Mark walked back into the entry hall where Evelyn stood near the stairs.
The air in the room felt thick with extreme tension and rising anger.
Mark: How long have you been doing this to my daughter behind my back?
Evelyn: This was the very first time I ever did anything like that!
Lily spoke up softly from under her warm blanket on the sofa.
Lily: She locked me in the closet yesterday when you went grocery shopping.
Mark felt a wave of icy cold anger sweep through his body instantly.
He stared at Evelyn as if he was looking at a total stranger.
They had been married for only two years after Lily's mother passed away.
He had trusted Evelyn completely to care for his precious little girl.
Mark: You lied to me every single time I asked about her behavior.
Evelyn: She is difficult to manage when you are not around here!
Mark: She is six years old and she trusts adults to protect her!
Evelyn: I was overwhelmed with taking care of this big house alone!
Mark: That is no excuse for putting a child in danger ever!
Evelyn stepped closer and tried to touch Mark's shoulder gently.
Mark stepped back immediately and pushed her hand away with cold force.
Mark: Do not touch me after what you just did to Lily today.
Evelyn: Mark, we are family and we can solve this together quietly.
Mark: We are not solving anything together after what I saw today.
Evelyn's tone shifted from nervous tears to a cold bitter edge.
Evelyn: You cannot prove anything happened here without any real evidence!
Mark: I saw my daughter locked inside that silver trunk myself!
Evelyn: Nobody else was here to see what happened in this house!
Mark pulled his smartphone out from his inner coat pocket slowly.
He tapped the screen to reveal a live security camera app interface.
Mark: I installed new motion cameras in the hallway last week Evelyn.
Evelyn's face instantly went completely white when she saw the screen.
Evelyn: You put hidden cameras inside our home without telling me?
Mark: I put them up for home security while I travel for work.
The video clearly showed Evelyn putting Lily into the trunk earlier.
Mark: Everything you did was recorded in full high definition footage.