Chapter 13 - The Audio Evidence
For three agonizing seconds, nobody moved. The air in the foyer felt completely devoid of oxygen.
Then, Vanessa recovered. She was nothing if not dangerously resilient.
“This... this is insane,” Vanessa stammered, pointing a shaking finger at me. Her voice grew louder, sharper, as she tried to seize control of the narrative. “You disguised yourself to spy on me? That is completely sick! That is manipulative, Eleanor! You set me up!”
Daniel finished his slow descent, his expensive shoes crunching on the wet marble. He walked past Vanessa, not even looking at her, and stopped directly in front of me. His eyes were wide, fixed on my soaked sleeves and the dirty water staining my neck.
“Did you throw that bucket at her?” Daniel asked, his voice deathly quiet.
“She provoked me, Daniel!” Vanessa cried out, rushing to grab his arm. “She was acting crazy! You don't understand—”
“I asked you a question,” Daniel interrupted, his voice cracking like a whip. He shook her hand off his arm.
Vanessa’s voice sharpened, her sweet facade finally dissolving into venom. “She is trying to ruin us because she cannot control you anymore, Daniel! She hates that you love me!”
I didn't argue. I didn't yell. I simply reached into the deep, wet pocket of the uniform and pulled out the digital recorder. I walked over to the marble entry table and placed the black device on the pristine surface.
May you like
Vanessa stared at it. For the first time that afternoon, the horrifying reality dawned on her. She finally understood that the woman she had soaked was not helpless. She had made a fatal miscalculation.
I pressed play.
