Chapter 3: The Woman Who Knew His Past
I didn’t sleep that night.
I sat on the edge of Ava’s bed, watching her breathe.
Every few minutes, she moved slightly, like even in her dreams she was trying to escape something.
The cardboard sign was sitting on my kitchen table.
BAD CHILD.
Two words.
Two words that had somehow convinced my daughter she deserved to be punished.
I wanted to tear it apart.
But I kept it.
Because it was evidence.
Because I needed to remember the moment everything changed.
At 7:12 the next morning, my phone rang again.
Emma Carter.
I stared at the screen.
Part of me wanted to ignore it.
Another part of me knew I couldn’t.
I walked into the hallway and answered quietly.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then a woman whispered, “Is Ava safe?””
My stomach dropped.
“How do you know my daughter’s name?””
Emma took a shaky breath.
“Because Derek told me about her.””
I gripped the phone tighter.
“What does that mean?””
“It means you need to get her away from him.””
My heart started racing.
“Who are you?””
“My name is Emma Carter. I was married to Derek before you.””
I looked toward Ava’s bedroom door.
“Derek was married before?””
“Yes.””
The way she answered made my skin crawl.
“And there was a child?””
Another pause.
“Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
“Who was she?””
Emma’s voice became softer.
“My daughter.””
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“How old was she?””
“She was eight when Derek became obsessed with controlling everything she did.””
I sat down on the hallway floor.
“Emma, I need you to explain.””
“I tried.””
Her voice cracked.
“I tried for months.””
I heard her breathing become uneven.
“He told everyone I was exaggerating. He told my family I was unstable. He convinced people that I couldn’t handle being a mother.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“And your daughter?””
Emma didn’t answer immediately.
That silence scared me more than anything.
“She disappeared from our lives.””
“What?””
“She was taken away from me after Derek convinced people I wasn’t safe.””
I felt sick.
“Where is she now?””
“I don’t know.””
The words came out broken.
“I haven’t seen my daughter in three years.””
I looked toward Ava’s room.
Three years.
The same age Ava had been when Derek entered our lives.
“Why didn’t you warn me before?””
“Because Derek changed his number. He moved. He made sure I couldn’t reach anyone connected to him.””
“Then how did you find me?””
Emma hesitated.
“I saw the photo online.””
“What photo?””
“The one from your anniversary dinner.””
I froze.
The photo Derek posted months ago.
The one where he wrote about how lucky he was to have a beautiful family.
Emma continued.
“I saw Ava standing beside him.””
Her voice lowered.
“She had the same look my daughter had.””
I swallowed.
“What look?””
“Like she was trying to disappear.””
My eyes filled with tears.
I hated that she was right.
“What happened to your daughter?”” I asked.
Emma took a breath.
“Derek doesn’t hurt people when others are watching. He creates a version of himself that everyone believes.””
I looked at the living room.
The same place where he had stood proudly yesterday.
The same place where he had humiliated my daughter.
“Why did he do this?””
“Because control is what makes him feel powerful.””
I stood up.
“What should I do?””
“Don’t confront him alone.””
“I already did.””
Emma went silent.
“You confronted him?””
“He left.””
A long pause followed.
Then Emma whispered:
“He won’t stay away.””
I looked outside.
Derek’s truck was gone.
But something about her words made me uneasy.
“How do you know?””
“Because I know Derek.””
Before I could ask another question, I heard a noise behind me.
I turned around.
Ava was standing in the hallway.
Her eyes were wide.
“Mommy…”
I quickly ended the call.
“Ava, what are you doing awake?””
She looked down.
“Is Derek coming back?””
The fear in her voice broke my heart.
I walked toward her.
“No one is going to hurt you.””
She hesitated.
Then she whispered:
“Mommy… there’s something else I didn’t tell you.””
My chest tightened.
“What is it?””
Ava looked toward the front door.
“Derek had another box.””
“What box?””
“He told me never to touch it.””
My heart started pounding.
“Where is it?””
Ava pointed toward the garage.
“Behind the old shelves.””
I grabbed my keys.
Because suddenly I knew.
Whatever Derek was hiding…
May you like
It wasn’t just about Emma.
It was about how many people he had hurt before us.
