I nodded. “And I can’t figure it out. I interview them, I check references—they’re all amazing. Then they quit without warning.”
Natalie took a long sip of her coffee, brows furrowed in thought. “You don’t think it’s the kids, do you?”
“No,” I said firmly. “Mia’s polite and Noah is a handful, sure, but he’s two. That’s normal. Something else is going on.”
Natalie leaned forward. “What about Eli?”
I blinked. “What about him?”
“Well,” she said slowly, “has anyone ever quit while he was out of town?”
The question hit me harder than I expected. I thought back. Every time someone left, Eli had been home. Every time.
My stomach twisted.
“No way,” I said, trying to laugh it off. “He’s been stressed lately, sure. But he’s not… like that.”
Natalie didn’t say anything—just looked at me. And something about the silence unsettled me more than any words could.
Later that night, I lay in bed while Eli snored beside me. The thought kept spinning in my head. Could he be the reason? Was that even possible?
I didn’t want to believe it. But I needed to know the truth.
The next morning, once Eli left for work, I dug around in our closet until I found the old nanny cam from when Mia was a baby. I set it up discreetly on the bookshelf in the living room—angled to catch everything without being obvious.
This wasn’t about paranoia anymore. It was about answers.
By noon, I had another sitter lined up. Her name was Clara—sweet, bubbly, and eager to start. She bonded with the kids right away, and for a moment, I let myself believe maybe this time would be different.
But I didn’t go to work. I sat in my car down the street, watching the nanny cam feed on my phone.
For the first hour, everything was fine. Clara played with Mia, bounced Noah on her hip, and even started cleaning up their toys. My shoulders slowly began to relax.
Then Eli came home.
I sat up straighter in my seat, heart hammering.
He strolled in with his usual charm, giving Clara a wide smile. “Hey there. Everything okay?”
Clara looked surprised. “Yes, everything’s great. The kids are amazing.”
Eli chuckled and set down his keys. “Glad to hear it. Do you mind if we talk for a sec?”
They sat on the couch—just barely in frame.
I turned up the volume.
“I just wanted to check in,” Eli began. “I know Sarah’s been struggling a bit lately. Postpartum stuff. She’s… fragile right now.”
What?
My jaw dropped.
Clara’s smile faltered. “Oh. I didn’t realize.”
“She hides it well,” he said smoothly. “But it’s been tough on all of us. The last few babysitters… things didn’t end well.”
He leaned in slightly.
“If you’re uncomfortable or sense anything off, no pressure. It’s okay to step away now before things escalate.”
Clara glanced toward the kids, then back at him. “I—I don’t know. Everything seems okay so far.”
Eli’s voice lowered. “That’s what they all say. Just between us, it’s better if people don’t get too involved. Makes things… less complicated.”
Clara stood abruptly. “I think I should go.”
Eli smiled. “Of course. I understand.”
And just like that, she left.
I sat frozen in the car, staring at my screen.
He had done it. Again. Manipulated her. Lied about me. Drove her away.
And I never saw it—until now.
The next morning, I waited until the kids were settled with Natalie—she’d agreed to watch them while I handled this.
I stood in the kitchen as Eli buttered toast like nothing had happened.
“We need to talk,” I said.
He glanced up. “Sure. What’s up?”
I folded my arms, heart pounding. “I know what you’ve been doing to the babysitters.”
His hands paused mid-motion. “What are you talking about?”
“The nanny cam. I saw everything, Eli.”
Silence.
He dropped the knife into the sink, turning slowly to face me.
“You were spying on me?”
“Don’t,” I snapped. “Don’t make this about me. You told Clara I had postpartum depression. You told her to quit. Just like the others.”
He sighed, rubbing his face. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Ivy.”
“Then why?” My voice cracked. “Why lie? Why sabotage every sitter I hired?”
“Because I didn’t want you going back to work!” he shouted suddenly. “Is that what you want to hear?”
I flinched. The words were ugly. But at least they were honest.
“I liked having you here,” he said, quieter now. “The kids need you. I need you. Everything falls apart when you’re gone.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “So you decided for me? You lied, manipulated, and made me think I was the problem.”
“I was trying to keep our family together.”
“No,” I said firmly. “You were trying to keep me under control.”
His jaw tightened. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s exactly like that.”
He took a step forward, but I stepped back.
“I’m leaving,” I said.
“Ivy—”
“Not forever. Not yet. But I’m taking the kids to my sister’s for a while. I need space. And time to figure out what this marriage is really built on—because right now, it looks like fear and lies.”
He didn’t fight me. Didn’t beg. Just stood there as I walked upstairs to pack.
That evening, I drove away with the kids—Mia humming in the backseat, Noah babbling at clouds—while the house behind us grew smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.
My heart ached. But it also felt light.
Because for the first time in weeks, maybe months, I felt in control again.
I didn’t know what the future held. But I knew one thing:
I would never let anyone—especially the man who claimed to love me—dictate who I was or what I could become.