Chapter 2: The Camera in the Pantry
I carried Emma upstairs without saying another word.
Vanessa followed behind us.
“Daniel, this is ridiculous.””
I didn’t respond.
“Daniel, stop acting like I’m some kind of monster.””
Still nothing.
I placed Emma on her bed and sat beside her.
Her room looked exactly the same as when I left.
Her stuffed animals lined up on the shelf.
Her drawings covered the wall.
Her favorite pink blanket was folded neatly.
Everything looked normal.
That made it worse.
Because the kitchen had looked normal too.
“Emma,” I whispered, “tell Daddy what camera you found.””
She looked nervous.
“Am I in trouble?””
My heart broke.
“No. Never for telling me the truth.””
She played with the edge of her blanket.
“One day when you were gone, I was looking for my purple marker.””
“When was this?””
She thought carefully.
“After Mommy yelled at me.””
Vanessa appeared in the doorway.
“She wasn’t yelled at.””
Emma immediately became quiet.
I looked at my wife.
“Please leave.””
Vanessa laughed.
“Seriously?””
“Leave the room.””
For once, she listened.
After she walked away, Emma continued.
“I saw a tiny black thing behind the cereal boxes.””
She pointed toward the hallway.
“I thought it was a bug.””
I leaned closer.
“What happened next?””
“I touched it, and the little light came on.””
My stomach dropped.
A hidden camera.
In my house.
Watching my daughter.
I walked downstairs and opened the pantry.
Vanessa stood behind me.
“You’re making a huge mistake.””
I ignored her.
I moved cereal boxes, pasta containers, and cleaning supplies.
Then I saw it.
A small black camera hidden behind a row of unopened snacks.
I reached for it.
Vanessa went completely still.
“Daniel…”
I turned around.
“Who put this here?””
She didn’t answer.
“Who put this camera here?””
“I don’t know.””
I stared at her.
“You don’t know?””
She crossed her arms.
“You’re accusing me because your daughter misunderstood something.””
I pulled the camera free.
“There is a camera in our pantry.””
“So?””
“So I didn’t install it.””
For the first time, Vanessa looked uncomfortable.
Only briefly.
Then she recovered.
“You travel constantly. Maybe you forgot.””
“I don’t forget putting cameras in my own house.””
I plugged the device into my laptop.
A small folder appeared.
Hundreds of video files.
My hands went cold.
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Daniel, don’t.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
She didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
I opened the first file.
The timestamp showed three months earlier.
The video loaded.
The kitchen appeared.
The angle was from inside the pantry, facing the entire room.
At first, nothing happened.
Then Vanessa walked in.
Emma followed behind her.
My daughter was holding a bowl.
“Mommy, I’m still hungry.””
Vanessa looked annoyed.
“You should have eaten when I told you.””
“I didn’t like it.””
“You don’t get to choose every little thing.””
Emma lowered her head.
Then Vanessa pointed toward the floor.
“Sit there.””
I stopped breathing.
On the screen, my daughter looked down.
“Where?””
Vanessa pointed again.
“Next to Max’s bowl.””
I felt my fingers tighten around the laptop.
Emma’s voice came through the speakers.
“But Mommy…”
“No arguments.””
The video continued.
My daughter sat down.
Exactly where I had found her.
But then something happened that made my blood run cold.
Vanessa didn’t leave.
She stood there watching.
Smiling.
I looked at my wife.
She was staring at the screen.
Her face had lost all color.
“Daniel…”
I paused the video.
“Why were you watching her?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“I can explain.””
I stepped closer.
“No.””
I pointed at the screen.
“You can explain why you forced our daughter to eat there.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
But something about those tears felt wrong.
Not sadness.
Fear.
And then my laptop made a sound.
A notification.
A new file had appeared.
Created moments ago.
The file name was simple.
May you like
My heart stopped when I read it.
*DANIEL_FINAL_VIDEO.*
