Chapter 3 — The Secret Video
"You forged it."
Richard's voice cracked.
Emma almost pitied him.
Almost.
Instead she removed a small flash drive from the portfolio.
"I wondered how long it would take before you accused me of that."
She handed the drive to her attorney, Daniel Brooks, who had quietly entered through the front door moments earlier.
Several relatives gasped.
"You brought a lawyer to Christmas?" Aunt Linda whispered.
Emma answered without looking away from Richard.
"No."
"I brought him because I knew exactly what would happen tonight."
Daniel connected the flash drive to the living room television.
The screen flickered.
Home security footage appeared.
Date stamp:
December 18.
Richard stood inside the same dining room.
Only this time, Lily wasn't there.
He was speaking to Chelsea—Emma's sister-in-law.
"If that little girl keeps coming to family dinners..."
"...people might start believing she's one of us."
Chelsea laughed.
"What if Emma complains?"
Richard shrugged.
"Children cry."
"They forget."
"But if we humiliate her enough..."
"...Emma will leave on her own."
The room froze.
Another clip appeared.
Richard instructing servants.
"Remove every photograph that includes Lily."
"I don't want guests asking questions."
Another.
Richard telling relatives.
"She's only my son's mistake."
Margaret covered her mouth.
"I never knew..."
Richard looked around desperately.
"They're edited!"
Daniel quietly replied,
"The footage came directly from the home's security server."
"You installed those cameras yourself."
May you like
Richard's knees nearly gave out.
His own surveillance system had become the witness against him.
