PART4

I looked through the glass window toward the hospital bed.

Leo was lying beneath a light blanket, with medical equipment nearby.

“He was locked inside the guest bedroom.”

Marcus didn’t answer.

“His water bowl was empty. The house was unbearably hot. He had almost nothing to eat. He was too weak to stand properly.”

“Harper, slow down.”

“I’m not slowing down, Marcus. Your son was left alone in a locked bedroom while you and Chloe went on vacation.”

“That’s impossible.”

I let out a bitter laugh.

“Then explain why I found him there.”

Marcus became quiet.

I could hear something moving in the background.

Then he said, “Chloe told me Leo was staying with her mother.”

I froze.

“What?”

“She said her mother had agreed to look after him because he wasn’t feeling well. She told me not to worry.”

I closed my eyes.

“Marcus, your son was not with her mother. He was locked inside your guest bedroom.”

“Chloe wouldn’t do that.”

I stared at the hospital wall.

I had heard those words before.

Not just from Marcus.

From nearly everyone in our family.

Chloe wouldn’t do that.

Chloe was just stressed.

Chloe was a good mother.

Chloe loved her children.

But there was a five-year-old boy in a hospital bed who had been taught that asking for water was misbehaving.

“Marcus,” I said quietly, “I found a note in the room.”

“What note?”

“Your wife’s handwriting. It said Leo wasn’t allowed to eat until he learned to listen. It also said he wasn’t allowed to call Grandma or bother you.”

I heard a sharp breath.

“Harper, don’t make accusations without knowing everything.”

“Then come to the hospital and look at your son.”

“I’m coming.”

He hung up.

I lowered my phone.

My hands were shaking.

Marcus arrived at the hospital just after 8:00 p.m.

He was still wearing the expensive resort clothes he’d worn in the family photographs.

His hair was slightly disheveled, and his face looked pale.

The moment he saw me, he hurried toward the waiting area.

“Where is he?”

“Inside.”

“Is he awake?”

“Sometimes.”

He looked through the glass.

When he saw Leo lying in the bed, he stopped.

His face changed.

For the first time in my life, I saw my older brother look completely helpless.

He stepped inside slowly.

“Leo?”

The little boy opened his eyes.

Marcus moved closer.

“Buddy, Daddy’s here.”

Leo stared at him.

Then he pulled Rex closer to his chest.

“Are you mad?”

Marcus froze.

“What?”

“Are you mad because I was bad?”

My brother’s face crumpled.

He sat on the edge of the chair beside the bed.

“No, buddy. No. Daddy isn’t mad.”

Leo looked away.

“Mommy said I made everyone tired.”

Marcus covered his mouth.

I watched him struggle to hold back tears.

“Leo, listen to me. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

The boy remained silent.

Then he asked something that made Marcus begin crying.

“Can I go home now?”

Marcus leaned forward.

“Not yet, sweetheart. The doctors need to help you get better.”

Leo nodded.

“Okay.”

A few seconds passed.

Then he whispered:

“Can I go home with Aunt Harper instead?”

Marcus lowered his head.

I turned away because I couldn’t bear to watch.

Around 9:15 p.m., two people from child protective services arrived.

They introduced themselves, explained why they had been contacted, and began documenting what had happened.

One of them spoke with me separately.

I told her everything.

The phone call.

The missing dog.

The empty bowls.

The locked bedroom.

The condition in which I’d found Leo.

I also showed her the handwritten note.

She examined it carefully.

“Do you have any idea why Chloe would leave him there?”

I hesitated.

Then I remembered the birthday dinner.

The way Leo had looked at his mother before drinking apple juice.

The way he had apologized for things that weren’t his fault.

The way Chloe had placed her hand on his shoulder and made him nod.

“I think something has been wrong for a while,” I admitted. “I just didn’t understand how serious it was.”

She wrote something down.

“Have you ever witnessed her physically hurting him?”

“No.”

“Have you heard her threaten him?”

I remembered the little voice saying, Mommy told me you wouldn’t come.

“I’ve heard her say things that made him afraid.”

The woman nodded.

“Thank you for being honest. We need to speak with his parents and assess the home environment. For now, his safety is our priority.”

Then she asked me something unexpected.

“Would you be willing to help us understand the family’s support system?”

I nodded.

“Anything.”

At 10:03 p.m., Marcus finally stepped outside to make a phone call.

I could hear his voice through the hallway.

“Chloe, answer the phone.”

A moment later, she picked up.

“What?”

“Where are you?”

“At the lodge. Why are you calling me like that?”

“Why is Leo in the hospital?”

Silence.

Then Chloe sighed.

“Oh my God. Is this about that little situation?”

I stared at Marcus.

Even from a distance, I could see his expression changing.

“What little situation?”

“Marcus, please don’t start. I told you Leo was having behavioral issues.”

“You told me he was with your mother.”

“Well, I had to tell you something because you were busy.”

Marcus closed his eyes.

“Chloe, you left our son locked in a bedroom.”

“He was being difficult!”

The words came through loudly enough for me to hear.

Marcus went completely still.

“He is five years old.”

“Don’t lecture me. You weren’t there. You have no idea what I’ve been dealing with.”

“He’s in the hospital!”

“And now everybody is acting like I’m some kind of monster!”

I watched my brother grip the phone.

“Did you leave him without food?”

Chloe didn’t answer immediately.

Then she said something I will never forget.

“He had water. He had crackers. It’s not like I left him in the wilderness.”

Marcus looked as though someone had struck him.

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long was he locked in there?”

“Marcus, I don’t know. A day or two. I had things to do.”

“A day or two?”

“He needed to understand consequences.”

Marcus lowered his voice.

“He’s our son, Chloe.”

“And I’m his mother!”

The call ended.

Marcus stood in the hallway for several seconds.

Then he turned toward me.

His eyes were red.

“Harper, I need to tell you something.”

I walked closer.

“What?”

He looked down at the floor.

“Chloe told me Leo had been acting strangely for weeks. She said he was having tantrums, refusing meals, and deliberately upsetting Maya.”

I said nothing.

“She kept telling me that he needed stricter discipline. She said she was handling it.”

“Did you ever ask Leo what was happening?”

CONTINUE FOR NEXT PART5…