The camera captures why the husband insists on paying the babysitter outside. She didn’t pay it any mind at first, but when she heard her husband and the babysitter in a hushed whisper, what was going on? She needed to get to the bottom of that. But after setting up her plan, she would watch the recording and wished that she’d never gone through with it. The Richards couple was the talk of the town.
They seemed to have everything that they ever wanted
The two were successful in their jobs. John was a lawyer and his wife, Grace was a real estate agent. The day they found out Grace was pregnant, they couldn’t believe it. They were beyond happy, but soon that happiness would change as they were met with many hardships.
Grace had always dreamt of being a mother, and now that it was finally going to be a reality, she couldn’t be happier to make things even better. The pregnancy went off without a hitch, but the challenges would arrive after she conceived. She soon developed postpartum depression and found it hard to get back to her old physique.
Grace knew that once she had back to work, she’d need to find a sitter to look after her precious child. She got a babysitter named Anna. She was very pretty and came highly recommended by her neighbors. Grace felt confident hiring her, but there was a problem she couldn’t see coming. Grace noticed soon after hiring Anna that she had a quite flirty personality.
Much he tried to forget about it, but soon found reasons to think. Twice one day she heard a hush conversation between a sitter and her husband. What were they talking about? She found jealous and suspicious, and she needed to find out what was going on. Grace was becoming all too aware as time wore on that their relationship had changed.
They had been together for a while. Grace began to wonder whether her husband thought it was time for a change. After all, she’d given birth to a child and she didn’t have the energy or the physique she once had. Usually she’d just brush these suspicions off, but now she had a good reason for suspicion. Grace didn’t know how to handle this situation.
She knew if she asked her husband what was going on between them
He feels deeply upset that she didn’t trust him. Instead, she decided to gather more evidence before saying anything. After all, it may well be nothing. She waited until they were both gone to execute her plan. She set up two hidden cameras inside the house and one outside.
She continued to act as if she suspected nothing. But the more time passed, the more she noticed their strange behavior. Her heart pounded as she realized there was definitely something going on between them. After a week passed. Grace was ready to confront her worst nightmare.
She sat in her living room and logged into the security cameras. She hoped desperately her intuition was wrong. She scoured over the footage, pausing. Any time she saw both her husband and Anna alone in her room, she continued to hit play and watch anxiously as her stomach twisted. It wasn’t long before she noticed the tension between them.
Anna slowly closed the distance between them
Each time they were alone. Now there was no doubt she was hitting on him. But how would he react? Grace was glued to the screen.
Suddenly she heard a knock on the door. It was Anna. She dropped by and announced to collect her payment for the month. She said that John was expecting her, and Grace forced a smile. Just then her husband appeared.
Anna, he said Grace was about to get up and reach for her wallet. When John said, I got this, Grace. Don’t worry about it. He insisted on walking Anna out to her car and paying her himself. Little did he know that Grace was watching more often than not.
But the way their babysitter was looking at him tonight put her on high alert. Grace could see that Anna was behaving more oddly than usual around her husband. Tonight. When she saw her put her hand on John’s arm, she knew she was definitely up to something. Grace watched Anna and her husband walked the hallway.
Then they stopped
She wish she could hear what Anna was saying. Then her heart dropped and Grace watched as her husband guided Anna outside. Then she logged straight into the live footage from the outdoor camera. This is it, she thought.
The moment her marriage came crumbling apart. She watched him converse. But something was wrong. They looked like an argument. Anna started to cry, and John storm back inside.
What happened? Grace raced out to her husband. What happened? She asked. I fired her, John said.
Why? Grace questioned. John told her to take a seat. Grace braced herself for what was to come. It was happening.
She couldn’t believe it. John told her that he didn’t like the way she treated him. He continued, I didn’t like the way she looked or talked to me. She flirted with me all the time, and I felt like she was completely disrespecting you. She made me feel uncomfortable.
I told her to stop many times and she didn’t listen
I was left with no choice. It was way too inappropriate. Grace had never felt happier and guiltier, so she came clean. Grace told him how worried she was.
She said she knew something was going on between them and set up a camera. She asked for his forgiveness for spying and should have trusted him. She explained that she felt insecure since the baby and felt like he wasn’t as interested in her. Anyway, Grace began to cry. She told John how she felt like everyone she knew had been able to pull themselves together after giving birth, but she was struggling with her insecurities and her postpartum depression.
She hadn’t managed to lose the baby weight, and she felt like he didn’t find her attractive anymore, which made things worse. Her husband was shocked at her response. He had no idea she felt that way, and although he didn’t appreciate her not trusting him and going to such extremes, he admitted that she should have just been open about everything with her. He understood how it must have looked as he didn’t communicate openly and maturely with her. Needless to say, Hannah wasn’t hired by the Richards ever again, and Grace, what Grace had done pushed her to finally get professional help for her postpartum depression.
Her doctor explained that she wasn’t alone in her feelings. Postpartum depression affects ten to 20% of new mothers. She started treatment with antidepressant medication and began seeing a psychotherapist. John was supportive and completely on her side, and she no longer felt so alone. Around four weeks later, the terrible, looming paranoia and security began to lift.
Grace felt like she was able to breathe
The feelings of inadequacy depression and anxiety melted away and she started being her old self again. They hired a new babysitter to help her with her baby. A few days after John fired Anna and she was nothing like her. After a year of treatment, Grace was ready to come off the medication.
Her one regret was not getting the help she needed sooner. There was joy in her life again, and with Jon’s support, she grew to accept her postbaby body. After all, Jon didn’t care one bit, that she wasn’t as slim as she used to be, and she finally accepted that too. Although some people may trivialize postpartum depression, it is very real and requires medical attention. It’s not something a new mother can overcome by herself simply by snapping out of it or trying to be more positive.
This extreme form of depression can make women feel like they’ve lost control, that they’re helpless and that they’re inadequate. So what should you do if you know someone you think is experiencing it? According to the Postnatal Depression Support Association, the most effective way to tackle postpartum depression in conjunction with medication is to seek
professional care from a psychologist to identify the triggers and help the new mom work through them. There are also support groups out there, and many women find it helpful to share their thoughts and feelings with other women.
Most of all women with postpartum depression need to know that they are not alone.
