Chapter 3 — The Perfect Wife's First Lie
Chapter 3 — The Perfect Wife's First Lie
Daniel stared at the photograph until the image blurred.
The little girl was standing beside Serena in what appeared to be a garden.
She looked no older than eight.
Dark hair.
Pale face.
A yellow sweater.
And eyes that seemed to be looking directly at him through the screen.
Beneath the photograph was the message:
You think your children are the only ones?
Daniel called the number back.
It was disconnected.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Michael was already beside him.
“Who was it?”
“I don't know.”
Daniel handed him the phone.
Michael examined the photograph.
“Could be fake.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“How can you know?”
“Look at Serena.”
Michael zoomed in.
Daniel pointed toward her face.
“She isn't posing.”
Michael frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“She knew the camera was there.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“She looks afraid.”
Michael studied the picture again.
He was right.
Serena's smile was perfect.
Her posture was elegant.
But her eyes were not.
She looked tense.
As if someone had forced her to stand there.
Michael lowered the phone.
“We need to find out who that girl is.”
Daniel nodded.
“And we need to do it before Serena knows we're looking.”
At ten that morning, Daniel took Ava and Noah to the pediatric clinic.
He had already arranged for a specialist who handled child abuse cases.
The doctor, Dr. Helen Carter, was gentle.
She spoke to the children separately.
No police officers were present.
No lawyers.
No pressure.
Just a quiet room with drawings on the walls and toys scattered across the floor.
Daniel waited outside.
For forty minutes, he heard nothing.
Then Ava came out.
Her eyes were red.
Daniel stood immediately.
“How did it go?”
Ava looked at him.
“She asked me questions.”
“Did you tell her the truth?”
Ava nodded.
“Everything?”
Ava hesitated.
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“What didn't you tell her?”
Ava looked around.
Then whispered:
“There were other rules.”
Daniel crouched.
“What rules?”
Ava's eyes filled with tears.
“Serena made us promise not to tell.”
“About what?”
“She had a notebook.”
Daniel frowned.
“A notebook?”
“She wrote down everything we did.”
“What kind of things?”
“If we cried.”
“If Noah got angry.”
“If I asked for you.”
“If we said we missed Mommy.”
Daniel went still.
Ava continued.
“She would write it down.”
“Why?”
“She said she needed proof.”
“Proof of what?”
Ava shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Daniel looked toward the examination room.
Something about this bothered him.
Serena wasn't simply disciplining his children.
She had been documenting them.
Creating a record.
A narrative.
A story in which Daniel's children were difficult, unstable, disobedient.
A story that could later be used against them.
Daniel's phone vibrated.
Michael.
Come to the courthouse. Now.
The courthouse was already crowded.
Daniel walked through the security entrance with Michael beside him.
“What's happening?”
Michael didn't answer until they reached the family court hallway.
Then Daniel saw her.
Serena.
She was standing beside her attorney.
Wearing a cream-colored dress.
Hair perfectly styled.
No trace of anger.
No trace of the woman Daniel had seen holding a hanger above his children.
She looked heartbroken.
She looked innocent.
She looked exactly like the woman everyone would believe.
Daniel stopped.
Serena looked at him.
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
“Daniel…”
He said nothing.
She took one step toward him.
“I never wanted this.”
Michael stepped between them.
“Do not approach my client.”
Serena looked hurt.
“I only want to talk to my husband.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You're not my wife anymore.”
The words visibly struck her.
But Serena recovered quickly.
She lowered her eyes.
“I understand.”
Her attorney touched her shoulder.
“Let's go.”
As she walked away, Daniel heard her whisper:
“I hope one day you understand what you've done to this family.”
Daniel turned.
“Don't.”
Serena stopped.
“You don't get to say that.”
She looked back.
“Then tell the court what happened.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“I will.”
The emergency custody hearing began at noon.
Judge Margaret Ellis entered.
Everyone stood.
Serena sat beside her attorney.
Daniel sat opposite.
Michael placed the medical reports on the table.
The judge reviewed them.
“Mr. Brooks, I understand there are allegations of physical abuse involving the children.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“And allegations involving Ms. Brooks.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
Serena's attorney stood.
“Your Honor, my client strongly denies harming either child.”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
The attorney continued.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Brooks has a history of controlling behavior.”
Michael immediately stood.
“Objection.”
“Overruled for now.”
The attorney placed a document before the judge.
“This is a statement from Ms. Brooks.”
The judge read it.
Then looked at Daniel.
“Mr. Brooks, did you ever threaten your wife?”
“No.”
“Did you ever physically intimidate her?”
“No.”
“Did you ever lose control during arguments?”
Daniel hesitated.
“There were arguments.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Daniel looked down.
“There were times I raised my voice.”
Serena's attorney smiled faintly.
“There it is.”
Michael stood.
“Your Honor, raising one's voice during an argument is not evidence of physical abuse.”
“I agree,” the judge said.
“But it establishes the emotional environment.”
Daniel looked toward Serena.
She was crying.
Not a single tear had fallen.
She was waiting.
Waiting for someone to believe her.
Then the judge asked:
“Ms. Brooks, do you have evidence that Mr. Brooks physically harmed you?”
Serena's attorney stood.
“Yes.”
A photograph appeared on the screen.
Serena's upper arm.
A large purple bruise.
Daniel stared.
“I didn't do that.”
Serena lowered her head.
Her shoulders shook.
The attorney displayed another photograph.
Then another.
Bruises.
Scratches.
