“Daddy, don’t leave me with the new mom, she does bad things.” Hiding in the closet, the father FROZE at what he saw

While Rachel packed, Michael went to Sophia’s room and found her sitting on her bed, clutching her favorite stuffed bear. “Dad,” Sophia whispered, almost inaudible. “What’s going to happen now?” Michael sat beside her and hugged her. “Rachel’s leaving for a while. I need you to tell me everything that happened so we can sort this out.”

Sophia nodded slowly, hugging the bear tighter. “Are you mad at me?” — “No, sweetheart,” Michael replied, kissing the top of her head. “I’m so proud of you for being brave and telling me the truth, even when it was hard.” Sophia relaxed slightly at his words, leaning into him. “I was scared you wouldn’t believe me.” — “I’ll always believe you, kiddo.”

Michael hugged her again, vowing to himself that he’d never let anyone hurt her again.

They heard the front door open and close. Rachel was gone. Sophia tensed again, and Michael whispered, “Don’t be afraid, honey. I won’t let her hurt you, I promise.” Sophia nodded, but Michael could see fear still lingered in her eyes.

He knew they had a long road ahead, healing both physical and emotional wounds. But as he held his daughter, Michael promised himself they’d get through it together, step by step.

“How about some fries for dinner?” he suggested, trying to lighten the mood. Sophia smiled for the first time in a while. “Can we have bacon with them?” — “You got it, kiddo,” Michael replied, his heart warming at her smile. But he couldn’t shake thoughts of Rachel so easily. He cared for her. All night, he mulled over what had happened.

Waking up over breakfast, Michael decided it was time to take more serious action. “Sophia, honey,” he began, stirring his coffee. “I’ve been thinking a lot about everything that happened.” Sophia looked up from her bowl of cereal, her big brown eyes fixed on her father. “About Rachel?” — “Yeah, about Rachel,” he replied. “And what you told me. I want you to know I fully trust you.” — “Go on, Dad.” Sophia’s voice trembled, as if she sensed what was coming.

Michael sighed. “But I need to see it for myself to protect you better and figure out what to do.” Sophia dropped her spoon on the table. “You mean you’re letting Rachel come back?” — “Just for a week,” Michael rushed to reassure her, seeing panic in her eyes. “I’ll pretend to go to work, but I’ll hide in your closet. I want to see how she acts when she thinks I’m not around. I’d like to record it.” Sophia looked terrified. “But, Dad, she might hurt me if she thinks you’re gone.”

Michael hugged her. “I won’t let her hurt you. I promise I’ll be there the whole time, watching. If she tries anything, I’ll step in and stop her right away. Do you trust me?” Sophia pressed against his chest. “I trust you, Dad, but I’m scared.” — “I’m scared too,” Michael admitted. “But we need to do this so Rachel can never hurt you again.”

They spent days carefully preparing. Michael called Rachel, pretending to feel guilty, and asked her to come back for a day to talk. Rachel agreed eagerly, her voice warm and, as Michael now realized, falsely sweet.

The night before what Michael called the big day in his mind, he and Sophia sat on the couch, going over the plan. “Remember,” Michael said, his voice serious but gentle, “tomorrow morning, we act normal. I’ll pretend to leave for work, but I’ll be hiding in your closet.”..