Chapter 5: The Secret Inside My House
I drove home that evening with one thought repeating in my head.
Someone had been inside my house.
Someone had watched my daughter sleep.
The wedding guests had barely finished leaving when I grabbed my keys and walked away from the chapel. Claire offered to come with me, but I told her to stay with Emily.
I needed answers.
And I needed to know my daughter was safe.
The entire drive home, Rebecca sat in silence.
I didn’t ask her to come.
She followed me anyway.
When I pulled into the driveway, she stepped out behind me.
“Daniel, you’re acting like I’m a criminal.””
I unlocked the front door.
“Are you?””
She froze.
Inside, the house looked normal.
That almost made it worse.
The same family photos hung on the walls.
The same shoes sat near the entrance.
The same pink backpack rested beside Emily’s room.
A normal home.
A place where someone had been hiding something.
I walked straight upstairs.
Rebecca followed.
“Daniel, stop.””
I opened Emily’s bedroom door.
Everything looked untouched.
Her stuffed animals sat on the bed.
Her books were arranged neatly.
Her mother’s picture was beside the lamp.
I walked to the nightstand.
There was a small wooden box where Emily kept drawings and little memories.
I opened it.
Empty.
My stomach dropped.
“What happened to these?””
Rebecca looked confused.
“What?””
“Her drawings.””
She looked away.
“I don’t know.””
I turned around.
“You don’t know?””
She sighed.
“Daniel, this is ridiculous.””
“No.””
I pointed at the empty box.
“This is my daughter’s room.””
She crossed her arms.
“You’re looking for a reason to hate me.””
I stared at her.
“You gave me plenty.””
Before she could respond, I heard footsteps downstairs.
Claire.
“Daniel?””
I walked out.
“What happened?””
Claire looked nervous.
“I found something.””
She held a small bag.
Inside was a stack of papers.
“I found these in the guest room.””
I took them.
The first page was a list.
A list of Emily’s belongings.
Clothes.
Books.
Toys.
Medication.
Everything she owned.
But the next page made my hands go cold.
“Reasons Emily should live elsewhere.””
I read the first line.
“Attachment issues after mother’s death.””
The second.
“Overly dependent on father.””
The third.
“Difficulty accepting new family structure.””
I looked up slowly.
Rebecca was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
She looked guilty.
“Those are observations.””
“Observations?””
I walked toward her.
“You wrote a report about my daughter?””
“I was trying to help.””
“You diagnosed her?””
“I was preparing for what needed to happen.””
The words hung in the air.
“What needed to happen?””
Rebecca looked at Claire.
Then at me.
“She needed professional care.””
Emily’s voice suddenly came from the hallway.
“Am I sick?””
Everyone froze.
I turned.
Emily stood there holding her stuffed rabbit.
Her face was pale.
She had heard everything.
I immediately went to her.
“No.””
She looked at Rebecca.
“But she said I need care.””
I hugged her.
“Everybody needs care. That doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.””
Emily looked at Rebecca.
“Did you really want me gone?””
Rebecca opened her mouth.
For once, she had no perfect answer.
“I thought it would be better.””
Emily nodded slowly.
Then she said something that broke my heart.
“I thought you liked me.””
Rebecca looked down.
“I did.””
Emily wiped her tears.
“Then why did you try to make Daddy choose?””
Nobody spoke.
Because that was the truth.
Rebecca didn’t answer.
She just walked out.
I thought that was the end.
I thought she had finally realized she had lost.
I was wrong.
Ten minutes later, my phone rang.
It was my attorney.
“Daniel, I need you to come to my office immediately.””
“Why?””
His voice lowered.
“Because someone filed for emergency custody of Emily this morning.””
My entire body went still.
“Who?””
A pause.
Then:
“Rebecca.””
I looked at the front door.
May you like
She wasn’t trying to leave my daughter anymore.
She was trying to take her.