Red marks.
The courtroom became silent.
Daniel felt every eye turn toward him.
Judge Ellis looked at him.
“Mr. Brooks?”
“I never touched her.”
Serena finally spoke.
“He did.”
Her voice trembled.
“He would get angry.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You're lying.”
She looked at him with wounded eyes.
“I was afraid of you.”
Daniel almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because the absurdity was unbearable.
“You were afraid of me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you stay?”
Serena's lips trembled.
“Because I loved you.”
Daniel looked away.
The judge intervened.
“Enough.”
Michael leaned toward Daniel.
“Don't react.”
Daniel whispered:
“She planned this.”
Michael nodded.
“I know.”
Then Michael stood.
“Your Honor, we'd like to introduce an audio recording.”
Serena's attorney immediately objected.
“On what grounds?”
“Authentication.”
Michael produced Daniel's phone.
“The recording was made by Mr. Brooks immediately before he confronted Ms. Brooks.”
The judge looked at Serena.
“Have you heard this recording?”
Serena's face changed.
Only for a second.
But Daniel saw it.
Fear.
Real fear.
Michael pressed play.
Serena's voice filled the courtroom.
“You spoiled little monsters!”
Ava's crying followed.
Then Serena's voice again.
“They needed discipline.”
The judge listened.
The room became silent.
The recording ended.
Michael looked at Serena.
“Would you like to explain that?”
Serena didn't answer.
Her attorney whispered something.
She shook her head.
Then she looked at Daniel.
Her eyes were cold now.
The tears were gone.
“You recorded me.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
It wasn't the smile of a frightened wife.
It was the smile of someone whose first plan had failed.
“You should have come home sooner.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“What?”
Serena leaned back.
“You think this recording proves everything?”
Michael stood.
“Your Honor—”
Serena interrupted.
“No.”
She looked directly at Daniel.
“It proves I lost my temper.”
Then she turned toward the judge.
“But it does not prove he is innocent.”
Daniel felt a chill.
“What are you talking about?”
Serena's attorney opened another file.
“Your Honor, we have evidence showing Mr. Brooks has been emotionally abusive toward his wife and children.”
Daniel stared.
“That isn't true.”
The attorney clicked a remote.
A video appeared.
Daniel inside the house.
Angry.
Shouting.
Ava crying.
Noah standing nearby.
Daniel's heart stopped.
He remembered the moment.
It had happened six months earlier.
A business deal had collapsed.
He had come home furious.
He had argued with Serena.
The children had been upstairs.
He had slammed a door.
The video ended.
The courtroom remained silent.
Serena looked at the judge.
“My husband has a temper.”
Daniel looked at Michael.
“It's edited.”
Michael nodded.
“I know.”
“But they don't.”
“We'll prove it.”
Daniel stared at Serena.
She had planned this.
The recording of him.
The photographs.
The narrative.
Everything.
She had spent months collecting fragments of his worst moments.
And now she was using them against him.
The judge folded her hands.
“I will need time to review the evidence.”
Michael stood.
“Your Honor, the children are currently in a safe environment.”
The judge nodded.
“For the moment, they will remain with Mr. Brooks.”
Daniel exhaled.
But then the judge continued.
“However, Ms. Brooks will receive supervised visitation.”
Daniel immediately stood.
“No.”
The judge looked at him.
“She is their stepmother.”
“She abused them.”
“That allegation has not yet been fully adjudicated.”
Daniel's fists clenched.
“Your Honor—”
“I understand your concern.”
The judge's tone hardened.
“But this court will not decide custody based solely on emotion.”
Daniel sat.
The ruling was temporary.
But it felt like a warning.
The fight had only begun.
Outside the courtroom, Daniel walked quickly toward the elevators.
Serena followed.
“Daniel.”
He ignored her.
“Daniel.”
He stopped.
She stood several feet away.
“You should have listened to me.”
Daniel turned.
“Listened to what?”
“To the fact that this family was already broken before I arrived.”
“You broke it.”
“No.”
She smiled faintly.
“Your family did.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
Serena stepped closer.
“Ask your brother.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
“What does Richard have to do with this?”
Serena's smile disappeared.
“More than you think.”
The elevator doors opened.
Daniel stepped inside.
Before the doors closed, Serena said:
“Ask him why he accessed your security cameras.”
Daniel froze.
The doors shut.
He immediately called Michael.
“Find Richard.”
Michael answered.
“I already did.”
“Where is he?”
Silence.
“Michael?”
“He left the country this morning.”
Daniel's heart dropped.
“Where?”
“We don't know.”
Then Michael added:
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“Richard emptied one of his accounts.”
“How much?”
“Twenty-seven million dollars.”
Daniel stared at the elevator doors.
Twenty-seven million.
His brother had disappeared.
Serena had known about the cameras.
And the mysterious little girl was still out there.
Daniel suddenly understood.
The custody battle wasn't the real game.
It was a distraction.
Someone wanted him looking at Serena.
Someone wanted him fighting over his children.
While something much bigger was happening behind the scenes.
His phone vibrated.
A message.
No number.
Just a photograph.
It showed the same little girl from before.
This time she was sitting alone in a dark room.
Underneath was one sentence:
Richard took her three days ago.
Daniel's blood turned cold.
Then another message arrived.
And Serena knows where he is.
Daniel looked toward the courthouse.
Serena was still standing there.
Watching him.
May you like
And for the first time, Daniel couldn't tell whether she was his enemy…
or the only person who could lead him to the missing child.
