Babysitting My Professor’s Son

Livia“Unfortunately, miss, but there are currently no vacancies at the moment,” the man said, his eyes never leaving the pile of documents on his desk.I blinked, my heart dropped. “But there is a job vacancy advertisement posted at the entrance of this store. I saw the same advertisement online this morning. That is why I am here.”The man finally raised his eyes from the documents and he looked really annoyed. He leaned back in his swivel chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Miss, do you want me to spell it out for you?”“Spell what out, sir?” I asked, my voice firm and steady. I had been preparing myself for this interview for the last three days. I just couldn't afford to miss this. “We don’t hire people of… you know… your size,” he said, glancing down at my hips and then back up at my face. It was a cold, dismissive stare.I felt my face flush with anger and embarrassment. “What does my body size have to do with anything? I am here to sell clothes, not wear them.”“Come

Ronan“Ronan, you barely come to the house anymore for our family dinners. Being a professor doesn’t mean you won’t have time to see your parents,” my mother said with an intense voice. “As I have always told you, Mother, I am very busy right now. Once I’ve cleared up my schedule, I will come visiting.”I replied, matching her tone.“That was the same response you gave last year, and the two years before that. I don’t believe I raised you in this manner,” she spat.I paused. A dark memory floods my mind as I fight to stay focused on the present.“Last year and the year before that were not the best years for me… and you know that,” I said through gritted teeth. She sighed, with a weary disappointment. “I understand. We all do. At least let your father get to see his grandson every now and then.”“You know my rules, Mother,” I state fully, my voice dropping. “I cannot send Ace over without me coming with him.”“But you can always use a maid to send him over. Or better still, I have a

Livia"W.... what?" I choked out.He lifted an eyebrow, leaning back into his leather chair, and waited for my answer with an unnervingly calm composure. Who even asks questions like that from their employee? This was incredibly awkward for me. I am hired to watch a child, not to provide a detailed report of my dating life."I don't," came out sharper than intended, my hands squeezed the handle of my purse.His face never showed even a flicker of reaction. On the contrary, he leaned forward in his seat, piercing me with his eyes. “Remember what I mentioned, about distractions… I mean it. Do let me know when you have one.”The dismissal was instantaneous. He said it while turning away to the stack of documents on his table, effectively erasing me from his presence. *********** The kitchen was filled with the steam of boiling pasta and the even more suffocating presence of my family. I waited until the clinking of forks on plates was the only thing I could hear before opening my mou

Ronan“Wait here,” I said before moving towards the staircase.My shoes click on the floor, a sound that mirrored the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall. Dealing with Ace shouldn't be this difficult, yet every interaction felt like navigating a minefield.I walked towards his room and knock briefly before opening it. He gets pretty startled for no reason, so I try to knock in advance to prevent this from happening. Well, that’s what the doctor said. "Sensory sensitivity," they called it. To me, it just felt like my own son was allergic to my presence.I opened the door and scan the room briefly but I don’t see him.The bed is perfectly made and the pillows are undisturbed. His toy chest is closed. The room is a museum of a childhood that isn't being lived. This instantly sends worry in my spine and I decide to call out.“Ace?”Nothing. Not even the rustle of sheets.I call 3 more times, searching every nook and cranny of his room, but he seems to be nowhere. I check under

Livia PokePokeI felt something soft gently tap on my cheeks, followed by small hot breaths on my skin that smelled of orange juice.“Ace, you mustn’t do that. Please sit,” a woman’s voice came from somewhere in the background. I struggled to open my eyes as I still felt a slight throb on my forehead. The room was dimly lit, with Grace standing by the doorway. Beneath me, the beddings were ridiculously soft; it was the kind of luxury that belonged to expensive showrooms and not a girl who just passed out on her first day of work. As I tried to sit up, Grace suddenly walked up to me, using her hands to support my shoulders.“How are you feeling, miss?” She asked, looking me up and down. “Just a slight headache…” I mumbled, squinting my eyes a little. Everything felt like it was spinning.“Here”She held out a glass of water, and I gulped it down in one go as if my life depended on it. “You fainted on your way here. Luckily, the doctor was around, so attending to you was swift,”