As Mark drove back, his mind raced with painful memories from recent weeks.
He remembered finding tiny bruises on Lily's wrists a month prior.
Vanessa had quickly claimed that Lily fell off the playground swings at the park.
Vanessa: You know how clumsy young kids can be when they run fast.
Mark had accepted that simple excuse without asking any further questions.
He felt a crushing guilt knowing he had failed to protect his only daughter.
He parked his car quietly in the driveway so no one would hear him arrive.
He stepped onto the porch, his heart pounding heavily against his chest.
Through the side window, he could hear harsh shouting coming from the kitchen.
Vanessa: You are a spoiled little girl who ruins everything in this house!
Lily: Mommy, no! Please stop yelling at me!
The word mommy broke Mark's heart into a thousand sharp pieces.
Lily was calling out for the mother she had lost two years ago.
Mark gripped the door handle with white knuckles, fighting to stay composed.
He needed to make sure he recorded enough evidence before stepping inside.
He checked his phone again to confirm the live stream was recording directly to the cloud.
Every word and action was being saved safely on a secure server.
This evidence would ensure Vanessa could never claim she was innocent.
Vanessa: Go to the laundry room right now and do not come out until I say so!
Lily: It is dark in there, please do not lock the door!
Mark could not wait another single second listening to his child beg for mercy.
He unlocked the front door and pushed it open with sudden force.