Chapter 2 - The Uniform.
Daniel did not raise his voice again.
That made Vanessa more nervous than shouting would have.
He lifted his suit jacket from his shoulders and wrapped it around Lily.
The expensive gray fabric covered most of the uniform.
"Go upstairs and change into something warm."
Lily remained still.
"Can I?"
Daniel stared at her.
"Of course you can."
The question cut deeper than he expected.
Lily looked at Vanessa once more before standing.
Daniel immediately noticed how careful she was not to step outside the dry edge of the runner rug.
"You don't have to finish anything," he said.
"But she said—"
"I said you don't have to finish anything."
Lily nodded and hurried toward the stairs.
Vanessa waited until the bedroom door closed upstairs.
Then she folded her arms.
"You are undermining me in front of her."
Daniel turned.
"You are worried about being undermined?"
"She has been impossible for weeks."
"She's twelve."
"That does not excuse disrespect."
Daniel glanced at the uniform's white apron string still visible beneath his jacket as Lily disappeared at the top landing.
"Tell me exactly what she did."
Vanessa began with confidence.
Lily had ignored instructions.
Lily had rolled her eyes.
Lily had refused to put away a glass.
Lily had left a school notebook on the breakfast table.
With every example, Daniel became less convinced.
"So you bought her a uniform?"
Vanessa's chin lifted.
"It was symbolic."
"Symbolic of what?"
Vanessa did not answer immediately.
Daniel walked toward the silver bucket.
The water inside was cloudy.
Beside it sat a small spray bottle and two folded cloths.
Everything had been arranged with purpose.
This was not a sudden consequence after a spilled drink.
This had been planned.
"How many times has she worn it?"
"Daniel—"
"How many?"
Vanessa looked toward the staircase.
"A few."
He reached into his pocket and took out his phone.
"I'm calling Mrs. Alvarez."
Vanessa's composure cracked.
"Why?"
Teresa Alvarez had worked for Daniel's family for nearly nine years.
She was not scheduled on Thursdays because she cared for her elderly sister that afternoon.
"Because I want to ask our actual housekeeper why my daughter is dressed like one."
Vanessa moved between Daniel and the hallway.
"Do you really want to embarrass Lily by involving staff?"
Daniel stopped dialing.
For a moment Vanessa seemed relieved.
Then he said, "You don't get to use her embarrassment to protect yourself."
He called anyway.
Teresa answered on the third ring.
"Mr. Whitmore? Is everything all right?"
Daniel looked directly at Vanessa.
"Teresa, have you ever seen Lily wearing a black-and-white cleaning uniform?"
There was a long silence on the line.
Daniel's heartbeat seemed to fill the foyer.
"Teresa?"
Her voice came back quieter.
"I was told not to discuss that with you."
Vanessa closed her eyes for one brief second.
Daniel's grip tightened around the phone.
"Who told you that?"
Another pause.
"Mrs. Whitmore."
Daniel looked at his wife.
Vanessa shook her head as if Teresa had betrayed some private agreement.
"What exactly did she tell you?"
"That Lily was learning responsibility and that it was a family matter."
Daniel's voice remained level.
"Did you ever see Lily cleaning?"
"Twice."
"Did she seem all right?"
Teresa hesitated.
"She told me she was fine."
Daniel remembered the same words from minutes earlier.
"Did you believe her?"
Teresa's answer was almost a whisper.
"No."
Vanessa stepped forward.
"This is ridiculous. Give me the phone."
Daniel moved away from her.
"Teresa, did anything else happen that I should know about?"
The housekeeper breathed out.
"I found Lily sitting in the laundry room last Tuesday."
Daniel felt a hollow pressure in his chest.
"Why was she there?"
"She said Mrs. Whitmore wanted her to think about her attitude."
Vanessa snapped, "It was ten minutes."
Teresa heard her.
"Mr. Whitmore, I am sorry. I should have called you."
Daniel looked toward the stairs.
"You were put in a difficult position. We'll talk tomorrow."
He ended the call.
Vanessa immediately began defending herself.
Daniel barely heard her.
His attention had shifted to something on the floor near the console table.
A small rectangle lay partly beneath the runner.
He bent and picked it up.
It was Lily's phone.
The screen was dark.
Daniel pressed the side button.
Nothing happened.
"Why is her phone down here?"
Vanessa's face became unreadable.
"She lost privileges."
Daniel turned the device over.
The case had been removed.
The SIM tray was slightly open.
He looked up slowly.
"What did you do to her phone?"
Vanessa finally stopped pretending this was a simple disagreement.
May you like
And upstairs, a floorboard creaked.
Lily had heard every word.
