Chapter 2 - DON'T LET HER DELETE IT
Vivian reached the kitchen before Ethan realized where she was going.
Not the front door.
The security tablet.
She grabbed it.
Ethan lunged.
“Vivian!”
She ripped the charging cable free.
The screen flashed.
Lily screamed.
“Daddy, don't let her!”
Vivian raised the tablet over her head.
Ethan caught her wrist.
“Put it down.”
“Let go of me!”
“Put it down!”
“You're hurting me!”
“I haven't even touched you except your wrist.”
“You're insane!”
She twisted violently, trying to smash the tablet against the counter.
Ethan pulled it from her hand.
Vivian stumbled backward and stared at him.
Then she did something that chilled him more than the chain had.
She started crying.
Instantly.
Perfectly.
“Ethan, please.”
He had seen those tears before.
When they argued.
When he questioned why Lily suddenly hated bedtime.
When Vivian said Lily had started “acting out.”
When Ethan wondered why his daughter had become quiet every time Vivian entered a room.
He had always softened.
Always apologized.
Always believed Vivian.
Now he saw the machinery behind it.
“Stop,” he said.
“What?”
“The crying.”
Vivian's mouth fell open.
“I am terrified right now.”
“No. You're terrified of that tablet.”
Lily whispered against his shoulder.
“She deletes things.”
Ethan looked at her.
“What?”
Vivian snapped, “Lily, enough.”
Ethan's head whipped around.
“I told you not to talk to her.”
“She is lying!”
Lily jerked so hard Ethan nearly lost his grip.
“No, Daddy!”
“Sweetheart, I've got you.”
“She makes me say sorry when I don't do stuff.”
Vivian pointed at Lily.
“See? This is exactly what I've been dealing with. She makes things up.”
Ethan stared.
“She is four.”
“And four-year-olds lie.”
“She is terrified of you.”
“Because you just came charging in here screaming!”
Ethan almost answered.
Then he remembered the video.
Bad girls learn fear.
He looked down at the tablet.
“Cloud backup.”
Vivian went still.
Ethan noticed.
That tiny pause told him everything.
“What about it?” she asked.
“Our system backs up to the cloud.”
“I don't know anything about your stupid cameras.”
“You knew enough to open playback.”
“I didn't open it.”
“Then who did?”
Silence.
Ethan shifted Lily onto one arm and opened the security app.
His thumb shook.
He tapped HISTORY.
The screen loaded slowly.
Too slowly.
Vivian watched every movement.
Yesterday.
Three clips.
Two days ago.
Seven clips.
Last week.
More.
Then Ethan noticed gray gaps in the timeline.
Deleted recordings.
His stomach tightened.
He opened settings.
ADMIN ACTIVITY.
Deletion requests: 41.
Account used: E.WALKER.
Ethan stared.
“That is my login.”
Vivian shook her head.
“I don't know your password.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No.”
“You asked for it three months ago when the backyard camera stopped working.”
“I forgot it.”
“Apparently not.”
She stepped backward.
“You need to calm down.”
Ethan laughed once.
It didn't sound human.
“Lily.”
His voice softened instantly.
“Baby, I need you to tell me something.”
She lifted her wet face.
“Okay.”
“Did Vivian ever tell you not to tell me things?”
Lily nodded.
Ethan felt physically sick.
“What things?”
Vivian shouted, “Do not interrogate a child!”
Lily's eyes flew toward her.
Ethan turned his body so Lily couldn't see Vivian.
“You look at me, sweetheart. Just me.”
Lily stared into his eyes.
“She said if I told, you'd send me away.”
Ethan swallowed.
“I would never send you away.”
“She said you wanted a new family.”
“No.”
“And she said…”
Lily stopped.
“What?”
Lily's lower lip trembled.
“She said Mommy was dead, so nobody would save me.”
The room went silent.
Ethan's wife, Claire, had been dead for two years.
Vivian knew Ethan could barely say her name without feeling the old wound tear open.
And she had used Claire's death against a four-year-old child.
Ethan picked up his phone.
Vivian's eyes widened.
“Who are you calling?”
“911.”
She rushed him.
Ethan backed away.
“Stay there!”
“You call the police and you destroy this family!”
“You destroyed it.”
“We can talk!”
“No.”
“Ethan!”
“No!”
Lily suddenly lifted her head.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby?”
Her voice was barely audible.
“Don't let her take me downstairs again.”
Ethan stopped breathing.
Vivian's face went blank.
Ethan looked toward the basement door.
It was locked.
May you like
From the outside.
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