Chapter 4 - THE THING DAVID HID
The police took statements on Robert's lawn while his guests slipped away in expensive coats.
One officer photographed the belt.
Another wrote down the cousin's name.
Robert claimed I'd attacked him and David without warning.
David said nothing until I looked straight at him.
“Tell them who gave you the belt.”
His jaw trembled.
“My father,” he answered.
“And did he tell you to hit me?”
“Yes.”
It wasn't enough to erase what happened, but it mattered that he'd finally said it aloud.
At home, I slept on the couch.
David sat on the floor beside the coffee table until sunrise.
He told me about the garage.
When he was twelve, he'd broken a headlight on Robert's truck.
Robert made Susan watch while he punished David with the same leather belt.
When a teacher noticed bruises, Susan said he'd fallen off his bicycle.
“I repeated the story,” David admitted.
“Dad told me they'd take me away if I didn't.”
I wanted to hug the frightened boy he'd been.
I also wanted to shake the grown man who'd almost raised a belt against me.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I thought marriage would make me different.”
“Marriage doesn't do that for you.”
He nodded without arguing.
At eight-thirty, my principal called.
His careful voice told me something was wrong before he said my name.
“Emily, a video involving you has been circulating among parents.”
I opened my phone.
There I was on Robert's living room camera, catching David's wrist.
But the first half of the clip had been cut away.
There was no belt hitting the table, no order to beat me, no threat against Susan.
Only a headline: TEACHER ATTACKS HUSBAND AT FAMILY DINNER.
Underneath, Robert had written one sentence.
May you like
“Would you trust this woman around your children?”
The view count was already climbing.
