After Becoming Mommy To My Boss’s Little Brother

My cold-faced boss completely tore my new proposal to shreds.

I was forced to stay late and rewrite the whole thing, making me miss my scheduled gaming session with the kid I had basically adopted online.

By the time I finally booted up the game, I immediately heard the little boy sobbing through the headset.

"Mommy, I thought you didn't want me anymore."

My heart melted instantly. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. It's all my bastard boss's fault for making me work overtime."

The crying on the other end stopped abruptly.

"Do you want to switch to a new job, Mommy? My big brother's company is super, super big."

The kid was an absolute angel, but he loved to brag.

I was used to it and didn't take it seriously at all.

That is, until he actually took me to his house to meet his older brother.

Standing inside a mega-mansion that easily spanned tens of thousands of square feet, my jaw dropped as I bumped right into my boss's chest.

The kid grabbed my boss by the hand.

"Bro, this is the guardian Mommy I found for us. Hurry up and call her Mommy!"

01

The kid I adopted in my online game loved to act like a hotshot.

I realized this the very first day we met.

I was on a brutal ten-game losing streak, getting absolutely mopped across the floor by the enemy team in every single match.

The more I lost, the more stubborn I got. The more stubborn I got, the more I wanted a comeback. And the more I wanted a comeback, the more I kept losing.

It was a vicious cycle. By the time I was matched with the kid, I literally had a stress blister forming on my lip.

"Hi there. I can carry this match, just stick close to me."

The voice on the headset was soft, squishy, and incredibly polite. I could tell right away he was super young.

A laugh bubbled up in my chest, washing away half the toxic frustration from my losing streak.

I keyed my mic. "Thanks a lot, then."

I figured anyone matched with a chronic loser like me couldn't possibly be a high-tier player.

But the moment the match started, the kid wiped out an entire enemy squad by himself.

They respawned, and he killed them again. After dying three times in a row, the enemy team completely lost their minds and started spamming the global voice chat with curses.

Filthy, unrestricted slurs were being hurled at a literal child.

Since the kid was carrying me so hard, I obviously had to protect him.

For every insult they threw, I fired ten back.

I went so hard that I ended up getting reported and slapped with a three-day chat ban.

Fuming, I ripped my headset off.

A friend request popped up on my screen. It was the kid.

"Hi, would you please be my Mommy?"

I had heard of this trend in the gaming community. Older players acting as "guardians" and adopting younger players as their "cubs."

It actually suited someone like me perfectly. I was at that awkward age where everything felt like a grind, and I just wanted to latch onto a skilled player for an easy ride.

But being unmarried and having someone call me "Mommy" felt incredibly embarrassing.

"If you be my Mommy, I'll gift you a full set of premium skins."

Wait.

Was this kid actually a skilled player who also happened to be a massive whale?

"Deal!" I typed back.

I desperately hoped the kid's promises were as legitimate as his gaming skills.

But after waiting half the night, all I received was a photo.

It was a picture of a blank piece of paper with two massive, crooked words scrawled in crayon.

[ IOU ]

Beneath it was a very earnestly written sentence.

[ Owe Mommy skins. Will pay with my 0-00,000 allowance. ]

He even misspelled allowance.

It was honestly way too cute.

I should have known better. What concept of money does a kid that age even have? Ten thousand dollars. Kids really do love to exaggerate.

I turned around and gifted him a premium skin instead.

Using one skin to hook a highly skilled gaming partner was a solid investment in my book.

"No need for the money! Just carry me in the ranks, kiddo!"

The boy stubbornly rejected the gift.

"I do have money. My brother just put a parental lock on my payments, so it keeps saying transaction failed."

"Miss Summer... do you not want to be my Mommy anymore?"

His last sentence cracked with a tiny, devastating sob.

My left and right brain fought a brief war.

Finding a wild, god-tier kid player was like finding a gorgeous stray kitten. If you hesitate, someone else snatches them up.

And as much as I hated to admit it, my age probably put me somewhere between his older sister and his actual mother.

Having him call me Mommy wasn't exactly taking advantage of him.

Seeing that I hadn't replied, the boy started panicking.

He flooded the chat with a barrage of crying cat emojis, sad dog memes, and dramatic pleading stickers.

My heart caved. I had officially captured a wild gaming prodigy.

"I accept, kiddo!"

"Then you have to call me sweetie, Mommy."

"I accept, sweetie!"

"Yay! Now my brother and I both have a Mommy! Nobody can ever bully us for being motherless kids again!"

02

The kid was incredibly disciplined with his time.

