With Emma’s bag packed and a plan in place, I still had to face the inevitable confrontation with Richard and his wife. My heart pounded as I dialed their number, my fingers trembling. It was Richard who answered.

“Hello?” His voice was calm, oblivious to the storm about to break.

“It’s me,” I said, my voice colder than I intended. “We need to talk about what happened with Emma.”

There was a pause, and then his tone shifted, defensive. “What do you mean? We take good care of her.”

I felt my anger flare. “I heard everything, Richard. I know what you said to her.”