“I feel weird.”
“It helps you relax.”
My entire body went cold.
Then Mark said something that changed everything.
“If Mommy finds out, she’ll ruin our family.”
I stopped breathing.
Sophie looked terrified.
Mark gently touched her cheek.
“Do you want Mommy to hate you?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Then be a good girl.”
I pulled out my phone.
And called 911.
My voice barely worked.
“I think my husband is hurting my daughter.”
The dispatcher immediately started asking questions.
I couldn’t stop shaking.
While I whispered answers into the phone, I kept watching through the crack in the door.
Mark handed Sophie the cup.
She took a tiny sip.
Then another.
Within seconds, she started looking sleepy.
That was when the dispatcher said words I will never forget.
“Police are on the way. Do not confront him alone.”
But I already had.
The bathroom floor creaked under my foot.
Mark’s head snapped toward the door.
For one horrifying second, we just stared at each other.
Then his entire expression changed.
Not guilt.
Not fear.
Anger.
Cold, terrifying anger.
“What are you doing?” he asked quietly.
I shoved the bathroom door open.
“What did you give her?”
His face immediately softened into fake confusion.
“Medicine.”
“Sophie isn’t sick.”
“She was anxious.”
“Why is there a timer?”
He stood slowly.
“Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.”
Sophie started crying harder.
Mark glanced toward her.
“See what you’re doing?” he snapped. “You’re scaring her.”
Something about how quickly he turned the blame on me made my skin crawl.
I moved toward Sophie.
