Emma's POV

The house felt emptier than usual.

Mornings were always like this after Jeff and the twins left, eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the ticking of the clock in the kitchen.

I finished brushing my hair, then reached for my blazer, slipping it on and smoothing the fabric as I glanced at my reflection in the full-length mirror.

My eyes lingered on my face, tracing the faint lines that stress had started to etch there. A few days had passed since the confrontation with my parents, but their words and Jeff’s disapproval, still weighed heavily on me.

I know Jeff and I had a conversation about what had gone down that night, it still bothered me that he wasn't on my side to begin with. He had chosen to defend my parents first and that didn't sit well with me at the slightest bit. 

With a sigh, I reached for my phone on the bedside table. As I unlocked it to check the time, the screen lit up with an incoming call from an unknown number.

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the green button. For the longest time, I had always been weary about receiving calls from strange numbers.

I stared at my phone, still wondering who it could be, Telemarketer? Wrong number? Against my better judgment, I swiped to answer.

“Hello?” I said cautiously.

There was no response.

“Hello? Who is this?” My voice was firmer now, tinged with irritation.

The silence on the other end felt deliberate, almost calculated.

“Look, if you’re not going to say anything, I’m hanging up.” I snapped, already feeling my annoyance bubbling over.

The line went dead without a sound, leaving me staring at the phone in confusion.

“Okay… weird.” I muttered under my breath, brushing it off as a prank or mistake. Shaking my head, I tossed the phone into my bag and grabbed my keys.

By the time I arrived at the office, the usual hum of activity had already taken over. Phones were ringing, papers shuffled across desks, and muted conversations filled the air. It was oddly comforting, this predictable chaos.

“Morning Emma.” Claire, one of my coworkers, called out from her desk as I passed by.

“Morning.” I replied, forcing a smile.

“Looking sharp today.” She remarked with a wink, “Big presentation or just feeling fancy?”

“Neither,” I said with a shrug, “Just figured I’d make an effort for once.”

“Well, you’re making the rest of us look bad.” She teased, earning a small laugh from me.

“Coffee later?” She asked before I sat down at my desk. 

“Definitely.” I replied, already looking forward to our usual midday catch-up.

I settled into my desk, powering up my computer and diving into the mountain of emails that had piled up overnight. The hours ticked by as I immersed myself in spreadsheets and meeting notes, grateful for the distraction.

Around noon, Claire popped her head into my office, “Lunch break?”

“God yes, it was taking forever.” I said, pushing back my chair, “I need to step away from this screen before my eyes start bleeding.”

She laughed, “Let’s go.”

We headed to the cafeteria, finding a quiet corner to eat. Claire chatted animatedly about her weekend plans, but my mind kept wandering back to the strange call from earlier.

“Earth to Emma.” Claire said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

“Sorry,” I said with an apologetic smile, “What were you saying?”

“I was asking if everything’s okay, you seem distracted.”

“I’m fine,” I lied, not wanting to dive into the morning’s bizarre event, “Just a lot on my mind.”

Claire gave me a knowing look but didn’t press further.

As we ate, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced down, my stomach tightening when I saw the same unknown number.

“You going to answer that?” Claire asked, noticing my hesitation.

I debated for a moment, then picked it up and swiped to answer, “Hello?”

Silence.

“Okay seriously, who is this?” I demanded, my voice sharp.

Still nothing.

“Look, if this is some kind of joke…”

The call disconnected, just like it had that morning. I stared at the phone, unease creeping into my chest.

“Prank call?” Claire asked, frowning.

“Probably,” I said, trying to sound casual, “Just weird.”

“Weird is an understatement.” She said, shaking her head, “If it happens again, maybe block the number.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” I said, though I wasn’t entirely convinced that would be the end of it.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, though I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. By the time I started packing up for the day, I was more than ready to put it all behind me and head home.

Just as I was about to leave, my phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn’t a call, it was a text.

Unknown Number: Hi.

I stared at the message, my heart pounding. Taking a deep breath, I typed back: 

Who is this?

A response came almost immediately:

Don’t you want to know about your accident?

My breath caught. My accident?

What are you talking about?

I typed, my hands trembling slightly.

It wasn’t an accident. 

The words seemed to leap off the screen, sending a chill down my spine.

What do you mean it wasn’t an accident? Who are you?

