Sarah loved her job as a third-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary. It was her second year with this class—twenty-five energetic kids she loved with all her heart. The salary wasn’t astronomical, but it was steady, and having good benefits helped. Plus, with the fully paid-off condo, she didn’t have a mortgage or rent hanging over her head. They could live comfortably without the rat race. Sarah never chased luxury; she was content with simple joys: good books, Sunday walks, family dinners.
The sound of footsteps behind her snapped her back to reality. Jason walked out of the bedroom, hair messy, wearing just his boxers and a t-shirt. He yawned, stretched, and scratched the back of his head.
“Good morning, wife,” he grinned, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
“Good morning, husband,” Sarah replied, feeling a smile spread across her face. “Want some coffee?”
“Yeah. Why are you up so early? We could have slept in.”
“Couldn’t. Too much adrenaline, I guess.”
He sat opposite her, grabbed a piece of cake with his bare hands, and took a bite.
“Yesterday was awesome, right?” he said with his mouth full. “Everyone left happy. Robert, the manager, even said it was one of the liveliest weddings they’ve hosted.”
“Yeah, it was great,” Sarah agreed. “Everyone had fun. Even Dad danced.”
“Your dad’s a good guy. Solid. I’m glad he accepted me.”
“He accepted you immediately. He said you seemed reliable.”
Jason chuckled, downed his coffee, and stood up.
“Alright, I’m gonna jump in the shower. Then I gotta run out for a bit, swing by the shop. The boss called, said an urgent job came in—some guy needs his transmission looked at ASAP. You mind?”
“No, of course not. Go ahead.”
He went into the bathroom, and Sarah was left alone in the kitchen. Silence, save for the hum of the refrigerator and the distant traffic outside. She looked at her phone on the table. It was five minutes to eleven. Strange that no one had called yet—usually, after big events, friends and family started buzzing the phone early to debrief and share photos.
Suddenly, the phone lit up. Unknown Caller. Sarah frowned and picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Mrs. Sarah Miller?” It was a male voice, professional but polite.
“Yes, speaking. Who is this?”
“This is Robert Henderson, the manager at The Ivy Trellis. We hosted your wedding yesterday.”
“Oh, hi Robert!” Sarah brightened. “Thank you again, everything was organized perfectly.”
“You’re welcome. But I’m not calling about that.” The manager’s voice dropped, becoming serious, even tense. “Mrs. Miller, I have a very delicate matter to discuss with you.”
“Yes?” Sarah felt a prick of alertness. “Did something happen?”
“You see, we were reviewing security footage this morning. We had a minor glitch with the system the day before, so the technician came in to ensure everything was recording correctly. And…” he hesitated. “Well, we found something on the tape. It concerns your… your event.”
“Footage?” Sarah asked, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Mrs. Miller, I can’t discuss this over the phone. You need to see this in person. Believe me, I wouldn’t disturb you the morning after your wedding if it wasn’t critical.”
Sarah’s heart began to beat faster. Dozens of thoughts raced through her mind: Did someone steal something? Was there a fight among the guests? But no, the evening had been peaceful.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “I can come by. When?”
“The sooner the better. I’ll be here all day. And one more thing, Mrs. Miller…” he paused again. “Please come alone. Do not tell your husband. This is important.”
“What?” Sarah half-rose from her chair. “Why? What is on that tape?”
“Just come. You need to see it for yourself. I’ll be waiting in my office. Just… trust me, you need to view this alone first.”
He said goodbye and hung up. Sarah froze with the phone in her hand, staring into the void. A cold knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach. What a bizarre conversation. Why did she have to go alone? And mostly, what could possibly be on that recording?
The sound of running water came from the bathroom—Jason had started the shower. Sarah swallowed hard; her mouth felt like sandpaper. Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe the manager confused them with another party? But his tone had been grave. You don’t use that tone for nothing.
She replayed yesterday evening in her mind. Everything was fine, right? Jason was by her side, they danced, laughed. Jessica had had a few too many drinks and flirted with everyone, but that was standard Jessica behavior. Nothing weird. Or maybe…
Sarah frowned. There was a moment when she was dancing with her dad for a long time, maybe ten minutes. Jason had stepped away. She hadn’t seen him then. When he came back, he said he’d stepped out to take a work call. It hadn’t seemed suspicious at the time.
Her head started to spin. Sarah stood up, paced the kitchen, and sat back down. She had to go. She had to see what was on that tape. Otherwise, the speculation would drive her insane…
