Chapter 2 - The Woman Who Wasn't Supposed to Be There
Evelyn slowly stepped into the kitchen.
She looked perfectly composed.
Her gray hair was neatly pinned back.
Her sweater was spotless.
Her hands were folded in front of her.
If I hadn't just pulled my daughter from a freezer, I might have mistaken her for the calm grandmother she pretended to be.
"What happened?" she asked.
I stood between her and Lily.
"You tell me."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
I pointed toward the garage.
"You locked my daughter in that freezer."
Evelyn's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
"She was misbehaving."
I couldn't believe what I'd heard.
"She's seven."
"Exactly."
"She could have died."
"Don't exaggerate."
My hands curled into fists.
"Exaggerate?"
Lily whimpered behind me.
Evelyn looked at her.
"See?"
She shook her head.
"She's always been dramatic."
Something snapped inside me.
"You will not call my daughter dramatic."
Evelyn sighed.
"You weren't supposed to come tonight."
The sentence stopped me.
"What did you say?"
"I said you weren't supposed to come tonight."
There it was.
Not denial.
Not confusion.
A confession disguised as annoyance.
I pulled out my phone.
"I'm calling the police."
Evelyn's face went pale.
"Don't."
"Why?"
"Because you'll destroy this family."
I stared at her.
"You already did."
She stepped closer.
"Listen to me. Lily is safe."
"She was inside a freezer."
"She wasn't going to be hurt."
"She was blue."
Evelyn looked away.
That was enough.
I called 911.
While I spoke to the dispatcher, Evelyn tried to take the phone from my hand.
I moved away.
"Sir, is the child conscious?"
"Yes."
"Is she breathing normally?"
"Yes, but she's extremely cold."
"Stay with her. Emergency personnel are on the way."
I sat beside Lily.
She wouldn't let go of my hand.
Evelyn stood across the kitchen.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then the front door opened.
Taylor walked in.
She stopped when she saw me.
Then she saw Lily.
Her face drained of color.
"Oh my God."
She rushed toward her daughter.
Lily immediately pulled closer to me.
Taylor stopped.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Lily?"
Lily stared at her.
"Mommy..."
Taylor looked at me.
"What happened?"
I laughed bitterly.
"You tell me."
Her eyes moved toward the garage.
She understood.
"Mom..."
Evelyn interrupted.
"Taylor, don't say anything."
I turned toward her.
"That's good advice."
Taylor looked confused.
"What's happening?"
I said, "I found Lily inside the freezer."
Taylor covered her mouth.
"No."
"Yes."
"I didn't know."
Lily suddenly spoke.
"You did."
Taylor froze.
"What?"
"You knew Grandma put me there."
Taylor looked like someone had punched her.
"Lily..."
"You knew."
Tears rolled down Taylor's cheeks.
"I didn't know she did it tonight."
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
"Tonight?"
Taylor closed her eyes.
That single word told me everything.
"You knew."
She began crying.
"I knew Mom was punishing her."
"Punishing her?"
"I thought she was just making her sit in the garage."
"You thought?"
Taylor shook her head.
"I didn't know about the freezer."
I looked at Lily.
"How many times?"
Taylor didn't answer.
Lily did.
"Three."
Taylor covered her face.
The sirens became louder outside.
Evelyn whispered, "Taylor, you need to think about what you're doing."
Taylor lowered her hands.
"No."
Her voice was shaking.
"But I'm done thinking about what you want."
Evelyn stared at her.
"You ungrateful girl."
Taylor flinched.
I stepped closer.
"Don't."
Evelyn looked at me.
"This is none of your business anymore."
I pointed toward Lily.
"She's my daughter."
"You gave up the right to interfere when you signed the divorce papers."
"No."
I stared directly into her eyes.
"I gave up being your son-in-law."
I glanced at Lily.
"I never gave up being her father."
The police arrived minutes later.
Paramedics checked Lily.
Her temperature was dangerously low but improving.
One officer asked me what happened.
I told him everything.
Then he asked Lily.
She looked at me.
I squeezed her hand.
"You can tell the truth."
She nodded.
"Grandma put me in the freezer."
The officer crouched down.
"Why?"
"She said I was bad."
"How long?"
"I don't know."
"Has this happened before?"
Lily nodded.
"How many times?"
"Three."
The officer looked at his partner.
Then he asked a question that made Taylor begin sobbing.
"Where was your mother when this happened?"
Lily looked at Taylor.
"Mommy was upstairs."
Taylor broke down.
I wanted to hate her.
Part of me did.
But looking at her face, I realized something.
She wasn't defending Evelyn anymore.
She was terrified.
And then she whispered something only I could hear.
"There's something else you need to know."
I stared at her.
"What?"
Taylor looked toward Evelyn.
"Mom has been keeping records about Lily."
"Records?"
Taylor nodded.
"I found a notebook."
"Where?"
"In her bedroom."
Before I could ask another question, Evelyn screamed.
"Don't you dare!"
Every officer turned toward her.
And suddenly, I understood.
May you like
The freezer wasn't the worst thing I'd discover that night.
It was only the beginning.
