"See you again! Take care on the way!" Mrs. Betty waved her friends goodbye as they left Mary's apartment. She then closed the door and headed to the guest room.
But a few moments later, the doorbell rang again. Thinking one of her friends had left something behind, she turned around and opened the door—only to frown in confusion.
Standing there was a man who, by her standards, looked rather shabby. He was even carrying a baby.
It was Jake.
"And who are you?" she asked suspiciously.
"Hello, Ma'am. My name is Jake. I'm here to see Mrs. Mary. Is she home?" Jake answered politely, giving a respectful nod—even though he had no idea who this elegant older woman was. Anyone coming out of his new boss's apartment deserved respect, after all.
Mrs. Betty raised a skeptical eyebrow and asked again, "You're here to see Mary? For what? What's your relationship with my daughter-in-law?"
The question made Jake scratch the back of his neck nervously. "I… uh… I'm here because…"
"Who's at the door, Mom?" Mary's voice rang from inside, snapping Jake out of his awkwardness. She peeked out and, upon seeing him, gave a small nod. "Oh, it's you? What brings you here? I thought you were starting work tomorrow."
"You know him?" Mrs. Betty turned to Mary, appalled. "Why are you associating with such a scruffy-looking man? I thought he was a beggar who somehow slipped past security to get up here."
Her sharp words, clearly belittling Jake, made Mary immediately uncomfortable. She stepped forward to clarify before Jake could feel insulted.
"Mom, please. Don't say that. This is Jake—Kody's new driver. Victor approved him yesterday to replace our previous driver. Kody knows, and he'll start work tomorrow."
Mrs. Betty lowered her guard slightly, though her eyes still scanned Jake with a look of disdain.
"Oh… I thought he was a beggar because he's carrying a baby. You know how street beggars often use babies to gain sympathy," she muttered, walking away from the door.
After she left, Mary turned to Jake. "So, what brings you here? Like I said, your first day is tomorrow."
"I'm sorry if my visit caused any discomfort, Ma'am. I'm here because I have a question that I couldn't ask Mr. Victor yesterday… It's about my working hours," Jake explained.
"Maybe because it's the weekend, Mr. Victor didn't answer my calls. I even tried calling you, Ma'am, but it didn't go through. So I took the initiative to come here directly."
Mary nodded understandingly. "Yes, Victor usually turns off his phone on weekends. And I apologize—mine was off because I was busy cooking. You saw that woman earlier? That's my mother-in-law. Please don't mind her attitude."
Mary gave a gentle sigh and added, "Now, what did you want to ask?"
"I just need to know my daily work schedule, so I can coordinate with my baby's daycare. They charge by the hour, Ma'am. Mr. Victor said he'd confirm it once he got the word from either you or Mr. Kody. But I haven't heard anything yet," Jake said earnestly.
"I'm sorry if I'm being too forward, but I hope you understand. I just want everything to go smoothly for all parties."
"Ah, yes—that's something we should've informed you earlier. Unfortunately, my husband is still out of town, so I don't have a confirmed schedule yet. For now, just follow standard working hours. I'll inform you of any changes once Kody returns. Don't worry—you'll be paid extra for overtime whenever Kody needs you, Mr. Jake."
"Understood, Ma'am. I'll do as instructed. I'll take my leave now. Sorry for disturbing your rest," Jake said, bowing slightly.
"It's alright. Drive safely. Your baby's asleep—you might want to dress her a bit warmer next time, so she doesn't catch a cold," Mary added, not out of coldness, but maintaining a respectful boundary between employer and employee.
Especially with her mother-in-law nearby—who would surely make even more hurtful remarks if Jake lingered too long.
"Thank you, Ma'am. I'll be going now," Jake replied.
But before he could leave, Mrs. Betty's voice called out, "Hey, new driver!"
Jake turned back, surprised.
Mary looked confused. "What is it, Mom? Why are you calling him?"
Mrs. Betty ignored her daughter-in-law and breezed past her. "Drive me. I don't feel like calling a taxi," she said flatly to Jake.
Jake and Mary exchanged looks. Mary gave a slight nod. "Please take my mother-in-law home, Mr. Jake."
Jake nodded, but hesitated. "But, Ma'am… What about my daughter? I can still ride my motorbike with her strapped on, but driving a car while carrying her—well…"
"Give your baby to your boss. Why make such a fuss over something so simple?" Mrs. Betty snapped, glancing at Mary. "Let her take care of your child. Maybe she'll finally understand how hard it is to raise a baby—especially when that child grows up and doesn't even care about its parents."
Once again, Mary's heart shattered—and this time, in front of someone new. She had long treated Mrs. Betty like a mother, but the woman's words stung worse than any slap from Kody ever had.
Mary's eyes grew red and glassy. Her lips trembled as she forced a smile. Her fists clenched to steady her shaking. She looked completely broken—and Jake could clearly see that.
To end the painful moment, Jake quietly removed Elsa from his chest carrier and gently handed her to Mary.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry… Could you please hold Elsa for a while? I promise I won't take long. And I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
Mary quickly took the baby in her arms, cradling her gently to avoid waking her. "Go on. Please take my mom home. And Mom… take care. Say hi to Dad for me," she said with a raspy voice.
"I'll pass on your greetings when I hear news about a pregnancy," Mrs. Betty replied coldly, showing no remorse for repeating her hurtful words.
Then she turned and left, barking one last command at Jake.
After a short goodbye, Jake finally left, while Mary—still clutching baby Elsa—let her tears fall freely. She sobbed quietly as she stepped back inside her apartment.
Meanwhile, inside the car, Jake fastened his seatbelt.
"I don't want to go home. Take me somewhere. I'm bored and want to relax my eyes. And don't you dare leave before I say so, or I'll tell my son to fire you!" Mrs. Betty ordered sternly.
Torn between concern for Mary and fear of losing his job, Jake simply answered, "Yes, Ma'am."
That was all he could say, even as his heart churned.
He hoped Elsa would stay calm in Mary's arms. He didn't even know how long he'd be gone, or if he'd even have time to feed her later.
But when he dropped off Mrs. Betty at a luxury spa, his eyes widened.
Two handsome male attendants wearing only small towels stepped forward to welcome her.
'A "plus-plus" massage? What kind of situation is this, for heaven's sake…' Jake cursed silently in disbelief.