There was a long pause before the next message came through: Ask Jeff.

My chest tightened. Ask Jeff? What did Jeff have to do with this?

What does Jeff have to do with anything?

I typed, my fingers flying over the keyboard.

No response.

For several minutes, I stared at the screen, willing another message to come through, but it stayed silent, my thoughts raced, questions swirling with no answers.

The accident had been months ago, a blur of twisted metal and hospital rooms. Jeff had been the one to explain what happened when I woke up, and I’d trusted him without question.

Had he lied to me?

Before I could spiral further, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. The same number.

I hesitated for a moment before answering, “Who is this? What do you want from me?”

There was a pause, then a distorted voice spoke, “You deserve the truth Emma.”

“What truth? About my accident?”

“Yes.”

“What are you talking about? Just tell me.” I demanded, frustration lacing my tone.

“You’re asking the wrong questions.” The voice said cryptically.

“What does that even mean?”

“Ask Jeff what really happened, there's a lot he's not telling you.” The voice said, then the call abruptly ended.

I sat there, staring at the phone in stunned silence, my mind reeling. What had Jeff been hiding from me? Why now?

I didn’t know, but one thing was certain, I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

The day felt surreal, like a bad dream I couldn’t wake up from, but the fear coursing through me was all too real.

I was halfway out of the office, keys clutched tightly in my hand, when my phone buzzed again. My breath caught as I glanced at the screen, iIt was another message, and the sight of it sent a shiver down my spine.

A picture of Jason and Anna, laughing and playing on the schoolyard, stared back at me. My heart leapt with both relief and terror at seeing their innocent faces.

Relief that they were safe, at least for now, but terror at the words beneath the image.

“They could both be dead with one shot of the trigger.”

I froze, the air sucked out of the room.

My knees wobbled as the walls seemed to close in around me, a cold sweat prickled the back of my neck, and my hand trembled so violently that I nearly dropped the phone.

“No, no, no…” I whispered, barely aware of my surroundings.

My thumb hovered over the screen before I frantically dialed Jeff’s number.

The line rang, each tone stretching an eternity.

“Come on Jeff, pick up. Pick up.” I muttered, my voice trembling as panic clawed its way to the surface.

Nothing.

The call went to voicemail, and I swore under my breath. My heart hammered against my ribcage as I hit redial, but again, there was no answer.

“Damn it, Jeff.” I hissed, tears pricking at my eyes.

I didn’t have time to think, I bolted from my desk, ignoring the curious looks from coworkers as I rushed down the hallway toward the parking lot.

Claire called after me, her voice laced with concern, but I didn’t stop, I couldn’t.

Sliding into the driver’s seat of my car, I jammed the key into the ignition and turned it with desperate force. The engine sputtered once, twice, and then died.

“No, no, no.” I shouted, trying again.

The car refused to start. My panic doubled, my breaths coming in shallow gasps.

Slamming my palm against the steering wheel, I fought back the tears threatening to spill. My phone was clutched so tightly in my other hand that my knuckles ached, I tried Jeff again, ringing, ringing, no answer.

For a moment, I sat frozen, staring at the phone as if it might somehow offer a solution, but the image of my kids, my sweet and innocent kids was seared into my brain, spurring me into action.

I grabbed my bag and bolted into the street, waving down the first cab I saw.

“Middleton Elementary,” I said breathlessly, climbing in, “Please, drive as fast as you can.”

The driver gave me a curious look but nodded, pressing the gas pedal to the floor. The ride was a blur of honking horns and racing thoughts, I couldn’t stop imagining the worst, my mind conjuring images so horrifying that I had to squeeze my eyes shut to block them out.

By the time we arrived at the school, my nerves were shot. I threw a wad of cash at the driver without waiting for change and sprinted inside, my heels clicking loudly against the polished floor.

The receptionist looked up as I burst through the door, my wild expression catching her attention immediately.

“Mrs Anderson, what a lovely surprise.” 

She greeted me cheerfully, but I had more pressing issues to deal with, I said quickly, leaning on the desk, “I’m here to pick up Jason and Anna.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion, “Mrs. Anderson, your husband already picked them up about an hour ago.”

I stared at her, stunned. My mind blanked for a second before anger and disbelief surged through me.

“What do you mean Jeff picked them up? He didn’t tell me anything.” 

