Chapter 7 - THE RECORDING
Ryan smashed the phone against the floor.
The cracked screen went black.
Diane screamed.
"Do you know what you just did?"
Claire stared at them.
"Yes."
Ryan pointed at her.
"You destroyed us."
Claire almost laughed.
"Me?"
Elizabeth stepped beside Claire.
"Get your things."
Ryan turned toward her.
"She isn't leaving."
Claire's blood ran cold.
Elizabeth's voice sharpened.
"Excuse me?"
"This is her home."
"Then you leave."
Ryan laughed.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Claire looked at the stairs.
Her purse.
Her medication.
Her hospital folder.
Baby clothes.
Everything she needed was scattered through the house.
She suddenly realized how difficult leaving could become.
Ryan saw the hesitation.
His confidence returned.
"Claire is emotional."
Elizabeth stared at him.
"You forged her signature."
"You don't understand the situation."
"I understand enough."
Diane moved toward Claire.
"Think about the baby."
Claire tightened her grip on the cane.
"Do not use my daughter against me."
Diane stopped.
Elizabeth whispered, "Do you have somewhere safe?"
Claire nodded.
"With you."
"Then we're leaving."
Ryan grabbed the keys from the side table.
"No."
Claire stared.
"What are you doing?"
"You're not driving while upset."
Elizabeth stepped forward.
"Give me the keys."
Ryan smiled.
"They're my car."
"It's Claire's car."
"It's registered to both of us."
Claire looked toward the front door.
Then she heard a sound.
The livestream phone.
Despite the shattered screen, audio was still playing faintly from the carpet.
A woman's voice.
"Claire?"
Everyone froze.
The device had not fully disconnected.
The livestream platform had shifted into an audio recovery mode.
Thousands of viewers might still be listening.
Ryan understood.
He reached down.
Claire stepped on the phone first.
Not crushing it.
Protecting it beneath her slipper.
Ryan stared at her.
Claire said nothing.
Elizabeth pulled out her own phone and began recording.
Ryan's face changed.
"Put that away."
"No."
Diane lunged toward Elizabeth.
Claire raised the cane.
Diane stopped.
Elizabeth said clearly, "Ryan Dawson is refusing to let his pregnant wife leave the house."
Ryan looked toward the hallway.
Then toward the windows.
The situation was slipping beyond his control.
He threw the keys onto the sofa.
"Fine."
Claire didn't move.
"Go."
Still she didn't move.
Ryan shouted, "Go!"
Claire flinched.
Then steadied herself.
She walked upstairs with Elizabeth.
Ryan followed two steps.
Claire turned.
"No."
"I need to make sure you don't take my things."
Elizabeth lifted her phone.
"I'm recording."
Ryan stopped.
Claire packed quickly.
Documents.
Clothes.
Medication.
Her prenatal vitamins.
The baby's hospital bag.
Then she opened the bottom drawer of Ryan's dresser.
Inside sat a black notebook.
Claire had seen it before.
Ryan once said it contained work notes.
She almost ignored it.
Then she saw three words written at the top of an exposed page.
Conversion per fear event.
Claire pulled the notebook out.
Elizabeth looked over her shoulder.
Rows of dates filled the page.
Livestream titles.
Donation totals.
Notes.
Bruise visible.
Crying weak.
Cane sound.
Mother-in-law pressure good.
Claire stared until the words blurred.
Ryan had measured her humiliation.
Tested it.
Improved it.
A human being had turned his wife's fear into a sales funnel.
Elizabeth whispered, "Take it."
Claire slipped the notebook into her bag.
They went downstairs.
Ryan was waiting near the door.
His eyes dropped to the bag.
"What did you take?"
"My things."
"Open it."
Claire stared.
"No."
"Open the bag."
Elizabeth stepped forward.
"Move away."
Ryan reached for Claire's shoulder.
A loud knock stopped him.
Everyone froze.
Another knock.
Then a man's voice.
"Ryan Dawson?"
Ryan went pale.
Claire looked at Elizabeth.
"Did you call someone?"
Elizabeth shook her head.
The voice came again.
"We need to speak with Claire Dawson."
Ryan's eyes snapped toward the broken livestream phone.
May you like
Someone watching had called for help.
For the first time, the audience Ryan had built became something he could not control.
