“Look at her!” Susan hissed, stepping into the hallway like a guard dog. “Finally showed up.”
“Good evening to you too!” Emily smiled brightly, deciding to ignore the older woman’s theatrics.
“Where’ve you been?” Susan pressed, narrowing her eyes.
“At work,” Emily replied cheerfully, breezing past her.
“At work, huh?”
At that moment, James wheeled his chair into the hallway, his face twisted in its usual mask of displeasure. “Did you buy the caviar?” he grumbled, skipping pleasantries.
“No,” Emily shook her head. Honestly, she’d completely forgotten about his ridiculous request in the wake of her conversation with Ethan.
“You little…” Susan snapped, stepping toward her daughter-in-law aggressively. “The one time your husband asks for something special.”
“And?” Emily raised an eyebrow, her patience evaporating. “Didn’t buy it?”
She tried to stay calm, remembering she needed to play the long game to find the dashcam. “Maybe because I don’t have extra money? Ever think of that?”
“You were tutoring yesterday,” James reminded her sharply. “You should have money.”
“So?” Emily shrugged. “That money went to the internet bill.”
“You’re on the computer all day,” she added pointedly.
“You’re blaming me for that?” James fumed, gripping the wheels of his chair. “If it weren’t for you…”
“Oh, I know,” Emily cut him off sharply, her voice hard. “If not for me, you’d be healthy. Let me remind you, I wasn’t driving—you were. You’re responsible for the accident.”
“Who asked you to pick you up?” Susan shouted, refusing to back down.
“I did,” Emily smiled coldly. “But only because I bought stuff for the holiday dinner. No need for that now. We were going shopping together that weekend anyway.”
“They say initiative punishes the initiator,” Susan sneered. “That’s how you talk now? Why so bold all of a sudden?”
“I saw her with a guy tonight near her school,” Michael said, stepping out of his room and leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. “She was chatting with him so sweetly, like lovebirds.”
“You know who it was?” James asked, his eyes darkening with jealousy as he eyed his wife.
He saw a flicker of fear in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself. James thought he’d imagined it.
“No,” Michael shook his head. “I saw him from behind.”
“You wretch,” Susan pointed a shaking finger at Emily’s chest.
“I’d advise you not to do that again,” Emily warned, slapping the finger away.
“You’re threatening me? In my own home?” Susan was stunned by her audacity. “You put my son in a wheelchair and now have a lover, and you dare talk to me like that?”
“I will,” Emily said calmly, standing tall. “First, your son put himself in that situation by driving. Second, that man was a student’s father asking about his son’s progress. Any more questions?”
“Not yet,” Susan shook her head, thrown off balance by Emily’s unexpected spine. Emily had never acted like this before.
“If there aren’t, I’m taking a shower and resting.” Emily was amazed at her own boldness. She headed to the bathroom, leaving the family stunned in the hallway.
“And one more thing,” she turned back just before the door. “If I hear one more reproach, I’m leaving this apartment for good, and I’ll take my financial support with me. Got it?”
“Yes,” James nodded, looking genuinely alarmed at the threat to his wallet.
Pleased, Emily locked herself in the bathroom. She turned on the shower to create noise, then started frantically searching the shelves and cabinets for the dashcam or a stray memory card. She moved bottles of shampoo, checked inside empty boxes, but found nothing.
“You didn’t think it’d be that easy,” she whispered to her reflection in the mirror. “Fine, keep looking.”
After showering, Emily stepped out, wrapping her robe tighter. As she passed the living room, she heard hushed voices.
“You need to rein her in,” Susan whispered urgently to James. “Or we’re in trouble.”
“Mom, what can I do?” James threw up his hands in exasperation. “If I push her, she’ll pack up and leave.”
“Then what’ll we live on? Don’t count on me,” Michael warned from the corner. “I’m not supporting you.”
“See?” Susan sighed, wringing her hands. “James, we need to do something.”
“Calm down,” James snapped at his mother. “Emily will cool off, and things will go back to normal.”
“What if she knows the truth?” Susan asked, her voice laced with horror.
“Quiet,” James hushed her aggressively. “Even if she doesn’t, hearing you scream about it will make her suspect we’re hiding something.”
Emily pressed herself against the wall in the shadowy hallway, holding her breath to stay unnoticed. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she listened closely.
“By the way, Mom, did you hide what I gave you?” James asked, his voice dropping lower.
“You already asked,” Susan replied irritably. “I told you yes, stop asking.”
“Emily won’t stumble on it?” James pressed, sounding paranoid.
“What’s she doing in my room?” Susan sounded surprised. “Even if she looks, she won’t find anything.”
“Good,” James relaxed, then sighed heavily. “Man, I’m starving!”
“Your wife’s out of the shower soon; tell her,” Michael smirked. “She lives here for free and still acts up.”
“Stay out of my marriage,” James advised him. “Get married first, then boss your wife around.”
“James is right,” Susan sided with her younger son. “If Emily leaves, what’ll we live on?”
“You’ve got a pension,” Michael scoffed. “And James can get disability.”
“Stop mocking,” James snapped. “You know I can’t get benefits.”
“Why’s that?” Emily wondered to herself, her brow furrowing in the dark hallway. This gets more interesting by the hour.
“I can’t spend my pension now,” Susan argued. “You know I’m saving for a Europe trip.”
Unbelievable! Emily thought, outraged. I’m dragging James and his dysfunctional family along out of guilt, working myself to the bone, and now this. Her husband couldn’t get disability for some mysterious reason, Susan was hoarding her pension for a European vacation, and Michael refused to contribute a dime.
