Chapter 2: The Secret Hidden in the Footage
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Daniel watched his wife clutch his phone as if it contained something capable of destroying her.
Maybe it did.
"Vanessa," he said quietly, "give me my phone.""
She shook her head.
"You don't understand what you're looking at.""
"I haven't looked at anything yet.""
"Then why are you acting like I've committed a crime?""
Daniel held out his hand.
"Because you're terrified of a video from our kitchen.""
Patricia stepped between them.
"This is ridiculous. Vanessa was trying to stop you from humiliating your mother in front of everyone.""
Evelyn flinched at the word humiliating.
Daniel noticed.
He noticed everything now.
"Mom," he said, keeping his eyes on Vanessa, "come sit beside Ethan.""
Evelyn took one hesitant step.
Vanessa immediately pointed toward the stairs.
"She needs to go back upstairs. She's upset, and this argument isn't helping her.""
Daniel's head turned slowly.
"She's upset because she's been eating leftovers alone while the rest of us eat dinner.""
"She told you she wanted to be alone!""
"Then why did she look terrified when I asked her to come downstairs?""
Vanessa's fingers tightened around the phone.
"Because you always make everything into a confrontation.""
Daniel extended his hand again.
"Phone. Now.""
For a moment, he thought she would throw it.
Instead, she dropped it onto the table.
It slid across the polished wood and struck a serving dish.
Daniel picked it up.
The camera footage was still open.
He rewound the recording to that afternoon.
"Daniel, don't do this," Vanessa whispered.
He pressed play.
The timestamp read 4:17 p.m.
The kitchen appeared empty for a few seconds. Then Evelyn entered, carrying a small grocery bag. She set it on the counter and began putting away milk, apples, and a loaf of bread.
A minute later, Vanessa walked in.
Daniel watched his wife glance toward the camera.
She knew exactly where it was.
"Why are you touching those?"" Vanessa asked in the recording.
Evelyn turned.
"I bought them for breakfast, sweetheart. The milk was on sale.""
Vanessa took the loaf of bread from her hands.
"We have our own groceries. You don't need to keep buying things.""
"I know. I just thought—"
"You thought what? That Daniel would notice and praise you for contributing?""
The Evelyn on the screen lowered her head.
"No, dear.""
Vanessa tossed the bread into a cupboard.
"Then stop behaving like a guest who needs to earn her place here.""
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
Beside him, the real Evelyn covered her mouth.
On-screen, she tried to retrieve the grocery bag.
Vanessa blocked her.
"And another thing. My mother is coming for dinner tonight. Stay upstairs until she's gone. I don't want her hearing your complaints about your joints or your little stories about how hard you worked when Daniel was a child.""
Evelyn's voice was barely audible.
"I don't complain.""
"You do. Constantly.""
Vanessa leaned closer.
"And don't touch the roast. That's for my family.""
The footage continued.
Evelyn nodded and walked out of the kitchen without taking her groceries.
Daniel stopped the video.
The only sound in the room was the refrigerator humming.
He looked at his wife.
"Tell me that isn't what it looks like.""
Vanessa's eyes filled, but her voice remained sharp.
"She made me angry. She keeps interfering with how I run this house.""
"She put groceries away.""
"She questions everything I do!""
"She put groceries away, Vanessa.""
Patricia stepped forward.
"Daniel, you're taking one conversation out of context.""
He turned toward her.
"Did you know about this?""
Patricia lifted her chin.
"I know your mother can be difficult.""
Evelyn stared at the floor.
Daniel felt his anger rise, but something else was beginning to hurt even more.
His mother wasn't surprised by any of this.
She wasn't confused.
She was ashamed.
As if being mistreated were something she had done wrong.
He returned to the footage and dragged the timeline forward.
The timestamp read 5:02 p.m.
Evelyn entered the kitchen again.
She opened the refrigerator, took out a container, and placed it on the counter.
Vanessa followed her.
"What are you doing now?""
"I'm hungry, dear. I thought I'd warm some soup.""
"Not now. My mother is coming downstairs.""
"I can eat in my room.""
Vanessa snatched the container away.
"Then do that. But don't leave your dishes lying around.""
Evelyn reached for the container.
Vanessa pulled it back.
A little soup sloshed over the rim and splattered onto the floor.
"Please," Evelyn said.
"I haven't eaten since breakfast.""
Daniel stopped breathing for a second.
Vanessa looked directly toward the camera.
Then she smiled.
It was a small, deliberate smile that Daniel had never seen directed at him.
"You should have thought about that before making yourself everyone's responsibility.""
She placed the container on the highest shelf in the refrigerator.
Then she walked out.
Evelyn remained in the kitchen for several seconds.
Finally, she took a piece of bread from the cupboard, broke it in half, and slipped it into her cardigan pocket.
The footage ended.
Daniel stared at the frozen image.
His mother had hidden bread in her clothing.
In the house where she had raised the man who owned the house.
He lowered the phone.
"Mom," he whispered, "why didn't you tell me?""
Evelyn pressed a trembling hand against his arm.
"Because she told me you were under a lot of pressure at work.""
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
"What else did you tell her?""
Vanessa folded her arms.
"Oh, for heaven's sake. You have one video, and now you're treating me like a monster.""
"One video?""
"People say things when they're frustrated.""
"You took food away from my mother.""
"I was trying to maintain order!""
"By telling her she wasn't allowed to eat?""
Vanessa's face reddened.
"She eats constantly! She takes food without asking, she leaves things everywhere, and she expects everyone to wait on her!""
Evelyn slowly raised her head.
"I have never asked anyone to wait on me.""
"See?"" Vanessa snapped.
"This is exactly what I mean. She acts helpless, then makes you feel guilty.""
Daniel stepped between them.
"Don't speak to her like that.""
Vanessa looked at him as if he had slapped her.
"You're choosing her over your wife?""
"I'm choosing not to let you humiliate my mother.""
Patricia gave a bitter laugh.
"Your mother moved into your home, and suddenly my daughter has no authority in her own kitchen.""
Daniel turned toward her.
"This is my mother's home, too.""
"No, it isn't," Patricia replied.
"She doesn't own a single inch of it.""
Evelyn's face crumpled.
Daniel felt the words land like a punch.
He had bought the house with money he'd earned working sixty-hour weeks. His mother had helped him through the years when he could barely afford rent, never asking for repayment.
And now, under his roof, she was being reminded that she owned nothing.
Daniel put an arm around her shoulders.
"Mom, you don't have to earn your place here.""
She began to cry.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart.""
"For what?""
"For causing trouble in your marriage.""
He closed his eyes briefly.
Then he turned to Vanessa.
"You're going to apologize to her.""
Vanessa laughed in disbelief.
"Absolutely not.""
"Then this conversation isn't over.""
She reached for her wineglass, discovered it had been broken, and swept the remaining pieces of glass off the table with her napkin.
"Fine," she said.
"Watch every second of every recording. You'll see how unreasonable your mother really is.""
Daniel looked at the phone.
For the first time, he noticed a notification beneath the video timeline.
*Motion detected: Upstairs hallway, 2:13 a.m.*
He tapped it.
The screen showed a corridor outside Evelyn's bedroom.
A figure stood beside her door, holding something in one hand.
The image was grainy, but the timestamp was clear.
Daniel zoomed in.
Then he felt the blood drain from his face.
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The figure was Vanessa.
And in her hand was a screwdriver.
