Chapter 12 - REBECCA KNEW EVERYTHING

Rebecca answered Claire’s call on the fourth ring.

“Hello?”

“It’s Claire.”

Silence.

Then a quiet,

“I heard about Mom.”

Claire gripped the phone.

“Did you watch videos of Lily?”

Rebecca didn’t answer.

Claire’s voice hardened.

“Did you?”

“Yes.”

Rachel, sitting beside Claire, closed her eyes.

Claire felt sick.

“For how long?”

“Maybe a year.”

“A year?”

“I didn’t watch all of them.”

“Why were you getting them?”

“Mom sent clips.”

“Of what?”

“Lily having meltdowns.”

Claire’s nails dug into her palm.

“What did those ‘meltdowns’ look like?”

Rebecca sounded uncomfortable.

“Crying. Screaming. Asking for food.”

“And you thought that was normal?”

“No.”

“Then why didn’t you call me?”

“I told Daniel it was getting weird.”

Claire looked at Daniel across Rachel’s living room.

He lowered his eyes.

“When?”

“Last Christmas.”

Claire stared at him.

Rebecca continued.

“I told him Mom was too involved.”

Claire’s voice became flat.

“What did Daniel say?”

Rebecca hesitated.

“He said you wouldn’t understand.”

Claire laughed softly.

“Of course.”

Rebecca began crying.

“I should have called you.”

“Yes.”

“I was scared of Mom.”

“So was Lily.”

That ended the excuses.

Rebecca cried harder.

Claire waited.

Finally Rebecca said,

“There’s something else.”

“What?”

“Mom sent me one video two months ago. Lily was in the basement room.”

Claire’s chest tightened.

“What happened?”

“She was crying.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know. The clip was only about forty seconds.”

“What was she saying?”

Rebecca started crying harder.

“Claire…”

“What was my daughter saying?”

“She was asking for you.”

Claire shut her eyes.

“And?”

“She kept saying, ‘Mommy doesn’t know I’m here.’”

Claire covered her mouth.

Daniel stood and walked away.

Claire forced herself to continue.

“Send me the video.”

“I deleted it.”

“Find it.”

“I’ll try.”

“No. Find it.”

Rebecca went quiet.

“Okay.”

Claire ended the call.

Then turned to Daniel.

“You knew Rebecca had concerns.”

“Yes.”

“You knew.”

“I didn’t understand.”

Claire slammed her palm on the table.

“STOP SAYING THAT.”

Daniel jumped.

“You understood enough to ignore it.”

“I was afraid.”

“Of your mother?”

“Yes.”

“You were thirty-seven years old.”

“I know.”

“She controlled everything.”

“You let her.”

“I know.”

Claire’s voice cracked.

“And Lily paid for it.”

Daniel cried then.

Not dramatic tears.

Not excuses.

He simply sat down and covered his face.

For the first time, Claire believed he understood the scale of what he had done.

It didn’t change anything.

Her phone buzzed.

Rebecca.

A video attachment.

Claire stared at the thumbnail.

A dim room.

Lily in the folding chair.

She pressed play.

Lily was crying.

“Grandma, please. I’ll be good.”

Margaret’s voice came from behind the camera.

“Good girls don’t steal food.”

“I was hungry.”

“That’s not an excuse.”

“I want Mommy.”

“Your mommy makes you weak.”

Claire stopped the video.

She couldn’t breathe.

Rachel grabbed her hand.

But Daniel said,

“Wait.”

Claire looked at him.

His face was white.

“What?”

“That’s not Mom’s voice at the end.”

Claire stared.

“What do you mean?”

He took the phone.

Played the last three seconds.

A second woman’s voice could be heard faintly.

“Don’t let her out yet.”

Claire’s blood went cold.

Rachel whispered,

“Who is that?”

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Daniel looked at Claire.

“It’s Rebecca.”