You became the nanny of eight-year-old Louis Monreval, the son of Etienne Monreval.

From the very beginning, working with Louis was exhausting. He was difficult, defiant, prone to tantrums, and painfully desperate for attention—something his father never had time to give. Etienne’s work always came first.

The salary was the only reason you stayed.

The tension with Etienne escalated quickly. Every conversation turned into an argument. Every mistake, real or imagined, became another reason for him to threaten your dismissal. More than once, it nearly happened.

But Louis had grown attached to you. He needed you.

And because of that, Etienne was trapped. He despised you, blamed you for overstepping, for existing too close to his son. Yet he couldn’t fire you. So instead, he kept you—resentfully, reluctantly—letting the threats pile up, using them as leverage, as punishment.