I’m Sarah, and when my ex-husband, Tom, arrived at my door with a massive rocking horse for our daughter, Lily, I sensed trouble. Tom never gave gifts without strings attached, especially since our messy divorce. His fake smile as he presented the toy made my stomach churn, but I had no idea how it would turn my life upside down.
Tom claimed the rocking horse was for Lily, his voice dripping with charm. I forced a nod, letting him bring it inside. Lily was playing upstairs, and Tom called her down, hyping up the surprise. I stood by, arms crossed, waiting for the catch. Tom’s gifts always came with disappointment.
Lily bounded into the room, her face lighting up at the horse. She hopped on, giggling as she rocked. Tom promised a fun dinner out, but then said he had to cancel for work. Lily’s smile faded, and I clenched my jaw. It was Tom’s usual trick: dazzling gifts to mask his flakiness.
As Tom left, I grabbed his arm, warning him that toys couldn’t replace being there for Lily. He smirked, mentioning his lawyers were pushing to change our custody deal. His arrogance fueled my resolve to stay one step ahead. Something about that horse felt wrong, though I couldn’t place it.
Lily loved the horse, riding it every chance she got. Her laughter almost eased my unease, but then=11. Then I started hearing a weird ticking sound from the horse. I brushed it off as old mechanics at first, but the noise grew louder, especially at night when Lily was asleep.
One night, the ticking jolted me awake. I crept to Lily’s room with a flashlight. The horse rocked slightly in the breeze, the sound unnerving. I checked its base and found a hidden compartment on its underside. My pulse raced—why was it there? I popped it open, and a small device fell out: a voice recorder.
I froze, realization hitting hard. Tom had hidden it to spy on me, aiming to twist my words for his custody fight. Rage surged through me—he was using Lily for this. I gripped the recorder, tempted to destroy it, but I needed to be clever. I called my lawyer, Ellen, who said secret recordings were useless in court and urged me to outsmart him.
Ellen’s words ignited a plan. I spoke into the recorder, mocking Tom’s failed scheme. Then I let it record hours of TV noise—cartoons, ads, nothing useful. I slipped it back into the horse, grinning at the thought of his frustration. When Tom came over next, I watched him slyly grab the device while Lily rode the horse, my heart pounding with victory.
Tom never mentioned it, his silence screaming defeat. I’d won, protecting Lily and proving I was stronger. That night, with Lily asleep, I stared at the horse, now just a toy. I’d faced Tom’s dirty trick and came out on top, ready to guard my daughter against anything.
