Chapter 4 - The Voice in the Dark
Sophia began to have nightmares. She would wake up screaming, calling out for help. Her therapist was excellent, but the trauma was etched into her. I felt like I was failing her every single day that Harrison remained in his office.
Then, at a parent-teacher meeting—a meeting where I intended to confront him publicly—the shift happened. I was standing at the back, heart pounding, preparing to interrupt his speech about "character building."
A little girl, no older than eight, stood up. Her name was Mia. She wasn't a girl I recognized, but the look on her face was identical to the one I saw on Sophia that night in the parking lot.
"You said it was my fault," she said, her voice shaking but audible in the silent auditorium. "You said if I told, no one would believe me because you’re a hero."
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The room went dead silent. Harrison froze, his smile faltering for a fraction of a second before he recovered with a practiced, condescending laugh. "Mia, dear, I think you’re confused."
But Mia didn't back down. She pointed to her own father. "Daddy, tell them. Tell them about the bruises."
