Chapter 2 – The Call She Made Before the Belt Fell
The room remained frozen.
The leather belt hung uselessly at Daniel's side.
His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths as he stared at the two police officers standing behind the older man.
Richard Collins.
My father.
The one person Daniel believed would never find out what happened behind our front door.
Dad's eyes swept across the room.
They landed on the bruises darkening my arms.
The broken coffee mug beside the couch.
The belt in Daniel's trembling hand.
Then they stopped on my swollen stomach.
For a long moment, he didn't speak.
His jaw tightened until the muscles in his face trembled.
"I gave you one job," he finally said, his voice frighteningly calm.
"Protect my daughter."
Daniel swallowed.
"Sir... this isn't what it looks like."
"No?"
Dad slowly pulled a smartphone from his jacket pocket.
He pressed play.
The room filled with Daniel's voice.
"You think your father can save you? I'll make sure neither of you ever sees this baby."
Daniel's face turned white.
Earlier that afternoon, while locked in the bathroom after another beating, I had secretly called Dad.
I hadn't spoken.
I couldn't.
Daniel was outside the door.
So I simply left the phone connected.
For twenty-three minutes.
Every threat.
Every insult.
Every strike.
Everything had been recorded.
One officer stepped forward.
"Daniel Foster..."
He reached for the handcuffs.
"You are under arrest for aggravated domestic assault and criminal threats against your pregnant wife."
Daniel backed away.
"It was just an argument!"
But no one believed him anymore.
Not after hearing his own voice.
As the cuffs clicked around his wrists, he looked toward the woman standing silently in the corner.
"Lena..."
"Tell them!"
"Tell them she provoked me!"
Lena lowered her eyes.
For months she had watched everything.
May you like
This time...
She couldn't lie anymore.
