Daniel stood in the kitchen, staring at his phone. The message was still there, the one from the Truth Teller 2 account. He didn’t know why he’d done it. He didn’t know what had come over him.
“Is it you? ” David asked, his voice flat and cold. “No. I didn’t post anything.
I swear. ”
“Then why did you ask to meet them? Why did you send a challenge from a private account? ”
Daniel felt the words tangle in his throat.
He was a good man. He was a good father. He was not the person David was describing. But the accusation hung in the air, and the harder he denied it, the tighter the silence became.
“Look,” David said, “stress pushes people over the edge. It makes you paranoid. ”
“You’re the one with the personality disorder. ”
“Has it been you the whole time?
”
Daniel looked away. His son adored David. And David had always been there for them. But somewhere along the way, Daniel had started to feel like David was pulling away.
Going back to work. Getting on with his life. Rebuilding everything without him. And then the Truth Teller account had disappeared.
And the weight had lifted. And Daniel knew, deep down, that he’d rather keep David small and close than let him grow and leave. “It was me,” he said finally. David flinched like he’d been struck.
“I didn’t think it through. I only wanted things to stay the same. I wanted to keep living here with you, with Bertie. ”
“You made me paranoid.
You made me depressed. So that you could be my rock. ”
“I’m sorry. ”
“Three meaningless syllables,” David snapped.
“You made me the target for vigilantes. You put Bertie in danger. ”
“I would never, never put Bertie in danger. ”
“But you did.
” David’s voice broke. “You did. ”
“Truth Teller 2 was nothing to do with me. That was someone else.
I swear it. ”
David pointed at the door. “Get out. ”
“Can I come back later?
When you’ve calmed down? ”
“Stay away from me. Stay away from Bertie. Now get out.
”
Daniel walked out into the cold air, not knowing where to go. His legs carried him to the street, and then he was wandering, the pavement shifting under him like a deck on rough water. He ended up in the Rovers Return. It was lunchtime on a school day, but Daniel didn’t care about the clock.
He ordered a double vodka. Then another. The room started to blur. Jody appeared at his elbow, her face confused.
“You all right? ”
“Jody,” Daniel said, his voice too loud. “There you are. Hiding in plain sight.
Very clever. ”
“What are you talking about? ”
“Everybody,” Daniel announced, raising his glass above his head. “This is the Truth Teller.
Jody. My online stalker. She posts poison about me online. She’s a troll.
”
The pub went quiet. Jody’s face drained of color. “He’s drunk,” she said, her voice shaking. “He’s clearly very drunk and very stressed.
”
“Troll! ” Daniel shouted. “She incited the herd to go after a single dad of one! ”
Rita came forward, her hand on his arm.
“Come on. Let’s get the kettle on. ”
“Don’t touch me! ” Daniel jerked away.
“I’m not himself? I’m very much myself, thank you very much. Unlike Jody. She’s three people.
Probably more. ”
“Seriously,” Jody said to the room, “I have no idea what he’s talking about. There’s no proof. No evidence.
Just some mad hunch. I would never do something like that. ”
“Look at her,” Daniel laughed. “Isn’t she magnificent?
Everybody, the troll trolls! ”
Rita took his arm again, firmer this time. “Come next door. You’re making it worse.
”
“I’m sorry,” Daniel called out as she pulled him away. “Everyone. I’m sorry you’ve had your afternoon ruined. He’s clearly very stressed.
”
“He? ” Jody repeated. “Who’s the he? You just called me three people and a troll.
”
Rita pushed him through the back door. The cold air hit him hard. He leaned against the wall, his head spinning, and wanted to be someone else. Anyone else.
David had thrown him out. His own words had humiliated a woman in front of everyone. And the only thing he had to show for it was the echo of his son’s voice and the taste of bad vodka. Later, when the fog cleared, Daniel found his way back to the street.
He didn’t knock on David’s door. He couldn’t face it. So he went to Maria’s and sat on her couch, letting her sisterly kindness wash over him without a word. “You’ve ruined your night,” he said.
“Go where? ” Maria replied. “You’re best off staying here. ”
“I wasn’t going to lie.
I was hoping you’d say that. ”
They sat in silence, the weight of the day pressing down on them both. Daniel closed his eyes and tried not to think about the morning. But then his phone buzzed.
It was Bertie. The boy was supposed to be with Kirk that afternoon, but the message was a video. Bertie’s face, close up, his brow furrowed. “Dad, are you okay?
”
Daniel called him back. “Buddy, what’s wrong? ”
“Dad, I’m hungry. Daddy won’t wake up.
”
“What do you mean? ”
“He fell asleep and the microwave exploded. I walked here, to Uncle Kirk’s, but he was gone. So I stayed at the house.
Can I have a biscuit? ”
Daniel’s blood froze. Bertie was alone. Kirk hadn’t shown up.
And Daniel had left him at home with a sleeping David. “Stay where you are,” Daniel said, already grabbing his coat. “I’ll be right there. ”
“Okay.
Dad, hurry. I’m hungry. ”
The house was quiet when Daniel arrived. He found David collapsed on the sofa, still breathing, but completely out.
The microwave was smoke-stained, its door ajar. Bertie was sitting at the kitchen table, swinging his legs. “Daddy, look. I cooked my own dinner.
”
Daniel pulled him into a hug, his hands shaking. “You did so well. I’m so sorry, buddy. I’m so sorry.
”
Later, when David finally woke, the truth sat between them like a third person in the room. Daniel held Bertie’s hand and watched David try to explain himself. “I don’t even know why I fell asleep,” David said. “I was just exhausted.
”
“You were asleep while our son was alone,” Daniel said. “He walked off, David. Anything could have happened. ”
“I know.
I know. ”
“Social services would have a field day right now. ”
“I know. ”
David looked at Bertie, then back at Daniel.
“I’m sorry. I know I’ve been hard on you. But this… this isn’t about me being hard on you.
This is about all of us falling apart. ”
Daniel looked at his boy, at the missing pieces of his family scattered around him. He didn’t know how to put them back together. He only knew that he had to try.
And somewhere in the rubble of that long, ruined day, Daniel realized he couldn’t fix any of it by pointing fingers. The only way forward was to pick up the pieces himself. His phone buzzed again. It was a message from an unknown number.
That’s your son’s biscuit, Daniel. And I know everything about today. I’ll be watching. Daniel stared at the words.
But the sender’s name was blank.
