Chapter 2 - The Phone Glen Swore Was Lost
For several seconds, the only sound in the backyard came from children splashing in the pool.
Adults had gone silent.
That silence frightened Ariel more than laughter had.
She wrapped both arms around my leg.
“Mommy?”
I lowered the phone.
“Everything’s okay.”
It was not.
But three-year-olds do not need live commentary on adult betrayal.
I picked her up.
Andrew? No, my husband is Glen. Keep.
Glen stepped toward me.
“Natalie, give me the phone.”
“Why?”
“It’s company property.”
That almost made me laugh.
“I own the company.”
Technically, Northstar Design Collective belonged to me and two minority investors.
I held seventy-one percent.
Glen held no equity.
He was Chief Operating Officer.
He joined after our marriage, four years into Northstar’s life.
The phone was registered to company account.
Glen knew that.
So did I.
Clara spoke quickly.
“He gave it to me because mine broke.”
I looked at her.
“Five months ago?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he report it lost?”
She said nothing.
Dad turned toward Glen.
“You gave my wife a phone?”
Glen rubbed his forehead.
“Richard, it’s not what this looks like.”
That phrase.
The sentence people say when what something looks like is already very bad.
Dad took one step toward him.
“What does it look like?”
“Everybody needs to calm down.”
“No.”
My father’s voice changed.
“Explain why your work phone has been in Clara’s bag for five months.”
Glen looked at me.
“Natalie.”
“No.”
I shifted Ariel higher on my hip.
“You explain to him.”
Clara grabbed her tote.
“This is ridiculous. Ariel probably found the phone somewhere and put it in my bag.”
My daughter started crying.
“I didn’t!”
I looked directly at Clara.
“Do not blame a three-year-old.”
“I’m not blaming her.”
“You just did.”
“She’s confused.”
Ariel buried her face against my neck.
Glen tried to touch my arm.
I moved away.
“Don’t.”
His hand stopped.
At the edge of patio, my operations manager, Denise, was staring.
She had come with her wife and daughter.
I called:
“Denise.”
She approached cautiously.
“This is Northstar device number ND-17, correct?”
She recognized the sticker.
Her face tightened.
“I believe so.”
“Can you confirm without opening private content?”
“Yes. Serial is in MDM portal.”
“Do it.”
Glen’s head snapped toward me.
“Natalie, this is a birthday party.”
“It stopped being one when company property reported lost appeared in Clara’s bag.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“It absolutely is.”
Denise took out phone and logged into corporate management portal.
She did not touch recovered device.
After thirty seconds:
“ND-17. Blue iPhone. Serial ending 2284.”
She looked at case.
“That’s it.”
I nodded.
“Document recovery location and time.”
Glen swore.
Dad looked between all of us.
“What does the message mean?”
Clara said:
“Nothing.”
He turned on her.
“It says I still think the baby is mine.”
“Richard, people use jokes.”
“Who is C?”
She stared at him.
I already knew.
Glen had saved Clara as C in his contacts? The preview showed only C.
But the messages referenced Richard.
Estate lawyer.
Pregnancy.
One did not need forensic certification to understand why everyone was uneasy.
Still, I would not accuse without evidence.
Not yet.
I told Denise:
“Take the phone inside and place it in office safe. Do not unlock. Do not power down unless IT advises. Call Marcus in IT and corporate counsel.”
Glen stepped forward.
“No.”
Denise froze.
I looked at him.
“No what?”
“That phone contains personal communications.”
“You signed Northstar’s device policy. Company equipment can be preserved and reviewed for business and legal purposes.”
“This is marital.”
“I don’t know what it is yet.”
“You cannot just seize it.”
“It belongs to Northstar.”
His face hardened.
There.
For the first time since I met Glen, I saw something underneath the charming, patient man everyone liked.
Control.
Not violence.
Calculation.
“You’re embarrassing yourself.”
He said it quietly.
I almost smiled.
“Noted.”
Dad pointed toward house.
“Clara. Inside.”
“No.”
“Now.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Then answer like an adult.”
Ariel started squirming.
“I want cake.”
The normality of it nearly broke me.
I kissed her hair.
“You’re getting cake.”
I looked at my sister-in-law? None. I called Denise’s wife maybe Sam.
“Sam, can you stay with Ariel for five minutes?”
Ariel clung harder.
“No.”
That answered for me.
I would not leave her.
“Actually, no.”
I turned to the guests.
“I’m sorry. The party is ending early.”
Glen stared.
“Natalie.”
“Everyone with children, please take them home. Denise, secure the device.”
Clara crossed her arms.
“This is insane.”
My father looked at her stomach.
Then at Glen.
Then at the phone being carried inside.
His voice became almost inaudible.
“Is the baby mine?”
Clara’s face emptied.
May you like
She did not answer.
That was the moment my father stopped being confused.
