Chapter 5

At this very moment, Maxine and Heather could be seen in the playroom, where the kid was occupied with her iPad. When Maxine took a quick glimpse at the screen, she noticed that her friend was playing the classic video game Plants vs. Zombies.

"At what point are you currently?" Next, with her gaze fixed on the monitor and an air of undeniable interest, she inquired.

"Already engaged in combat with Doctor Zomboss, Mother! This zombie doctor gives off a creepy vibe." She responded to me with a cheery smile. Her focus was unwavering, as shown by the fact that she had not taken her eyes off the screen. The way that this child, who was only seven years old, was able to skillfully play this challenging game astonished Maxine. While there she was, a woman of thirty years of age who was unable to even edit her PowerPoint presentations correctly on her low-cost laptop.

She immediately thought of her close friend Laura and mused, "The world is unfair." It had been quite some time since they had last spoken to one another, and she found that she was missing her friend in some way. Everyone in her life up until the point where she obtained the job, in point of fact.

After that, Maxine took out her phone, launched the Facebook program on it, and sent a message to Laura. It was at that very moment that she responded to her question. They engaged in conversation for a while, just as two close friends would do. After that, Maxine informed her that she was working at the Robbins household as a mother to an adorable child and occasionally a wife to the man who was the child's father. Naturally, Laura didn't pass up the opportunity to tease her friend by suggesting that she might develop romantic feelings for someone.

When Maxine stared at her phone and then at Heather, who continued to play, she gave some thought to what her friend had just said. Heather continued to play. When she considered that it was never completely impossible, a grin formed on her lips. Nonetheless, she claimed to Laura that the only reason she was working there was for the money, and not because of the stunningly good-looking spouse she had.

Nonetheless, she harbored the hope that she would actually prevail.

And naturally, her closest buddy got in the way of things. "You are aware that it will be tough for you to resist falling in love with him and his child, but you know that it will be difficult. There's a good chance that Stanley, too, may develop feelings for you. The question that needs to be answered is whether or not it was really you that he would have feelings for in the event that scenario actually played out. What if the only reason he liked you was because you reminded him of his child's mother?" That was the precise text message that Laura sent to Maxine, and as soon as she received and read it, she froze in place where she was sat. The realization that her friend had a point, and a fantastic one at that, left her bewildered and quickly lost in her own thoughts.

Having such a strong emotional investment in both of them will make everything more challenging for her. But now that Maureen, the biological mother, was back, there was a real opportunity for her to be replaced—immediately. This was due to the fact that Maureen had returned.

"Maxine? Maxine?" A gruff voice jolted Maxine out of her daydream and into the present. It was later discovered that Stanley had previously called her name a few times before this point. After that, she merely looked up at him without uttering a single word. "It appeared as though you were daydreaming." It was said with a chuckle on his part.

While smiling at him, Maxine let out a long sigh. She lied and said that she was "just thinking of my life back before my feet landed here."

After taking a seat next to her, Stanley turned his attention to Maxine while maintaining eye contact. It scared the very daylights out of her. "Don't you have a boyfriend?" is a common question. After that, he inquired. Maxine was really taken aback. She was taken aback when Stanley questioned her in such a manner. Wasn't there a clause in the contract stating that?

She spoke in a hushed tone as she explained, "I- I don't have a lover." In point of fact, Maxine has not been in a romantic partnership since that time. Her life consisted primarily of her job, her family, and her circle of friends; however, after she began working at Stanley and Heather's places, her focus has shifted to include both of them.

"Great. I was concerned that you would leave us in the near future if you already have, "Stanley responded in a joking manner.

Maxine smiled at him just a little bit and nodded "You were handing me considerable sums of money. Why would I even consider leaving this place?" The response that Maxine provided was even more lighthearted.

As he got closer to her face, Stanley's gaze seemed to pierce through her very being, causing him to giggle. "Honey, I just can't believe what you're saying." He spoke something that was barely audible. Maxine was able to detect the warmth of his breath. You've decided to stay since you enjoyed looking after Heather, haven't you? He proceeded to speak as he moved closer to Maxine, coming very near to kissing her. When he finished his sentence, he purposefully brought their noses together and stated, "You're staying because you liked being with me."

"What are you talking about? What are you referring to?" Maxine spoke in a hushed tone since she did not want Heather to overhear them.

After a while, Stanley stopped responding to her questions. His flirtatious attempt at a kiss turned into an actual one in an instant. While she was tasting his mouth, Maxine closed her eyes, absolutely taken aback by what she was experiencing. Once more, she felt the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. It was incomprehensible how she felt, and yet she somehow responded by kissing him back. It progressed further and became more intense, as if it had been created by a person who was actually head over heels in love.

That seemed really real.

It did not feel like I was working at all.

"Daddy! Mommy! What are you doing at the moment? Are you kissing?" The kiss was interrupted as Heather shouted her inquiries, which seemed to go on forever. The two looked at her right away, then at each other, and then they turned their attention back to the child who was being difficult. They were so caught up in the drama of the situation that they almost forgot that Heather was in the playroom with them.

"You didn't even notice any of it!" Stanley stated in defense, it was more like a joke.

When Heather responded, she had a frown and her eyebrows furrowed. I was the only one who was permitted to give mum a kiss! As she got closer to Maxine, she uttered those words. She proceeded to embrace her and give her a kiss on the cheek, after which she gave her a total of three kisses, which caused Maxine to laugh.

Stanley laughed at the sight while simultaneously raising both palms over his head in a gesture that suggested he was accepting his defeat. They quickly moved on from this brief period to begin playing together, laughing, and tickling one another. When Maxine first saw them, the two were so distracted by their playful gestures that she couldn't help but stare at them for a moment. She beamed her smile once more. A notion was going through her head as she smiled with a melancholy expression on her face.

"How could I possibly be able to handle it if I lost both of you?"