CHAPTER 3 — THE HIDDEN RECORDING
CHAPTER 3 — THE HIDDEN RECORDING
Before Andrew could dial, Maya quietly touched his wrist.
"Wait."
She opened her handbag with trembling fingers and removed her phone.
"I didn't know if anyone would ever believe me," she whispered.
"So... I started recording."
She pressed play.
Victoria's voice filled the silent kitchen.
"That baby is the biggest mistake you've ever made."
Another recording followed.
"If you were smart, you'd leave before the child is born."
Then another.
"Nobody would question it if accidents happened during pregnancy."
Andrew's face drained of color.
Victoria lunged toward the phone.
"Delete that!"
Andrew caught her arm.
"No."
Tears rolled down Maya's cheeks.
"I never wanted to use these."
"I kept hoping things would change."
"But every week became worse."
A long silence followed.
Then the front door opened.
Andrew's father, Richard Bennett, stepped inside.
He looked from the broken plate...
...to Maya's bleeding foot...
...to his wife struggling against their son.
"What happened?"
No one answered.
Andrew simply handed him the phone.
Richard listened to every recording.
When the final one ended, he slowly looked at Victoria.
After forty years of marriage, his voice was barely recognizable.
"Tell me those aren't your words."
May you like
Victoria said nothing.
Her silence became her confession.
