For years, my stepfather kept my twin sister and me living in constant fear, as though our suffering was the only thing that satisfied him. One night, after beating us until we both lost consciousness, he carried us into the emergency room while my mother quietly told the doctors, “They just fell down the stairs.”

“Tell them Chloe attacked you. I’ll forgive you.”

Detective Martin looked at me.

“Would you like to answer him?”

I nodded.

She opened the examination-room door just enough for me to see him while an officer remained standing between us.

“There you are,” Edric said with the same smile he’d worn before every beating. “Be smart. Tell them the truth.”

I met his eyes without looking away.

“I am.”

He frowned.

“The truth?”

“I started telling it three months ago.”

His smile slowly disappeared.

“What?”

“Every word you’ve spoken. Every threat. Every plan.”

Then I looked at Detective Martin.

“They already have all of it.”

The color drained from Edric’s face so quickly it was almost frightening to watch. Behind him, our mother stumbled backward in disbelief.

“You… you recorded us?”

Chloe slowly pushed herself upright despite the nurse’s protests and looked directly at our mother.