Chapter 4 - THE VOICE ON THE RECORDING
The classroom felt smaller with every second.
I held the phone in my hand.
My fingers were frozen.
But the voice coming from that device was clear.
Too clear.
Tove.
My wife.
The woman I had trusted with my daughter.
“Your father doesn’t need to know everything…”
The recording continued.
I wanted to stop it.
I wanted to believe there was some explanation.
Some misunderstanding.
Some mistake.
But then I heard Mireya’s voice.
Small.
Scared.
“Please don’t make Daddy upset with me.”
My heart dropped.
Then Tove answered.
“You know what happens when you make things difficult.”
I looked at my daughter.
She immediately covered her ears.
“Daddy, please turn it off.”
I stopped the recording.
The room went silent.
Mrs. Carter looked at me with sadness in her eyes.
“I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
I couldn’t speak.
My mind was trying to catch up.
All those mornings when Mireya suddenly became quiet.
All those nights when she said she was tired.
All those moments when she stopped asking for things.
I thought she was changing.
I thought she was growing.
But she was afraid.
Afraid inside her own home.
I knelt in front of her.
“Mireya, look at me.”
She slowly looked up.
“Did Tove ever hurt you?”
Her lips trembled.
She looked toward the door.
Like she was afraid someone might hear.
Then she nodded.
Just once.
That small movement hurt more than any scream.
“What did she do?”
Mireya wiped her tears.
“She grabbed my arm.”
I swallowed hard.
“Why?”
“Because I cried.”
The room became completely still.
“She said I was trying to make Daddy hate her.”
I closed my eyes.
Trying to control myself.
Because I wanted to run home.
I wanted answers.
I wanted to confront Tove.
But standing there, looking at my little girl…
I knew I had to be careful.
This wasn’t about my anger.
This was about protecting her.
Mrs. Carter touched my shoulder.
“There’s something else.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“She’s been asking questions about whether children can choose who they live with.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why would she ask that?”
Mrs. Carter looked down.
“Because she told another student she was afraid you would leave her.”
I felt like someone had punched me.
My daughter thought I might leave her.
Me.
The one person who was supposed to make her feel safe.
I grabbed her hand.
“Mireya, listen to me.”
She looked at me.
“I’m never leaving you.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Promise?”
I nodded.
“Forever.”
But before I could say anything else…
My phone started ringing.
The screen showed one name.
Tove.
I stared at it.
Mireya immediately grabbed my sleeve.
“Daddy…”
“What?”
Her voice became a whisper.
“Don’t tell her I told you.”
I looked at the phone.
Then at my daughter.
And I realized something terrifying.
May you like
Mireya wasn’t just scared of Tove.
She was scared of what would happen after I found out.
