I called my mother immediately. She answered on the second ring, sounding almost relaxed.
“Rachel, don’t panic,” she said. “This isn’t a big deal.”
My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears.
“What do you mean she’s missing?”
“We were teaching her independence,” she replied. “A little lesson. She wandered off.”
My voice cracked. “You left her alone?”
Victoria’s voice chimed in, light and dismissive. “Kids need to learn. She panicked too quickly. That’s not our fault.”
I don’t remember grabbing my keys. I don’t remember locking the door. I only remember driving, hands shaking, praying out loud at every red light.
When I reached the mall, the sight waiting for me felt unreal.
Security staff were moving quickly. Radios crackled. Shoppers whispered. And there, sitting calmly in the food court, were my mother and sister, sipping drinks as if nothing had happened.
Something inside me snapped.
They repeated the same explanation again and again.
“She needs to understand how the real world works.”
I couldn’t understand how anyone could believe that leaving a frightened child alone was a lesson instead of a danger.
Footage from the mall cameras showed Emily standing near a storefront, tears on her cheeks, scanning every passing face. She called out. She waited. Then she walked slowly toward the crowd.
After that, she was gone from view.
My knees buckled.
As the hours stretched on, authorities arrived. Questions were asked. Statements were taken. My mother showed no regret. My sister crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
“If she’s lost, she’ll figure it out,” my mother said.
I stared at her, unable to recognize the woman who once tucked me into bed.
By nightfall, search teams were working nearby areas. I sat in a hard chair, replaying every moment I wasn’t there for my daughter. Every time I worked late. Every time I trusted the wrong people.
Sleep never came.
On the third morning, they asked me to come in.
A small evidence bag sat on the table.
Inside were Emily’s clothes. Her pink shirt. Her denim shorts. Folded neatly.
My scream echoed through the room.
In that moment, the world went quiet. Cold. Empty.
Then a detective rushed in holding a printed image from an outdoor camera.
A man was walking beside Emily.
She wasn’t crying.
She was holding his hand.
Everything I believed shattered at once.
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