Emily sighed silently. What a fool I am!
She walked loudly to the bathroom door, opened it, and slammed it shut to announce her presence. She pretended she’d just finished showering. Passing Susan’s room, she glanced at James and his family, who instantly fell silent.
“I’m going to bed,” she announced coldly. “I’ve got work tomorrow, plus two lessons. So, I hope it’ll be quiet here for once.”
“Of course!” Susan agreed with a fake, tight smile.
Emily entered the room she shared with James. She desperately wanted to lock the door and keep him out, but she couldn’t—not yet. Once she uncovered what James was hiding, then she’d say and do everything she wanted.
Alone in the dark, Emily thought about how to get the apartment to herself to search Susan’s room undisturbed. She hoped the item they discussed was the dashcam. But she couldn’t sleep, her mind puzzling over the strange comment: Why couldn’t James get disability?
Rising early, Emily showered quickly and slipped out of the apartment without breakfast. She wanted to avoid James and his toxic family at all costs. The air in that house felt heavy, suffocating her with every breath. To shed the burden of the Johnson family, she needed to find the dashcam or its memory card. That was her ticket to freedom.
Emily could have ignored Ethan’s plea and simply filed for divorce, but that would mean losing the chance to find the evidence against James. She couldn’t do that. She needed the truth. She needed to know exactly how deep her husband’s deception went.
At the school, Emily made a beeline for the studio of Sarah, the violin teacher and her closest friend for over thirteen years.
“Hey, friend,” Emily managed a weak smile as she pushed open the heavy soundproof door. Sarah was a lifeline in Emily’s chaotic existence. She always listened, gave sharp advice, and supported her when the world seemed to be crumbling.
“Hi!” Sarah’s face lit up. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please,” Emily nodded, dropping her bag onto a chair. She desperately needed a sip of hot caffeine. Skipping breakfast, she’d stopped by a bakery for Sarah’s favorite pastries, placing the white box on the desk.
“Emily, you okay?” Sarah asked, her tone shifting to concern as she eyed her friend’s pale face. She turned on the electric kettle.
“Not really,” Emily sighed, sinking into a chair. She needed to unburden herself. But a small part of her feared Sarah would judge her for being weak. Sarah had always scolded Emily for bending over backwards for James and his leeching family.
“Don’t you see they’re using you?” Sarah would often fume, pacing her studio. “Blatantly and shamelessly.”
“I know,” Emily would defend herself weakly. “I just feel guilty for what happened to James. It’s my penance.”
“Sorry, but I don’t get you,” Sarah would usually end the conversation there, knowing she couldn’t sway her stubborn friend. “Someday, you’ll see how wrong you were to blame yourself.”
Today was different. Today, Emily realized Sarah had been right all along.
“Sarah, I have so much to tell you,” Emily said, her voice trembling.
“I’m all ears,” Sarah replied, setting two mugs of fragrant, steaming coffee on the table.
Emily recounted everything from the past twenty-four hours: the encounter with Ethan, the revelation about the accident, James’s suspicious behavior, and the conversation she’d overheard regarding disability benefits.
Sarah listened intently, sipping her coffee, her eyes narrowing as the story unfolded. When Emily finished, silence hung in the room for a moment.
“Now I’m at a loss about where to find the dashcam and why James can’t get disability,” Emily finished, tracing the rim of her mug.
“I’ve got a theory about your husband,” Sarah said thoughtfully, leaning forward.
“What?” Emily asked eagerly.
“I think he recovered from the accident long ago,” Sarah stated flatly.
“And he’s walking fine now?” Emily blinked, trying to process the absurdity of the suggestion.
“If so, why’s he pretending with me?” This hadn’t crossed Emily’s mind. It seemed too sociopathic, even for James.
“There’s a lot of reasons,” Sarah shrugged. “Remember, before the accident, James complained constantly about hating his job and wanting to quit?”
“Yeah, vaguely,” Emily said, furrowing her brow. “We fought about it because, in three years of marriage, James changed jobs seven times.”
“Right, and you pressured him to stay because you needed stability,” Sarah nodded. “This way, he can quit his hated job and live off you guilt-free.”
“God, I’m such an idiot,” Emily whispered, burying her face in her hands. “When James quit, it never occurred to me he did it willingly. He said they forced him out because they didn’t need a disabled employee.”
“Emily, stop beating yourself up,” Sarah stood and walked over, taking her friend’s hand firmly. “Your mind was on other problems. The Johnsons took advantage of that. The good thing is you’ve realized it now.”
“I never thought I’d thank Ethan for this,” Emily chuckled darkly. “I blamed him for my troubles, but it turns out he opened my eyes.”
“Find that dashcam, and you’ll be even,” Sarah smiled.
“If only I knew where to look,” Emily sighed. “Plus, it’s in Susan’s room, and she’s always home like a guard dog. Searching with her there is dumb. We need to lure her and James out.”
“At least Michael’s at work during the day, so fewer issues with him,” Sarah mused.
“True,” Emily shuddered involuntarily. She recalled the way Michael had been looking at her lately—a cold, predatory stare that made her skin crawl.
“Okay, friend, let’s work,” Sarah sighed, glancing at the clock. “We’ve got evaluations soon.”
“Right,” Emily groaned. She had completely forgotten about preparing for her qualification review. Family drama had consumed her entire brain.