A chill ran through me, and I instinctively stepped back from the tub. The house was silent. Lily was still at school, completely unaware of what I had just found.
My mind scrambled for harmless explanations—a scraped knee, a nosebleed, a torn hem—but none of them explained her urgency to bathe the second she got home. Not every day. Not like that.
My hands trembling, I grabbed my phone.
I didn’t wait.
I called the school.
When the receptionist answered, I tried to keep my voice steady. “Hi, this is Lily Carter’s mom. I just… I wanted to ask if there’s been any incidents at school. Injuries, maybe? Anything unusual after classes?”
There was a pause.
Too long.
Then the woman said quietly, “Mrs. Carter… could you come in right away?”
My stomach tightened. “Why? What’s going on?”
Her voice dropped even lower.