Chapter 6: The Witness Who Knew Too Much
I stared at the message until my screen went dark.
Nobody spoke.
Dad was the first to move.
“Give me the phone.””
I handed it to him.
His eyes scanned the message.
Then the photo.
His expression changed.
“Where did this come from?””
“I don’t know.””
He looked at Mia.
“Did you send this?””
She shook her head immediately.
“No.””
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
For once, I believed her.
Because Mia looked just as scared as I felt.
Dad placed the phone on the table.
“This means someone was in the house.””
Mom covered her mouth.
“What?””
“The picture was taken before I came home.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
Someone had stood in my room.
Someone had watched my sister destroy my dress.
Someone had watched me beg for help.
And they had done nothing.
“Who knew?””
Dad asked.
Nobody answered.
Then Mia slowly raised her hand.
“I might know.””
Everyone turned.
She looked nervous.
“There was someone who knew about the dress.””
“Who?””
She hesitated.
“Ethan.””
I frowned.
“Ethan?””
My sister nodded.
“Your friend?””
I stared at her.
“Why would Ethan know?””
Mia looked down.
“Because I told him.””
My stomach tightened.
“You told him?””
She nodded.
“I was angry.””
“When?””
“Two days ago.””
I couldn’t believe this.
“So you talked about ruining my dress?””
“No.””
She shook her head quickly.
“I complained about you.””
“That’s different?””
“I didn’t think he would do anything.””
Dad stepped closer.
“Who is Ethan?””
I answered quietly.
“He’s someone from school.””
Dad looked at Mia.
“Why would he have access to the house?””
“He doesn’t.””
I looked at the photo again.
“Then how was this taken?””
Nobody knew.
Until Dad noticed something.
He zoomed in.
The edge of the picture showed something behind the dress.
A reflection.
A mirror.
And in that reflection…
A person.
Standing in the doorway.
I felt my blood run cold.
“Dad.””
He looked closer.
Nobody spoke.
The image was blurry.
But there was enough to see.
Someone had been there.
Watching.
Mom stepped closer.
“Can you tell who it is?””
Dad shook his head.
“No.””
Then Mia whispered:
“I can.””
Everyone looked at her.
Her face had gone completely white.
“That’s not Ethan.””
“Then who?””
She looked at the picture.
And barely said the words.
“It’s someone who works in this house.””
I felt my heart stop.
“What?””
Mia looked at Mom.
Then Dad.
“I saw them before.””
Dad’s expression hardened.
“Who?””
Mia hesitated.
Then she whispered a name.
A name that made my mother immediately sit down.
Because she knew it too.
“Rachel.””
I frowned.
“Rachel?””
Mom looked away.
Dad noticed.
“Sarah.””
My mother didn’t answer.
“Who is Rachel?””
Nobody spoke.
Then Mom quietly said:
“She used to help us around the house.””
“Used to?””
Dad looked confused.
“She left six months ago.””
I remembered.
The timing.
Six months.
The exact time my problems started.
The exact time my scholarship emails disappeared.
The exact time my important documents began going missing.
Dad looked at the computer again.
Then at the message.
Then at the photo.
“Why would she do this?””
No one knew.
But then my phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time there was no photo.
Only a sentence.
*Ask your mother why Rachel left.*
I looked at Mom.
She looked terrified.
Not confused.
Not surprised.
Terrified.
And that was when I knew.
My family hadn’t just hidden Mia’s secrets from me.
They had hidden someone else’s too.
Someone who had been inside our home.
May you like
Someone who knew exactly how to destroy my future.
And someone who was still watching.