Everyone In Town Thinks My Friend’s Dad Is A Monster. I Just Found Out The Real Monster Is His Mother, And Now She’s Coming For Me. How Do I Stop Her?

Caught in the Act

After school, I told Mom I was staying for math tutoring. She’d verify with the teacher later, but that gave me an hour. I ran to the public library six blocks away. The computers there didn’t require student logins. I’d been researching for 20 minutes when Catherine walked in.

She looked nothing like the broken woman from the court photos. Designer clothes, fresh manicure, confident stride. She headed straight for the fiction section and I ducked behind my monitor. My heart pounded as she browsed, occasionally glancing around. Was she here by coincidence, or had someone told her about my library visits?

She left after 10 minutes, but I couldn’t shake the feeling she’d seen me. I packed up and took a different route home, cutting through the park. Mom was waiting on the porch.

“Math tutoring ended an hour ago. I walked with some friends.”

“Mrs. Patterson saw you at the library.” She held up her phone showing a photo of me at the computer. “She’s concerned you’re still investigating that family.”

I stayed silent as she ushered me inside. The therapy appointment couldn’t come fast enough for her.

Dad’s Doubts

That night, I heard arguing downstairs. Dad had come home from his business trip and Mom was filling him in.

“He’s obsessed, Tom. Taking pictures of documents, researching the mother, defending them constantly.”

“Maybe we should hear him out,” Dad said quietly. “What if there’s more to the story?”

“Not you too,” Mom’s voice rose. “That man is dangerous. The whole community knows it.”

“The whole community has been wrong before,” Dad replied.

Their argument continued. But I had hope. Dad had always been more logical, less swayed by gossip. Maybe I could convince him.

The next morning Brian wasn’t at school again. I overheard teachers saying he’d been absent 3 days now.

“Probably too embarrassed to show his face,” one said, “after what his father did.”

I wanted to scream that they had it backwards, but I kept quiet. Let them think I’d given up.