Chapter 2: The Rules Inside the Pink Notebook
I carried Maya away from the kitchen and sat with her on the living room sofa.
She held her plate of cake in her lap.
She hadn't taken another bite.
"Sweetheart, you can eat," I told her.
She looked at Vanessa.
Then back at me.
"Is she going to be mad?""
My chest tightened.
"Nobody is going to punish you for eating.""
Maya slowly picked up her fork.
Behind us, Vanessa was speaking to her guests in a low, irritated voice.
"Everyone, please. It's a misunderstanding. Marcus has been traveling, and he's exhausted.""
I didn't turn around.
"Everyone can leave.""
Vanessa hurried toward me.
"Excuse me?""
"You heard me.""
"Marcus, these are my friends. Caleb's friends. You cannot throw everyone out because of a little family disagreement.""
I looked at the guests.
"Thank you for coming. The party is over.""
A man wearing a gray sweater immediately collected his jacket.
One of the mothers approached me.
"Mr. Bennett, I'm sorry. I honestly didn't know.""
I nodded.
Neither did I.
When the last guests began leaving, Vanessa grabbed my arm.
"You're humiliating me.""
I gently removed her hand.
"Good. Maybe now you'll understand how Maya felt.""
Caleb came running downstairs with his new gaming console.
"Mom! Why are people leaving?""
Vanessa crouched beside him.
"Nothing, sweetheart. Your stepfather is being unreasonable.""
I looked at him.
"Caleb, did you know Maya was washing dishes tonight?""
He shrugged.
"Mom told her to.""
"Did you eat while she worked?""
"Obviously. It was my birthday.""
His answer was so casual that I almost couldn't process it.
I kept my voice steady.
"Did you offer her any food?""
Caleb rolled his eyes.
"She wasn't supposed to eat the party food.""
Vanessa immediately stood.
"Caleb, go upstairs.""
"But Mom—"
"Now!""
He stomped away, carrying his console.
I looked at Vanessa.
"Why wasn't she supposed to eat?""
"Because the food was ordered for Caleb's guests.""
"She's family.""
"She has a habit of taking things that aren't hers.""
"What things?""
Vanessa sighed dramatically.
"Snacks. Toys. Caleb's belongings.
She constantly interrupts him. I have to maintain some boundaries.""
I opened Maya's notebook.
"Then explain this.""
Vanessa glanced at the pages.
"Those are household chores.""
"Why does it say she isn't allowed to tell me?""
"She misunderstands instructions.""
"Why does it say she doesn't get dessert if she washes dishes too slowly?""
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"Children need discipline, Marcus.""
I turned to Maya.
"Sweetheart, can I ask you something?""
She nodded.
"How long have you been writing in this notebook?""
She looked at Vanessa again.
"Since your last trip.""
"When was that?""
"Before Christmas.""
My stomach dropped.
It was October now.
"Almost a year?""
Maya nodded.
Vanessa interrupted.
"That is ridiculous. She doesn't even understand time properly.""
I turned toward her.
"Stop answering questions meant for my daughter.""
Maya's fingers moved over the edge of her plate.
"Mrs. Vanessa said I had to write my jobs down because I kept forgetting.""
"Did she tell you to write anything else?""
Maya hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"She said I had to make a list of things I wasn't allowed to do.""
I turned another page.
There it was.
*THINGS MAYA MUST NOT DO.*
Don't ask for new clothes.
Don't take Caleb's snacks.
Don't watch television when Caleb is home.
Don't interrupt Mommy and Caleb.
Don't call Daddy at work.
Don't cry when Mommy gets angry.
I felt sick.
I looked at Vanessa.
"Why can't she call her father?""
"Because you work, Marcus. I can't have her disturbing you every five minutes.""
"She has called me three times in six months.""
"And I was trying to teach her independence.""
I pointed at the notebook.
"Is this what you call independence?""
Vanessa threw her hands up.
"This is unbelievable. You're acting like I locked her in a basement.""
Maya suddenly whispered, "I wasn't locked in.""
I turned to her.
"What do you mean, baby?""
She looked at her shoes.
