My Son's Watch Exposed My Husband's Lies

My Son's Watch Exposed My Husband's Lies

Rabbit

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My son, Leo, died a month ago from what they called a tragic accident. My husband, Benedict, has been my rock, holding me together as our world ended. But when he brought the nanny, Kendall, to our home, he wasn't comforting me. He was comforting her. He called me hysterical for wanting to plan our son's funeral because it was upsetting Kendall. That night, I heard them together in the guest room. His low rumble, her soft reply. In a desperate need to feel close to my son, I went to his room and found his smartwatch. The one he was supposed to be wearing that day. I charged it, and a notification popped up: Leo's Journey - Data Upload Complete. I pressed play and heard it all. My son, begging for me as he baked to death in the car. Kendall, telling him to be quiet before locking the doors. The betrayal was absolute. My grief vanished, replaced by a cold, hard clarity. My husband wasn't just cheating on me; he was protecting our son's murderer. I scrolled past my family and friends and found the name of my husband's biggest rival. "Chase," I said when he answered, my voice steady and unrecognizable. "I'm leaving the company. I need a change of scenery."

Chapter 1 No.1

The silence in the house was a physical thing. It had weight, pressing down on Aliyah Williams, a constant pressure on her chest and in her ears. It had been a month since the silence first descended-the day her son, Leo, died.

A month since the world had ended.

She sat on the edge of the sofa, the same spot where Benedict had held her that first night. He had been her rock. His arms were strong, his voice steady.

We'll get through this, Aliyah, he had said, his face buried in her hair. "Together. I'm here. I will always be here."

He was the man she had built a life with, a company with. Howard & Williams Tech was their shared dream, forged from late nights and cheap coffee in a cramped garage. He had been her savior then, his belief in her unwavering when her own had faltered. He had promised they would conquer the world together.

Now, he was saving her again. Or so she had thought.

The front door opened. Benedict walked in, but he wasn't alone. Kendall Orr-the nanny, their former intern-followed a step behind him. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her expression a careful mask of sorrow.

Benedict didn't look at Aliyah. He went straight to Kendall, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Are you okay? he asked, his voice low and full of a concern that felt like a shard of glass in the quiet house.

I just... I keep seeing him, Kendall whispered, a tear tracing a path down her cheek. "In the car... I should have checked. I should have..."

It's not your fault, Benedict said, his voice firm. "It was a tragic accident. No one is to blame."

Aliyah flinched. The words echoed the police report. Heatstroke. Accidental. A knot of ice formed in her stomach. She had been in a board meeting, a quarterly review she couldn't miss. Benedict had assured her Kendall was reliable. A bright young woman, eager to help.

She finally found her voice, a dry rasp. "Benedict."

He turned, his face shifting into a look of strained patience. "Aliyah. You should be resting."

I wanted to talk about the funeral arrangements, she said, her hands twisting in her lap. "I was thinking... we could have the string quartet he loved. The one from the park."

Benedict's jaw tightened. He exchanged a quick, unreadable glance with Kendall.

I don't think that's a good idea, he said. "It's too much. We need to keep it simple. For everyone's sake."

For Leo's sake, Aliyah corrected, a tremor in her voice. "He would have wanted it."

Aliyah, you're not thinking clearly, Benedict's tone turned cold. "You're becoming hysterical. Can't you see how hard this is on Kendall? You're upsetting her."

He looked at Kendall, his expression softening instantly. The contrast was a physical blow. Aliyah felt the air leave her lungs. In her own home, in her own grief, she was an inconvenience. A problem to be managed.

Kendall sniffled, leaning slightly into Benedict's side. "It's okay, Ben. She's just... grieving."

Ben.

The name hung in the air.

That night, Aliyah lay awake, the silence screaming at her. She heard a floorboard creak in the hallway. Then, a muffled murmur of voices from the guest room where Kendall was staying. Benedict's low rumble, Kendall's soft reply.

She felt a desperate, clawing need to hold onto something, anything, that was still hers. She thought of Leo. Of his last school project-a diorama of the solar system-tucked away in his closet. She had to see it.

She rose from bed, her body on autopilot, and walked down the hall. Past the closed guest room door. Into Leo's room. The smell of him-of soap and sunshine and boy-still lingered. It was unbearable.

She opened the closet. The diorama was on the top shelf. As her fingers brushed against it, another object fell to the floor with a soft thud.

It was his watch. The GPS smartwatch they'd bought him for his sixth birthday. He'd called it his "spy watch." He was supposed to have been wearing it that day. Kendall must have taken it off him before... before.

Aliyah's hand trembled as she picked it up. The screen was dark. She pressed the side button. A low battery icon flashed, then disappeared.

She carried it back to her room, her heart pounding a frantic, painful rhythm. She found the charger, her fingers fumbling with the magnetic clasp. The screen lit up.

Syncing data... it read.

A moment later, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A notification from the GPS app.

Leo's Journey - Data Upload Complete.

She stared at the phone. Her breath hitched. A terrible, cold dread washed over her, colder than the grief, colder than the silence. This was it. The final, crushing blow she hadn't known was coming.

She could leave it. She could let the silence win. Let Benedict and his "concern" for Kendall smooth everything over into a simple, tragic story.

Or she could know.

Her finger hovered over the screen. Then, she pressed down.

The recording began to play. Kendall's voice, sharp and annoyed. "Leo, stop kicking the seat! Just be quiet and take a nap."

Leo's voice, small and pleading. "But it's hot. I want Mommy. Can I call Mommy?"

The sound of the car door slamming shut. The electronic click of the locks engaging.

Aliyah stabbed the screen, silencing it. She didn't need to hear the rest. The truth was a poison, burning through her veins.

The betrayal was absolute.

She sat in the dark for a long time, the phone clutched in her hand. The house was quiet again. Benedict was back in their bed, sleeping the peaceful sleep of the righteous.

Her grief was gone. In its place was something new. Something hard and clear and cold.

She picked up her phone again. She scrolled through her contacts, past family, past friends, to a name she hadn't called in over a year.

Chase Donaldson.

Benedict's biggest rival. The man who had tried to poach her twice, telling her she was wasted at Howard & Williams.

She pressed the call button. He answered on the second ring, his voice alert despite the late hour.

Donaldson.

Chase, Aliyah said, her own voice unrecognizable. It was steady. It was calm. "It's Aliyah Williams. I'm sorry to call so late."

There was a pause. "Aliyah. I heard about your son. I am so, so sorry."

Thank you, she said, the words feeling like ash in her mouth. "I'm calling because... I've been thinking about your offer. The one you made last year."

Another pause, this one longer. She could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

I'm leaving the company, she said, filling the silence. "I need a change of scenery."

The lie was smooth. Plausible. The perfect cover for the truth.

I see, Chase said slowly. "The offer still stands. Always will for you, Aliyah. Are you sure?"

I'm sure, she said, her gaze falling on the closed bedroom door. Behind it, her husband slept next to the woman who had murdered their son. "I'm very sure."

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