My mother finally began crying harder after the evidence surfaced, but even then I noticed the difference between guilt and exposure. She did not seem heartbroken about Emily nearly dying. She looked terrified because everyone around her finally understood what had happened inside that house.
Ashley eventually broke down completely and admitted my mother repeatedly told her not to contact me because Emily was supposedly exaggerating her condition for attention. My mother instantly turned furious at Ashley for speaking openly in front of the police, and the officers immediately separated them before the argument escalated further.
Shortly afterward, the doctor returned one final time and called my name. The moment I saw her expression, I understood that the next words out of her mouth would determine whether my family survived that morning.
