Chapter 11: The Person Watching Us
I grabbed Lily before I even thought.
She woke up confused.
“Mommy?””
I lifted her into my arms.
“It’s okay, baby.””
But it wasn’t.
Nothing was okay.
Someone had taken a picture of my daughter while she slept.
Someone was watching us.
Zoe locked every window.
Then checked the front door twice.
“Should we call the police?””
I looked at the photo again.
“We need proof.””
Zoe stared at me.
“Chloe, someone is stalking your child.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you worried about proof?””
Because I knew Mark.
I knew how he worked.
Everything had to be undeniable.
Otherwise he would twist it.
He would turn my fear into evidence.
By morning, I had installed cameras around the apartment.
Not because I wanted to.
Because I had finally accepted something.
The man I married was a stranger.
At ten, Anna arrived.
She brought the original files from Emily’s apartment.
“There’s something you need to see.””
We sat around Zoe’s table.
Anna placed a small notebook down.
“This belonged to my sister.””
I opened it carefully.
Inside were handwritten notes.
Dates.
Names.
Payments.
And one name appeared over and over.
Mark.
“He was tracking her?””
Anna nodded.
“He knew she was collecting evidence.””
I turned pages.
Then stopped.
A note near the end caught my attention.
“March 12. Hospital. If anything happens, Chloe must know.””
I looked up.
“Me?””
Anna nodded.
“Emily knew your name.””
“How?””
“She found your information in Mark’s files.””
My skin went cold.
“What files?””
Anna opened another folder.
Inside were copies of emails.
Mark had been researching me before I met him.
My stomach twisted.
“Why?””
Anna looked at me.
“Because you were part of his plan.””
I couldn’t speak.
“What plan?””
Anna hesitated.
Then answered:
“Mark needed someone who could raise Lily.””
The room went silent.
I felt sick.
“You’re saying he chose me?””
“Yes.””
“Because I could take care of his daughter?””
Anna shook her head.
“No.””
She pointed at the papers.
“Because you had no connection to Emily.””
I stared.
“He wanted someone outside the situation.””
Someone he could control.
Someone who would never know.
I looked at Zoe.
She whispered:
“He built a fake life.””
Exactly.
A fake marriage.
A fake family.
A fake story.
My phone rang.
Mark.
I answered immediately.
“What do you want?””
His voice was calm.
“You found Emily’s letter.””
My blood froze.
“How do you know?””
“Because you’re predictable.””
I walked away from Lily.
“You’re watching me.””
“No.””
“Then how?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because Zoe always makes the same mistake.””
I looked at my sister.
“What did he mean?””
Mark continued.
“Your sister always thinks she’s saving you.””
My voice lowered.
“Where is the camera?””
Silence.
Then he said:
“You really should stop looking for things that don’t belong to you.””
My anger exploded.
“Lily belongs to me.””
His voice changed.
“No.””
A pause.
“Lily belongs to the truth.””
The call ended.
Seconds later, Zoe’s laptop made a notification sound.
She opened it.
Her face went pale.
“What?””
She turned the screen toward me.
An email.
Sent five minutes ago.
From Mark.
Attached was a video.
The subject line:
“The night Chloe forgot.””
I clicked play.
The video showed me.
Seven years earlier.
In a hospital room.
Holding baby Lily.
But I didn’t remember the person standing behind the camera.
Mark.
And I definitely didn’t remember what he whispered.
The audio started.
My younger voice said:
“She’s my baby.””
May you like
Then Mark’s voice answered:
“For now.””
