Chapter 4I Saw Your Secret Stream

I forced myself to breathe. I couldn't stay here. If I confronted him now, trapped in this house with him, I didn't know what he would do.

Daisy blinked her big, innocent eyes at me from her bassinet. I had to protect her.

I didn't reply to his text. I threw a few essentials into a diaper bag, grabbed my daughter, and practically ran out the door.

As I drove, my phone didn't stop buzzing.

“Naomi? Why is the camera offline? Did something happen?”

“Where are you, Naomi?”

“Naomi, stop playing games. I have people coming over tonight. Everything needs to be perfect!”

By the time I pulled into my sister's driveway, he sounded frantic. I ignored the calls, setting my phone to "Do Not Disturb."

When Megan opened the door, I broke down. I sobbed into her shoulder while she ushered me inside and took the baby. I told her everything—the camera, the chat, the "guests."

She looked stunned, her expression shifting through a kaleidoscope of emotions. "Naomi... are you sure? Could they just be... I don't know, talking big? Men say stupid things online."

I shook my head violently. "I saw the link, Megan! I saw the live feed of our room! He’s been selling me!"

She held Daisy tight, her face hardening. "That animal. I always thought he was too good to be true, but this? This is sick. We should go to the police. Right now."

"I can't," I whispered, burying my face in my hands. "What if he denies it? What if he’s deleted it all by the time they get there?"

She looked at me intently. "Are you going to leave him? You have to divorce him, Naomi. He’s dangerous."

I looked at my one-month-old daughter and felt a wave of crushing exhaustion. "I don't know what to do, Meg. I just need to think. Can I stay here for a bit? Just to clear my head?"

She smiled warmly, though her eyes remained dark. "Of course. Stay as long as you need. You look like a wreck, Naomi. Your voice is hoarse. Here, drink some water."

I took the glass and drained it. As the cool water hit my throat, I started to calm down.

I looked around Megan’s living room. I noticed a few things that hadn't been there before—some men’s shoes by the door, a leather belt draped over the sofa. It looked strangely familiar.

Megan noticed my gaze and quickly tucked the belt behind a cushion, her cheeks flushing.

"Is there someone new in your life?" I asked, trying to find a moment of normalcy. "I don't want to be in the way if you have company."

She took the baby, looking shy. "It’s a recent thing. Don't worry about it, Naomi. You’re my sister. You come first." She coughed, looking away. "You look exhausted. Go lie down in the guest room. I’ll watch the baby."

I nodded, my head starting to feel heavy.

Megan was my cousin, but we had grown up like sisters. She was the only family I had in this city. She had always been there for me, and she adored Daisy. She’d even joked about being the godmother.

She’d never really liked David, though. She said he gave her "bad vibes." I used to think they just had different personalities, but now I realized she’d been right all along.

I felt safe here. David didn't have Megan’s new address; we had just moved her in a few months ago.

I walked into the guest room, but as I moved, a wave of dizziness hit me. My surroundings began to blur. The room felt like it was underwater.

I heard Megan talking to someone in the hallway. I tried to call out to her, to ask why I felt so strange, but my tongue felt like lead.

Then I heard the front door unlock. Footsteps—multiple sets.

Megan’s voice dropped into a tone I had never heard before—subservient, eager.

"She's out, David. The sedative I put in her water was a heavy dose. She won't remember a thing when she wakes up."

My blood turned to ice. I tried to sit up, but the world went black just as the bedroom door swung open.