Chapter 2 - The Glass of Juice
Marcus felt as if the air had been kicked straight out of his lungs. He gently placed his hands on Lily’s shaking shoulders, keeping his body positioned between his little girl and the doorway.
“Lily,” Marcus murmured, keeping his tone calm so he wouldn’t scare her. “Does she record you?”
Lily nodded silently, tears brimming in her eyes. “She tells me what to say… on her phone… when you’re gone. She says if I don’t say it, you won’t come back.”
A terrifying chill ran down Marcus’s spine. He stood up slowly, turning to face Sarah.
Sarah took two deliberate steps into the hallway, her designer heels clicking softly against the marble. Her face held a cool, controlled smile. She swirled the orange juice gently in the tall glass, her posture relaxed, perfectly serene.
“She’s confused, Marcus,” Sarah said in a smooth, soothing tone, as if talking about a toddler having a playground fantasy. “She had a nightmare last night. I was just giving her liquid elderberry vitamins for her immune system. You know how dramatic kids can be when you’re about to leave on a trip.”
Marcus stared at Sarah. For two years, he had believed Sarah was a devoted, caring stepmother to Lily after his first wife passed away. But looking at her now, holding that bright glass of juice, something inside him snapped into sharp focus.
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“Put the glass down, Sarah,” Marcus said quietly.
👉 Read PART 3 to find out what Sarah does when Marcus demands to test the juice!
