Chapter 2: The Envelope on the Counter
Ryan didn't answer me.
He just looked at Diane.
That look — quick, nervous, like he was waiting for her to tell him what to say.
Diane crossed her arms and smiled.
"You're overreacting," she said.
"The boy needs discipline.
You've let him run wild for years."
"He's four years old," I said.
"He was chained to the floor."
"It was a light chain.
It didn't hurt him."
I couldn't breathe.
I turned back to Ryan.
"Say something.
Tell me she's wrong."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Let's just calm down and talk about this later."
"Later?" I looked at Noah, still standing in the doorway, watching us.
"He said there are videos.
Ryan, what videos?"
Ryan's jaw tightened.
He reached for his phone, then stopped himself.
That's when Diane stepped forward and said quietly, "Those videos are for the custody case, sweetheart.
The one Ryan filed last month."
The room went cold.
I stared at my husband.
"You filed for custody?
Without telling me?"
He still wouldn't look at me.
And then I noticed the envelope on the counter.
The one I'd walked past twice without thinking.
My name was on it.
Ryan's lawyer's name was in the corner.
I hadn't even opened it yet.
---
What's inside that envelope — and how long has Ryan been planning this?
The full story is darker than you think.
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