Hidden Desires - Family Secrets

Chapter 021 That's when those dark thoughts started creeping back in

Day seven's call with Betty set off alarm bells for me. Betty isn't exactly an Oscar-winning actress, so her off vibe definitely meant something was up. Without real-time surveillance at home, I couldn't see what was happening while I was away, and I couldn't probe too deeply without making Betty suspicious.

My mind started racing with all sorts of wild thoughts. I found myself getting up to smoke occasionally and just lying in bed staring at the ceiling. That night, I couldn't sleep a wink.

The next day, I hitched a ride back with the company's camera van without telling Betty I was coming home early. I had told her I'd be away for two weeks. When I got home in the afternoon, the first thing I did was check the cameras I had installed before leaving. Thankfully, they were all running smoothly and hadn't been tampered with, which was a huge relief.

After retrieving the cameras, I glanced at the wall clock. Betty and Michael would be home in less than two hours. There was a ton of footage from the past few days, and I didn't have time to review it just yet.

I stashed all the cameras away and started inspecting the room, looking for I don't know what. I even checked the trash cans to see if there was anything amiss. Everything seemed normal, and the trash had been taken out that morning. Maybe I was just being paranoid?

It looked like I'd have to wait to watch the video playback to find any answers. After tidying up any traces of my investigation, I got busy in the kitchen. I had brought back a bunch of local specialties from the city I visited—they were delicious, and I thought Betty would enjoy them too.

With half an hour to go before Betty and Michael got out of school, I had all the dishes laid out on the table. Looking at the feast I'd prepared, I couldn't help feeling a bit proud of my culinary skills.

Glancing at the clock, I had just enough time to pick up Betty and Michael. They usually took the bus home since I was the only one who drove the car at home, and Betty hadn't gotten around to getting her driver's license. So, when I wasn't home, the car just sat in the parking lot.

Only a few lights were still on in the building. I first checked Betty and Michael's classroom, but it was empty, lights off, door locked.

There was one last place to check – Betty's office. If they weren't there, I'd have to cave and call her cell.

My heart was pounding as I approached her office. Most of the other offices were empty; everyone had bolted the minute they could. From a distance, I could see the light in Betty's office was on – the door had a small window at the top, way too high to peek through, about six and a half feet off the ground.

I tiptoed over like some kind of spy on a mission, silent as a cat. When I reached the office door, I pressed my ear against it, straining to hear anything. But maybe the soundproofing was just too good, or the voices inside were too low – I couldn't make out anything definitive that it was Betty's voice.

I was dying to knock, but my paranoid side didn't want to miss catching something fishy. Knocking might just ruin any chance of catching them red-handed.

Pacing outside, desperate for a new plan, I spotted a desk not far from Betty's office, probably left there temporarily due to damage.

Driven by a mix of curiosity and desperation, I quietly moved the desk to her office door. I didn't make a sound. I climbed onto the desk very carefully, praying nobody would open the door because I'd have no chance to escape – I was right in front of it, taking a huge gamble.

Standing on the desk, I still couldn't see inside – I had to stand on my tiptoes. Finally, I got a good look inside, but what I saw nearly knocked me off my perch.