Chapter 2: The Hidden Camera
I walked toward Emma’s room without saying a word.
Behind me, Vanessa’s voice followed.
“Daniel, don’t do this.””
I stopped.
Slowly turned around.
“Don’t do what?””
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
That was the first time I saw fear on her face.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Fear.
Emma stood behind me, holding onto my shirt.
“Daddy…”
I looked down.
“It’s okay.””
But honestly, I didn’t know if it was.
I opened the door to Emma’s bedroom.
At first glance, everything looked normal.
Her stuffed animals were lined up on her bed.
Her coloring books were stacked beside her small desk.
Her pink blanket was folded neatly.
Too neatly.
Emma walked inside slowly.
Then she pointed toward her closet.
“There.””
I opened the closet door.
Inside were her clothes, shoes, and toys.
Nothing unusual.
I looked back at her.
“What am I looking for?””
Emma hesitated.
Then she reached behind a box of old drawings and pulled out a small plastic bag.
My heart started beating faster.
“What is that?””
“She said I wasn’t allowed to touch it.””
I took the bag.
Inside was a tiny phone.
An old one.
Not mine.
Not Emma’s.
I looked toward Vanessa.
Her face turned pale.
“Daniel, give me that.””
I stepped back.
“No.””
“It’s private.””
“Why does my five-year-old daughter have a hidden phone?””
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“It’s not what you think.””
“That sentence usually means it is exactly what I think.””
She walked closer.
“You’re overreacting.””
I turned the phone on.
The screen lit up.
There were videos.
Dozens of them.
My fingers went cold.
“Why are there videos?””
Vanessa stayed silent.
I clicked the first one.
The image shook slightly.
It was recorded from a corner of the kitchen.
I saw myself leaving for work.
Then Vanessa entered.
With Emma.
My daughter was wearing her pink pajamas.
The date was three months earlier.
I watched.
My stomach tightened.
Vanessa placed a plate on the table.
Not dinner.
A small portion of leftover food.
Then she pointed toward the chair.
“Sit there.””
Emma’s tiny voice answered.
“But I want to sit with Tyler and Madison.””
Vanessa replied coldly.
“They’re my kids.””
The video froze my entire body.
Because I heard the next words clearly.
“You’re not the same.””
I stopped breathing.
Emma looked at the floor.
“Daddy said we’re all family.””
Vanessa laughed.
“Your daddy says a lot of things.””
I shut the video off.
I couldn’t watch anymore.
“Daniel,” Vanessa said quietly.
I looked at her.
“How long?””
She swallowed.
“It wasn’t like that.””
“How long?””
She didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
Emma grabbed my hand.
“She does it when you’re gone.””
I looked at my daughter.
“How many times?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Lots.””
The room became painfully quiet.
Vanessa suddenly changed tactics.
She started crying.
“Daniel, I was overwhelmed.””
I stared at her.
“You made a child feel unwanted.””
“I never hurt her.””
“You did.””
“I fed her.””
“You fed her trash.””
She wiped her face.
“You don’t understand what it’s like raising three kids.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Three kids?””
I looked at Emma.
“She’s been trying to earn your love.””
Vanessa looked away.
Then I noticed something.
The phone wasn’t the only thing hidden in the bag.
There was a small memory card.
I picked it up.
“What’s this?””
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
“Give that to me.””
That reaction told me everything.
I held it tighter.
“What’s on here?””
“Nothing.””
“Then why are you scared?””
She didn’t answer.
I looked at Emma.
“Did she tell you what was on this?””
Emma shook her head.
“She said if Daddy found out, he would be angry.””
I inserted the memory card into the phone.
A list of files appeared.
Videos.
Photos.
Audio recordings.
One file caught my attention.
The name wasn’t random.
It was labeled:
“Emma problem.””
My chest tightened.
I pressed play.
For the first few seconds, there was only silence.
Then Vanessa’s voice came through the speaker.
“She’s becoming a problem.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She stopped crying.
The room suddenly felt colder.
Because another voice answered in the recording.
A voice I recognized.
May you like
Tyler’s.
And what he said next made me realize this wasn’t just about food anymore.
