Chapter 3 - THE PHONE THAT REVEALED EVERYTHING
I waited until Lily fell asleep.
It took almost two hours.
She refused to let go of my hand.
Every time I tried to move, her eyes opened.
"Daddy?"
"I'm here."
"You're not going away?"
"No."
"I promise."
Eventually, exhaustion won.
Her small fingers loosened around mine.
I sat beside her bed in the darkness.
Watching my daughter sleep.
Trying to understand how much I had missed.
How much she had suffered.
And how much had happened while I was gone.
My phone was still in my hand.
The unknown message remained on the screen.
I knew what I had to do.
I went downstairs.
Emily was sitting alone in the kitchen.
The party was over.
The guests were gone.
But the damage remained.
Empty glasses.
Dirty plates.
And the silence between us.
She looked at me.
"Are we going to talk?"
I placed my phone on the table.
"No."
"We are going to tell the truth."
Her expression changed.
"What does that mean?"
I looked at her.
"It means I want your phone."
She immediately became defensive.
"Why?"
"Because someone thinks I should see it."
Her face went pale.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
"Daniel..."
"Give me the phone, Emily."
She shook her head.
"No."
That one word told me everything.
I leaned back slowly.
"Why not?"
She looked away.
"I deserve privacy."
I nodded.
"You're right."
"You do."
"But my daughter deserves safety."
"And I deserve the truth."
She stood up.
"You don't trust me?"
I looked at the woman I married.
The woman I loved.
The woman I left my child with.
And I answered honestly.
"Not anymore."
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
Then her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
And immediately turned it over.
Too quickly.
I noticed.
"Who was that?"
"Nobody."
"Nobody calls you at midnight and makes you panic."
She grabbed the phone.
"It's just work."
I watched her walk away.
Then I looked toward the staircase.
Toward my daughter's room.
And I knew.
May you like
Whatever was on that phone...
Was the reason my daughter had spent the night outside.
