Chapter 1 - THE SUNGLASSES
Margaret Morgan swung the small baton once.
It struck Emma across the upper shoulder.
Emma jerked sideways.
Her dark sunglasses flew off.
They hit the living-room floor beneath a table covered in birthday decorations.
Emma burst into tears.
Claire saw everything.
For one second, she could not move.
Then she ran.
“EMMA!”
She scooped her nine-year-old daughter into her arms.
Emma clung to her cream sweater.
Claire pushed brown hair away from Emma’s face.
That was when she saw the swollen eye.
And the small bandage near Emma’s forehead.
Claire’s breath stopped.
“What did you do to her?”
Margaret froze.
Then pointed at Emma.
“She fell.”
Claire’s voice cracked.
“DON’T LIE TO ME!”
Daniel Reed, the family photographer, stepped forward holding his camera.
Margaret’s face changed instantly.
She rushed toward him.
“Give me that.”
Daniel jerked the camera away.
“I saw what happened.”
Claire put Emma behind her.
Margaret backed up.
“Claire, listen—”
Claire slapped her.
Hard.
Margaret recoiled.
“You thought no one knew what you did?!”
The room fell silent.
Emma cried behind Claire.
Margaret touched her cheek.
Then said the worst possible thing.
“This isn’t what you think.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“I watched you hit my child.”
“The baton barely touched her.”
Claire pointed toward Emma’s swollen eye.
“What about that?”
Margaret’s face tightened.
“She fell yesterday.”
Emma whispered:
“No.”
Claire turned.
“What?”
Emma wiped her face.
“Grandma said I fell.”
Claire stared at her.
“But did you?”
Emma looked terrified.
Then her eyes shifted toward a closed cabinet beside the fireplace.
Margaret saw it too.
She lunged toward the cabinet.
Daniel moved first.
He blocked her.
Claire opened the door.
Inside was a plastic storage box.
On top sat three pairs of children’s sunglasses.
Beneath them were adhesive bandages.
Ice packs.
And a notebook.
Claire opened it.
May you like
The first page said:
EMMA — CORRECTION LOG.