His gaming schedule was strictly fixed from eight-thirty to nine-ten in the evening.

After nine-ten, he had to brush his teeth, and by nine-thirty, he had to be in bed.

We happily duo-queued like this for nearly two months.

Until one cursed Monday, my cold-blooded, robotic boss absolutely ripped into me during the morning meeting.

Silas Reed wore a face carved from ice. Displayed on his monitor was my proposal, the sixteenth revision I had submitted.

"Summer, I heard you graduated from Penn?"

I had already cursed out every male ancestor in his lineage inside my head, but I still raised my face and gave him a pathetic, submissive smile.

"Yes, Mr. Reed. When you came back to campus as an outstanding alumni guest speaker, I even attended your lecture."

"Oh?" He flicked his eyes up at me, his tone growing even more acidic. "Did you save your professor's life or something? Is that the only reason they let you graduate and enter the workforce?"

"My requirements are not high. Since you listened to my lecture in college, why are you still failing to grasp my vision?"

"Hmm? Do you have an issue with me, or an issue with the company?"

Seeing me keep my head down in silence, he snapped his laptop shut and stood up.

"I need another revision by today. If it still doesn't hit the mark, go to HR and hand in your resignation."

He left me standing there, practically choking on my own rage.

Did he actually give me any useful feedback?

I had revised this trash proposal sixteen times simply because he kept saying "the vibe isn't right"!

I'm sorry for breathing, it's all my fault, okay?!

Fuming, I stood in the empty conference room and threw a full combo of shadowboxing punches at the air.

After my little routine, my vision went black and I almost collapsed.

Dammit. The morning meeting was so early I hadn't even eaten breakfast. My blood sugar was crashing again.

By the time I handed the seventeenth version to Silas, I was practically foaming at the mouth.

I gave him a look that practically dared him to reject it, ready to pass out right there and make him deal with a medical emergency.

The clock on the wall read eleven at night.

Silas furrowed his brows, flipped through the entire document, and finally, reluctantly, nodded his head.

As I walked out of the corporate lobby, my best friend Zoe was laughing at me over the phone.

"Look at you, rolling in that overtime money with the big boss keeping you company."

Standing in the elevator, I finally let loose.

"That bastard! Why is he making me do all this overtime? If he pushes me any further, I'm going to run over him with my car!"

"Besides, he owns the entire company! He's the one who's supposed to be working late, not me..."

Before I could finish, a hand reached out and blocked the elevator doors from closing.

It was Silas.

03

I had no idea how much of my rant he had heard.

Silas shot me a freezing glare, and the air pressure in the small space plummeted immediately.

I shrank my neck down like a frightened turtle, not daring to breathe.

Of course, this was the exact moment the sound leaking from my cheap earbuds decided to get louder.

"Run him over! Run him over twice! But honestly, don't you think your big boss has massive contrast appeal?"

"He walks around with that cold, untouchable, celibate face, looking at everyone like they're dirt. But that body is insane. His tailored suits can barely contain those massive pecs, hahaha..."

Zoe's wicked, unfiltered laughter echoed through the entire elevator.

Silas's face turned completely black.

"I'm so sorry, boss. I've been under a lot of pressure lately, so I listen to these trashy comedy podcasts to unwind. I'll turn it off right now..."

Before I could finish spinning my lie, Zoe's voice got even louder.

"Summer! Why aren't you answering me?"

"It's so late, did something happen to you..."

I squeezed my eyes shut. If my worst enemy saw me right now, they would probably forgive me out of pure pity.

Thankfully, the call dropped due to the poor signal in the elevator.

I awkwardly muttered an apology. "I'm sorry, boss."

Silas didn't say a word. Suddenly, his large, distinctively sculpted hand reached out from behind me.

I thought he was so mad he was actually going to hit me. Terrified, I crouched down so fast my unexercised joints cracked loudly.

It turned out he just wanted to press the button for the basement parking garage. He looked down at me with a deep frown.

I couldn't even lift my head anymore. Right now, I just wanted someone to push the big red button and obliterate this entire planet.

When the elevator stopped at the ground floor, I practically sprinted out.

Silas spoke up, stopping me in my tracks.

"Summer."

"This new version is acceptable. I hold you to a high standard because I know you have the potential to do better."

I forced a bitter smile. What else was there to say? Just smile and nod like the corporate drone I was.

"Also, if your... mind is under that much pressure, you should visit a doctor tomorrow."

"Consider it a paid day off. It won't affect your perfect attendance bonus."

"Be safe on your way home."

