If there's one thing I've sworn on my life, it's this:
No one—and I mean no one—bullies my little sister.
Jenny is twelve. She's eight years younger than I am. Our mother died shortly after giving birth to her, and not long after, our father—an alcoholic—disappeared into another town with his new girlfriend. Since then, his voice only shows up when he needs money.
That means Jenny never really had a mother… or a father.
So I became both.
Yesterday, she came home in tears. She said some kids had been mocking her at school—calling her an orphan. I was trying to talk her through it, to keep things calm, until I saw the folded note tucked in the back of her schoolbag:
"Orphans like you shouldn't be in school. Go home and die like your mother, loser."
Every nerve in my body ignited. My head rang like a siren. That was it.
It was 10 a.m. when I arrived at her school. The playground was filled with the laughter and movement of children, but I wasn't here for playtime.
I stood beneath the large tree in the middle of the field, eyes locked on the boy I was looking for—Daniel.
"Daniel," I called, signaling him with a small curl of my finger.
He bounced over with far too much confidence for a boy his size.
Before he could say a word, I grabbed him by the ear and twisted.
"What letter did you sneak into my sister's bag?" I demanded.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" he yelped, trying to wriggle free.
He managed to pull away, but not before I caught his wrists and gave him three sharp slaps that echoed through the field. He burst into tears, wailing loudly.
"If you ever go near my sister again, I'll make sure you regret it," I said through clenched teeth.
He didn't wait for a second warning—he ran. By the time I looked up, a crowd of students had circled around. I didn't care. I pushed through them and walked straight to my car. My shift started at 11:30, and if I was late, I'd lose my job.
Later that night, Jenny and I had dinner. My favorite show had just ended, and I was ready to head to bed. But Jenny wasn't.
"Why did you do that?" she cried, fresh tears forming. "Now Daisy doesn't want to talk to me because Daniel is her boyfriend!"
I blinked. "Who's Daisy?"
She folded her arms. "My best friend."
I gave her a look and teased, "Daisy has a loser boyfriend, and you have a loser best friend."
She blinked, confused. "Uhn?"
"Bedtime," I said, standing up and turning off the TV. "It's past nine, and you have school in the morning."
She yelled from behind me as I walked to my room, "Why do I have to go to school when no one wants to talk to me?"
I closed the door behind me with a sigh. Kids can be so ungrateful.
The next morning, my phone rang.
"What? You lost your job??" Janet's voice shrieked through the speaker.
"Janet, calm down," I said, trying to soothe her.
"Your rent and college fees are due soon. Grace, how are you going to handle everything?"
"I called hoping you'd help me stay sane," I muttered, "not push me further off the edge."
"I'm coming over first thing tomorrow," she said—and ended the call before I could protest.
That night, I sat beside Jenny in bed.
"I think we might need to move in with Grandma," I said gently.
She looked up, surprised. "Do you really want to move there?"
She knew how much I hated Grandma's place.
"I don't have a choice," I said, squeezing her hand. "If nothing changes in the next two months, we'll have to."
She nodded slowly, and pulled me into a hug. "It's fine, okay?"
Thankfully, our cousin John—who lives with Grandma—had agreed to take Jenny to school each morning. It helped… a little.
A month to my rent deadline, and not a single payment had been made. But a silver lining had finally appeared—a nanny job. Janet had found it for me. The pay? Mouthwatering.
The child I'd be caring for was a seven-year-old boy whose mother had passed away. My heart already ached for him.
I knocked twice on the front door of the address I was given.
"Hold on," came a deep, masculine voice from inside.
I took a step back and waited.
The door opened.
And everything shifted.
Standing in the doorway was a man whose looks could only be described as devastatingly handsome. The kind of handsome that freezes you for a second longer than it should.
His eyes met mine, and something passed between us. Unspoken. Instant. His gaze was intense—almost unreadable.
"Hi," I said quickly, offering a small wave. "I called this morning…"
He nodded. "Come in." He stepped aside, and I followed him in.
The interior of the house was stunning. Elegant. Every corner whispered money and taste.
We sat at the dining table. He placed a printed copy of my CV in front of him.
"I went through your resume," he said, glancing up at me. "You haven't worked as a nanny before."
"I haven't," I replied honestly, keeping my posture firm. "But I practically raised my little sister. I know what it takes."
He nodded, seeming to weigh my words.
"You're a student?"
"Yes," I said. "I take most of my classes online at night."
"What time, exactly?"
"Around nine to ten."
He looked thoughtful. "I usually get back by 8 or 8:30. We can work with that."
Then, without hesitation: "You're hired."
He stood, grabbing his car keys.
"My son will be back in about an hour," he said as he walked toward the door. "You can stay and wait for him."
I blinked. "Wait… I'm starting now?"
"Yes. And just so you know—I have cameras everywhere," he added, a half-smirk on his lips before he disappeared out the door.
I stood frozen in the living room, watching his car disappear through the London streets.
What just happened?
I didn't even get a chance to tell Jenny.
I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed Janet.
"Hello?" Janet's voice came through, bright and curious.
"Janet!" I said, barely able to keep the excitement out of my voice. "I just finished the interview."
"Oh my God, how did it go?" Janet asked quickly.
unable to hold it in any longer. "It went amazing. They asked me to start today!"
"What? Today?" Janet let out a small laugh. "Grace, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!"
"I know, I'm still trying to process it," i said as I softly laughed. "Thank you so much for connecting me with them. I seriously don't know what I would've done without you."
"Please, what are friends for?" Janet replied. "You deserve it, girl. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks, love. I just need a small favour," I quickly added as I glanced at the time. "Jenny should be back from school in about an hour. Can you help me check on her? Maybe reach out and have her stay at your place till I'm done here?"
"Of course," Janet said without hesitation. "I'll reach out to her and make sure she's with me. Don't worry."
"You're the best," i said as I let out a little breath of relief. "I'll come pick her up before I head home."
"Perfect. Just focus on your first day, alright? You've got this."
feeling a little more grounded, I smiled. "I will. Talk to you later."