They Chose the Nanny, I Chose to Stop Funding Them

During the holiday, I make a rare trip back to my hometown. After dinner, Dad orders me to wash the dishes. I pause for a moment and ask, "Do we not have a caretaker at home?" Mom frowns and says, "Julia works so hard taking care of us every day. Since you are back, you should let her rest. You should be the one doing everything." I fail to fathom the logic behind her reasoning. So, I argue, "I am paying her to be a caretaker here. Is this not exactly what she is hired to do? How does it make sense that I pay and still have to do the chores myself?" My words make the caretaker, Julia Woodard, cry. My parents get angry at me too. The frown on Mom's face becomes even more pronounced. "What's the point of raising you? We barely see you all year. You are not as thoughtful as Julia! At least she stays by our side every day." Dad points at me and scolds, "You might as well stop coming back. From now on, Julia is our real daughter! Go do whatever you want!" I let out a helpless laugh. I am busy working away from home, but I send a large amount of money back every month and even fork out extra money to hire a caretaker for them. But in the end, they think her as their caring daughter and shower her with affection instead. If that's the case, I'll stop sending money and see whether Julia will still act like their "daughter" for free. Chapter 1 I went home early, thinking of giving my parents a surprise. However, when I got home, my key wouldn't open the door. I tried opening it several times, but the key just wouldn't turn. Then, it dawned on me that the locks had probably been changed. Frustrated, I took my phone out and called Mom. The phone rang several times before she finally answered. I heard the typical sounds of a shopping mall in the background as she spoke into the receiver. "Hey, Jen. What's up? Why are you calling all of a sudden?" "I'm home, Mom. I'm at the door. Did you change the locks? I can't open the door." A few seconds later, Mom finally answered slowly, "Oh, you're back? Your Dad and I are out shopping with Julia. Just wait by the door for a bit. We'll be home soon." She didn't wait for my reply before hanging up quickly. I stood in the hallway with my suitcase behind me and waited for a whole hour. Finally, I heard footsteps in the hallway. I looked up and saw my parents walking ahead, with the caretaker, Julia Woodard, right between them. Her right arm was affectionately linked with Mom's, and she carried the shopping bags for Dad on her right. The three of them were laughing and chatting merrily, just like a family. When they got to the door and saw me standing there, neither of them showed any surprise or delight. Dad just glanced at me indifferently, and Mom simply said, "You're back." On the other hand, Julia immediately let go of Mom's arm as she beamed at me with a warm smile, hurrying toward me. "You're back, Ms. Peterson! Why didn't you tell us beforehand? We could have come and picked you up instead." I forced a smile and nodded, my gaze falling on the door lock. I asked, "When did you change the lock? Why didn't you tell me?" Julia hurriedly explained, "We just changed it a month ago. The old lock was a bit stiff and not very secure. "I thought that it might be a problem since Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are getting old, so I got the locksmith to upgrade it for us. I'm sorry we didn't manage to tell you in time, Ms. Peterson." Before I could get a word in, Dad scoffed coldly and pushed the door open, grumbling with obvious displeasure. "What difference does it make to you anyway, since you didn't even bother coming home for the Christmas holidays?" I knew Dad was still upset that I didn't come home for the holidays last year, and he clearly still hadn't let it go. I didn't want to get into a fight with my parents as soon as I got home, so I just didn't say anything in return and followed them into the house. Once inside, I habitually went to the shoe cabinet to get my indoor slippers, but I saw that my cotton slippers were already on Julia's feet. Chapter 2 Julia noticed my gaze and hurriedly rummaged through the bottom of the shoe cabinet, pulling out a pair of disposable indoor slippers and handing them to me instead. "I'm sorry, Ms. Peterson. I seemed to have been wearing the wrong pair by mistake. Why don't you put these on for now?" I looked at the flimsy disposable slippers and then at my thick cotton slippers on Julia's feet. A strange feeling rose in my chest, but I still didn't say anything and just silently changed into the disposable ones. After dinner, I was just about to sit on the couch and rest to ease my fatigue from travelling for hours when Dad pointed to the table and said, "Go wash the dishes." I froze on the spot and instinctively replied, "Don't we have a caretaker for that?" Mom frowned at once and set down her glass. Her face darkened as she looked at me. "Julia has been working hard, taking care of us, doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning, and more. "She's exhausted from working all day long. She should rest now that you're back. What's