“He signed the release form.” She said, holding up a clipboard as proof.

“Mrs. Anderson?” A familiar voice interrupted.

It was Mrs. Hudson, one of the kids’ teachers, she approached with a concerned expression, “Is everything alright?”

“No,” I said, trying to steady my voice, “I just… Did you see Jeff when he came?”

“Yes,” she said with a nod, “but there was also a man who spoke to the twins before Jeff arrived. He said he knew you.”

My heart sank, “What man?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, “He left before your husband got here, but he seemed friendly. The kids didn’t seem scared, just curious.”

I clenched my fists, biting back the panic threatening to bubble over, “Thank you.” I said curtly, already turning to leave.

The cab ride home was silent, save for the pounding of my heart in my ears. The increased security outside the house sent a new wave of unease coursing through me.

“Ma’am.” One of the guards greeted as I approached, “Mr. Anderson instructed us to tighten security, is everything alright?”

I ignored him, too focused on getting inside.

Jason and Anna’s voices greeted me from the living room, and I felt a rush of relief so overwhelming that I almost collapsed.

“Mommy!” Anna cried, running into my arms.

“Hey sweetheart.” I said, crouching down to hug both of them tightly.

“Why didn’t you come get us?” Jason asked, his brow furrowed.

“I…” My voice caught in my throat, “I was on my way, but Daddy beat me to it.”

“Daddy was acting weird.” Anna said, her eyes wide.

“Yeah,” Jason added, “And there was this man who talked to us. He said he knew you.”

I forced a smile, trying to mask my fear, “A man? What did he say?”

“He just asked us about school and stuff.” Jason said with a shrug.

“But Daddy came right after,” Anna said, “He was really mad.”

“Where’s Daddy now?” I asked, already standing.

“In your room.” Jason replied.

I kissed their foreheads and told them to stay put before heading upstairs.

Jeff was standing by the window when I entered the bedroom. He didn’t turn around, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

On the bed, in plain view, was a piece of paper I recognized instantly.

It was the threatening note I’d hidden after the explosion at Jeff’s office.

“Jeff.” I said cautiously, my pulse quickening.

He turned to face me, his expression a mix of anger and hurt, “Care to explain this?” He asked, holding up the note.

I crossed the room in a few strides and snatched it from his hand, “Where did you find this?”

“In your drawer.” He said flatly.

“Why didn’t you tell me someone was threatening you, Emma?”

“I didn’t want to worry you,” I said, my voice defensive, “You’ve been under so much stress with the investigation and the company…”

“That’s not a good enough reason.” He snapped, “You should’ve told me the moment this arrived. I could’ve done something to protect you.”

I threw my hands in the air, anger bubbling to the surface, “Protect me? You didn’t even tell me you were taking the kids out of school today.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” he shouted, running a hand through his hair, “One of the guards called me and said there was a suspicious man at the school. I had to act fast.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“I did!” he said, his voice rising, “You weren’t answering.”

I opened my mouth to argue but realized he was right,I’d been too panicked to notice the missed calls.

Jeff exhaled sharply, his voice softening, “Emma, we can’t keep secrets from each other. Whoever’s behind this isn’t playing games and now they’re involving the kids.”

My throat tightened as I looked down at the note in my hand.

“There’s more,” I said hesitantly, “Someone’s been calling me all day, they said my accident wasn’t really an accident.”

Jeff’s expression darkened, “What are you talking about?”

“They told me to ask you.”

He stiffened, the color draining from his face.

“Jeff,” I pressed, my voice trembling, “What aren’t you telling me?”

Before he could respond, the sound of shattering glass from downstairs made us both freeze.

The kids screamed.

Jeff bolted for the door, “Stay here,” he barked.

But there was no way I was letting him face this alone. Grabbing the nearest object, a lamp, I followed him.

Downstairs, the guards were already swarming, their weapons drawn, but the intruder was gone.

In the middle of the shattered glass was another note.

Jeff picked it up, his hands trembling as he read it.

“What does it say?” I asked, my heart pounding.

He handed it to me silently.

The note was short, but it sent a chill through me.

“This isn’t over. Keep digging, and you’ll regret it.”

I looked up at Jeff, fear and anger boiling inside me.

“What the hell is going on, Jeff?” I demanded.