Chapter 9 - Claire Was Manipulated—but She Still Made Her Own Choices
For several days, Claire clung to one defense.
“Julian lied to me.”
He did.
That mattered.
It did not answer everything.
I asked:
“Did Julian chain our baby inside a cellar?”
Claire looked away.
“No.”
“Did he tell you to lie to Lily?”
“No.”
“Did he make you tell police the baby wasn’t behind that door?”
Silence.
No.
Those were Claire’s decisions.
She explained that the baby was placed in the climate-controlled front room only temporarily while she and Julian loaded bags through the service entrance.
The portable crib, monitor, bottle, and blankets were there because she intended to keep him safe.
Then Lily discovered the plan earlier than expected.
Claire panicked.
The chain was supposed to stop Lily opening the cellar and taking the baby out while Claire finished packing.
That explanation made sense.
It also made the choice worse in a different way.
Claire had not lost her mind for thirty seconds.
She had considered the problem—
then decided a padlocked door was an acceptable solution.
When Lily begged to see her brother, Claire lied.
When I arrived with police, Claire lied again.
Manipulation could explain how she reached that emotional place.
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It did not erase the choices she made after reaching it.
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