Chapter 7 - The Copy He Forgot

For five seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Rachel said, "He knows."

My phone rang.

Daniel.

I let it go to voicemail.

Maya pointed at the laptop. "Do not keep trying passwords. First, preserve what we already have. Did anyone record the screen?"

Rachel held up her phone.

"I did."

She had started recording the moment Margaret's voice came through the speakers.

It wasn't the original file, but it captured the conversation and the account interface around it.

"Good," Maya said. "Now we look for backups."

The tablet was at the house.

Maya advised me not to go alone. The police incident report was still active, and I had a legal right to retrieve personal items from my home. That evening, Rachel and I arranged for an officer to stand by while I collected clothes, medications, my laptop charger, prenatal records, and the rest of my hospital bag.

Daniel wasn't there.

Margaret was.

She opened the door before I could use my key.

"You've made quite a show," she said.

The officer stepped forward. "Ma'am, we're here while Mrs. Carter collects personal belongings."

Margaret smiled sweetly. "Of course. She's very emotional right now."

I looked her directly in the eyes. "Don't speak for me."

Upstairs, I found the family tablet in Daniel's nightstand.

I opened the camera folder.

Dozens of clips.

My pulse jumped.

Then I heard Margaret behind me.

"Put that down."

I turned.

She stood in the bedroom doorway.

"It's my tablet," I said.

"Daniel bought it."

"For me."

She stepped inside. "You really think a little recording changes what kind of mother you are?"

The officer called from the hall, "Everything okay?"

"Fine," I said.

Margaret lowered her voice.

"You have no idea how ugly this can get."

I slipped the tablet into my bag. "I'm starting to."

As I passed her, she whispered, "Daniel has things you haven't seen."

I stopped.

"What things?"

She smiled again.

"Ask him about the messages you sent while you were sleeping."

That night, Rachel and I searched the tablet.

We found the nursery recording.

We also found a folder labeled EMILY - TEXTS.

Inside were screenshots of messages from my phone number.

Messages I had never sent.

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One of them read:

Sometimes I wish the baby would just disappear so I could have my life back.