Chapter 6: The Secret Emily Was Hiding
I read the name over and over.
Uncle Ethan.
My brother.
The person who had spent the last two days helping me uncover the truth.
The person who claimed he was protecting Emily.
The person whose name was now written on my daughter’s drawing.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
Rachel saw my expression.
“I told you.””
I looked at her.
“You never told me this.””
“I tried.””
“When?””
“Before all of this happened.””
She pointed at the drawing.
“You wouldn’t listen.””
I hated that there was truth in her words.
But I also hated that Rachel had used fear as an excuse.
She had hurt Emily.
She had scared her.
Nothing changed that.
“I’m asking you one question.””
Rachel nodded.
“What?””
“Did you ever hurt her?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“No.””
I watched her carefully.
“Not even once?””
She looked down.
“I lost my temper.””
My jaw tightened.
“But I never wanted her injured.””
I believed she was telling the truth.
And that scared me.
Because it meant this situation was bigger than I understood.
I called Ethan.
He answered immediately.
“Daniel?””
“Did you ever talk to Emily about Rachel?””
Silence.
A long one.
Then:
“Yes.””
My grip tightened.
“Why?””
“Because she came to me.””
My chest tightened.
“When?””
“About a month ago.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because she made me promise.””
I closed my eyes.
“She’s five, Ethan.””
“I know.””
“Children don’t keep secrets like that unless they’re scared.””
“I know.””
His voice broke.
“And that’s why I’m sorry.””
I looked at Rachel.
She was watching me.
“Tell me exactly what happened.””
Ethan took a breath.
“She came to my apartment during your family dinner night.””
I remembered.
Rachel had said Emily was tired.
She stayed home.
“She told me she was scared of someone.””
“Who?””
“I asked.””
“And?””
Ethan went quiet.
“Daniel…”
“Who?””
“She said she couldn’t tell me.””
My heart pounded.
“Why?””
“Because she said he would know.””
The word hit me.
He.
Not she.
He.
“Did she say who?””
“No.””
I walked to the window.
“Then why did she draw your name?””
Another silence.
Then Ethan said:
“I don’t know.””
That answer scared me more than anything.
The police later questioned Ethan again.
They questioned Rachel.
They questioned me.
Everyone became a suspect.
Including people I loved.
That night, I sat beside Emily’s bed.
She was awake.
“Daddy?””
“Yeah?””
“Are you sad?””
I smiled weakly.
“A little.””
She touched my hand.
“Because Mommy hurt me?””
I froze.
“You know I know?””
She nodded.
“Are you scared?””
She looked at her blanket.
“Yes.””
I moved closer.
“Why?””
She whispered:
“Because everyone keeps asking me questions.””
My heart broke.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.””
She looked at me.
“Can I tell you something?””
“Anything.””
She looked toward the door.
Then lowered her voice.
“But you can’t tell anyone.””
I hesitated.
Because I hated secrets.
But I nodded.
“Okay.””
She squeezed her stuffed rabbit.
“Mommy wasn’t the only one who was angry.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Who else?””
Emily’s eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t know his name.””
“Who?””
“He came to our house.””
“When?””
“Sometimes when you were working.””
My body went still.
“What did he look like?””
She thought carefully.
“Tall.””
“Anything else?””
“He wore a black watch.””
My heartbeat changed.
“Did he talk to you?””
She nodded.
“What did he say?””
Her lips trembled.
“He said…”
She stopped.
“Baby, it’s okay.””
She shook her head.
“No. I’m not supposed to say.””
“Who told you that?””
She looked at me.
And whispered:
“He told me.””
The room suddenly felt freezing.
“Emily.””
She grabbed my hand.
“He said if I told Daddy, Daddy would get angry.””
I swallowed.
“What else?””
She looked terrified.
“He said Mommy needed help.””
My mind raced.
A man visiting our house.
A man influencing Rachel.
A man using my daughter’s fear.
Then Emily said something that made everything click.
“Daddy?””
“Yeah?””
“He had Mommy’s old phone.””
I froze.
“What?””
“The phone she hid.””
My breath caught.
“What phone?””
Emily pointed toward my closet.
“Mommy’s secret phone.””
I stood immediately.
“Stay here.””
I walked to our bedroom.
The closet.
Rachel’s side.
I searched.
Nothing.
Then I noticed something.
A loose floorboard.
My hands started shaking as I lifted it.
Underneath was a small black phone.
I turned it on.
No password.
The screen lit up.
Hundreds of messages.
Hundreds of photos.
And one conversation at the top.
A name.
A name I recognized.
A name that made my entire body go numb.
Because the person texting Rachel wasn’t Ethan.
It wasn’t Thomas.
It wasn’t a stranger.
It was someone who had been in our family for years.
The message at the top said:
She suspects me now. We need to finish this before Daniel finds out the truth.
May you like
And the sender’s name was:
*My father.*
