Chapter 2
My father stared at Vanessa as though he had never seen her before.
“Why shouldn't I check my own cameras?”
Vanessa held her stomach.
“Because this stress is hurting my baby!”
Marcus slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“Richard, we need to get her inside.”
My father didn't even look at him.
“My granddaughter is soaking wet because she fell into a swimming pool, and my daughter has a handprint on her face.”
His voice became dangerously quiet.
“Someone is going to explain both things.”
For the first time that afternoon, Marcus looked uncomfortable.
I noticed his eyes move toward my cheek.
Then he quickly looked away.
Evelyn returned with a blanket and helped me wrap Lily more securely.
The little girl was still crying.
I could feel her tiny body shaking.
“Mommy, go home.”
My heart broke.
“We will, sweetheart.”
Then she whispered something against my neck.
“Auntie pushed.”
I stopped breathing.
“What did you say?”
Lily pressed her face closer.
“Auntie Vanessa pushed me.”
I closed my eyes.
I had seen enough to suspect the truth.
But hearing those words from my daughter made the world feel different.
My little girl knew exactly who had hurt her.
And the woman responsible was standing ten feet away, pretending to be the victim.
“Daddy,” I said, “Lily says Vanessa pushed her.”
Vanessa immediately straightened.
“She's two years old!”
My father turned.
“What?”
“She doesn't know what she's saying!”
“Then you shouldn't be afraid of a recording,” he answered.
An ambulance arrived minutes later.
The paramedics checked Lily's breathing and oxygen level.
One woman knelt beside us.
“We're taking her to the hospital for observation. Sometimes breathing problems can develop after a child inhales water.”
I nodded.
“I'm coming with her.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“She's my daughter too.”
I looked at him.
The cheek he had slapped was beginning to swell.
“You can follow us.”
His face tightened.
“Nia—”
“No.”
My voice shook.
“You don't get to touch me right now.”
I climbed into the ambulance with Lily.
My father stood beside the open doors.
“I'll meet you there.”
“What about the cameras?”
His eyes hardened.
“I'll handle them.”
I squeezed his hand.
“Please don't let Vanessa near the recordings.”
“I won't.”
As the ambulance doors closed, I saw Vanessa watching from the patio.
She wasn't crying anymore.
She was speaking urgently into her phone.
I couldn't hear the words.
But I saw her look toward the house.
Then toward the security camera.
And I knew she was already trying to save herself.
At the hospital, Lily clung to me while the doctors examined her.
Every time a nurse entered, she reached for my neck.
“Mommy stay.”
“Always.”
I repeated that word until my voice cracked.
Always.
Because I couldn't stop thinking about what might have happened if I had reached the pool a few seconds later.
The doctor eventually reassured me that Lily was breathing normally and appeared stable, although they wanted to continue monitoring her.
I finally allowed myself to cry.
I sat beside her hospital bed, holding her tiny hand.
And then Marcus appeared.
He entered carrying a stuffed rabbit from the gift shop.
“Nia.”
I didn't answer.
He placed the toy on the chair.
“How is she?”
“Stable.”
“Thank God.”
He approached Lily.
She immediately hid behind my arm.
“Daddy mad?”
Marcus froze.
I watched the words hit him.
He reached toward her.
“Princess, Daddy isn't mad at you.”
Lily began crying.
“No hit Mommy.”
Marcus lowered his hand.
I had never seen him look so ashamed.
But shame didn't change what he had done.
“You need to leave,” I said.
“Nia, please.”
“You slapped me while I was holding our child.”
“I thought—”
“You didn't think.”
He opened his mouth.
I stopped him.
“You believed Vanessa.”
His silence answered me.
Then he said something unexpected.
“She's pregnant, Nia. She's under a lot of stress.”
I stared at him.
“Our daughter nearly drowned, and you're worried about Vanessa's stress?”
“That's not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
He looked toward the door.
“I just don't want this family destroyed over a misunderstanding.”
I felt cold.
A misunderstanding.
That was what he called it.
Before I could respond, my phone rang.
Daddy.
I answered immediately.
“Did you find the footage?”
There was a long silence.
Then my father spoke.
“Nia, are you alone?”
I looked at Marcus.
“No.”
“Put me on speaker.”
Something in his voice frightened me.
I pressed the button.
My father spoke clearly.
“Marcus, I want you to listen very carefully.”
Marcus straightened.
“Yes, sir.”
“I've seen the recording.”
My hand tightened around the phone.
“And?”
My father inhaled slowly.
“Vanessa pushed Lily.”
Marcus went completely still.
“She reached out with both hands and shoved that little girl into the water.”
I covered my mouth.
Even though I had known, hearing it confirmed was unbearable.
Marcus whispered, “No.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe it was an accident.”
My father exploded.
“DON'T YOU DARE!”
Lily startled.
I quickly comforted her.
My father's voice lowered.
“I've already given a copy to the police.”
Marcus sat down heavily.
For the first time, he seemed to understand what had happened.
Then my father continued.
“And there's something else.”
I looked at the phone.
“What?”
“After you ran to save Lily, Vanessa walked toward Marcus before he reached the pool.”
Marcus frowned.
“Richard, I don't understand.”
“She told you something before the argument began.”
Marcus swallowed.
My father continued.
“The camera has audio from the patio.”
I felt my chest tighten.
“What did she say?”
My father's answer made Marcus turn pale.
“She said, 'Remember what we agreed. Whatever happens, blame Nia.'”
I slowly turned toward my husband.
He wouldn't meet my eyes.
“Marcus?”
Nothing.
“What agreement?”
He stood so abruptly that the chair scraped across the floor.
“Nia, I can explain.”
My entire body went cold.
May you like
Because suddenly I understood that Vanessa hadn't acted alone.
And the man who slapped me might have known exactly what she was planning.
