Distraught
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Her hands were clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide open as she stared at the screen. Her husband was as surprised as she was, his hands growing sweaty. He had to stop the video, he couldn’t stand to look any longer.
He turned to his wife, noticing the tears in her eyes as she shook her head, "I can't believe this," she whispered sadly. They couldn’t believe that this had been happening under their roof. They knew what they had to do.
Bree And Anthony Mendez
Bree and Anthony Mendez met while they were both studying at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. While she had an aptitude for Philosophy, Anthony’s passion lay in economics and business.
In the span of a few years, they had gotten married, and soon, they were expecting their first child. Realizing that the busy city wasn’t the best place to start a family, the couple decided to move to a safe and affordable neighborhood on the outskirts of New York City. Bree thought that the suburbs would be the safest option for her family, but she had no idea how wrong she was.
Happy Family
Shortly after moving into their beautiful home, the couple adopted an adorable Pitbull named Missy, and a few months later, on a warm, Thursday afternoon, they welcomed their baby daughter into the world. They decided to name her Mikaela, and she was everything they had ever dreamed of.
Bree spent every second of her 12 weeks of maternity leave with the baby. It was during this time that she noticed a close bond forming between Missy and Mikaela. But soon enough, she would have to return to work. She had no idea that in a matter of weeks, all peace in their new home would be disturbed.
Hiring A Nanny
Bree and Anthony were set on finding the perfect nanny to take care of their daughter while they returned to work. When they first interviewed Kelly, she seemed like the perfect fit for their family. They wasted no time hiring her.
She showed up early each morning, taking care of Mikaela while Anthony and Bree got ready for work. They were overjoyed to see how well she got along with their baby. But it was during this time that Missy began spending a lot of time in the nursery, staring at the baby. Bree didn't think much of this, but she should have.
Odd Behavior
Missy’s odd behavior occurred suddenly and it didn’t take long for Bree to notice the change. Since Kelly started working for the family, Missy refused to leave the baby’s side. She would often be found standing next to the crib, staring at the baby for hours on end.
During bath and feeding times, she stood in the doorway of the nursery, waiting for Bree and Anthony to return Mikaela to her crib. Bree became concerned, Missy had never been so high-strung before. In just a few weeks, Bree would discover the horrific truth.
It Got Worse
She knew that Pitbulls had a reputation for being aggressive and dangerous, but Anthony assured her that they were only aggressive when raised to be that way. She tried her best not to think too much of the situation, but things only escalated from there.
Eventually, Missy refused to leave the nursery at all. She spent every second of every day and night in the room. The dog barely slept and she had stopped eating. Bree had every right to be concerned.
Separating Them
Eventually, Bree was too scared to leave Mikaela and Missy alone at night. She knew that Kelly was there to protect her baby during the day, but she feared that something would happen while they were asleep. She decided that it would be best to separate them.
One night, she tried locking the dog out of the nursery, but Missy stood outside the door, whining for hours on end until she was allowed back in. It kept Bree up at night, what was happening to her beloved pet?
Trouble Started
One morning, a tired and anxious Bree gathered her things, ready to leave for work. She was about to step out of the house when she heard a strange sound. It was something she had never heard before. She looked towards Missy as she stood behind Kelly in the nursery, growling at the young woman. At this point, Missy hadn't left the nursery in weeks, determined to stay close to the baby.
As soon as Kelly went to lift the baby from her crib, Missy’s growls became louder. Bree frowned, calling Missy’s name before turning to Kelly, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand why she’s acting this way,” she said. Kelly waved it off, explaining that she was probably just hungry. But that was far from the truth.
She Was Worried
While at work, Bree couldn’t stop thinking about Missy’s odd behavior that morning. She couldn’t understand it, Missy had never acted up like this before. It wasn’t like Kelly was a stranger, she had been taking care of the baby for a few weeks now. Why was she growling at the nanny and why was she refusing to leave the nursery?
She was sick with worry. When she returned home that night, she told her husband about the exchange, and he found it as strange as she did. Something had to be done about this. Scared for the safety of their daughter, the couple discussed returning Missy to the shelter.
He Realized Something
Before making any rash decisions, Anthony assured his wife that he would keep an eye on the situation. In the coming weeks, he too noticed Missy’s aggression, but one day, he realized something important. Missy would only growl when Kelly was around, especially when she was interacting with the baby. He shared this information with Bree, and they agreed that something suspicious was going on.
That was when they decided to install a hidden camera in the nursery. They had no idea what they were about to catch on camera.
Discovering The Truth
They waited until the weekend before checking the footage. It was early in the morning and Mikaela was still asleep. Bree sat next to her husband as he opened the recording on his tablet. They took a deep breath before he finally clicked on the video.
At first, everything seemed normal. It was right after they had left the house and Kelly was feeding the baby. Just a few minutes after they had left, she placed Mikaela back in her crib and made her way to the couch in the nursery. She took a seat and immediately started scrolling on her phone, but what happened next made their blood boil.
She Was Yelling
Mikaela had started crying. Bree expected to see Kelly rush to the crib and comfort the crying baby, but instead, she continued scrolling on her phone. When the crying got louder, Bree watched in disbelief as Kelly started yelling for the baby to keep quiet.
At this point, Mikaela was screaming at the top of her lungs. This set Kelly off as she got up from the couch and rushed over to the crib, yelling at the baby instead of comforting her. Anthony and Bree watched with wide eyes as the dog jumped up, barking and growling at Kelly as she kept screaming at the baby. Bree’s heart ached as she watched the footage. Her baby needed comfort, but instead, the nanny was screaming and using vulgar language.
They Knew What They Had To Do
Anthony paused the video and turned to comfort his emotional wife as tears welled up in her eyes. All along, Missy had been trying to protect their baby. She wasn’t leaving her side, scared that Kelly would harm the baby. The two, concerned parents knew what they had to do.
They couldn’t let Kelly get away with this. All this time, they had trusted her to look after their baby while they were away at work. She couldn’t be trusted.
Confronting Her
When Monday morning came around, they sat Kelly down and gave her a piece of their mind. Anthony told her about the recordings and watched as the color drained from her face.
She was horrified and embarrassed, she couldn’t believe that she had been caught on camera. They asked her to leave their home and never return again. No one was allowed to treat their daughter that way. Just days after Kelly was fired, Missy was back to her calm, friendly self.
The Dust Settled
When the dust settled, Bree and Anthony decided to try once again. After weeks of searching, they found a woman named Betty. Betty was a retired pediatric nurse and since the first time they had spoken to her, they knew that she was the perfect match for their daughter. To make things even better, Missy loved Betty!
They hired her soon after, and after years of taking care of Mikaela, Betty became part of the family. Together, the three of them made sure that no one would ever harm their sweet girl again. In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.