Chapter 2: The Secret Behind The Pills
Julian spent the entire night investigating.
He searched every medical record.
Every prescription.
Every note Halloway had written.
And the more he discovered, the more terrified he became.
The pills were not dangerous enough to immediately kill Clara.
That was what made them worse.
They were designed to slowly weaken her.
To make her dependent.
To make everyone believe she was fragile.
Julian remembered the past year.
Clara used to run through the garden.
She loved painting.
She laughed loudly.
But after Halloway arrived...
The laughter disappeared.
The drawings stopped.
The little girl who once filled the mansion with life became quiet.
Afraid.
Julian entered Clara's room.
She was awake.
Waiting for him.
"Julian..."
"Tell me everything."
The girl hesitated.
Then she reached under her pillow.
She pulled out a small notebook.
"I wrote things down because she said I was imagining everything."
Julian opened it.
Inside were dozens of entries.
Day 12: Nurse Halloway made me take two pills.
Day 19: She said nobody would believe me.
Day 31: She locked my wheelchair in the hallway and said I needed to learn obedience.
Julian's hands tightened around the notebook.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Clara's eyes filled with tears.
"Because she told me if I complained... you would send me away too."
Julian felt his heart break.
Someone had been manipulating a ten-year-old child.
And they had done it inside his own home.
But then Clara whispered something that made him stop.
"She's not the only one."
Julian looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Clara pointed toward the hallway.
"Sometimes she talks to someone at night."
"Who?"
Clara shook her head.
"I don't know."
"But I heard her say..."
May you like
The girl lowered her voice.
"The Blackwood family will never know the truth."
