Chapter 5 - The Incidents That Never Happened
The folder contained twelve reports.
Each one described Rebecca as angry, unstable, or physically intimidating.
One claimed she slammed Derek against a wall after returning from training.
Another claimed she screamed at Lily for spilling milk.
A third described Rebecca cleaning a firearm at the kitchen table while threatening to “take control of the family.”
None of it had happened.
Several reports included dates when Rebecca was not even in Ohio.
Claire compared one date with Rebecca’s military travel orders.
“You were in Virginia.”
“Yes.”
“Then this is provably false.”
The reports were written in Derek’s voice, but formatted like professional counseling notes.
At the bottom of each page appeared the initials E.M.
Dr. Evan Mercer.
Rebecca called the number listed online.
A receptionist confirmed Derek had attended three consultations.
Rebecca’s name appeared in the file.
So did Lily’s.
But neither had ever been examined.
Claire ended the call.
“He may be feeding fabricated information to an expert before filing.”
Rebecca felt something colder than anger.
Derek was not merely planning to leave.
He intended to make her look dangerous enough to lose unsupervised contact with Lily.
The investigator discovered audio files on a desktop computer.
One began with Derek’s voice.
“Lily, tell the camera what Mommy does when she gets angry.”
Lily cried in the background.
“I want Mommy.”
Derek repeated the question.
When Lily refused, Mason’s voice entered.
“Tell her the judge needs an answer.”
Rebecca stopped the recording.
Her hands shook.
Claire placed a hand on the desk.
“We preserve this exactly as it is.”
A car pulled into the driveway.
Derek had returned.
He walked inside smiling.
Then he saw Claire, the investigator, and the opened folder.
His smile vanished.
“You had no right to enter my office.”
Rebecca stepped between him and the hallway.
“You put a camera in our daughter’s bedroom.”
Derek looked past her toward the empty toy shelf.
May you like
Then he said quietly, “You just destroyed your own case.”
👉 Derek claimed Rebecca had illegally altered evidence—but Lily had hidden one detail that proved he expected her mother to find it.