the matter with you doing the dishes instead?" "I'm tired from work too," I said, looking at them, completely bewildered. "I work overtime every day. I finally get a few days off and want to relax at home, and you're telling me to do housework instead? "Also, I paid a lot of money to hire her. Isn't this part of her job? Why should I pay her if I'm going to be doing the housework myself?" Julia just stood to the side with her head down, looking terribly aggrieved. Dad slammed his hand on the table, his face darkening. He yelled at me angrily and said, "Money, money, money! That's all you care about! What else do you see besides money? You've literally abandoned your parents just for the sake of money! "You won't even come home to visit us regularly or during the holidays. And now that you're finally home, all you talk about is money! Why don't you just live for your money and your job, then? Why even bother coming back at all?" Mom sighed next to me, her eyes filled with disappointment. "He's right. You rarely ever come home after you started working in Berrington. We only see each other less than a handful of times a year. But Julia has always been taking care of us in every way. "Sometimes, when we have a fever or a headache, Julia is the one busying herself to care for us, bringing us water, meds, and taking such good care of us. "But what about you? As our daughter, have you ever treated us like your parents? Have you ever cared about us?" When she finished, Julia went up to Mom and reached out to take her hand, comforting her softly. "Please don't get mad, Mrs. Peterson. Ms. Peterson is working in a high managerial role now, so it's natural that she's always busy with work. It's not that she doesn't want to come home." I was so angry hearing this from them that I almost laughed. How could they say that I didn't care about them? I would always wire them 5,000 dollars every month, without fail, for their living expenses. And I was worried that they wouldn't bear to spend the money, so I hired a live-in caretaker and paid her a hefty sum to take care of their daily needs. I worked myself to the bone, all alone in a foreign city, just so that they could live comfortably at home! And yet, they said that I wasn't behaving like their daughter, claiming instead that the live-in caretaker cared more about them than I did! I clenched my fists and suppressed my anger. "Don't you think that's unfair, Mom and Dad? You say I don't care about you and only talk about money all the time? "I used to come home often in the past, whenever I had free time, but you said that I was wasting money, and that I was acting like a child who never grew up. You told me not to come home that often. I listened to you. "But I still called and Facetimed you often, didn't I? I was never late wiring you the money for your living expenses, was I? And I was the one who hired Julia at a high pay to take care of you. Doesn't any of that count as caring?" Dad's face darkened at once. "But you didn't even come home for the holidays last year. That's unacceptable! You weren't here for Thanksgiving either and missed the family gathering. What's the point of sending us money? Your mom and I have enough retirement savings. We don't need your money!" Chapter 3 "Please don't get mad, Mr. Peterson," Julia said quickly, stepping forward and gently tugging at Dad's arm with a meek smile. "Ms. Peterson has had a tough time working in Berrington. Being a manager in such a cutthroat city isn't easy for her. It's very demanding, so it's only natural that she can't keep coming home like you wished she could. I'm sure that she still cares about you two." Yet, Dad only got angrier at her words. "So what if she's a manager?" he snapped. "Why is a young woman even working so hard for? Sooner or later, she'll still have to get married and settle down. What's the point of climbing so high anyway?" Mom agreed with him and chimed in, "You're not getting any younger, Jen. You really should think about getting married. "A colleague of mine has a son about your age. He's honest and reliable, works here, and comes from a good family. Since you're back, you can go on a date with him. If you think he's a good match for you, you can get engaged." I rejected her at once. "I'm not going to any blind dates, and I'm not getting married either." "You're not getting married?" Dad's face was as black as thunder now. "Are you planning to work for the rest of your life?" "Why not?" I asked, staring back into his eyes. "You—" Dad's chest heaved with anger. "Your mom and I are getting older. We need someone by our side. If you went on the date and got married, then we'd have someone to rely on. Why can't you just think about us?" I frowned. "Didn't I already hire Julia to take care of you?" Dad slammed his hand on the table as he swore in my face. "Since you refuse to get married, then quit your job right now and move back home to take care of us! If not, then don't even bother calling us your parents anymore! Julia can be our daughter instead!" I laughed in anger. "Back when I graduated from college, I originally planned to come back here to work so that I could