Part 2 – The Voicemail
Part 2 – The Voicemail
Lily fell asleep in the passenger seat before we reached home.
Her tiny hand still clutched my jacket.
The red mark on her cheek was impossible to ignore.
I tucked her into bed, kissed her forehead, and promised her one thing.
"No one will ever hurt you again."
At 5:58 a.m., my phone rang.
Then again.
And again.
Six missed calls.
All from Claire.
I finally listened to the voicemail.
It wasn't an apology.
It wasn't even regret.
It was a warning.
"Daniel... if you don't bring Lily back before noon, my family will make sure you never see her again."
I replayed it.
My stomach turned.
Then another message arrived.
This time...
From Patricia.
"You embarrassed this family in front of people who matter."
"You'll regret choosing that child over us."
That single sentence told me everything.
To them...
May you like
Lily wasn't their granddaughter.
She was an inconvenience.
