“Don’t Come In – Get Out Right Now!” The Maid Yelled. I Ran – And Just Five Minutes Later…

Time seemed to freeze. I knew I was about to witness something horrible.

If Julian advanced, Marcus would draw his gun. If Marcus drew his gun, Julian would react.

Someone could get hurt, or worse. It was then I heard a door open behind me.

I turned and saw Emily coming out of her room, her eyes wide with fear.

“It’s him,” she whispered. “He found us.”

Before I could stop her, Emily moved past me and into the living room.

“Julian!” she called out, her voice trembling.

Both men turned toward her. Marcus’s face showed alarm. Julian’s was a mixture of triumph and restrained rage.

“Darling,” Julian said, his tone suddenly sweet, though his eyes remained cold. “I was so worried about you. Let’s go home now, okay?”

He held out his hand to her, but Emily didn’t move. She was standing in the middle of the living room, visibly shaking but holding her ground.

“No,” she said. The word came out as a whisper.

Julian’s face hardened.

“What did you say?”

“I said no,” Emily repeated, a little louder this time. “I’m not going back with you.”

I walked into the living room, positioning myself next to Emily. Benjamin and Sarah appeared from other rooms, clearly alerted by the commotion.

“You heard my daughter,” I said, looking directly at Julian. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

Julian faced us, his gaze shifting from Emily to me and to the others in the room. For a moment, I thought he was going to attack.

Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.

“All right,” he said, taking a step back. “If that’s how you want to play it.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. He dialed a number and spoke briefly.

“They’re here. All of them.”

Before any of us could react, bright lights flooded the windows of the living room. Headlights. Several cars.

“Like I said,” Julian continued, his smile widening. “I didn’t come alone.”

Marcus ran to the window and peeked through a crack in the curtains.

“Damn it,” he muttered. “There are at least three cars out there, and that’s a cop car.”

My heart sank. How had Julian found us? How had he gotten the police on his side so quickly?

“See?” Julian said, turning to Emily. “Everyone knows your mother is manipulating you. That she kidnapped you to keep you away from me. They’re here to take you home where you belong.”

Emily looked at him, fear clear in her eyes, but something else too: determination.

“No,” she said again, her voice firmer this time. “I’m not going with you. Ever again.”

Julian’s smile wavered, giving way to a look of naked fury.

“You don’t have a choice! You’re my wife! You do what I say! You always have, and you always will!”

At that moment, there was a loud bang on the door.

“Police! Open up!”

Benjamin shot me a desperate look.

“What do we do?”

“We have the proof,” Sarah reminded him. “The recordings, the documents. We’re not doing anything wrong here.”

“But will they listen to us?” I questioned, panic starting to rise.

If Julian already convinced them we were the villains, Marcus made a quick decision.

“We open the door. If we try to resist, it’ll make everything worse.”

He went to the door and opened it. Two uniformed police officers entered, followed by a man in a suit we assumed was a detective.

“What’s going on here?” the detective asked, looking around the room.

Julian immediately took on the role of the worried husband.

“Detective Miller, as I explained, my wife disappeared yesterday. Her mother convinced her to run away. I’m just trying to bring her home.”

The detective looked at Emily.

“Ma’am, is this true? Are you here of your own free will?”

Before Emily could answer, Julian cut in.

“She’s not well, Detective. She has a history of emotional problems. She’s confused.”

Rage swelled inside me.

“My daughter has no problems!” I exclaimed. “It’s that man who has been manipulating and psychologically abusing her for years!”

The detective looked at me skeptically.

“Ma’am, we have an official report that you may have kidnapped your own daughter.”

“That’s absurd!” Benjamin protested. “We have proof of abuse, of manipulation, forged documents, testimonies. Are you going to believe them?”

Julian laughed, turning to the detective.

“They’re her friends. Obviously, they’re going to say whatever to cover for her.”

The room was tense, with everyone talking at once. The police officers looked confused, glancing from one group to the other, clearly unsure who to believe.

It was then that Emily stepped forward.

“I want to file a report,” she said, her voice surprisingly clear and firm.

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to her.

“A report for what, ma’am?” the detective asked.

“Psychological and emotional abuse,” Emily answered. “Document forgery, attempted fraud, maybe even attempted murder.”

Julian paled.

“You’re delusional!” he hissed. “No one is going to believe that.”

“I have proof,” Emily continued, ignoring him.

She turned to Sarah, who quickly handed her her purse. From inside, Emily pulled out the recorder Maria had given me.

“Here are recordings of my husband discussing plans to forge my mother’s signature to take control of her properties. There are also recordings of him talking about an accident my mother would suffer during a dinner that was never planned to happen.”

The detective took the recorder, looking at it with interest.

“This is serious, ma’am. Are you sure about what you’re saying?”

“Absolutely,” Emily replied.

Then, slowly, she unbuttoned the sleeve of her blouse and rolled it up, revealing bruises on her arms—finger marks clearly visible against her pale skin.

“And this,” she said. “Is what happens when I disagree with him. When I don’t eat exactly what he tells me to. When I talk to someone without his permission.”

I stared at my daughter’s arms, feeling nauseous. How did I not realize? How did I not see the physical signs of abuse?

But, of course, Julian was too smart to leave marks where people could see, and he had kept us apart for so long. The detective looked at Julian, his expression now very serious.

“Sir, I think we need to talk down at the station.”

“This is ridiculous!” Julian exploded, his control finally shattering. “She’s lying! All of them are!”

He took a step toward Emily, his face contorted with rage, but the officers quickly intercepted him, grabbing him by the arms.

“I think it’s best you come with us now, sir,” one of the officers said.

“You don’t understand!” Julian continued to struggle. “She’s mine! She can’t leave me! I did everything for her!”

As the police dragged him outside, Julian kept screaming threats and insults. Emily stood watching, a single tear rolling down her face.

When the door finally closed, leaving the room in a heavy silence, Emily turned to me. Without a word, she fell into my arms, sobbing like a child.

“It’s over,” I whispered, stroking her hair. “It’s over, honey. You’re safe now.”