Chapter 4

For the next two weeks, Brenda seemed to have learned her lesson.

She no longer brought people home to play cards, and she'd put a few checkmarks on the record sheet daily.

However, whenever I returned home from work, she would speak to me in a sarcastic, passive-aggressive tone.

"Oh, look, the big boss is back. We servants must attend to her properly."

I pretended not to hear. As long as she fed and changed the baby on time, I wouldn't interfere.

Until the night before payday.

Brenda suddenly put down her fork at the dinner table and cleared her throat.

"Tomorrow's payday. You might as well just give me next month's fifteen hundred dollars in advance."

Kevin asked.

"Do you need money urgently? I can transfer some to you."

Brenda glared at Kevin.

"You shut up! This is between me and my employer."

She turned to me, holding out her hand.

"I've seen a therapy device I like, and it costs over a thousand dollars. If you settle next month's salary now, I can pay the remaining balance."

"An advance is fine, but it has to follow proper procedure."

I transferred fifteen hundred dollars to her account right in front of her.

In the transfer notes, I typed "Advance payment for next month's nanny salary."

"The money's transferred. Check your account."

Brenda heard her phone notification and smiled contentedly.

"At least you're sensible."

That weekend, I was strolling with the baby in his stroller around the neighborhood.

Mrs. Davis, who lived downstairs, came up to me and mysteriously pulled my arm.

"Audrey, there's something I don't know if I should say."

I stopped.

"Mrs. Davis, please tell me."

Mrs. Davis looked around, lowering her voice.

"A couple of days ago, I went to the flea market to sell some cardboard, and I saw your mother-in-law there, selling empty baby formula cans."

"Selling junk isn't a big deal, but yesterday, I went to the supermarket and saw her buying several bags of cheap, low-quality formula that cost only a few dollars."

Mrs. Davis pointed to the can of imported hypoallergenic formula in my baby's stroller.

"Your baby drinks the expensive five hundred dollar kind. Why would your mother-in-law buy that cheap stuff?"

The smile on my face slowly disappeared.

"Thank you for the heads-up, Mrs. Davis. I understand."

Back home, Brenda was sitting on the sofa watching TV.

I walked to the baby supplies cabinet and picked up the opened can of imported formula.

The seal on the can showed signs of having been pried open and re-sealed.

I scooped a bit of the formula onto my tongue and tasted it.

The taste was off. It was gritty, not the fine texture of the original.

I took the formula can and walked to Brenda.

"What's going on with this formula?"

Brenda's eyes darted nervously, then she raised her voice.

"What do you mean, what's going on? It's just the formula you bought!"

I slammed the formula can heavily onto the table.

"I bought deep-hydrolyzed formula. This can clearly contains regular whole milk formula."

Brenda stood up, hands on her hips.

"You're full of it! Which eye saw me switch the formula? You bought a fake product yourself, and now you're blaming me? You heartless woman!"

Kevin rushed out of the study, hearing the argument.

"What now? Can't we have one quiet day?"

Brenda threw herself onto Kevin, weeping melodramatically.

"Kevin, look at the wonderful wife you married! She's accusing me of stealing my grandson's food!"

"What's the point of me living? I might as well just bash my head against the wall!"

As she spoke, she lunged towards the wall. Kevin hugged her tightly.

"Audrey! Can you stop being so suspicious all the time? How could Brenda possibly harm her own grandson?"

I looked at the mother and son, feeling no anger.

I simply pulled out my phone and, in front of them, opened a shopping app.

"Every can of formula I buy has a traceability code. Whether it's fake or not, we'll know with a quick scan."

"As for how the formula in this can became... spoiled..."

I looked up, meeting Brenda's evasive eyes directly.

"You'd better pray the baby doesn't have any problems from drinking this cheap formula."

"Otherwise, according to the contract, you'll not only have to compensate for medical expenses but also bear legal responsibility."

Brenda's crying stopped abruptly. She glared at me, gritting her teeth.

"Don't you dare threaten me with contracts! I'm his grandmother! The court can't arrest me, can it?!"

I ignored her, turned, and poured the fake formula into the trash can.

Kevin sighed.

"Audrey, do you have to turn our home into a battlefield?"

I looked at Kevin.

"Kevin, this isn't a small matter. It could have serious consequences."

"I'm simply upholding my legitimate rights as a mother and an employer."