Chapter 3

Sunday arrived with a sense of impending doom. We drove to the house, the small camera heavy in my pocket. The plan felt flimsy, reckless. But the alternative-doing nothing, leaving Susan in that house with them-was unthinkable.

The performance started the moment Robert opened the door.

"We're here to see my mother," David said, his voice loud and demanding. "And we're not taking no for an answer."

Robert' s face darkened. "I told you, David. She needs rest."

"I don't care what you told me," David pushed past him. "This is her house. It's my house, too."

Olivia appeared, looking concerned. "Please, let's not fight. It will only upset Susan."

"Stay out of this," David snarled at her. "This is a family matter."

As they argued in the entryway, their voices rising, I saw my chance. "I'm just going to go say hi to Mom," I said, my voice shaking. I didn't wait for a response. I hurried down the hallway and slipped into Susan's room.

The room was dark, the curtains drawn tight. A sour, medicinal smell hung in the air. Susan was in her hospital bed, her eyes closed. She looked smaller, more fragile than I remembered.

My hands trembled as I pulled out the fake charger. I located the outlet near her bed, my back to the door. I unplugged the lamp, plugged in the camera, and then plugged the lamp into the camera's USB port. It looked perfect. It looked like nothing.

I leaned over Susan and kissed her forehead. Her skin was cool. "We're going to figure this out, Mom," I whispered. "I promise."

I walked out of the room, my heart pounding in my chest. David and Robert were still arguing. Olivia was trying to calm them down.

"Let's just go, David," I said, grabbing his arm. "This is pointless."

He let me pull him away, shooting one last glare at his father. We got in the car and drove off in silence. A few blocks away, I took out my phone and opened the app David had installed. I typed in the password.

The screen flickered, and then a live feed of Susan's room appeared. The connection was clear. We had a window. We had eyes inside the house.

We didn't look at it again until we were home, sitting side-by-side on our couch. It felt like a terrible violation, a betrayal of Susan's privacy. But it was the only way.

For the first few hours, nothing happened. We watched Olivia come in, check Susan' s vitals, and leave. Then, around nine o'clock, the door opened again. It was Olivia, but this time, Robert was with her.

He didn't even look at his wife. He walked straight over to Olivia and wrapped his arms around her from behind, burying his face in her hair. My breath caught in my throat.

We watched, horrified, as he kissed her neck. She giggled and turned in his arms, kissing him fully on the mouth. They were standing right beside the bed of his paralyzed wife.

"I can't believe this," David whispered, his face pale with shock.

It got worse.

"That son of mine," Robert said, his voice full of venom. "Coming in here, making demands. And his wife, that snooping bitch. They think they can tell me what to do in my own house."

"Shhh," Olivia cooed, stroking his cheek. "Don't think about them. Think about us."

"You're right," he said. He looked over at Susan's still form in the bed. "Look at her. Useless. Just lying there. My life was over until you came along, Snowy."

Snowy. He had a pet name for her. I felt sick.

David shot up from the couch, a strangled cry of rage escaping his lips. "That bastard. That absolute bastard."

He started pacing the room like a caged animal. I couldn't move. I couldn't look away from the screen.

Then, Olivia placed her hands on her stomach, a serene smile on her face.

"Robert," she said softly. "I have some news. Something wonderful."

He looked at her, captivated. "What is it?"

"We need to be careful," she said, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "But I can't keep it a secret from you any longer." She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

The world seemed to stop. The sound on the phone, the air in the room, everything went silent. Robert stared at her, his mouth hanging open. Then, a slow, idiotic grin spread across his face. He let out a whoop of joy and swung her around.

David stopped pacing. He stared at the phone in my hand, his face a mask of disbelief and pure, unadulterated fury.

He turned and looked at me, his eyes wild.

"We're going back there," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "We're going back there right now."

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