Chapter Ninety-Seven

Emily's POV

I slowly descended the stairs, each step amplifying the cacophony emanating from the floor below. The noise was insufferable, a relentless barrage on my senses. I hated kids, I always had. Their incessant clamor, their cries and screams, grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, the volume seemed to surge, an overwhelming tide of high-pitched wails that set my teeth on edge. I rubbed my temples, hoping to alleviate the headache that was already forming.

“Why can they not keep it down?” I muttered though it was more a rhetorical question than anything else.

The constant noise in the building was maddening, a relentless assault on my peace of mind. It was the primary reason I loathed children: they had no concept of quiet, no understanding of the value of silence. Their lives were a chaotic symphony of sound, with no conductor to bring order to the din.

“I am trying to make them quiet but…” started the babysitter, her voice adding