Mason’s lips trembled.

“She locks Lily in the laundry room when she goes out.

Sometimes for hours.”

I stared at Vanessa.

“Tell me he’s lying.”

“He’s confused,” she snapped.

“Children make things up.”

“No, we don’t,” Mason said.

“I let Lily out yesterday.

Mom told me you’d send us away if I ever told you.”

Lily buried her face against my side.

“It was dark, Daddy.”

My hands shook as I reached for my phone.

“I’m calling someone to protect these children.”

Vanessa lunged toward me.

“You’ll destroy this family!”

“You already did.”

Then Mason hurried upstairs and returned carrying an old phone.

“I recorded her,” he whispered.

“So you’d believe us.”

Vanessa’s confidence vanished.

“Give me that!”

Before she could grab it, the phone lit up with a new message.

I caught only one line before Vanessa tried to hide the screen:

“Has Michael signed Lily’s guardianship papers yet?”

I looked at Vanessa.

“What guardianship papers?”

She backed toward the door, but Mason pressed play—and a man’s voice came through the speaker.

Michael thought he knew Vanessa’s worst secret, but the recording exposed something even darker.

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