The Unanswered Call The Ignored Daughter’s Last Words Chapter 03

The Unanswered Call The Ignored Daughter’s Last Words Chapter 03

A shiver ran through me, and I hurriedly called Dad from my smartwatch.

Once again, it rang for a long time before he answered.

“What now?”

The background was noisy. I could hear glasses clinking, Celine laughing and talking, and the voices of servers.

“Daddy! There’s a man outside! He wants to take Nell away!”

Dad’s voice hardened. “Nell, are you making things up again?”

I curled up on the couch, my heart hammering.

“He’s there! Right outside the door! His voice is deep, and he’s looking for Daddy!”

“He keeps knocking. Nell can hear him. Nell is scared!”

Celine’s impatient voice came through the call.

“Dad, check the cameras. I bet there’s nothing there again.”

A few seconds later, Dad spoke again.

“There’s nobody outside. Are you doing this on purpose today?”

“There is! There really is someone—”

“Nell Avery!” Dad used my full name. “First you said someone was knocking, and now you’re saying someone came to get you. You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“When little girls keep lying, people stop believing them. And Mommy and Daddy don’t love little girls who lie.”

That scared me even more, and I started crying loudly.

“Nell isn’t lying! Daddy, it’s true!”

Mom took the call.

“Nell! Mommy and Daddy have something very important to do today. Can’t you behave for one day?”

I heard someone prying at the door.

A chill shot through me.

“Mommy… there it is again! Listen! Please listen!”

I forced myself to creep closer to the door so Mom and Dad could hear the noise through my watch.

Mom was silent for a few seconds before answering coldly.

“What noise? I don’t hear anything.”

“Nell, if you keep making things up, Mommy’s really going to be angry.”

I was afraid of the man outside, but I was even more afraid Mommy would leave me.

“Don’t be mad, Mommy. Nell will be good.”

Then I heard Adrian’s voice.

“Is that Nell? Should we go get her?”

Celine sounded annoyed.

“Leave her alone. She’s just clingy. Every time Mom goes out, she pulls this—makes a fuss until someone stays with her.”

“She already claimed someone was knocking, and there wasn’t even anyone on the cameras.”

There was a brief silence. Then Dad sighed.

“She is clingy, especially with her mom.”

Celine took the call.

“Stay home and be good. Mom and Dad will be back to keep you company once we’re done here.”

“Keep acting up, and the bad guys outside will come get you.”

I flinched and quickly backed farther away from the door.

I swallowed my sobs and nodded hard at the watch even though they couldn’t see me.

“Nell will be good. Don’t take Nell away.”

“Good. Don’t call again.”

The call ended.

The sound of someone prying at the lock suddenly grew louder, metal screeching against the doorframe over and over.

Clutching my teddy bear, I crept toward the peephole and peeked through.

A face filled the tiny circle of glass, pressed right up against the other side.

My heart was in my throat as I scrambled into the bedroom.

I had barely turned the lock when I heard a click.

The front door sprang open.

Then came footsteps, one after another, getting closer.