Something’s Off
Most parents love to share photos of their bundles of joy on social media, showing them off to their friends and family. But when one nanny uploaded an image of her daughter, her boss immediately noticed something strange about it.
Little did she know, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes, the most innocuous-looking clues are the keys to unlocking something far more sinister.
A New Nanny
The story begins with Emily. She was a young mother who was trying to juggle a full-time career and care for her three-month-old son. Eventually, she decided that she had no choice. It was time to get some help.
She conducted a few interviews and one woman really stood out. Her name was Ashley Bemis, and Emily thought she would be a perfect fit. However, Emily had no idea what she was really inviting into her life when she signed her on.
Perfect
For a while, everything was going well with the new nanny. Ashley quickly formed a bond with the baby -- Emily thought she was a natural and found it hard to believe that she had no children of her own.
Emily was ecstatic about her decision and trusted Ashley enough to return to her job shortly afterward. And when Ashley announced some big news of her own, Emily couldn’t be happier for her.
Big News
Ashley, pulling Emily aside one morning, confided that she had just found out that she was pregnant. Even though Emily would have to find another nanny for Blake when she went on maternity leave, she was thrilled for her.
From the way she interacted with Blake, Emily knew that Ashley would be an excellent mother and was more than ready to take on the responsibility.
Growing Close
Although Ashley and Emily had always gotten on well, the two women grew even closer during Ashley’s pregnancy, bonding over the shared experience.
Emily took on the role of mentor, offering advice and even buying presents for the baby. Emily was so excited for her -- she couldn’t wait for her friend to experience motherhood for herself!
An Easy Pregnancy
Before they knew it, months had flown by. Emily was happy that this pregnancy, unlike hers, had progressed without a single hitch. Ashley kept Emily updated and excitedly showed her all the ultrasound scans.
The nanny was even lucky enough to avoid morning sickness completely and managed to take care of Blake until late into her pregnancy. Emily admired her nanny’s dedication and let her use her phone to consult her doctor regularly. But she had one growing concern...
One Concern
Ashley’s belly continued to grow and she seemed to radiate happiness -- pregnancy suited her. But Emily was growing a little concerned that she was working too hard.
After unexpectedly arriving home early one afternoon, she told Ashley to take the day off to go home and rest. She knew what it was like being on her feet all day. That’s when she spotted something that raised all the alarm bells.
Something Fishy
Emily watched Ashley through the window as she walked down the street to make sure that she got to the bus stop safely -- something that she always did.
But, in the split second before she disappeared from view, Emily swore that she saw Ashley reach up into her top and do something so strange that she took a double-take. Emily couldn’t believe what she had seen, but maybe there was an explanation? She didn’t want it to be true.
Investigating
With her imagination running wild, Emily knew she had to investigate. With a growing sense of unease, she began to wonder if her nanny was all that she claimed to be. It was a huge allegation; she needed to be absolutely sure that she was right. She needed proof.
A Google search gave her the answer, but that’s when she realized just how deep the rabbit hole really went.
Digging Deeper
The internet search of Ashley’s full name had pulled up a public crowdfunding page. Emily scrolled down and was aghast when she saw that it was dedicated to a child named Cheyenne. On the page, Ashley made a heartfelt appeal for her daughter who needed a life-changing surgery.
But that couldn’t be right... Ashley had told her that she was pregnant with her first child… surely, she would have told her if she had a daughter? Why would she lie about that?
Only The Beginning
Emily was startled, at first. But it didn’t take her long realize that something just didn’t add up. Ashley had told her that she was expecting her first child.
Now, when Emily thought about what she had seen Ashley do, she knew that the woman’s lies extended further than she ever could have imagined. So, what had she seen that had justified prying into her nanny’s personal life?
Deception
When Ashley had walked down the drive, unaware that she was being watched, Emily could have sworn that she had pulled something out from underneath her shirt.
Something big and soft. Emily felt betrayed, and then angry. Had she really been faking her pregnancy this whole time? But the answer only raised more questions.
But Why?
Why had Ashley lied? What purpose could it possibly serve? Emily racked her brain to try and find the answers she needed.
She knew she was being taken for a fool. Growing more furious by the minute, she searched for Ashley’s Facebook page. There, she found something so audacious that it took her breath away.
A Ruse
There were photographs of Ashley and a baby. Emily didn’t think too much about it – after all, she was a nanny and she loved children. She continued to click through her photographs until her eyes paused on a familiar face.
The caption said “Cheyenne.” But there was no way that that child was Ashley’s daughter. It was Blake, and he was dressed in girl’s clothes.
She’d Seen Enough
When Emily saw the photos of her own son that Ashley had claimed to be of her daughter, she grew livid. How long had this been going on for?
She knew she had to expose Ashley’s lies. She was taking money from strangers and using Emily’s son to pull on the public’s heartstrings. Emily felt like a fool! But what could she do about it?
Dismissed
As soon as Emily’s suspicions were confirmed, she called Ashley up and fired her on the spot. She couldn’t believe that the nanny she had grown so fond of had been violating her trust for almost a full year.
But with Ashley’s dismissal came a host of other problems. Emily had no idea that this was just the beginning.
The Lies Grow
It turned out that Ashley’s lies weren’t restricted to her Facebook and crowdfunding pages. She had also created an elaborate ruse for the people around her!
While Ashley had attended Gymboree sessions, she had befriended a woman named Katie. Katie believed that Blake was Ashley’s son. It was Katie who received an unsettling phone call from the fraudster as she desperately tried to keep her lies afloat.
Unfazed
Thinking on her feet, she told Katie that Blake had been in an accident to elicit sympathy. And it was later revealed that this wasn’t the first time the woman had duped everyone around her.
Emily hadn’t deterred her from her grand scheme in the slightest when she had fired her. In fact, Ashley was now using the situation to her own advantage!
Too Far
Ashley continued to scheme throughout her life, but her fatal mistake only came in 2018.
After hearing about the devastating California wildfires, she decided to create her grandest and most despicable scam yet. She created another crowdfunding campaign, this time claiming that her husband had succumbed while fighting the notorious Campfire. Soon, the donations came flooding in.
Exposed
With her fake campaign gaining serious traction and having raised a whopping $11,000, a donor realized that something wasn’t right. After a little digging, he revealed that Ashley didn’t have a husband and had never been married.
Knowing that she had kept the donations for herself, it wasn’t long before the authorities got involved. But would Ashley finally get her just desserts?
Admitting Her Wrongdoings
After her enormous lies caught the attention of the FBI, Ashley has since admitted to everything. She made an appearance on Dr. Phil’s talk show where she was confronted by two of the people she had scammed.
She agreed when Dr. Phil told her that she’d taken her lies too far. But she still had excuses
Living A Fantasy
She told Dr. Phil that she had always wanted to be a mother, so it was easy for her to create a false reality for herself. When asked how she felt about capitalizing on the public’s generosity, she revealed that she felt some remorse for her actions.
Ashley’s pathological need for attention has finally landed her in hot water, but will she learn the error of her ways?