Chapter 2: The Locked Blue Room
I did not remember leaving the party.
I remembered Ryan arguing with me.
I remembered Diane telling everyone I was “overreacting.””
I remembered guests avoiding eye contact because they were more uncomfortable with the truth than the lie.
But the next clear memory I had was sitting in the back seat of my car with Lily wrapped in my coat while I drove home through the rain.
My hands were shaking on the steering wheel.
Not because of the accident.
Not because of the bottle.
Because of the watch.
Because of the blue room.
Because my daughter had said something impossible.
And somehow, everyone except me seemed terrified that she might be telling the truth.
When we arrived home, I carried Lily inside.
She was exhausted.
Her crying had stopped, but she held onto me like she was afraid I would disappear.
I cleaned the champagne from her hair in the bathroom sink.
She sat quietly while I checked the mark on her head again.
“Does it hurt?””
“A little.””
My heart broke.
“Why didn’t you tell Mommy about the room before?””
She looked down.
“Grandma told me not to.””
I stopped.
“What did she say?””
Lily played with the edge of her towel.
“She said if I told anyone, Daddy would be mad.””
I closed my eyes.
Ryan.
Always Ryan.
Even when he wasn’t there, his silence protected them.
A few minutes later, the front door opened.
Ryan walked in.
He didn’t look angry anymore.
He looked tired.
As if he was the victim.
“Is Lily asleep?””
I stared at him.
“Are you serious?””
He rubbed his face.
“Emily…”
“No.””
My voice was steady now.
“You don’t get to walk in here and act like tonight was difficult for you.””
He looked away.
“I know you’re upset.””
“Upset?””
I stepped closer.
“Your mother injured our daughter, and your biggest concern was embarrassing your family.””
“That’s not fair.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Fair?””
Ryan lowered his voice.
“Mom made a mistake.””
“A mistake is spilling a drink.””
I pointed toward Lily’s bedroom.
“A mistake is forgetting a birthday card.””
I looked him directly in the eyes.
“Smashing glass near a child’s head is not a mistake.””
His silence told me everything.
“Why is Lily talking about the blue room?””
Ryan’s expression changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
I saw fear.
“What do you know?””
“Nothing.””
“You’re lying.””
He walked toward the kitchen.
“Emily, please don’t do this tonight.””
I followed him.
“No. We’re doing this now.””
He opened the refrigerator and stared inside without taking anything out.
A habit he had whenever he wanted to avoid a conversation.
“Frank died three years ago.””
“Yes.””
“Then why does our daughter have his watch?””
Ryan didn’t answer.
I stepped closer.
“Ryan.””
Finally, he whispered:
“I don’t know.””
But he said it too quickly.
Like he had practiced those words.
I watched him carefully.
“You knew about the watch.””
His shoulders dropped.
“Emily…”
“You knew.””
He turned around.
“I thought it was gone.””
My stomach twisted.
“What does that mean?””
Before he could answer, my phone buzzed.
A message.
From an unknown number.
I opened it.
There was only one sentence.
*Stop asking questions if you want to keep your family safe.*
Below it was a photograph.
A photograph of my daughter standing upstairs in Diane’s house.
Standing in front of the blue room.
My blood turned cold.
Because the picture had been taken tonight.
And behind Lily, reflected in the glass of the locked door, was the face of a man.
A man who looked exactly like Frank Whitmore.
I looked up at Ryan.
He was staring at my phone.
All color had disappeared from his face.
Then he whispered the words I never expected to hear.
“Emily…”
May you like
His voice cracked.
“That room was supposed to be empty.””
