Chapter 5: The Phone Hidden Behind the Wall
When I reached my house, the front door was open.
I ran inside.
“Sarah?””
No answer.
“Ethan?””
A small voice came from upstairs.
“Daddy?””
I rushed toward the sound.
Ethan was sitting on the floor of our bedroom.
Sarah was beside him.
Her face was full of fear.
“What happened?””
Ethan pointed toward the wall behind our dresser.
“There.””
I looked.
At first, I saw nothing.
Then I noticed a small crack near the baseboard.
Sarah looked at me.
“I found him holding something.””
I moved the dresser away.
Behind it was a small hole in the wall.
Inside was a black phone.
My hands went cold.
Another hidden device.
I picked it up.
“Did you know this was here?””
Sarah shook her head.
“No.””
I pressed the power button.
The screen turned on.
No password.
That was almost worse.
The phone had one folder.
One video.
I opened it.
The first thing I saw was my own house.
The camera angle was from inside the bedroom.
My bedroom.
The video showed me leaving for my business trip.
Then Sarah entering the room.
Then Ethan walking in.
Then a man appeared.
Ryan.
But the video wasn’t what I expected.
Ryan wasn’t acting like a lover.
He was handing Sarah documents.
They were arguing.
I turned up the volume.
Ryan’s voice came through.
“You need to tell James.””
Sarah’s voice followed.
“I can’t.””
“You have to.””
“If he finds out now, he’ll lose everything.””
My heart pounded.
The video continued.
Ryan placed a file on the bed.
“Michael already moved another fifty thousand.””
Sarah covered her mouth.
“I don’t understand.””
“He’s trying to make it look like James approved the transfers.””
I paused the video.
I looked at Sarah.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Tears filled her eyes.
“Because every time I tried, something happened.””
“What does that mean?””
She looked toward Ethan.
“Someone was watching us.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Who?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
I looked back at the phone.
There were more videos.
Days.
Weeks.
Someone had been recording our home.
Someone had been watching my family.
I opened another file.
This one was audio only.
A conversation.
Michael’s voice.
“Once James signs the final document, everything transfers.””
Another voice answered.
A woman.
Lena.
“He trusts me.””
Michael laughed.
“He trusts everyone.””
I felt sick.
The two people closest to me.
The people I defended.
The people I believed in.
They had been stealing from me.
Sarah touched my arm.
“James…”
I stepped away.
Not because I was angry at her.
Because I didn’t know what to feel anymore.
“You should have told me.””
“I wanted to.””
“When?””
She looked down.
“When I knew how to keep Ethan safe.””
That sentence stopped me.
Because suddenly, this wasn’t just about betrayal.
Someone had put my son in the middle of it.
Ethan walked over holding the tiny bicycle helmet.
“Daddy?””
I forced myself to look at him.
“Yeah, buddy?””
“Is Mommy in trouble?””
My throat tightened.
“No.””
“Are you leaving again?””
I knelt.
“No.””
He hugged me.
“I don’t like when Mommy cries.””
I closed my eyes.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Only breathing.
“Hello?””
A distorted voice finally whispered:
“You should have stayed away, James.””
I froze.
“Who is this?””
The voice laughed softly.
Then said:
“Ask your wife why she never told you what happened the night Ethan was born.””
The call ended.
I slowly lowered the phone.
Sarah saw my face.
“What did they say?””
I looked at her.
May you like
And for the first time, she looked terrified.
Because she knew exactly what they meant.
