Chapter 6 - The Party Video
By Monday morning, the birthday party had become a school-wide spectacle. Someone had posted a clip of Ethan striking Lily. It ended before Sarah shoved him away, making the comments even uglier.
The principal called Sarah into a meeting. "Ethan will be suspended pending review. We also need to discuss whether Lily is safe at home."
"She is safe with me," Sarah said. "I separated them immediately. Ethan will not be alone with her. But I won't pretend this clip tells the whole story."
"It shows him hitting her. Twice."
"And that part is true. He has to own it. But public humiliation won't help anyone understand why someone is threatening him."
Sarah showed the principal the messages and video. The principal's expression changed. "Save everything. Don't delete anything. If the person keeps contacting him, report it."
By afternoon, the clip had been reposted dozens of times. Some called Ethan a monster; others blamed Sarah for raising him badly. Sarah saved the links for the investigator and refused to argue with strangers about her children's worst day.
At home, Ethan sat on the stairs. He had placed his phone on the table with a note beside it: I won't go near Lily unless she says it's okay.
It wasn't enough, but it was a start.
"We need a counselor," Sarah told him. "And we need to report these threats."
"If you tell anyone about the fire, they'll think I'm a monster."
"If we keep hiding it, you'll believe you are one."
His phone lit again. The message included a picture of the old firehouse, its windows boarded and its sign half fallen off.
May you like
Friday at eight. Your mother knows why.
Sarah stared at the screen. The sender knew about the note, the fire, and the place she'd avoided for three years. The threats were no longer random. Someone was using her son's guilt to drag them both back into the past.
