Chapter 3: What Happened After Midnight
The second video started at 12:14 a.m.
The living room was dark except for the blue glow of the television.
Lily’s hidden camera captured the entire room.
No one spoke.
A clock on the wall ticked loudly through the speakers.
Then Mom walked into frame.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't comforting anyone.
She was carrying a small black envelope.
Dad leaned toward the screen.
“What's that?””
Lily paused.
“I don't know.””
“Keep playing,” I said.
Mom sat on the couch.
She opened the envelope.
Several papers slid onto her lap.
She read the first one.
Then the second.
Her expression changed.
Fear.
Not guilt.
Fear.
Chloe entered the room.
“Mom?””
Mom looked up.
“You shouldn't be here.””
Chloe sat beside her.
“What are you going to do?””
“I don't know.””
“You said you had a plan.””
Mom stared at the papers.
“I said I would think about it.””
“You promised.””
“Lower your voice.””
Chloe leaned closer.
“If Ethan finds out, we're both finished.””
Dad suddenly stood.
“Stop.””
Lily paused the video.
Dad's face had turned rigid.
“Play it.””
She did.
Mom whispered something.
The audio was faint.
But clear enough.
“We need him gone before he talks.””
I felt cold spread through my arms.
Ethan.
They were talking about Ethan.
Chloe nodded.
“He already suspects.””
Mom folded the papers.
“He doesn't know enough.””
“What about Claire?””
“She trusts him.””
“And Lily?””
Mom looked toward the hallway.
“She's a child.””
Lily flinched.
I reached for her hand.
She squeezed mine.
On-screen, Chloe leaned back.
“Dad will believe me.””
Mom nodded.
“He always does.””
The video ended.
For several seconds, nobody breathed.
Dad slowly turned toward Mom.
“Is this real?””
Mom stared at the floor.
“John…”
“Don't call me that.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Please.””
“You lied to me.””
“I was trying to protect this family.””
“From what?””
Mom didn't answer.
Dad pointed toward the envelope shown in the recording.
“What were those papers?””
Mom's hands began shaking.
Chloe stepped between them.
“Dad, it isn't what you think.””
Dad looked at her.
“You've got ten seconds to make it what I should think.””
Chloe opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
I picked up Lily’s phone.
“There has to be another recording.””
Lily nodded.
“There is.””
Mom looked at her sharply.
“You watched it?””
“Not all of it.””
“Why not?””
“Because I got scared.””
I looked at Lily.
“What did you hear?””
She hesitated.
“Someone came into the house after Mom and Chloe went upstairs.””
Dad's face tightened.
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
“You saw them?””
“Only their hands.””
She opened the video folder.
“There was one more file.””
Her thumb hovered over it.
Mom suddenly lunged for the phone.
Dad caught her arm.
“Don't.””
Mom started crying.
“No. You don't understand.””
Dad held her still.
“Then explain.””
She looked at him.
And for the first time that night, she wasn't crying because Chloe had supposedly been attacked.
She was crying because she knew what Lily's final video would reveal.
Lily pressed the file.
The screen went black.
Then a man's voice whispered from the darkness.
“Your husband doesn't know what you did.””
Mom stopped breathing.
May you like
And the voice continued.
“But your son does.””