That last sentence was spoken incredibly softly.

I half wondered if I was experiencing auditory hallucinations.

But none of that mattered. A paid day off had just fallen directly into my lap!

04

By the time I texted Zoe that I was safe and got back to my apartment, it was already midnight.

I had been dead tired earlier.

But the thought of getting a free paid day off tomorrow made me feel like going to sleep now would be a massive waste of time.

After tossing the idea around, I booted up the game.

The kid should have been fast asleep by now.

We had been playing together for so long, and this was my first time breaking our schedule.

I sighed, figuring I would just apologize to him tomorrow.

But the second I logged in, a team invite popped up from the kid's profile.

When I joined, his voice sounded thick and muffled, like he had been crying alone in the dark for hours.

"Mommy, I thought you threw me away."

Hearing him cry made my chest ache.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. It's my bastard boss's fault for making me work overtime."

"I just got home and it's midnight. I didn't think you'd still be waiting for me. Did I mess up your sleep schedule?"

The crying stopped.

"That boss is evil! How dare he treat you like that!"

"Do you want to switch to a new job, Mommy? My big brother's company is super, super big."

The kid was perfect, except for how much he loved to play pretend.

I was used to it. Not wanting to hurt his pride, I patiently played along.

"That sounds great, but we probably don't even live in the same city. Finding a new apartment is such a hassle."

The boy scoffed entirely. "Why do you need to find a new apartment? My house has so many rooms. You can just pick a whole floor to live on."

I laughed out loud. "Pick a whole floor? Just how big is this house?"

"Around ten thousand square feet, I think. I live on the second floor right now, and my brother lives on the third floor. The third floor is the biggest."

"If you come live with us, Mommy, I'll kick my brother up to the fourth floor."

He really was just a kid.

I wouldn't even dare to dream of a ten-thousand-square-foot house, but he just spouted it effortlessly.

"Hahaha, really? Won't your brother beat you up for that?"

"No way! You're my Mommy, which means you're my brother's Mommy too!"

"What city do you live in, Mommy?"

"I'm in Boston."

"Mommy, I'm in Boston too!"

His voice spiked with excitement, but my adrenaline was finally crashing.

My eyelids felt like they were made of lead, and no amount of willpower was keeping them open.

"Mommy, can I come find you to play?"

"Sure thing."

I casually mumbled the name of my apartment complex and told him goodnight.

The next day, I was completely dead to the world, buried under my blankets, when a call from the complex security guard woke me up.

"Miss Summer, your son is waiting for you at the front gate."

"What son? You've got the wrong number."

I was just about to hang up when a familiar, soft voice echoed through the speaker.

"Mommy! I came to find you!"

05

The heat outside was absolutely brutal.

Walking out in flip-flops was easily the worst decision I had made all week.

If I walked even slightly too fast, my heels hit the scorching pavement, making me wince in pain.

My phone rang again.

Assuming it was security, I answered immediately.

"Hey, security man, just keep an eye on my son, I'll be right there..."

"Summer, regarding that proposal you submitted... You have a son? Your employee file clearly states you're single."

Dead silence fell over both ends of the line.

I pulled the phone away and looked at the screen. The caller ID read Silas Reed.

Before I could even process this nightmare, another call came through.

This time, it really was security.

"Mr. Reed, I'm so sorry, I have an emergency right now. I'll call you right back."

I had been working at the company for over a year, and this was the very first time I dared to hang up on Silas.

Rumor had it a former employee once hung up on the big boss by mistake and got handed a severance package the next day.

Wanting to cry but lacking the tears, I broke into a desperate sprint, figuring I'd deal with the kid first and then grovel to Silas later.

"Hey! I'm almost there!" I yelled into the other line.

"Alright, Miss Summer. We were just debating if we should walk the kid to your building."

By the time I reached the front gate, gasping for air, the soles of my feet were entirely numb.

A little boy in a crisp button-down shirt and suspenders was sitting obediently inside the guardhouse.

Mrs. Gable, the most aggressively nosy woman in the complex, had just returned from the grocery store.

Seeing me, she immediately waved me over.

"Oh my, Summer, I had no idea you had a son this old."

I gave an awkward laugh, completely unsure of how to explain the situation. I cautiously looked at the little boy and called out.

"Sweetie?"

The boy's eyes lit up. He trotted over and grabbed my hand. "Mommy!"

I let out a long breath. But when my eyes landed on his shirt, completely soaked through with sweat, my heart twisted with frustration and pity.

"How did you get here all by yourself? You didn't even tell me!"

"Does your family know?"

