Chapter 5
I didn't reply to Nia that night.
Instead, I saved the messages.
Then I contacted my attorney.
His name was David Collins.
We'd worked together for years on business contracts, property purchases, and company matters.
But I'd never imagined calling him about protecting my daughter from someone I once loved.
When I explained what had happened, David listened without interrupting.
Then he asked one question.
"Marcus, does Nia still have access to any of your accounts or security systems?"
I froze.
"I don't think so."
"Don't assume. Check."
I sat up straighter.
Nia had helped manage some household appointments.
She knew our alarm code.
She had access to the family calendar.
And at one point, I'd given her permission to use a credit card for Lily's expenses.
I felt sick.
"David, what should I do first?"
"Change passwords and access credentials, review authorized users, and preserve relevant records. We'll also discuss formal boundaries for contact."
I nodded.
"And Lily?"
"Continue working with her doctor and therapist. Make sure the appropriate authorities have the information they need."
I looked toward the staircase.
Lily was sleeping.
I lowered my voice.
"I don't want her dragged through a fight."
"I know. That's why we handle this carefully."
The next morning, I called our home security provider.
I changed every access code.
I removed Nia's permissions from the household systems.
Then I asked the company to review the account history.
The representative paused.
"Mr. Williams, there were several remote camera access sessions from an authorized secondary user."
My stomach tightened.
"When?"
"Over the past few weeks."
I gripped the phone.
"Can you preserve those access records?"
"Yes, sir. We can explain the process."
After the call, I checked the home cameras.
There were cameras outside the front door, in the driveway, and near the main entrance.
But years earlier, I'd also installed a camera in the kitchen after Lily began walking.
I hadn't watched that footage in months.
I had trusted Nia.
Now I didn't know what I might find.
I contacted David before reviewing anything.
He advised me to preserve the original recordings and avoid editing or distributing them.
Then I began checking the available clips.
At first, everything looked normal.
Nia preparing coffee.
Lily walking through the kitchen.
The housekeeper arriving.
Then I reached a recording from two weeks earlier.
I pressed play.
Lily stood beside the kitchen counter.
She was holding a small plate.
Nia entered.
I couldn't hear every word clearly, but the camera captured enough.
Nia took the plate.
Lily reached toward it.
Nia pointed toward the hallway.
My daughter lowered her head.
Then slowly walked away.
I paused the recording.
My chest hurt.
I wanted to smash something.
Instead, I took a breath.
Then I watched another clip.
This one was from the previous Monday.
Lily stood near the refrigerator.
Nia was speaking sharply.
My daughter began crying.
Nia closed the refrigerator door and walked away.
Lily remained standing there.
Alone.
I couldn't watch any more.
I called David.
"I found footage."
His voice became serious.
"What does it show?"
I explained.
He told me to preserve the recordings and share them only through appropriate legal and safeguarding channels.
Then he said something that frightened me.
"Marcus, there may be more to this than a relationship dispute."
"I know."
"We need to document everything carefully."
That afternoon, Denise came over.
I showed her the recordings.
She watched silently.
Then she stood up and walked outside.
I followed her.
She was crying.
"I knew something was wrong."
I stared at her.
"What?"
She wiped her face.
"I noticed Lily losing weight at Easter."
My stomach dropped.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I asked Nia about it."
I froze.
"What did she say?"
Denise looked ashamed.
"She told me Lily had been sick and the pediatrician was monitoring her."
I closed my eyes.
"That wasn't true."
"I know that now."
My sister began crying harder.
"Marcus, I'm sorry."
I stepped forward and hugged her.
"We both trusted her."
Denise shook her head.
"But I should have asked you."
I held her tighter.
"We can't change that. We can protect Lily now."
For several days, things were quiet.
Lily continued seeing Dr. Harris.
She began eating more comfortably.
She stopped asking permission for every snack.
Sometimes she still apologized when she spilled something.
Sometimes she still looked frightened when someone raised their voice on television.
But she was laughing again.
One afternoon, she asked whether she could invite her best friend, Emma, over for a playdate.
I nearly cried.
It was such an ordinary request.
But ordinary childhood moments had become precious.
"Of course you can."
Her face lit up.
"Really?"
"Really."
She jumped into my arms.
"You're the best Daddy!"
I laughed.
"I try."
That evening, David called.
"Marcus, we've received information concerning Nia's financial activity."
I frowned.
"What information?"
"The credit card account you authorized for household expenses."
My stomach tightened.
"What about it?"
"There are several charges that don't appear connected to Lily or the household."
I sat down.
"How much?"
"More than eighteen thousand dollars over the past six months."
I stared at the wall.
"Eighteen thousand?"
"Yes."
I felt anger rising again.
"What was she buying?"
"Designer clothing, hotel stays, jewelry, and several transfers to an external account."
I rubbed my forehead.
I had given Nia financial access because I trusted her to buy groceries, school supplies, and other necessities.
While my daughter was being denied food, Nia had apparently been spending thousands.
"Can we recover it?"
"Possibly. We need to review authorization, records, and the circumstances of the charges."
I nodded slowly.
Then David continued.
"There's something else."
I held my breath.
"One of the hotel charges corresponds to a weekend when you were away on business."
I frowned.
"Nia told me she stayed home with Lily."
"Do you know who cared for Lily that weekend?"
I froze.
I remembered that trip.
Three days in Atlanta.
Nia had told me she was taking Lily to the park and making cupcakes.
She had sent photographs.
Smiling photographs.
But now I wondered whether those pictures had been staged.
I called Denise.
"Did you watch Lily while I was in Atlanta?"
"No."
My stomach dropped.
"Did Nia ask you to?"
"No. Why?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Instead, I opened my phone and searched for the pictures Nia had sent.
Lily standing beside a plate of cupcakes.
Lily smiling near a playground.
Lily wearing a yellow sweater.
I looked at the timestamps.
Something was wrong.
The pictures had been taken weeks before the trip.
I recognized the sweater because Lily had stained it with paint at school.
I had thrown it away before leaving for Atlanta.
My hands began shaking.
Nia had lied about being home.
She had sent old photographs.
And I had no idea where my daughter had been during those three days.
I called David again.
"We have another problem."
"What happened?"
I swallowed.
"I think Nia left Lily with someone while I was away."
A long silence followed.
Then David said, "We need to establish where she was and whether she was safe."
I looked toward Lily's bedroom.
My daughter was asleep beneath her pink blanket.
May you like
And I realized that the most frightening part of Nia's betrayal might not have happened in our dining room.
It might have happened while I was hundreds of miles away.
