She looked between us. I forced a nod. She slipped off her chair and hurried away, confused but trusting.
Daniel stood, reached into his jacket, and pulled out his phone.
He tapped once, then looked directly at Lydia.
“Go ahead,” he said evenly. “Say it again.”
Lydia crossed her arms. “I said Emily cheated on you. And Mia isn’t your biological daughter.”
Daniel gave a small nod, like she’d just confirmed something ordinary. Then he tapped his phone again—and the dining room television flickered on.
“What are you doing?” Carol asked nervously.
“Finishing this,” he replied.
The screen showed security footage from earlier that evening. The timestamp read just before dinner. Lydia stood near the windows with Carol.
Her voice came through clearly:
“Once I say Mia isn’t his, Emily will fall apart. Daniel will take the high road and leave with her. That’s better than Dad changing the trust tomorrow.”
Carol’s voice followed, hesitant but unmistakable. “And the lab report?”
“I made it look real,” Lydia said. “He won’t know the difference in the middle of dinner.”
The air drained from the room.
My father-in-law jerked upright. “What lab report?”
Lydia’s face went pale. “That’s not—”