Chapter 2: The Message from a Stranger
Daniel's face went white.
He took the tablet from Chloe with shaking hands and scrolled through every photo.
One by one.
Slowly.
Linda stepped forward.
"Those could be faked.
Anyone can doctor screenshots."
"Like you doctored mine?" I said.
She turned to Daniel.
"Are you really going to believe a child over your own mother?"
Daniel didn't answer.
He kept staring at the screen.
Then Chloe said something none of us expected.
"Grandma said if Mommy left, she'd buy me a pony.
She said I just had to stay quiet."
The room went still.
Linda's expression didn't break — but her hands did.
She gripped the back of the chair so hard her knuckles turned white.
Daniel looked up from the tablet.
His voice was low and flat.
"How long have you been planning this?"
"Daniel, I was protecting you.
She was never good enough for this family—"
"How.
Long."
Linda opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
That's when Daniel's phone buzzed on the counter.
He glanced at the screen — and froze.
It was a message from a number he didn't recognize.
May you like
It said: *"She's not the only one Linda did this to.
Call me."*