take care of you," I said calmly, looking at him. "But, you thought that it was embarrassing for a prestigious college graduate to return to the village to find a local job here. You yelled at me for being useless and forced me to go into the city to work there instead. "I struggled in Berrington for years, and now that I've finally found a foothold and have the life I have now, you think that you can make me give it all up and quit my job just to come back to take care of you? Just because you said so?" I shook my head and added firmly, "That's not happening." Dad frowned. His tone rose as he demanded, "What do you mean by 'not happening'? We raised you all these years! We're just asking you to come home and take care of us now. And you're making excuses?" "I'm not making excuses," I explained patiently. "I worked hard for my position in Berrington. If I just give it up now, all my years of hard work would have been for nothing!" "So you're not going to care about us anymore?" Mom demanded, her face tight with disapproval. "You're our only daughter. Who else are we supposed to rely on when we're older, if not you?" "I never said that I wasn't going to care about you anymore," I said, taking a deep breath before offering them another solution. "Fine. If you want me to take care of you, then you can move to Berrington with me. Then, I can go to work and also take care of you at the same time." Dad immediately waved his hand dismissively, looking at me impatiently. "Move to Berrington? We've lived in this village for decades. All our friends and relatives are here. We won't be comfortable living in another place at all." Mom nodded as well. "Exactly! Also, you're living in a rented apartment in Berrington. It's not going to be as comfortable as our own house! We're not going!" I frowned. "If you don't want to come with me, and I can't quit my job, then there's nothing that I can do." Dad's face was thunderous. "Nothing you can do? Now that you've spread your wings, you think you can just ignore us? You don't respect us anymore!" "I'm not resigning no matter what," I said firmly, without the slightest hint of backing down. Chapter 4 Dad opened his mouth to continue yelling at me, but Julia hurriedly stepped in and gently smoothed things over. "Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, it's rare for Ms. Peterson to come back. Let's just talk things out calmly as a family instead of arguing like this. We should be keeping our peace." Then, she turned to me with a gentle smile. "Ms. Peterson, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are just getting old and want someone to be with them. It's only natural that they want someone to rely on. Please don't get mad at them." Dad's expression softened slightly after hearing what Julia said. He looked at her gently and said, "Julia is very sensible. She understands us better than someone who only cares about work and money." I didn't have the energy to argue with them anymore. It was exhausting for me to even say another word. So, I turned and walked toward my room instead. However, I froze the moment I opened the door. My bed was covered in unfamiliar sheets and blankets. My dressing table was piled high with hair ties and skincare products. There were also tons of unfamiliar clothing hanging up in my wardrobe. Clearly, someone had been living here for a long time. I spun around and stared at Julia. "Don't you have your own room? Why are you staying in my room without permission?" Julia's eyes flickered. She lowered her head and looked flustered. "I'm sorry, Ms. Peterson, I—" Mom spoke up for her before she could even finish. "The AC in Julia's room broke. We tried to fix it a few times, but it can't be fixed anymore. Since it was getting cold a few days ago, I told her to sleep in your room for the time being. "It's not like you're using it anyway, since you never come back. It would be a waste to keep it empty." My anger flared up again. "Even if I don't come back often, it's still my room! What right do you have to let her move in without getting my permission first?" "What right?" Dad roared, his face thunderous. "This house belongs to your mother and me! We can let whoever we want stay wherever we want them to! And if we can let Julia live here, we can just as easily kick you out!" I trembled with rage at his words. I stared at my parents and suddenly realized that I didn't know who they were anymore. This was my home too, and yet, I was being treated like an outsider. I didn't bother arguing anymore. I just turned and headed for the front door, dragging my suitcase behind me. "Fine, you want to kick me out? I'll leave, then." Dad scoffed coldly as he glared at me in disdain. "Go ahead. Leave if you dare! Once you step out of this house, don't even think of coming back!" Mom opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, she just sighed and stayed silent. Julia stood to the side, anxiously saying, "Wait, Ms. Peterson! Don't be angry! It's all my fault. I'll move out at once…" I couldn't be bothered to listen to her anymore and just dragged my suitcase out with me, leaving the house without another backward