Chapter 5

These past few days, Mr. Vincent's attitude toward me had softened a little.

He no longer made sarcastic remarks, but he didn't really acknowledge me either.

Just like I really was a nanny.

This morning, Willow suddenly came to find me.

"Sophia, let's talk," she said.

We sat in the living room. She looked a bit nervous.

"Actually... Vincent and I were college sweethearts," she began.

I was taken aback.

She continued, "We dated for three years, then we were forced to break up because our families opposed it."

I didn't say anything, just listened to her continue.

"Five years ago I got divorced and had nowhere to go, so I found Vincent." Her voice was soft. "He took me in and let me live here."

I thought to myself: Here comes the homewrecker's confession.

"You... you're not angry?" she asked cautiously.

I shook my head. "Why would I be angry?"

She froze.

I said, "Miss Willow, your past with Mr. Vincent is your business. I don't remember anything, so there's nothing to be angry about."

Her expression changed. "But... you weren't like this before."

"Before?"

"You used to be really mean to me," she said. "Every time I came, you'd find all kinds of excuses to kick me out."

"You even talked bad about me in front of Ethan, telling him not to play with me."

Her voice sounded a bit aggrieved. "Later he found out I wasn't that kind of person, and he ended up hating you even more."

I sighed inwardly.

The lady of the house really ruined herself...

Talking bad about someone in front of a child, and in the end even her son sided with the other woman.

"That was her being petty," I said. "I wouldn't do that."

Willow looked at me with a complex expression.

Just then, Mr. Vincent came in.

He heard our conversation and stood in the doorway, looking displeased.

"What are you saying?" he asked Willow.

Willow lowered her head, looking like I'd bullied her.

I said, "Miss Willow was just explaining why she moved in before, but I said, I'm just a nanny—I don't care about these things."

Mr. Vincent turned to look at me, his eyes complex.

"Do you know what you did before to drive her away?"

I shook my head.

"You flew to her hometown, knelt in front of her parents, and begged them to make her stay away from me."

I was stunned.

He continued, "You came back and cried all night, saying you'd never been so humiliated."

"But the next day, she came back. Because I asked her to come back."

He looked at me, waiting for my reaction.

I felt helpless. This definitely wasn't me! Way too pathetic...

Kneeling and begging people?

Degrading yourself like this for a man?

But I didn't say it out loud, just nodded. "Oh."

Mr. Vincent froze.

"Just... oh?" he asked.

"Yeah." I said. "That was in the past. I don't remember it. Like I said, if you're paying me as a nanny, I'll work as a nanny. If you're not paying me, I'll leave."

Actually, if it weren't for just getting out of the hospital, I would've left already.

He stared at me for a long time, his eyes getting more and more complex.

"You really..." He hesitated.

Willow was also looking at me, her expression a bit panicked.

The atmosphere was especially awkward.

Mr. Vincent suddenly said, "Come with me."

He took me to the study.

Closing the door, he turned to look at me.

"Sophia, what exactly are you thinking?" he asked.

His question left me confused. "I... I'm not thinking anything."

"You heard me say you knelt and begged people, and you had no reaction at all?"

He took a deep breath. "Before, when you heard these things, you'd cry, make a scene, throw things."

"But now you don't even furrow your brow."

I didn't know what to say. Nobody told me being a nanny also meant playing therapist.

He kept staring at me, then suddenly said, "If you really have amnesia..."

He didn't finish.

But I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

He turned around. "Get out."

I left the study, breathing a sigh of relief.