“I’ve been telling Daniel he should consider divorce,” she said in the recording. “If he starts fresh, maybe his next child will actually succeed.”

The room fell silent.

Then the video cut to Lily sitting at her desk.

“My grandma taught me many things,” she said in the recording. “She taught me that words can hurt people. She taught me that sometimes bullies are adults.”

She held up her tablet.

“So I started recording whenever I felt sad. My teacher said evidence is important when you stand up for yourself.”

The video ended.

Margaret’s face had turned completely white.

“This is an invasion of privacy!” she shouted.

Before I could respond, Daniel stepped forward.

For the first time in our marriage, his voice didn’t shake.

“Mom,” he said firmly, “you’ve been hurting my wife and daughter for years. I just didn’t want to see it.”

Margaret looked stunned.

“You’re taking their side?”

“I’m taking the side of my family,” he replied.

She grabbed her purse and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then one of the parents cleared his throat.

“Well… I happen to have a backup cake in my car.”