Lydia\u2019s gut told her something was wrong. She didn\u2019t have proof, no solid reason\u2014just a nagging feeling that twisted her stomach into knots. But when she voiced her concern, Mark only laughed it off.<\/p>\n
\u201cLyd, it\u2019s a sleepover. Let her have fun,\u201d he said, casually chopping vegetables at the kitchen counter.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t share his ease. Their daughter, Ellie, was spending the night at Kara\u2019s house\u2014her first sleepover. And Kara wasn\u2019t just any mom. She was Lydia\u2019s high school rival, the girl who had always been one step ahead, always watching, always smirking. The years had passed, but Lydia never forgot how Kara operated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never trusted that woman,\u201d Lydia muttered, gripping her car keys so tightly her knuckles turned white.<\/p>\n
Mark sighed, setting the knife down. \u201cPeople change, Lydia. You\u2019re overthinking this.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the feeling wouldn\u2019t leave. She paced the kitchen, arms folded tightly, her foot tapping anxiously against the cool tile.<\/p>\n
Then, her phone rang.<\/p>\n
The sharp sound sliced through the air. Lydia snatched it up, barely glancing at the screen before answering. \u201cSweetheart?\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, silence. Then a whisper so soft she almost missed it:<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I just saw a camera in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia\u2019s heart stopped. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s voice trembled. \u201cA camera. I saw a red light. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s supposed to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The icy dread in Lydia\u2019s stomach solidified. Her instincts had been right all along.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m coming,\u201d she said immediately. She was already grabbing her coat, already heading to the door.<\/p>\n
Mark frowned. \u201cLydia, wait\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
But she was already gone.<\/p>\n
Lydia\u2019s fist pounded against the door so hard that her knuckles stung. Her breath came in short, frantic bursts, her pulse roaring in her ears. Every second felt like an eternity.<\/p>\n
Finally, the door swung open. Kara stood there, a smile curling at the corners of her lips\u2014smooth, practiced.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Lydia,\u201d she purred, leaning lazily against the frame. \u201cDidn\u2019t expect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia didn\u2019t waste a second. She shoved past her, the scent of lavender and expensive hairspray filling her nose as she stormed inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie?\u201d she called, her voice tight with urgency.<\/p>\n
There was a shuffle, then the sound of small feet running. Ellie bolted into the room, colliding into Lydia\u2019s chest with such force that Lydia stumbled back. She didn\u2019t care. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, feeling Ellie\u2019s little heart pounding wildly against her own.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you okay?\u201d Lydia murmured, pulling back just enough to cup her daughter\u2019s cheeks. Ellie nodded quickly, eyes wide with fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know what to do,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
Lydia\u2019s gaze shot to Kara, her entire body stiff with rage. \u201cShe found a camera in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kara barely blinked. She shrugged, crossing her arms. \u201cIt was off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia\u2019s hands curled into fists. \u201cThen why was the red light on?\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time, Kara hesitated. It was brief, just a flicker of uncertainty\u2014but Lydia saw it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat camera shouldn\u2019t have been on,\u201d Lydia snapped, her voice shaking with fury. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t care what excuse you give me\u2014I want the footage deleted. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kara sighed dramatically, rubbing her temples like this was all an inconvenience. \u201cFine. But Lydia, you\u2019re being paranoid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia ignored her. She grabbed Ellie\u2019s hand. \u201cWe\u2019re leaving. And she\u2019s never coming back here.\u201d<\/p>\n
As they stormed out, Lydia felt Kara\u2019s eyes burning into her back. She didn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n
The drive home was suffocatingly quiet. Lydia\u2019s grip on the steering wheel was so tight her fingers ached. Mark sat beside her, arms crossed, gaze locked on the road ahead.<\/p>\n
Finally, he spoke. \u201cLydia, don\u2019t you think you\u2019re overreacting?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia snapped her head toward him, eyes blazing. \u201cOverreacting?\u201d Her voice was sharp, incredulous. \u201cThere was a camera in the room where our daughter was sleeping!\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark exhaled, rubbing his temple. \u201cBut Kara said it was for security\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia let out a harsh laugh. \u201cAnd you believe her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark hesitated. \u201cI just think\u2014maybe she had a point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia stared at him, her stomach twisting. \u201cYou always took her side, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark groaned. \u201cOh, come on, Lydia\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head, turning her eyes back to the road. \u201cI don\u2019t want to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence filled the car. Heavy. Unbreakable.<\/p>\n
The next morning, Lydia stood by the kitchen counter, her coffee cold in her hands. She barely tasted it. She hadn\u2019t slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ellie\u2019s frightened face, heard Kara\u2019s smug voice.<\/p>\n
Across the room, Mark grabbed his jacket.<\/p>\n
Lydia frowned. \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWork meeting.\u201d His voice was too casual. He didn\u2019t look at her.<\/p>\n
Her gut twisted. \u201cYou said you had no plans today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark hesitated for a second, then shrugged. \u201cSomething came up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The moment his car pulled away, Lydia moved. Heart pounding, she rushed to his office, flipped open his laptop, and pulled up his emails.<\/p>\n
Then, she saw it.<\/p>\n
A message from Kara.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, I reviewed the camera footage before deleting it. There\u2019s something you need to see. It\u2019s about Lydia and Ellie. Come by today before I erase it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia\u2019s hands shook.<\/p>\n
She grabbed her keys and bolted for the door.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t knock. She shoved the door open so hard it slammed against the wall. Mark stood in the living room, staring at Kara\u2019s laptop screen. His face was pale.<\/p>\n
Lydia\u2019s stomach churned. \u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark turned the screen toward her. A video played.<\/p>\n
Ellie sat on a bed, her hands clasped in her lap. Her voice was soft but clear. \u201cSometimes I don\u2019t like being at home. Mom is always mad. It\u2019s better here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia recoiled. \u201cThat\u2019s not true\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, a small voice interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not real.\u201d<\/p>\n
They all turned. Kara\u2019s daughter, Emma, stood in the doorway, clutching a stuffed bear. Her lip trembled. \u201cIt was just a game. Mom told us to play it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia\u2019s breath caught. She turned slowly to Kara, her entire body trembling. \u201cYou set this up?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kara\u2019s smug expression faltered. \u201cI\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark\u2019s jaw clenched. His voice was low, dangerously quiet. \u201cYou\u2019re still on it, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kara\u2019s face twisted. \u201cShe\u2019s not good enough for you, Mark! I am better!\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia felt something snap inside her.<\/p>\n
Mark slammed the laptop shut. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lydia grabbed Ellie\u2019s hand. As they walked away, she didn\u2019t look back.<\/p>\n
For the first time in a long time, she knew where she stood\u2014beside her daughter. Where she belonged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lydia\u2019s gut told her something was wrong. She didn\u2019t have proof, no solid reason\u2014just a nagging feeling that twisted her stomach into knots. But when she voiced her concern, Mark only laughed it off. \u201cLyd, it\u2019s a sleepover. Let her have fun,\u201d he said, casually chopping vegetables at the kitchen counter. She didn\u2019t share his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26758"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26759,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26758\/revisions\/26759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}