Unloved In His Own Home

art still pounding, a mix of relief and

atching cartoons. Olivia was on the sofa, s

d, his voice sharp

n bland, a stark contrast to h

You told your mother you

icorn," Chloe said, her tone dismissive

you even manage a simple trip to an amusement par

via! She sent me on

dn't want to go with you anyway." She turned back t

ar wave of disappoi

ried sick. You can' t just disappear like that. And lying to the

ged, her eyes gl

o make her understand, bu

was a shield,

s phone buzzed. A vide

, his stomac

e, sitting on the floo

'Daddy's Helper' space, you have to do something helpful for Daddy. If you land on

"Julian's Pal

ce, her face alig

. Chloe cheered

hair. "Good choice! See, Ch

smug smile on his face. "Just a little game

the implications ec

companion; he was actively, e

than. Turning their family life i

arly designed to be undesirable, w

rlier suspicions about Chloe's "accidents" and "fo

influenced; she

both Julian and, in her childi

. This time, a series

ncy restaurant, candlelig

tilted back, a look of pure

a, arms around each other, a ci

, her eyes full of an emotion Ethan recognized as affect

as a direct message, read: "She' s happy, Ethan.

rded the photos to Olivia, his th

her to see, to acknowledge w

just the images. Wh

g at his phone, h

icked by.

w message

bly just some spam. Deleted it for her. She didn't even blink.

casual dismissal, was l

the screen, th

r, until he was openly weeping, gr

red to the floor, the screen cr

ke his marriage. J

e the cracked scr

or it. It wa

es, trying to c

e said, his

are you okay? Y

their small Midwestern town,

m," he lied.

her with this. She

ersisted, her voice full of c

rd. "Everything

ou just want to come home for a bit, you know your old room is always he

fort, brought a fresh w

things. Things that fe