CHAPTER 2 — The Secret Behind Lily’s Silence
CHAPTER 2 — The Secret Behind Lily’s Silence
The next morning, I took Lily to the doctor.
I needed answers.
Not excuses.
The pediatrician examined the bruises on her arms.
Her expression changed.
“These injuries are not from one incident.”
I stared at her.
“What do you mean?”
“She has older bruising.”
My stomach turned.
“How old?”
“Several weeks.”
Several weeks.
The exact time I was gone.
I closed my eyes.
Vanessa.
Grant.
My own house.
My own family.
The doctor lowered her voice.
“Has Lily been afraid to speak?”
I nodded.
“She stopped talking.”
The doctor looked at Lily.
Then back at me.
“Children often become quiet when they believe speaking will make things worse.”
Those words followed me all day.
Speaking makes things worse.
Who taught my daughter that?
When we returned home, Grant was waiting.
“We need to talk.”
“No.”
He frowned.
“No?”
I placed Lily behind me.
“You don’t get to explain this away.”
His face hardened.
“I made mistakes.”
“Mistakes?”
I stepped closer.
“You let another woman hurt our daughter.”
“She was trying to help.”
I stared at him.
And at that moment, I realized something terrifying.
Grant didn’t think Vanessa was cruel.
He thought she was right.
“She told me you were unstable,” he said.
I froze.
“What?”
“She said your job changed you.”
My hands clenched.
“She said you cared more about missions than your family.”
There it was.
The manipulation.
The story Vanessa had built.
A story where I was the villain.
And they were the victims.
I smiled coldly.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“I spent eight weeks investigating criminals.”
May you like
I looked directly at him.
“But I never expected to find them in my own house.”