glance. I dragged the heavy suitcase with me, eventually flagging down a cab that took me to a nearby hotel. … The next afternoon, I got a call from my cousin, Sonya Peterson. "Genevieve? We're going to the cemetery now for Great-Grandpa's death anniversary. Didn't you say that you were back? Hurry up and come over. Everyone's already here." "Got it. I'll be right there." After hanging up, I quickly got ready and rushed to the cemetery. When I arrived, I saw that all of our relatives were already there, including my parents. However, when I got closer, I stopped in my tracks. Julia was there too, standing next to Mom. Sonya spotted me first. She waved and beckoned me over. "Over here, Genevieve." I walked over to her and asked in a low voice, "What's she doing here?" Sonya sighed. "Uncle Randy and Aunt Marie insisted on bringing her along." It was my parents. They insisted on bringing Julia along. After paying our respects to Great-Grandpa, everyone then headed to the family-style restaurant they'd booked in advance for dinner. Everyone sat together in a private room. During dinner, Mom suddenly said, "Since everyone is here today, Randy and I have an announcement to make." Chapter 5 "We've decided to adopt Julia as our daughter," Dad announced as he looked around the table. The room fell silent instantly. I could see our relatives exchanging bewildered glances with each other. Mom then said, "Julia is a very thoughtful child. She's always by our side, serving us and taking care of all our needs, doing the laundry, the cooking, and the cleaning—she's more attentive than our own daughter." At that, my relatives instinctively turned to look at me. I gripped my knife and fork, remaining silent. Dad just shot me a sideways glance, his tone turning serious. "Julia is unlike some people, who are nowhere to be seen all year round, only coming home to talk about money without caring about us at all. "We asked her to quit her job and come back to take care of us, but she refused. We asked her to go on a blind date and settle down, and she refused that as well. "She's all grown-up now, after all. She doesn't care the least bit about us old folks anymore." Seeing this, Sonya immediately tried to smooth things over. "But Uncle Randy, Aunt Marie, it's not that Genevieve is being unfilial or disrespectful to you. She's just really busy with work and under a lot of pressure. Please don't say such things about her." Mom waved her hand dismissively, her face darkening. "Busy? She's always busy, isn't she? What's the point of earning more money anyway if she can't be there for us? "But Julia is different. She's very caring, and she's always there for us when we're sick. She's far more reliable than our own daughter." Dad became even more agitated, his voice rising as he spoke. "Since we can't rely on our own daughter, then we'll just find someone else more caring to take her place! "If Julia can take care of us in our old age and see us off in our final days, I don't see why we shouldn't leave the house and assets to her!" Everyone in the room was completely stunned. They stared at each other in shock, not daring to breathe even too loudly. Some of them wanted to advise them against it, but they decided not to after seeing how resolute my parents seemed about it. Dinner ended in a very awkward atmosphere. Afterward, Sonya pulled me aside, her face full of concern. "Genevieve! Did that Julia put a spell on your parents or something? How could they say that they'd leave the house to her! "You should go back and talk to them properly. We can't let them continue making a huge mistake like this!" I looked at Julia, who was chatting and laughing happily with my parents in the distance, and gently shook my head. "Maybe all they want is just a sweet, obedient daughter who can always be by their side every single day. I can't be that person. And if they want someone else to be that for them, then there's no way I can stop them either." The long weekend was coming to an end, and I needed to return to Berrington. I called Dad before leaving, but he didn't pick up. I called Mom next, but my calls ended up being rejected. I called them several more times, but I kept getting rejected each time. I stared at my phone and decided to give up. I just dragged my suitcase with me to the train station and caught the train back to Berrington. … Over the next couple of weeks, I kept seeing my parents post updates about their daily lives. There were photos of them going out to barbecue restaurants and posing intimately together and walking in the park with Julia's arms linked with Mom's as they smiled sweetly at each other. Their captions were always about how warm and lovely their new life was as a "family" of three. I scrolled through their posts, neither liking nor commenting on them. I just pretended not to have seen anything. However, a few days later, a phone call suddenly came in. It was from Mom. I'd only just answered the phone when I heard her disgruntled voice on the line at once. "Why haven't you wired us the money for this month's living expenses, Genevieve Peterson? And why haven't you paid Julia her wages yet?"