Chapter 10: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
The photo stayed on my phone screen for five seconds.
Five seconds was all it took for my entire body to go cold.
Megan was standing outside her apartment building.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were wide.
And behind her, near the entrance, stood Vanessa.
My wife.
The woman who was supposed to be at home.
The woman who had told me she was innocent.
The woman who had spent months making my daughter afraid.
“Call the police,” Rachel said immediately.
I didn’t move.
I was staring at the picture.
Trying to understand how Vanessa had gotten there.
“How did she find her?”” I whispered.
Rachel took the phone from my hand.
“I don’t know.””
My fingers shook as I dialed Megan’s number.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
No answer.
I called again.
Nothing.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From Megan.
*Don’t call. She’s watching.*
I stood up.
“She needs help.””
Rachel grabbed her keys.
“Then we go now.””
The drive to Megan’s apartment felt endless.
Every red light felt like a punishment.
Every second felt like Vanessa was getting closer to destroying more lives.
When we arrived, the parking lot was empty.
Too empty.
I got out of the car.
“Megan?””
No response.
We rushed upstairs.
Her apartment door was slightly open.
Rachel stopped me.
“Wait.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Don’t touch anything.””
We stepped inside carefully.
The apartment looked normal at first.
A coffee cup on the table.
A jacket hanging by the door.
A laptop sitting open.
But then I noticed the chair.
It was knocked over.
A drawer was pulled out.
Papers were scattered across the floor.
“Megan!”” I shouted.
Nothing.
Then I heard a sound.
A small movement.
From the bedroom.
I pushed the door open.
Megan was sitting on the floor.
Alive.
But crying.
“Megan.””
She looked up.
“I’m sorry.””
I rushed toward her.
“Are you hurt?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Where is Vanessa?””
Megan looked terrified.
“She left.””
“Why?””
Her eyes moved toward the laptop.
“Because she found what she was looking for.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
Megan reached for a folder.
“She knew about the backup copies.””
Rachel picked up the folder.
“What was in here?””
Megan swallowed.
“The original files.””
I looked around.
“Videos?””
She nodded.
“More than videos.””
“What does that mean?””
Megan took a deep breath.
“Vanessa wasn’t just collecting evidence against Lily.””
My chest tightened.
“What else was she doing?””
Megan looked at me.
“She was collecting information about you.””
A chill ran through me.
“Why?””
“To make you look unstable.””
I felt anger rising.
“She wanted to take my daughter.””
“Yes.””
“But why record me?””
Megan looked away.
“Because she knew if you found out the truth, you would fight.””
I stared at her.
“So she prepared a way to stop me.””
Megan nodded.
“She planned every step.””
Rachel opened the folder.
Inside were printed emails.
Messages.
Notes.
One page had a title at the top:
*Timeline of Father’s Emotional Instability.*
I felt sick.
“She was building a case against me.””
“Yes.””
Megan’s voice became quieter.
“She wanted people to believe you were too attached to Lily. That your work made you absent. That you were emotionally unpredictable.””
Rachel looked at me.
“She was trying to make you the problem.””
I looked at the papers.
The lies.
The manipulation.
The months of planning.
Then Megan grabbed my arm.
“There’s something you need to know.””
“What?””
“She wasn’t working alone.””
The room went silent.
I looked at her.
“What are you talking about?””
Megan hesitated.
“There was someone helping her.””
“Who?””
Before Megan answered, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man’s voice came through.
“Stop digging.””
My entire body froze.
“Who is this?””
“You know who this is.””
I looked at Megan.
Her face changed.
She recognized the voice.
“Vanessa’s attorney?”” Rachel whispered.
The man continued.
“You’re making this worse for yourself.””
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“You’re threatening me?””
“No.””
A pause.
“I’m warning you.””
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
“Because if you keep going, the next thing everyone sees will be the video of you losing control.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Rachel’s expression changed.
“What video?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I already knew.
The missing piece.
The one Vanessa had been waiting for.
The moment she could use against me.
The moment I had almost forgotten.
May you like
The night I confronted her.
The night I lost control.
