Loving Rain

My brother Leo's medical bills were a crushing weight, pulling us both into a financial black hole.

Then, a lifeline: a contract, presented by a lawyer with a voice dry as old parchment.

My mission for the next year: transform the Kincaid children, Oliver and Chloe, into "presentable" figures for their prestigious annual gala.

The payment was astronomical, the only hope I had to save Leo.

I signed, ready to become the stern governess, Sarah Hayes.

Stepping into the marble-floored entryway of the Long Island mansion, I faced two miniature tyrants.

Oliver, thirteen, oozed practiced apathy, while Chloe, ten, clutched a tablet displaying designer logos.

"Another one? How long you gonna last, lady?" Oliver sneered, followed by Chloe's contemptuous, "Do you even know who I am?"

Their father, perpetually attached to his phone, was nowhere to be found, leaving me to face their immediate, blatant rebellion alone.

My first command was simple: hand over the skateboard and the tablet.

This unleashed an explosion of outrage.