Chapter 2: The Truth Behind Closed Doors
Chapter 2: The Truth Behind Closed Doors
That afternoon, I called the pediatric hospital listed on the discharge papers.
The physician who had examined Lumi could not discuss confidential details over the phone, but after I explained that I was now her legal stepfather and provided the necessary documentation, arrangements were made for me to meet with the hospital's child protection team.
Everything I feared...
Was worse than I imagined.
The hospital had filed a report.
Child Protective Services had attempted multiple welfare visits.
Each time, Maris had claimed Lumi was staying with relatives or being homeschooled temporarily.
The investigation eventually stalled because there was never enough evidence to remove her from the home.
Evidence.
That word haunted me.
Lumi had been carrying it on her back every single day.
When I picked her up from school, she quietly asked,
"Are you mad?"
I pulled the car to the side of the road.
"No."
"I am heartbroken."
She looked confused.
"I should have noticed sooner."
She stared out the window.
"I thought you believed Mom."
"So did I."
Her tiny voice trembled.
"That's why I kept crying."
"I wanted you to ask again."
Those words shattered me.
She hadn't been rejecting me.
She had been waiting to see whether I would give up asking.
That evening, before Maris returned, I contacted the police and Child Protective Services together.
I also photographed every bruise with Lumi's permission.
A pediatric forensic nurse completed a medical examination.
Every injury was carefully documented.
When Maris walked through the front door just after eight o'clock, she smiled as if nothing had changed.
Then she noticed the detective sitting in the living room.
Her smile disappeared.
"Gideon..."
"What is this?"
I stood beside Lumi.
"No more lies."
"You told me she cried because she didn't like me."
Maris laughed nervously.
"She makes things up."
The detective quietly placed the medical discharge papers on the coffee table.
"So did the hospital?"
May you like
For the first time...
Maris had no answer.
