Chapter 6 - The Other Life
Julia's messages covered eighteen months.
Daniel told her Emma was controlling.
That Emma monitored his money.
That Emma threatened him.
Every accusation was almost perfectly reversed.
“He made himself the victim,” Julia said.
Emma stared at the messages.
Daniel had even sent photographs of scratches he claimed Emma caused.
Julia now admitted she had never witnessed Emma behaving violently.
“He always had an explanation.”
Emma handed back the phone.
“Were you in love with him?”
Julia's eyes lowered.
“Yes.”
Emma inhaled slowly.
Then surprised everyone.
“I'm sorry.”
Julia stared at her.
“You're sorry?”
“He lied to both of us.”
That moment became important.
Emma stopped seeing every woman connected to Daniel as competition.
They were evidence of a pattern.
The prosecution discovered Daniel had used similar stories with coworkers.
Emma was difficult.
Emma was unstable.
Emma was jealous.
He had spent years quietly constructing a future defense.
But he'd made a mistake.
He'd told different versions to different people.
Investigators compared them.
They didn't match.
Meanwhile, Emma's physical injuries healed faster than the invisible ones.
Her wrist remained in a brace.
Her nightmares continued.
But she started therapy.
She reconnected with friends.
One afternoon, she laughed.
I hadn't realized how long it had been since I'd heard that sound.
Then Daniel's attorney offered a plea agreement discussion.
Emma listened.
“What would happen?”
The prosecutor explained.
Emma asked only one question.
“Would he have to admit what he did?”
That became the problem.
Daniel refused.
He wanted language suggesting an accident.
Emma stood.
“Then no.”
The prosecutor reminded her that trial carried uncertainty.
“I understand.”
She looked through the courthouse window.
“He spent four years making me doubt what happened in my own house. I'm not agreeing to another version of reality just because it's convenient.”
The case moved toward trial.
Then Dad received a call.
A man claimed to be from an insurance company.
He asked whether Emma was staying with Claire.
Dad refused to answer.
The number was traced.
Prepaid phone.
Another attempt to locate her?
Police couldn't immediately prove it.
Security around Emma tightened.
That night she sat beside me on the couch.
“Claire?”
“Yeah?”
“What if he never stops?”
I considered lying.
Instead, I said, “Then we keep building a life he can't control.”
She nodded.
Minutes later, my phone rang.
Detective Ramirez.
“We found who bought the prepaid phone.”
“Who?”
“Aaron Mercer.”
Daniel's cousin again.
But Aaron hadn't acted alone.
Investigators recovered deleted messages.
One contained instructions.
Find out where she sleeps.
Emma read the words.
Her face changed.
Not fear.
Anger.
“He still thinks I'm his.”
May you like
The next morning, she called the prosecutor.
“I want to testify.”