"Sometimes I had to sit in the laundry room.""
Vanessa froze.
I slowly closed the notebook.
"Why?""
Maya's voice became barely audible.
"When I made Caleb angry.""
"How did you make him angry?""
"He said I touched his tablet.""
"Did you?""
She shook her head.
"I was looking for my coloring book.""
Vanessa interrupted.
"Marcus, children argue. It's normal.""
I stood.
"Then why was my daughter sent to the laundry room?""
"Because she was being difficult.""
"She's six years old!""
My voice echoed through the room.
Maya flinched.
I immediately lowered it.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Daddy isn't angry with you.""
She moved closer to me.
Then she said something I would never forget.
"Mrs. Vanessa said if I told you, you might send me away.""
The room seemed to tilt.
I knelt in front of her.
"Who told you that?""
"Mommy Vanessa.""
"When?""
"Last time you went to New York.""
I closed my eyes for a second.
"Baby, listen to me. Nobody is sending you away.""
Maya stared at me.
"Promise?""
"I promise.""
She finally took another bite of cake.
Vanessa walked toward the stairs.
"I'm going to bed. I refuse to participate in this ridiculous interrogation.""
"You're not going anywhere.""
She stopped.
"Excuse me?""
"We're going to talk about every page in that notebook.""
She laughed bitterly.
"You've been home for twenty minutes, Marcus. You have no idea what happens here.""
"You're right.""
I lifted the notebook.
"That's why I'm reading every word.""
For a moment, Vanessa looked genuinely frightened.
Then she recovered.
"Fine. Read it. You'll find out that your precious daughter isn't as innocent as you think.""
She turned and walked upstairs.
I watched her disappear.
Maya leaned against my shoulder.
"Daddy?""
"Yes, sweetheart?""
"Can we sleep with the light on tonight?""
I kissed the top of her head.
"Of course.""
I carried her upstairs to her bedroom.
The room was smaller than I remembered.
Her stuffed animals were missing from the bed. The colorful drawings she used to tape to the wall had disappeared.
In their place were several neatly folded piles of Caleb's clothes.
I stood in the doorway.
"Why are these here?""
Maya shrugged.
"Mommy Vanessa said I had to make room.""
I looked around.
There was a single small pillow.
No blanket with cartoon rabbits.
No night-light.
Just a thin sheet.
I carried her to my bedroom instead.
After she fell asleep, I returned downstairs with the notebook.
I photographed every page.
Then I opened the home security application on my phone.
The cameras covered the driveway, front entrance, and common areas.
I had installed them after a package theft several months earlier.
I began reviewing the footage.
At first, I found nothing unusual.
Then I reached a recording from three weeks earlier.
The timestamp read 4:17 p.m.
Maya was standing in the kitchen.
She was holding a small plastic container.
Vanessa walked into the room, took the container from her hands, and placed it on top of the refrigerator.
I turned up the volume.
"That's Caleb's snack," Vanessa said.
Maya replied, "But I'm hungry.""
"Then you should have eaten when I told you.""
"I was doing my homework.""
Vanessa pointed toward the sink.
"Then finish your work and wash those dishes.""
The recording continued.
Maya started crying.
Vanessa leaned closer.
"Don't you dare call your father. He doesn't need another reason to regret marrying me.""
I stopped the video.
My hands were shaking.
I searched another date.
Then another.
The footage showed Vanessa taking Maya's birthday drawings from the refrigerator.
It showed Maya eating alone at the kitchen counter.
It showed Caleb laughing while Maya folded his clothes.
And then I found something that made me sit completely still.
A recording from two months earlier.
Vanessa was standing near the front door, speaking to someone on her phone.
She looked directly toward the camera.
Then she said:
"Once Marcus signs those papers, I won't have to keep pretending anymore.""
I leaned closer to the screen.
"What papers?""
Before I could replay the recording, my phone vibrated.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
*Marcus, you need to check what your wife has been doing with Maya's inheritance.*
I stared at the screen.
May you like
Then another message arrived.
*And whatever you do, don't let Vanessa know you've seen this.*
