Chapter 2 - The Unseen Eyes
The hospital was chaotic that afternoon, but I couldn't focus on my patients.
My mind was completely consumed by the image of Harper's bruised arm.
During my lunch break, I drove to an electronics store a few towns over.
I bought three high-definition, motion-activated hidden cameras.
They were disguised as ordinary household objects, including a phone charger, a digital clock, and a smoke detector.
I felt a sharp pang of guilt for spying on my own wife, but the purple crayon note echoed in my mind.
When I got home that evening, Clara was upstairs drawing a bath for Harper.
I used those ten minutes to quickly install the cameras.
I placed the clock in the living room, the charger in the kitchen, and swapped out the smoke detector in the hallway near Harper's bedroom.
My hands shook the entire time, terrified that Clara would walk down the stairs and catch me.
But I finished just in time.
I connected the camera feeds to a secure app on my phone.
That night, dinner was as tense and quiet as always.
Harper barely ate two bites of her mashed potatoes.
Clara kept smiling, chatting about her day at the real estate office, completely ignoring the terrified silence radiating from her daughter.
I played the role of the tired, loving husband perfectly.
But beneath the surface, my blood was boiling.
The next morning, I kissed Clara goodbye, told her I was working a double shift, and drove away.
Instead of going to the hospital, I parked in an empty lot a few blocks from our house.
I pulled out my phone and opened the camera app.
For the first two hours, nothing happened.
Clara cleaned the kitchen, humming that same cheerful tune.
Then, around ten o'clock, the hallway camera detected motion.
Clara was standing outside Harper's door.
Her posture had changed completely.
The bubbly, perfect housewife was gone.
Her shoulders were rigid, and her hands were curled into tight fists.
She slowly turned the doorknob and stepped into the room, closing the door firmly behind her.
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I held my breath, staring at the screen, praying I was wrong about everything.
But deep down, I knew the nightmare was just beginning.
