Chapter 5 - BEHIND THE ROSES
"Dad..." Lily hiccuped, her tiny voice cutting cleanly through the heavy silence.
Richard frowned, his gaze following the line of her trembling finger.
"What is it, baby?" he asked softly.
The wallpaper near the floor had a vertical tear, roughly three inches long, right where the drywall met the doorframe.
The paper was discolored, stained with a dark, dried moisture from the inside.
"She told me Mommy ran away," Lily whispered, her small finger shaking against the cold air.
"She said Mommy left us because we were bad."
Eleanor’s breath hitched violently in her throat. She made a sudden, frantic leap toward the corner.
"Don't look at that!" Eleanor screamed, her voice cracking into a high-pitched shriek. "It's just water damage!"
Toby kicked his leg out, catching Eleanor’s shin and sending her sprawling onto the runner rug.
Richard stood up slowly, his eyes locked on the tear in the wall.
May you like
He reached out his hand, his fingers catching the edge of the peeling floral paper.
With one hard, violent yank, he tore a wide strip of beige roses off the drywall.
