My Bully: His Obsession

"You can't continue living off of me, Ella," my mother yelled from the room. It was not my fault; life was just a little bit unfair to me. I grew up with a single mother. My mother, Amara Robinson, was always there for me throughout my schooling days. She worked two jobs to help keep the house afloat, so I didn't blame her for yelling. But being a nanny was just out of the question; I had a master's degree. How on earth would she expect me to work a nanny job, not in the Grayson's household? "But mom, I am already trying to find a job. I don't want to work as a nanny for any Grayson's kid," I hollered, knowing it was falling on deaf ears. I knew when my mother said something, she meant it. She slowly came out of the room, stared at me blankly as if she had lost all emotions. "You start today," she muttered. My eyes widened in shock; they snapped from my phone, which I had been browsing through at the moment. She meant it. I understood that look on her face; she was not joking around. "What!!!" I exclaimed, my phone frozen in my hands. "What in the world are you talking about, mom? Please tell me you're joking." I asked, staring deep into her soul, searching for any atom of pretense, but found one. I slowly stood up and walked toward her; she wouldn't push her daughter away like this, I thought. "Mom, tell me it's all a joke." I held her hands but she pulled them off my grip. It was clear; she meant it. "Go get all your stuff. You're a stay in nanny." She muttered sternly and left to the kitchen. I stared at my mother's direction; even though my mother was a strict person, she had never forced anything on me before. She once worked at the Grayson's until last week. "What happened? Was I the replacement?" I questioned myself silently. Feeling defeated, I slowly walked away to my room, locked the door behind me, and drown myself in my own pool of tears. "Why...why is she acting like this" I sobbed. I felt my mother's presence at the door, wanting to console her daughter but the shadow soon retrieved. Later that day, we were already in front of the Grayson's villa. Marking my second visit here. The first time was when I was eleven; I came with my mother. I looked at my mother's frail and weak figure standing right next to me. "I do not want to hear any bad reports about you, Ella. You are a good and strong girl. I am sure you will cope," my mother said. For the first time that day, my mother dropped her facade of pretense. Her blue eyes were full of regret and pain; she looked like she was forced to do this. I held her hand, trembling at the spot. "Mother, what's going on? Are we in trouble?" I asked in fear. I wanted to ask if I was the price for any misdeed committed by her, but I knew my mother was a meticulous woman. As my mother stared at my face, tears trickled down, she quickly wiped them away. "Ella my dear, I always knew you were my little mirror. You will understand with time; you just have to forgive mother this time around. I know I haven't been the best mother. I was harsh and too strict, but I truly love you." Hearing those words hurt; I felt a stingy sensation in my eyes as tears poured out. I was twenty-three years old, but I cried like a toddler. My mother hugged me tightly as she wailed with me. As we passed through the gate to the Grayson's villa. I saw a lot of young ladies almost my age going about their duties. "Were they forced by their parents as well?" I mumbled in silence. We were soon ushered in by one of the villa's maids, who led us to the sitting room. We sat in silence as I took in the beauty of the space. Soon, a woman in her late forties walked in; she was drop-dead gorgeous, even when she was only in casual attire. She sat opposite us. "Welcome, Ella," she greeted me with a smile. But for some reason, I was angry. Even though she was wealthy, she didn't have the right to steal people's lives. Instead of reciprocating her greeting, I took a sip from my glass. My mother's eyes flicked toward me in a haze, translating nothing but fear. I wasn't going to work by the rules, not when my life was slowly being dragged away by the wealthy. As I opened my mouth to speak. I saw him, my nemesis...my instant karma. The guy who made my life a living hell. Nikolas Grayson, the sickly last son of the Grayson's household. He was my bully in high school; I was humiliated by him. How didn't I know he was one of the Grayson's. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he smiled and came closer. "Nice to meet you again, Ella Robinson," he muttered, a corny smile creeping up the corner of his lips. I nearly called out for the ground to swallow me whole. "What are you doing here?" I asked, clearly knowing this was his home, but how else would I have asked? Nicholas smiled again, those cocky smiles I hated. "This is my home, Ella. I guess you're my nanny," he dropped. 'I was his nanny, Nikolas Grayson's nanny..' I repeated over and over again in my head. I stood up, my mother quickly held my hand, trying to prevent me from doing something bad. His stepmother flinched as she stood up in surprise. "I would rather die than be your nanny, Nicholas Grayson!" I yelled at him, but what I felt next broke me. My mother's hand swept across my face; she slapped me so hard that a tear escaped my eyes. My mother's eyes were red, not with rage, or anger, but with fear. "Ella, please stop," she said softly, her eyes pleading with me to stop resisting. 'I didn't know how that jerk threatened my mother, but I would make him pay!'