Chapter 6: The Photograph on Her Phone
Nobody moved.
The phone sat in Tara’s hand, glowing brightly in the quiet room.
My dad looked at her.
“Open it.””
Tara didn’t.
“Open it, Tara.””
Her fingers trembled as she tapped the message.
The photo loaded.
And the moment I saw it, I felt like the air disappeared from my lungs.
It was a picture of Tara.
Inside our house.
Standing near my bedroom door.
Holding something in her hand.
The timestamp was from the night before.
I looked at my dad.
He looked at Tara.
“What is this?””
Tara immediately shook her head.
“I can explain.””
My heart sank.
Those four words.
People always said them when the truth was already bad.
My dad pointed at the phone.
“Explain.””
She looked at me.
Then away.
“I was just looking.””
“Looking for what?””
She hesitated.
My dad’s voice became colder.
“Tara.””
She sat down.
“I thought Emma might have taken something else.””
I felt anger rush through me.
“You searched my room again?””
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
My dad looked at the photo.
“You’re standing in her room.””
“I went in there to check something.””
“What?””
She didn’t respond.
I stood.
“What were you looking for?””
Her eyes filled with frustration.
“I was trying to find proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“That Lucas was right.””
The room went silent.
My dad stared at her.
“You believed him?””
Tara looked down.
“I didn’t know what to believe.””
“No,” I said quietly.
“You knew exactly what you wanted to believe.””
She looked at me.
“That’s not true.””
“Isn’t it?””
I pointed toward the phone.
“You trusted a stranger over me.””
She flinched.
Because she knew I was right.
My dad picked up the phone.
“Why would Lucas have this picture?””
Tara didn’t answer.
Then I noticed something.
A detail in the photo.
Near the doorway.
A reflection in the mirror.
Someone else was there.
I grabbed the phone.
“Wait.””
My dad looked at me.
“What?””
I zoomed in.
In the mirror’s reflection, barely visible, was another person.
A person standing behind Lucas as he took the picture.
I felt my heartbeat speed up.
“Dad…”
He looked closer.
His expression changed.
“Who is that?””
Tara whispered:
“I don’t know.””
But I did.
Or at least I thought I did.
Because the shape.
The jacket.
The way they stood.
It looked familiar.
Too familiar.
My dad looked at Tara.
“Where did Lucas take this photo?””
She swallowed.
“He said he had been watching the house.””
My blood ran cold.
Watching.
Not visiting.
Not stopping by.
Watching.
Then my dad’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?””
Nobody spoke.
Only breathing.
Then a voice finally came through.
A voice I recognized immediately.
“Michael…”
My dad’s face went pale.
Because the person on the other end wasn’t Lucas.
It was someone who knew our family better than anyone.
May you like
And the next sentence made my entire world collapse.
“Your daughter has been lying to you.””
