“When I miss Mommy.”
The room suddenly felt colder.
“What happens when you go down there?”
Grace looked confused.
“I talk to her.”
My breathing stopped.
“Talk to her?”
She nodded.
“She doesn’t answer much anymore.”
I felt a wave of fear rush through me.
“Grace…”
I knelt down so I was eye level with her.
“Sweetheart, what do you mean she doesn’t answer?”
She shrugged.
“Sometimes Daddy tells me Mommy is tired.”
My mind was racing.
Too many questions.
Too many possibilities.
But one thing was clear.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I didn’t want to scare Grace.
I didn’t want to make her think she had done something bad.
So I smiled gently.
“Can you go upstairs and watch TV with Emily for a little bit?”
She hesitated.
“But you’re going to meet Mommy?”
I forced myself to stay calm.
“I just need to see what’s inside first.”
She smiled.
“Okay.”
The moment she disappeared upstairs, my hands started shaking.
I stared at the lock.
I knew I should wait.
I knew I should call Daniel.
I knew I should leave everything untouched.
But something inside me kept saying:
You need to know.
You need to know what your husband has been hiding.
I grabbed a bobby pin from my hair.
I had no idea why I even tried.
Maybe because I needed to prove to myself that this was just some misunderstanding.
Maybe because part of me was still protecting Daniel.
Still hoping there was a normal explanation.
The lock clicked.
I froze.
It actually opened.
See more on the next page
