Chapter 4 - The Person Behind Diane
The police arrived within minutes.
Two officers searched around the house.
But whoever had been watching was gone.
No footprints.
No car.
Nothing.
Like they disappeared.
Officer Ramirez looked at me.
“You need to be careful.”
“I know.”
“No. I don’t think you understand.”
His voice became serious.
“This person knows your routine. They know your children. They know your home.”
I looked back at my kids.
“And Diane?”
“We’ll find her.”
I nodded.
But I already knew.
Diane wasn’t running.
She was waiting.
That afternoon, I received a call from an unknown number.
This time, I answered.
“Hello?”
Diane’s voice.
“You’ve caused a lot of trouble.”
I laughed in disbelief.
“You starved my daughter.”
“She needed discipline.”
“No. She needed protection.”
“You always were weak.”
I gripped the phone.
“Who was the man in my house?”
Silence.
Then:
“So Lily finally talked.”
My blood froze.
“You knew?”
“She was never supposed to tell you.”
“You’re sick.”
Diane sighed.
“You have no idea what’s happening.”
“Then explain.”
“I was trying to help you.”
I almost laughed.
“By hurting my child?”
“No.”
Her voice lowered.
“By preparing you.”
“For what?”
A pause.
Then she said:
“For the truth about your family.”
I felt a chill.
“What family?”
Before she answered, the call ended.
I immediately called back.
Number blocked.
Then my front door camera sent an alert.
Someone was there.
I opened the footage.
And there she was.
Diane.
Standing outside my house.
Holding a folder.
May you like
She looked directly into the camera.
And smiled.
