputation. \u201cOf course, that\u2019s all they care about,\u201d I muttered to myself as I brushed my teeth before bed. \u201cBut I can use that to my advantage.\u201d The next day, after I dropped the kids off at school, I created a fake email account. I drafted a polite but detailed message about my experience, making sure to be clear without naming any names. But there were enough telltale signs pointing to the Smiths, from their cars to the kids, to the gold facial appointments that Mrs. Smith bragged about. Thereafter, I sent it to the key people in their social circle, including the other influential families that the Smiths wanted to be in league with.\n
\u201cI just don\u2019t understand what they want from us,\u201d I overheard Mrs. Smith say into the phone later that day. \u201cEva asked me if everything is true, but I don\u2019t know what she\u2019s talking about.\u201d A few days later, the gossip started spreading. The Smiths\u2019 dirty little secret on how they treated \u201ctheir staff\u201d was out, and naturally, their reputation took a hit. Mrs. Smith called in a masseuse to soothe her muscles. \u201cJust let them into the spa when they arrive, Jane,\u201d she said. \u201cI need all the help I can get.\u201d Later that day, when I went to pick the kids up from school, the other nannies were hanging about, waiting for the bell to ring.\u201cDid you read the email about the Smiths?\u201d one of the nannies said. \u201cJane, are they really like that?\u201d I nodded. \u201cThey\u2019re good parents, but they\u2019re horrible people,\u201d I admitted, not wanting to give away that I was the person who sent out the email. \u201cHow long will you work for them?\u201d another asked me. \u201cI couldn\u2019t live or work under those circumstances. Rich people need to learn that respect for them is earned, too.\u201d I smiled. The nannies went back and forth as we waited. And through their chatter, I discovered something interesting about Mrs. Smith.Turns out that my employer had a habit of \u201cborrowing\u201d items from her friends and never returning them. \u201cAn entire Gucci handbag, Jane,\u201d Mina said.\n
\u201cMrs. Smith asked my ma\u2019am if she could borrow it for a fundraising gala two months ago.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous!\u201d I said, shocked. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that she was capable of that sort of thing. But she doesn\u2019t like me getting too close to her things anyway.\u201d A few days later, Mrs. Smith held one of her ladies\u2019 luncheons. It was a monthly event that she loved hosting, but this time it was only two weeks into the month. \u201cI need this to go well, Jane,\u201d she said as I cut fruit up for the kids. \u201cSo, you need to attend it. The kids will be at school. Everything will be catered for. Just walk around and talk to the women. Make us seem human.\u201dI knew that she was puzzling. She must have heard more than enough through the grapevine. During the event, I walked around as requested of me. But I wasn\u2019t going to let this opportunity slip. And I had nothing to lose. The Smiths were probably going to fire me at the end of the week when I couldn\u2019t make the $1000. \u201cWe\u2019ll deal with it, darling,\u201d my mother coughed into the phone when I told her the truth of the matter. At the luncheon, I walked around, casually mentioning to the ladies how much I admired Mrs. Smith\u2019s collection, making sure that I spoke to Eva, Mina\u2019s employer. \u201cMrs. Smith has a stunning handbag similar to yours,\u201d I said. \u201cGucci. Did she lend you this one? She\u2019s always telling me that she lends her things out because she has so much.\u201dEva looked at me over the top of her champagne glass. \u201cIs that so, Jane?\u201d she asked, her eyes narrowing. Whispers started circulating. By the end of the luncheon, Mrs. Smith\u2019s reputation for borrowing without returning was the hot topic. The next morning, her friends began asking for their things back. Mrs. Smith was mortified. During dinner the next night, Mr. Smith called me to the table, asking me to join them.\n
\u201cThank you, but I usually wait for Ivy and Melanie to eat,\u201d I said politely, mentioning the chef and her helper. \u201cNo, sit with us,\u201d he insisted. I obliged. Despite his tone, I hoped that maybe he was going to tell me that the money could be forgotten. And that everything would return as normal. \u201cIt has come to my attention that an anonymous email has gone out,\u201d he said, cutting into his steak. \u201cA disgusting email,\u201d Mrs. Smith added, taking a long sip of her wine. \u201cDid you have anything to do with it?\u201d he asked me, his eyes trying to coax a confession out of me. I shook my head, looking down at my plate. \u201cThen that settles it,\u201d he said, knowingly. \u201cYou\u2019re dismissed. You can pack up and get out tomorrow.\u201d I did exactly as I was told and moved back home. A week later, Mrs. Johnson called me. \u201cJane, can you come over for tea?\u201d she asked warmly. \u201cOf course, Mrs. Johnson,\u201d I replied, curious about the nature of the invitation. As we sat in her luxurious living room, she looked at me with genuine concern. \u201cI heard about what the Smiths did to you. It\u2019s disgraceful.\u201d I nodded, trying to keep my composure. \u201cWell,\u201d she continued. \u201cWe\u2019ve decided to cut ties with the Smiths entirely. And we\u2019d like to offer you a job. Better pay, better working conditions. We could use someone like you for our kids.\u201d I was stunned. \u201cOf course!\u201d I exclaimed. I needed the job desperately. \u201cYou\u2019ve earned it,\u201d she smiled. \u201cThe boys loved having you watch them during the holiday. And somehow, you got Jonathan to eat his peas!\u201d I don\u2019t know how the Smiths reacted to me working for the Johnsons, but I hoped that they felt betrayed. What would you have done?\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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