We’d been juggling work and parenting for months, and with both of us working long hours, my husband and I decided to hire a nanny for our two kids (ages 3 and 1). We thought we’d hit the jackpot when we found “Rachel” (not her real name). She came highly recommended, had years of experience, and seemed to really click with the kids right away. We were relieved to finally have some help and a bit of peace of mind.

But a couple of weeks in, things started feeling a little… off. Nothing major at first-just small things, like the kids acting more clingy after Rachel left or our toddler waking up from naps more upset than usual. We chalked it up to them adjusting to having someone new around. Still, there was this nagging feeling I couldn’t shake. We’d installed a nanny cam when we first hired Rachel, mostly as a precaution, and up until then, everything seemed fine on it. But one afternoon while I was at work, I decided to check the camera during nap time-just to see how things were going. That’s when I noticed something that didn’t sit right with me.

Rachel was sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone, which I expected while the kids were asleep. But then she got up, walked into the kitchen, and looked around as if checking to see if anyone was watching. My heart raced when I saw her open the drawer where we keep our mail and start sifting through it. She pulled out an envelope, glanced at it, put it back, and moved on to the next drawer, quickly opening and closing it.