BETROTHED TO MY STEPMOM’S HUSBAND

Kayla's POV

FIVE YEARS LATER

“What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you clean?” My manager said to me as he hit my head really hard. “There's still crumbs of food everywhere.”

“I am sorry sir. I will sweep the floor again.” I replied meekly as I left for the broom.

Yes, that was me. That was me five years after I was legally separated from my husband and given three million dollars.

Despite the pain of losing the love of my life, the three million consolidation money was something I thought I would use to push my life further and take care of my triplets.

However, my poor approach towards business made me invest in the wrong trade and after it crashed, over seventy percent of my money went with it. I tried other startups, but none of them worked. Before I knew it, in a little more than a year, I was back to being broke and jobless. Everything I had was gone and my babies, who were not even up to five months old needed my care now, more than ever.

We went back to my parents house in the countryside. There were no job offerings for me, but out of pity, one of my mom's friends employed me to work as a cleaner in her restaurant.

The pay was menial, but it helped me provide enough for my children, with help from my parents of course.

Things began turning real soar after the death of the restaurant owner and her son taking over as the manager.

He not only slashed everyone's salary by half, but was cruel and wasted no time in deducting from the already halved salaries if we did anything wrong.

“I can't do this again, mom. I can't. The stress is too much!” I told my mother when I felt uneasy giving up.

“You have to manage. If you give up, what happens to the children?” She asked me. “If you're alive and they can barely feed, what do you think will happen if you stop?”

My triplets were honestly the only people keeping me going. They weren't strong in the cruel world. I remember watching the wedding ceremony of Baron and Giorgia. The wedding I had planned with him, I saw him give it to someone else.

“You will all pay for this.” I said in my heart as I watched. My plan was to invest so much that I would rival his company and fight him. I wanted vengeance for what they did to me, but now that everything was gone, that dream had to die.

“Why are you so late today?” My manager asked with his cruel voice as I entered the restaurant thirty minutes later than the stated time.

“I am sorry sir. I had to take my babies to the hospital because they were sick. I came as quickly as I could.” I explained to him.

“Well, that's not my problem. Five dollars subtracted for lateness.” He said to me. I couldn't have this. It was getting too much and I felt myself losing it. I still tried to keep calm though.

“Please sir, you can't do this to me. You have already taken more than half my salary for this month.” I pleaded with him.

“That is a sign of how incompetent you are.” He replied rudely. “Now, get to work, else I take another.”

“Must you be so wicked?” I spewed out without caution. He turned to me, shocked that I was saying that to him.

“I can fire you for that nonsense you just spilled out of your mouth.” He threatened. “You know what? I quit! You can keep your stupid business to yourself!” I said at the top of my voice, then left the restaurant.

Honestly, he had it coming. He had been a dick for years and I just couldn't take it anymore. Deep down though, I wondered where I would get a new job because it was almost impossible finding one there.

My mom wasn't having it either. Called me a fool for letting the job go and insisting I had to go back and beg the manager.

“You have to, because if you don't, they'll be nothing for your children to eat. You know my work doesn't bring much home.”

Instead of me going back to work for someone, I vowed to do my own business for the second time, praying hard that I make it this time. Since I didn't have any money with me, I decided to take a loan with my business insurance to support me this time.

I wanted to start up a nanny agency. I would be training and recruiting up thirty nannies at a start, then I would send them out to families, the payment would be made to the company account, from where I'll pay them.

With support from my mom and friends, I started and launched my new agency.

Golden Care Nannies.

We hoped to grow and become the best with time. It wasn't smooth but with my persistence, the business was growing successfully.

It was time to pay the loan shark, so I got a call. It would be them asking for their money, I was even going to give them without using my insurance. I was doing well now, even though not at the peak, but anyone would know I'm doing well.

“Hello, is it Kayla?” A masculine voice came up on the line.

“Yes,” I snapped. “I'm pretty sure you're one of the staff of Green Loans?”

“No, the CEO.”

“Urghh!” I gasped. The CEO? Why will the CEO call me, is it that my loan is the highest or I said I wasn't gonna pay it?

“Well, sorry. I know you're surprised on getting this call, I don't mean to make you more surprised by telling you it's your ex-husband on the line.”

“What?”

“Yes.” Suddenly there was a brief pause.

“What do you want?” I scolded, feeling both confusion and anger. “Baron, what–”

“Please calm down, Kayla. I was going through the list of medium loans on my register and I saw your name. So I decided to call.”

“I can see you're doing well and you're the chief nanny. I–” He dragged.

“I had a little request.” He finally spoke out.

“What's that?” I replied, sounding infuriated. “I have a job for you. I want you to come back to my estate, but as a nanny and I will be paying you five hundred dollars every month. I'm a billionaire, I have the money but my wife just died and my daughter who's in grief has been rejecting all her nannies.” He proposed.

“I'm paying you the money I owe your company, if I knew you were the CEO of the company, I would have gone somewhere else.” I sighed, ending the call immediately.

I switched off my phone but anytime I put it on, I'd see calls from Baron. It came to a point I became pissed.

What's all these?

“Okay, I'll use my influence as a social media influencer and public figure to promote your company, my daughter can even become your brand ambassador for free through taking care of her–”

He didn't finish his statement when I began fantasizing about this. Baron has over a billion followers on social media, and is one of the most popular business moguls.

Having such a business deal with him will skyrocket my business success.

I sighed. “Well for this, I will do it.”

When the set time came, I left for his estate, telling my mother I would be sending her money to take care of my triplets who were with her. I couldn't take them with me because I was still hiding that information from their father. I wasn't coming the second time to win him even when I felt he was trying to win me. It's strictly business.

****

I entered the house again after five years and everything still felt the same just that the atmosphere surrounding us was different, cold and aloof from my end.

“Giorgia was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer and was carrying a baby. She had a serious complication during childbirth and died so I need you here.” He said to me.

“Why can't you get other nannies?”

“I got nannies but my daughter rejected them all.” He snapped.

“We are keeping this relationship a hundred percent professional.” I said.

I scoffed at him. “I never intend on making up with you in the first place. As you promised, I am just here for the money and the promotion in exchange for my services only.” I replied to him.

He took a pause and turned to me. I understood his eyes.

“Just hope she likes me so I can get this business deal!” I slowly whispered.