My Stepdaughter Calls Me Mommy Now

Layla noticed Sebastian was in a mood again. She was starting to realize this older man had a pretty unpredictable temperament. Looked like she'd need to walk on eggshells around him, staying out of things that weren't her business.

Over dinner, her curiosity got the best of her, and she glanced at Sebastian. "Mr. Knight, did you pull some strings to get me that schedule at the hospital?"

If her husband hadn't had a hand in it, she couldn't wrap her head around why the hospital would give her such a sweet deal. Before, her job was brutal—constant overtime. Nobody there clocked in at nine and out by four. If Sebastian really did this, Layla figured she should say a proper thank-you.

Sebastian shot her a look, neither confirming nor denying. "I won't make you quit. If you've got free time, spend it with Avianna. The three grand I promised each month is still yours, every cent."

Layla's eyes lit up. He was like the dream husband—making sure her schedule was a breeze while paying her good money to hang out with his kid. Especially since she didn't have to lift a finger around the house. In that moment, she realized she was hitting the jackpot in this setup.

Suppressing her delight, Layla quickly said, "Thanks. I'll make sure every free minute goes to Avianna."

Sebastian didn't answer, just focused on his dinner with refined grace. All excited, Layla eagerly used the serving spoons to pile food onto his plate. "This is so good. You've gotta try it."

Sebastian, not used to this, frowned. "If you like it, eat it yourself. Don't put it on my plate." He disdainfully moved the food onto a side plate, leaving Layla feeling hella awkward.

Thankfully, Avianna swooped in to save the moment. "Mommy, gimme! I wanna try."

Layla happily obliged, putting the food on Avianna's plate. "Eat up, Avianna. It'll help you grow big and strong."

The little girl nodded eagerly, cheeks puffed, and gave her dad a reproachful look. "Daddy, Mommy's just being nice to you. You're so ungrateful."

Sebastian looked at his daughter, too tired to argue. What did she know? His young wife's intentions were as clear as day—she was just trying to earn brownie points. He was older, not clueless. His daughter wouldn't get it.

Grateful for the save, Layla quickly switched topics to Avianna. "Let's finish dinner, and then we can play hide-and-seek again, okay?"

Avianna didn't follow her train of thought. She sat there, bright eyes sparkling with innocent curiosity. "Mommy, why do other mommies and daddies hug and kiss every day, but you and Daddy don't? Don't you love each other?"

The questions caught Layla off guard for a second. She felt super awkward, glancing at the man across from her.

Sebastian's face went stone-cold as he spoke to his daughter more sharply than usual. "Stop thinking about stuff like that. Eat your dinner and then go study."

The little girl pursed her lips, giving her dad a reproachful look before looking down, pouting.

Layla was at a loss for words. After all, she and Sebastian didn't love each other. They weren't even into each other. Their time together was short—there was no chance for the kind of affection normal couples have. Layla just hoped to keep this civil until she'd saved up enough cash.

After dinner, Layla helped Avianna with her reading and writing. That night, when Avianna asked her to sleep with her, Layla got the okay from Sebastian and joined her.

The next day, Layla took Avianna to preschool before heading to work. Back at the hospital, she noticed her coworkers shooting her looks and whispering among themselves.

Unable to hold back their curiosity, one asked, "Layla, do you know someone higher up?"

If she didn't have a connection, how else could they explain her cushy schedule? Everyone else pulled eight to six, but she was the only one starting at nine and leaving at four.

Layla wasn't sure how to explain it was her practically-a-stranger husband's doing, so she just smiled, dodged the question, and headed to the patient rooms with her supplies for meds and IVs.

In Mathias Knight's room, Layla walked in to find a bunch of handsome guys in their twenties, including her ex, Ryan.

Playing dumb, she held her breath and focused on her tasks at Mathias's bedside.

The group was shocked to see her. One of them blurted, "Whoa, Ryan, ain't that your girlfriend?"

"She's a nurse here?"

"Ryan, why's she ignoring you?"

Ryan was lounging on the sofa by the window, casually dressed in a white button-down and slacks, his hair neat and clean-cut. Seeing his ex of one month was no surprise—he knew Layla worked here. But he wasn't visiting her; he was there for his injured buddy.

"They broke up," Mathias announced from his bed, raising his voice to clue everyone in. "Nurse Layla is single, and Ryan's already got a new girl. Didn't you guys know?"

The guys exchanged blank looks, turning to Ryan, clearly out of the loop. "I saw Ryan with Layla just last month. How'd they break up?"

One of them pressed, "Five years together and you're really done?"

Ryan stayed silent, eyes glued to Layla as she worked. When Mathias brought up Ryan's new relationship, Layla felt a stab in her chest. Pulling herself together, she quickly finished up and said to Mathias, "Rest up. If you need anything, just holler."

With that, she hightailed it out of there, almost running.

Ryan jumped up to follow, leaving the others dying to eavesdrop on the drama.

Layla hadn't gotten far when Ryan caught up to her. "Layla, I didn't jump into anything right away. I wasn't with her until after we broke up."

Layla couldn't figure out why Ryan bothered explaining. She'd hit him up a month ago, asking for $28,800. The second she brought it up, Ryan called it quits.

Layla accepted their differences and didn't push. Keeping her cool, she met his eyes with a smile. "We're not together anymore. Whoever you're with now is none of my business. You don't need to explain."