When Martha’s mother-in-law Cheryl offered to babysit her daughter Beverly every Wednesday, it seemed like a generous, helpful favor. Martha and her husband Jason both worked full-time, and a weekly break from daycare sounded like a blessing.
Cheryl even offered to watch Beverly at Martha’s house to keep things comfortable. Though Cheryl and Martha were never close, Martha agreed.
But over time, Beverly began acting strangely—mentioning “Grandma’s friend,” withdrawing emotionally, and saying things no four-year-old should, like “Our friend is part of the family—you just don’t see it yet.” When Martha asked Cheryl about it, she dismissed it as an imaginary friend, but her calm tone raised red flags.
Trusting her instincts, Martha set up a hidden nanny cam in the living room. What she saw shocked her. Cheryl told Beverly to keep secrets from her mother, and then welcomed a mysterious visitor—Jason’s ex-wife, Alexa. The woman Jason supposedly left behind for good had been secretly seeing Beverly with Cheryl’s help. Beverly ran into Alexa’s arms like she’d known her forever.
Martha rushed home and found them sitting together like a family. Cheryl smugly revealed that Alexa was “meant to be with Jason,” and called Martha a mistake. She admitted she was grooming Beverly to accept Alexa as her real family. Furious, Martha took Beverly away and vowed to protect her from people who had manipulated and betrayed her. When she told Jason everything and showed him the footage, he was devastated and fully supported cutting Cheryl off. Martha blocked Cheryl’s number and told Beverly the truth in gentle terms. Cheryl had crossed every line, and Alexa had followed. Some people, Martha realized, don’t deserve second chances—or to be called family.