Chapter 2 - I knew Claire's footsteps.After nine years of marriage, you learn the rhythm of someone's walk without thinking about it.
This wasn't Claire.
These footsteps were heavier.
Slower.
A man's.
I grabbed Lily and pulled her behind me.
The sound stopped outside the hallway.
Silence.
Then someone spoke.
“Ethan?”
I knew that voice.
Marcus.
My younger brother.
My grip tightened around the recorder.
Marcus appeared at the end of the hallway.
He was wearing a dark coat and holding a grocery bag.
He stopped when he saw the broken lock.
Then he looked into the storage room.
His expression changed.
“What happened?”
I didn't answer.
He looked at Lily.
Then at me.
“Where's Claire?”
“My son is in the hospital.”
Marcus froze.
“What?”
“Don't.”
His mouth opened.
I raised the recorder.
“Tell me why your voice is on this.”
Marcus stared at it.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he whispered,
“That isn't what you think.”
I laughed once.
There was nothing funny about it.
“My baby nearly died inside a locked room.”
“I know.”
The words hit me harder than anything else.
“You know?”
Marcus realized his mistake.
He stepped backward.
“I mean... I heard something was wrong.”
“How?”
He didn't answer.
“How did you know Tommy was in trouble?”
“I didn't.”
“You just said you knew.”
“I meant I knew there had been problems.”
“What problems?”
He glanced toward Lily.
She immediately hid behind me.
Marcus noticed.
His face tightened.
“I need to talk to you alone.”
“No.”
“Ethan, please.”
“Not another word until you explain why your voice is on that recording.”
Marcus stared at the floor.
Finally, he sighed.
“I came here three days ago.”
“For what?”
“Claire called me.”
“Why?”
“She said you were becoming suspicious.”
My skin went cold.
“Suspicious of what?”
Marcus looked at me.
“She said you were planning to leave her.”
“I wasn't.”
“She believed you were.”
I stared at him.
“Why would she think that?”
“Because she found the divorce papers.”
I swallowed.
The papers.
I had never filed them.
But three months earlier, I had met with a lawyer to discuss my financial liability after discovering strange withdrawals from our joint account.
I hadn't told Claire.
Someone must have told her.
Marcus continued.
“She said you were going to take the children.”
“That still doesn't explain the room.”
“No.”
He looked toward the broken doorway.
“It doesn't.”
I stepped closer.
“What happened here?”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“Claire said Tommy wouldn't stop crying.”
My jaw clenched.
“So she locked him in there?”
“She said it was only temporary.”
“And Lily?”
“She got upset.”
I looked at him.
“You knew?”
“I didn't know everything.”
“Then tell me everything you do know.”
Marcus took a shaky breath.
“She told me the children were dangerous to her plans.”
“What plans?”
He didn't answer.
“Marcus.”
“She wanted your life insurance.”
I stared at him.
The hallway seemed to tilt.
“She what?”
“She asked me how much the policy was worth.”
My heart pounded.
“Why?”
“She said she needed to know what would happen if you died.”
A terrible silence filled the house.
Then a car horn sounded outside.
Marcus turned toward the window.
“She's here.”
“Claire?”
He nodded.
I moved toward the front door.
Marcus grabbed my arm.
“Don't confront her yet.”
I pulled free.
“My son is fighting for his life because of her.”
“That's exactly why you need to be careful.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Because she isn't the person you think she is.”
The front door opened.
Claire walked in carrying a handbag.
She stopped when she saw me.
For a fraction of a second, fear crossed her face.
Then it vanished.
She smiled.
“Ethan.”
I said nothing.
Her eyes moved to the storage room.
To the broken lock.
Then to Lily.
“Where's Tommy?”
I stared at her.
“At the hospital.”
The color drained from her face.
“What happened?”
“You tell me.”
She looked confused.
“I don't understand.”
I stepped forward.
“Why was our son locked in the storage room?”
She went completely still.
“I never locked him in there.”
Lily made a tiny sound behind me.
“Mommy did.”
Claire's eyes snapped toward her daughter.
For the first time, I saw something in my wife's expression I had never seen before.
Not guilt.
Anger.
Pure, terrifying anger.
Then she looked at me again.
“I think Lily is confused.”
“No.”
I played the recording.
Claire's own voice filled the hallway.
Her face turned white.
When the stranger's voice asked about the papers, she slowly backed away.
“Who is that man?” I demanded.
She said nothing.
“Who is he?”
Still nothing.
Marcus whispered,
“Ethan…”
But I ignored him.
Claire suddenly reached into her handbag.
My body tensed.
She pulled out her phone.
“I need to call someone.”
“Who?”
She stared at me.
“My lawyer.”
I stepped closer.
“You're going to need more than a lawyer.”
Her fingers trembled.
Then her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
I saw the name.
No contact photo.
Only one word.
UNKNOWN.
Claire declined the call.
It rang again.
She declined it again.
Then a text appeared.
Her eyes scanned it.
And her face collapsed.
I grabbed the phone.
She tried to stop me.
Too late.
The message contained only six words.
HE KNOWS ABOUT THE SECOND ROOM.
I looked at Claire.
Then at Marcus.
Neither spoke.
“What second room?”
No answer.
I grabbed Claire by the wrist.
“Where is it?”
She whispered,
“We need to leave this house.”
“Why?”
She looked toward the ceiling.
“Because whoever is watching us is still inside.”
May you like
At that exact moment...
the lights went out.
Related Stories
