With trembling hands and a racing heart, I unlocked the phone. Lila had always been curious, constantly asking questions, but I never imagined her curiosity would stretch into the realm of something like this. On the screen was a string of messages, dates, and times that didn’t immediately make sense to me. But Lila, with the patience of a sage, began explaining.
“Mom, remember when you showed me how to use the calendar and reminders?” she asked, her voice still calm. I nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. “Well, I started keeping track of things… you know, like when Aunt Ashley would come over and when she’d ask you for money.”
Each message was a note she’d made when Ashley had asked for financial help, each reminder marking a time Ashley had promised to pay back. Slowly, a pattern emerged. But it wasn’t just the notes. Lila had recorded a few conversations between Ashley and Jake, unaware of what she was capturing but sensing their unusual behavior.
