1. PARENT OR NANNY?

CLARA

“Connie! Can you give it back?” I gasped, reaching for my purse. The sudden movement pulled at my chest, making my heart pound erratically. I gripped the chair for support, cursing under my breath. Damn heart issues…

Connie only grinned, throwing my Chanel purse behind him when I tried to reach for it again. “Why don’t you just go away, sicko? You’re an ugly witch with ugly hair!”

I forced a nervous laugh as Connie yanked my hair, glancing around the school hall for some help but none came.

The only reason I was here was because my fiancé, Lucas, had asked that we attend the parent-child event for his eight-year-old nephew, Connie, as his parents. His biological parents passed away three years ago. From here, we could go try on wedding dresses, which I was excited for.

But as Connie’s tantrum dragged on, I refused to let him ruin today. Even when he kept pinching my arms discreetly, running back whenever I reached for him.

Before I could actually lose my mind, Lucas finally appeared. Relief flooded me—until I noticed who was clinging to his arm.

Ella—aka his sister-in-law whom I was sure was secretly in love with him.

Connie’s eyes lit up. “Aunt Ella will be my mommy, not you, old witch!”

And then he bolted right into her arms.

I took a deep breath and then smiled widely at Lucas when our eyes met briefly, but my breath hitched as they walked past me like I wasn’t even there.

No greeting. No acknowledgment. Nothing.

I turned just in time to hear Lucas introduce himself to the teacher.

“Good morning. We’re Connie’s parents. Hope we’re not too late.”

My chest tightened and I had to breathe through my mouth, agitation triggering my heart issues.

What was going on?

I rushed forward, pulling Lucas away hastily. When he turned to me with a hard, imploring look, I whispered harshly, “What are you doing with her? What do you mean you both are Connie’s parents, wasn’t that supposed to be us?”

“It’s not a big deal, Clara. It’s just pretend, it’s not like we are actually married. We’ll talk later.”

I dragged him back again when he tried to leave, feeling like I would combust anytime soon, “If you didn’t want me here, all you had to do was ask me to meet you up at the stylist’s for the wedding dress fittings and not asking us to go from here.”

“Please, do that. Go, I’ll be busy for a while.” He barely glanced at me and still in shock, my hands loosened around his arm and he walked right back to Ella.

Connie tugged at my arm now, “Ms. Clara is really the best nanny ever! Right, Daddy?”

I froze. My mouth went dry as I waited for Lucas to correct him.

“Yes, she is.” His deep voice was calm, unreadable. “Sit down, Connie.”

Shock slammed into me. “Lucas, what the hell is going—”

“We’ll talk later,” he muttered again, eyes unreadable. “Go home, Clara. You’re not needed here.”

The words punched the air from my lungs. He’d asked me to be here, and now, he was dismissing me like an outsider.

Ella smiled softly, but I could literally see the ulterior motive in her eyes. Other parents kept gushing about how Lucas and Ella looked so good and compatible as a couple.

“The little boy looks so much like his mommy!” Connie beamed between them, basking in their attention.

I stood on the sidelines, a mere shadow.

I wanted to leave, but Connie still had my bag. I found him at another table, alone, rummaging through it.

I reached for it, but he clutched it tighter. “I just wanted to see what was inside. Do you have any cool stuff to show my friends?”

My patience snapped at once, and I yanked the bag from his grip and walked out. Lucas just asked me to wait for him at the stylist’s, yet again because of Connie who was also the reason he had postponed this fitting exercise multiple times, for various trivial issues.

My condition didn’t allow for stress like this, I thought to myself as I walked to my car. Once I was inside, Mom’s call came in. I picked up, my expression still sullen.

“Hello, baby! Uh, are you okay?”

The moment she asked, I let everything spill out—the event, how Connie had been so mean to me, Ella’s lying act, and the way Lucas could not stand up for me.

She said nothing for sometime before muttering, “I hope you haven’t taken alcohol or anything that might complicate things? We’ve waited for twenty years for this, we can’t mess it up.”

“I know mom, it’s just… I love Lucas. He’s the one man who has taken a chance on me despite my disease.”

Digging into my bag, I pulled out my heart pills, popped one into my mouth, and swallowed. The moment it hit my throat, it felt like fire erupted inside my throat and I started to cough violently, barely hearing mom ask, “Clara, what’s happening, baby?”

I opened my mouth to reply but I just ended up in another violent coughing fit. What the hell?

Was this pepper? In my tablets?

“Baby, can you talk to me?” Mom’s worried voice called out over the cell phone.

I tried to respond, but I couldn’t.

My tongue burned, while my throat felt paralyzed. I fumbled for my water bottle and took a desperate gulp—only for the sharp burn of vodka to flood my senses.

My eyes flew open. No.

Someone had tampered with my medicine. Someone had spiked my water.

My vision blurred. My fingers trembled. I clutched the phone.

“I—I don’t feel right,” I croaked.

Mom’s voice rose in panic. “Clara? Sweetie, where are you? Tell me right now.”

My lips barely formed the words. “Brimstone… Elementary.”

“I’m on my way. Stay awake, Clara. Stay with me.”

The world tilted and I felt my phone slip from my grasp. Then everything went black.