Rebecca stood halfway up. “Your Honor, she’s confused. She’s only five.”
“Sit down, Mrs. Hale,” the judge said.
Claire’s hand gripped my sleeve tighter.
The advocate opened a small tablet from Lily’s backpack. Lily pointed to a video file. Her finger shook so badly she tapped it twice before it played.
The screen filled with Rebecca’s kitchen. Rebecca’s voice came through first, sharp and low.
“Say Daddy scared you. Say it again until you sound real.”
Then Lily appeared on the screen, crying in her pajamas.
“Daddy scared me,” the tiny recorded version of my daughter whimpered, wiping tears from her cheeks.
From behind the camera, Rebecca’s voice snapped. “Not like that, Lily. If you don’t cry harder, the judge will make you go live with him forever. Do you want to go live with the monster? Cry.”
On the screen, Lily squeezed her eyes shut and let out a broken, terrified wail. “Daddy hurt me! Daddy is a monster!”
