Chapter 18 - THE LAST TIME I WATCHED THE FOOTAGE
Before the final hearing, James asked whether I wanted to review the evidence again.
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
I had watched enough.
For months, the security footage lived in my head.
My daughter struggling with the baby.
Her crying.
Melissa leaving.
The threat.
I thought replaying it kept me prepared.
Eventually, I realized I was using evidence to keep myself angry.
The files were preserved.
The attorneys had them.
The court had them.
I did not need to watch my daughter suffer every night to prove it happened.
So I locked the drives in a safe.
Then I deleted the copies from my personal laptop.
Not the originals.
Just my easy access.
That evening, my daughter saw me closing the safe.
“What’s in there?”
“Old videos.”
“Of me?”
“Yes.”
She looked nervous.
“Bad ones?”
“Some.”
“Why keep them?”
“Because adults needed them to understand what happened.”
She nodded.
“Do I have to watch them?”
“No.”
“Ever?”
“Only if someday you want to.”
She smiled.
“I don’t.”
“Then you don’t.”
That was another choice returned to her.
I closed the safe.
May you like
The past remained evidence.
It did not need to remain entertainment for my anger.
