0001.

"James, pick up the phone," Amanda muttered under her breath, pressing redial for what felt like the hundredth time.

Her thumb hovered over the screen as the call failed again. A familiar automated voice declared, "The number you are trying to reach is not available."

She sighed heavily, pacing the living room. The balloons and streamers swayed gently in the breeze from the open window.

Kendall's birthday party was long over, or, more accurately, it had never truly begun.

The cake sat untouched on the dining table, the candles burned out hours ago. Amanda glanced at the clock. It was past midnight, and James still hadn't shown up.

"Mama, where's Daddy?" Kendall's sleepy voice broke through Amanda's thoughts. The little girl clung to her favorite stuffed bunny, her eyelids drooping from exhaustion. Amanda knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair away from her daughter's forehead.

"He'll be home soon, sweetheart. Daddy promised, remember?" she said softly, though her voice faltered. She kissed Kendall on the cheek and stood, lifting her into her arms. "Let's get you to bed, okay? You've had a long day."

Kendall nodded drowsily, resting her head on Amanda's shoulder as they climbed the stairs to her room. Laying her down, Amanda whispered, "Goodnight, my love. Daddy will be here when you wake up." But even as she said it, she wasn't sure she believed it.

Back downstairs, Amanda picked up her phone again. She debated calling James' mother, Agnes, but stopped herself. "If something's wrong, I don't want to worry her unnecessarily." Instead, she scrolled to Jerry's number, James' best friend and he picked up almost immediately.

"Hey, Amanda," Jerry answered groggily. "Everything okay?"

"Jerry, have you heard from James today?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah, I spoke to him this afternoon. He told me he'd be home early tonight for Kendall's birthday. Wait, he's not there?"

"No," Amanda said, trying to steady her breathing. "I haven't heard from him all day, and his phone's off."

Jerry paused. "That's strange. He seemed fine when we talked. Maybe he went to see his mom? She hasn't been feeling well."

Amanda felt really irritated. "His mother's sick? No one told me." She thought to herself. She kept her tone neutral. "I'll try calling her. Thanks, Jerry."

"Don't worry too much," Jerry said. "I'm sure it's just a mix-up. Keep me posted."

Amanda ended the call and dialed Agnes' number. It rang and rang, but there was no answer. She tried two more times before giving up and sending a text;

"Hi Mom, have you seen James today? He hasn't come home, and I'm worried."

Setting the phone down, she rubbed her temples. Her mind racing really fast wondering if anything had happened.

A soft chime startled her. A message. She grabbed her phone, expecting a reply from Agnes, but the sender was an unknown number. The text read; "Watch this."

Attached was a video file.

Amanda froze. Her heart pounded as she stared at the screen. Memories flooded back, months ago, an unknown number sent her a chilling message about her parents' deaths, urging her to investigate.

James had assured her it was a cruel prank, dismissing it after finding no evidence. Now, another anonymous message. Slowly, she clicked on the video.

The footage was grainy, taken in a club. The camera panned over a man laughing and chatting with a group of women. His face wasn't visible, but his physique, his voice..... James?

Amanda's breath hitched. She watched in disbelief as the man leaned in close to one of the women, his arm draped casually over her shoulder.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "This... this isn't real." She deleted the video in a panic, refusing to let the image take root in her mind. James wasn't like that. He couldn't be. He'd never miss Kendall's birthday for something so... so meaningless.

Before she could calm herself, another message came through. Then another. Her phone buzzed incessantly. She opened the texts, her hands trembling. She didn't know what to expect but she knew it wasn't anything good.

It's him, the first message said.

"You don't believe it, but it's your husband. He's hiding things from you. Check the secret closet in his home office. You'll find the truth about your parents' deaths."

Amanda stared at the screen, her blood running cold. The accusations were absurd, weren't they? But the mention of her parents... the same parents she had lost in what was declared an accident... It was too specific, too deliberate. Her mind swirled with doubt. "What if it's true?"

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, she tried her possible best not to imagine things, she was still in doubts that James could leave their daughter's birthday for the club. He missed her one year birthday and had promised to meet up this one. James was someone who kept his word.

Kendall's peaceful face flashed in her mind. Whatever was happening, she needed to know. For her daughter's sake, if nothing else. Amanda kissed Kendall's forehead, whispering a prayer that none of this was real.

Downstairs, she retrieved James' access card and made her way to his home office. The door creaked as she unlocked it. The room was immaculate, as always, James was meticulous about his space. She began searching, opening drawers, sifting through files. An hour passed, and she found nothing.

Frustrated, Amanda was about to leave when something caught her eye; a stack of papers protruding from a panel in the wall near James' chair. She approached it cautiously, her pulse quickening. Tugging at the panel, she discovered a hidden closet.

Inside, an old brown envelope lay atop a pile of documents. Amanda's fingers trembled as she opened it. The first thing she saw was a photograph. A picture of her as a child, standing between her parents. Her knees buckled as she clutched the photo to her chest, a cold dread settling over her.

"What have you done, James? How... How did you get this?" she whispered into the silence.