Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN WHO LIED TO EVERYONE
The next day, the entire city was talking about Daniel Carter’s case.
But behind closed doors, the people involved were panicking.
Robert Hayes sat inside his expensive office, staring at the television.
Margaret’s face was everywhere.
The nanny who was supposed to be guilty.
The woman who suddenly became the person exposing the truth.
He threw the remote across the room.
"This was not supposed to happen."
Olivia stood near the window.
Her arms crossed.
"You said the recorder was gone."
Robert looked at her.
"It was supposed to be destroyed."
"Then why is an eight-year-old girl carrying it into court?"
Neither of them spoke.
Because they both knew.
They had underestimated Emily.
Back at Margaret's apartment, investigators searched Daniel’s laptop.
They found hidden messages.
Encrypted conversations.
Secret meetings.
Daniel had been investigating his own company.
A company that was worth millions.
The officer looked at Margaret.
"Your employer may have been involved in something illegal."
Margaret shook her head.
"No."
She sounded almost angry.
"Daniel wasn't like that."
The officer softened.
"People are complicated."
Margaret looked at him.
"Not him."
Then Emily walked into the room.
She was holding a notebook.
"Mommy used to write things down."
Margaret looked at her.
"Your mother?"
Emily nodded.
"My dad said she knew secrets too."
Everyone became silent.
Margaret crouched down.
"Emily, what happened to your mother?"
The little girl looked away.
"Everyone said she left."
"But?"
Emily squeezed the notebook.
"But Daddy never believed that."
Margaret opened it.
Inside were drawings.
Childlike handwriting.
Dates.
Places.
And one sentence written over and over.
SHE DIDN'T LEAVE.
Margaret felt a chill.
"Emily..."
The girl whispered:
"Daddy said Mom disappeared because she found out something."
The officer immediately looked serious.
"This just became much bigger."
That evening, Margaret decided to visit Olivia.
She needed answers.
When she arrived at the Carter family mansion, the front door was open.
Too open.
"Olivia?"
No answer.
Margaret stepped inside.
The house was silent.
Then she saw something on the floor.
A broken picture frame.
A picture of Daniel.
And beside it...
A bloody handprint.
Margaret froze.
Someone had been here.
Someone had been hurt.
Then a voice came from behind her.
"You really should have stayed away."
Margaret slowly turned.
Robert Hayes stood in the doorway.
Holding a folder.
His expression was calm.
Almost too calm.
"What did you do?" Margaret asked.
Robert smiled.
"I didn't kill Daniel."
He stepped closer.
"But I helped make sure nobody believed him."
Margaret’s heart raced.
"Why?"
Robert opened the folder.
Inside was a document.
A document with Daniel's signature.
Robert whispered:
"Because your friend wasn't trying to expose a crime."
May you like
He looked directly into her eyes.
"He was trying to expose you."
