Chapter 3: The Neighbor's Camera
Brenda refused to leave quietly.
Instead, she marched into the front yard and began shouting loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear.
"My own son is abandoning his elderly mother!"
Neighbors slowly stepped outside.
Brenda cried on command, painting herself as the victim.
Rachel recorded everything on her phone, hoping the video would make Marcus look heartless.
But neither of them noticed someone else walking across the street.
Mrs. Harper.
The retired school principal who had lived next door for twelve years.
She calmly held up her own phone.
"I think everyone deserves to see the whole story."
She connected her phone to the large outdoor television above her patio.
Security footage filled the screen.
There was Brenda leaving the house every afternoon for shopping while Maya struggled to carry groceries.
Another clip showed Rachel sunbathing in the backyard while Maya chased Lily through the garden despite her pregnancy.
Another.
Brenda refusing to answer the crying toddler while wearing noise-canceling headphones.
The final clip silenced the entire street.
Lily stood at the patio door, burning with fever, knocking softly on the glass.
Inside, Brenda and Rachel laughed over wine without even turning around.
No one said a word.
Several neighbors slowly looked away from Brenda.
Others simply shook their heads.
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Rachel quietly lowered her phone.
For the first time in years, Brenda had no audience willing to believe her.
