Chapter 2 — The Camera No One Knew About
Two officers stepped inside.
"So who's Daniel Brooks?"
"I am."
I never took my eyes off my mother.
Claire was sitting on the couch now, wrapped in a blanket as a paramedic examined the cut on her forehead.
Officer Ramirez looked around the nursery.
"Tell me what happened."
Before I could speak, my mother burst into tears.
"It was all a misunderstanding!"
She pointed at Claire.
"She attacked me first!"
Claire looked up in disbelief.
"I... what?"
Officer Ramirez turned to me.
"Sir?"
I walked to the baby monitor sitting on the dresser.
It looked ordinary.
White.
Small.
Harmless.
I picked it up.
"My wife insisted on buying the upgraded model."
The officer frowned.
"The one with cloud recording?"
I nodded.
"My mother didn't know."
I opened the app.
Tapped one button.
The footage began playing.
Crystal clear.
Everyone watched.
Claire rocking Ethan.
My mother storming into the nursery.
The shouting.
The first shove.
The hair pulling.
The blows against the crib.
No edits.
No missing seconds.
Just the truth.
The room went completely silent.
Officer Ramirez looked at my mother.
"Ma'am..."
"...turn around."
She stepped backward.
"No."
"This isn't fair."
"You don't understand."
She looked desperately at my father.
"Richard!"
He didn't move.
He couldn't.
Because the truth was still playing on the screen.
As the handcuffs clicked around her wrists...
My mother screamed one final sentence.
"I was trying to save my son!"
Officer Ramirez replied without emotion.
"No."
"You attacked his family."
Then she was led outside.
But the nightmare wasn't over.
Not even close.
Because my father quietly said something that shattered whatever was left of my childhood.
May you like
"I knew she hated Claire..."
"...I just never thought she'd go this far."
