Chapter 1 - SHE'S NOT MY NEW MOMMY
"She's not my new mommy."
My four-year-old daughter stood on her chair, clutching her stuffed rabbit against her chest.
Then she pointed across the dinner table at my wife.
"She's a monster."
Every fork stopped.
Vanessa gave a nervous laugh. I almost joined her.
Almost.
Then Emma started crying.
"Emma," I said softly, "what happened?"
Vanessa reached for her water. "Daniel, she's overtired."
Emma shook her head hard.
"She locks my room."
Vanessa's hand froze.
"She takes Bunny."
Emma squeezed the rabbit tighter.
"She hides Mommy's picture."
My stomach tightened.
"Emma, look at me. What else?"
She pointed at Vanessa.
"She says Mommy died because I came."
The room went dead silent.
Vanessa reacted immediately.
"That is absolutely not true."
Too fast.
Too sharp.
I looked at my wife.
Then at my daughter.
Emma was not angry.
She was afraid.
I stood.
"Nobody leaves."
Vanessa's face hardened. "You're humiliating me over the imagination of a four-year-old."
"I'm checking the cameras."
She laughed again, but there was no humor in it.
"Fine."
Twenty minutes later, I sat in my office with Emma on my lap.
The home-security timeline loaded.
At 2:11 p.m., Vanessa led Emma toward the laundry room.
The door closed.
Vanessa walked away.
Emma stayed inside.
Forty-eight minutes passed before the door opened again.
The microphone caught Vanessa's voice.
"Maybe tomorrow you'll remember who Mommy is now."
I stopped the video.
Behind me, Vanessa said, "Daniel, I can explain."
I turned.
"Leave."
Her face changed.
"Daniel—"
"Get out of my house."
Emma tugged my sleeve.
"Daddy?"
I looked down.
She pointed toward the bookshelf in her bedroom.
"There's another camera."
I thought she meant one of mine.
She didn't.
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Hidden between two stuffed animals was a tiny black lens.
I had never installed it.