"What if you ran into a bad person on the way?"

Mrs. Gable leaned in, her eyes gleaming with gossip.

"I get it, Summer. The kid went with his dad in the divorce, right?"

"No wonder none of the guys I tried to set you up with worked out. You were secretly married this whole time."

"I still have a few older bachelors in my contacts. They're a bit up there in age, but at least they've never been married."

"A woman who's been married and popped out a kid is just damaged goods, you know? You lose your value..."

The kid wasn't very old, but he was smart enough to recognize cruelty.

His little face flushed bright red, and he shoved Mrs. Gable hard.

"You're a bad person! Don't you dare talk about my Mommy like that!"

Mrs. Gable stumbled backward, immediately flying into a rage.

"Calling you damaged goods is a compliment! Who knows what stray dog fathered this little brat?"

"Riding on your looks, you were probably some rich guy's side piece. That's why your baby daddy dumped you!"

"Your mom is a tramp..."

Her words were incredibly vile. If the kid hadn't been standing right there, I would have thrown hands with her.

I clamped one hand over the boy's ears, scooped him up with my other arm, and marched straight into the complex.

Mrs. Gable was still standing behind us, hands on her hips, screaming curses.

The boy rested his head on my shoulder, his voice trembling on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry, Mommy. Did I get you in trouble?"

06

I carried the kid over to the shade of a large oak tree.

"No, baby, you were protecting me. How could that be getting me in trouble?"

"That lady was just a nasty person."

"Sweetie, tell me the truth. How did you get here? Did you tell anyone at home?"

The boy shook his head. A massive tear broke free and splattered against my collarbone.

"Mommy, I... I took a taxi... My brother doesn't know..."

I hugged him tighter. "It's okay, don't cry. Let's go get you something to eat, and then I'll call your brother so he can take you home. How does that sound?"

He looked reluctant, but he sniffled and nodded his head.

I held his hand and walked him to the convenience store inside the complex.

I grabbed a couple of hot dogs from the roller and picked out some warm skewers from the deli section.

"Eat up. Let's get something in your stomach first."

Worried that the blast of the AC on his sweaty clothes might make him sick, I specifically picked a table far from the vents.

The kid took the hot dog from my hand, took a tiny bite, and his eyes went wide as saucers.

"Mommy, this tastes amazing!"

His reaction was so dramatic it was as if he had never eaten a hot dog in his entire life.

I asked, half-joking, "Have you really never had a hot dog before?"

The kid shook his head with absolute seriousness.

"Your mom and dad, or your brother... they never bought you one? There are usually food carts all around schools."

"No, Mommy. My mom and dad are gone. It's just me and my brother."

"My brother is always working to make money. He's barely ever home."

The words died in my throat.

I thought back to what he said in the game"Now my brother and I both have a Mommy."

I had thought it was just a kid playing pretend, but it turned out to be a cruel joke from fate.

I walked over to the cashier. "Wrap up all the hot dogs you have left on the roller."

"Mommy?"

"Eat up!"

I turned my back to him and quietly sniffled.

So what if he bragged? If his life was that painful, wasn't he allowed to tell a few lies to comfort himself?

"Sweetie, do you know your brother's phone number by heart? Let me call him so we can get you home."

"You don't need to do that, Mommy," the boy said, pulling up his sleeve to reveal a high-tech smartwatch.

"I'll just call him myself."

The call connected quickly. He held his wrist up to his ear, and I could faintly hear the tone on the other end. It did not sound friendly.

The kid had a lot of pride. Afraid I would hear, he intentionally walked over to the corner of the store.

I stepped a little closer, just in time to hear the voice on the watch say, "Stop being a burden to other people."

My blood boiled. I marched right over.

"He is not being a burden to anyone!"

My voice was so loud the other end went completely dead silent.

"I know it's hard for you, working all the time to provide for yourself and your younger brother!"

"You're a great older brother, and he's an incredibly well-behaved kid!"

"But since you two only have each other, you need to show him some actual care and affection!"

"I'll send him home safely, so you don't need to worry!"

The other end remained silent for a long moment before finally replying.

"Sorry for the trouble."

I couldn't tell if it was the speaker quality, but the voice sounded almost shaky.

I scoffed and gestured for the kid to end the call.

The way the boy looked at me completely changed.

Shock, awe, and starry-eyed admiration.

"Mommy, you're so cool!"

Before I could even bask in the praise, my phone started ringing.

I glanced at the screen. It was Silas.

Crap!

My job!

I had told my boss I'd call him right back, and I completely forgot!