Chapter 2: The Hidden Camera
I held Maisie against my chest, forcing myself to stay calm while cold water continued to run over her burning eyes.
My family believed they had trapped me.
They forgot one thing.
Three months earlier, after April had threatened me during an argument, I had secretly installed security cameras inside the house.
One camera faced the hallway.
Another overlooked Maisie's bedroom door.
The recorder wasn't connected to the power.
It ran on its own battery.
While my parents argued outside the bathroom, I quietly reached beneath the sink and removed a tiny emergency phone I had hidden there years before.
With trembling fingers, I dialed 911.
"I can't stay on the line," I whispered.
"My daughter has been attacked with chemicals. My family is keeping us hostage."
The dispatcher tracked my location immediately.
Minutes later, heavy pounding shook the front door.
"This is the Sheriff's Office! Open the door!"
My father froze.
My mother turned pale.
April's smile vanished.
When no one answered, officers forced the door open.
They found Maisie crying in my arms, her face swollen and red.
One deputy rushed her to the ambulance.
Another noticed the smashed telephone on the floor.
"What happened here?"
Before anyone could answer, I pointed toward the hallway camera.
"Everything is recorded."
The officers removed the memory card.
They watched the footage inside their patrol car.
April entering Maisie's room wearing gloves.
Pouring the chemical over my daughter's face.
My parents preventing me from calling for help.
Blocking the front door.
Destroying the telephone.
Every second.
Every lie.
Every crime.
By sunrise, all three of them were sitting in separate police vehicles.
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For the first time in my life...
They couldn't talk their way out of what everyone had just seen.
