The Nanny and the Email
We hired a quiet young nanny to care for my seven-year-old son. She came with glowing references, a calm presence, and a natural way with kids. My son grew attached almost instantly — too attached. He refused to eat unless she fed him and cried whenever she left the room. At first, I was just…
We hired a quiet young nanny to care for my seven-year-old son. She came with glowing references, a calm presence, and a natural way with kids. My son grew attached almost instantly — too attached. He refused to eat unless she fed him and cried whenever she left the room.
At first, I was just grateful he felt safe with her. But one afternoon, while tidying up, I found something that stopped me cold: a laminated photo of my son tucked inside her bag. On the back, in jagged handwriting, were the words: “MY son.” Something about the way it was written felt possessive… obsessive.
Before I could even confront her, I got a call that night from another mother. Her voice trembled as she said, “She tried to take over my life. Claimed my daughter was hers. Tried to move in — even came back after we fired her.” That was all I needed to hear. I called the police.
They found journals in the nanny’s apartment — pages filled with photos of my son and dozens of others, all labeled “mine.” She was arrested on multiple charges, including stalking and identity fraud. She hasn’t been near us since, but sometimes I still wake up in the middle of the night, wondering how close she came… to taking everything.