My daughter, Emma, has always been a vibrant child. Her smile has brighten the room and she has brought so my joy in our lives, but recently, that changed in a way I cannot even describe.
Whenever I’d come home, she’d be very upset, reaching towards me as though she was trying to tell me something.
At first, I brushed it off, believing she was teething or it was just a phase that would go away eventually. But no, things seemed to get worse as days passed by.
Not knowing what to do, I decided to take her to the clinic. The place smelled of disinfectant and crayons and Emma played with her favorite toy, her stuffed rabbit, while we waited Dr. Lewis to call our names.
Dr. Lewis greeted us with a smile, pretty much as always, but once he spent some moments with Emma, his face became serious.
“Has Emma been with someone else rather than you recently?”
I was confused by the question and asked if everything was okay, but the doctor only repeated the question.
“Well, her father is looking after her while I’m working. No one else.”
“I don’t want to scare you,” he began carefully, “but you should install a camera in your house. And whatever happens—don’t tell your husband.”
I felt my stomach drop. “Why… why would you say that?”
He just shook his head and said, “Please, trust me. You need to see what goes on when you’re not around.”
I was hesitant at first, wondering if I should violate my husband’s privacy, but my daughter’s well-being was much more important than those moral doubts I had.
And so I bought a tiny camera that I installed in the living room. What I saw taking place when I was not around made me question my husband’s true character.
When I checked the footage, nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. My daughter was playing with some wooden toys on the floor, while my husband was on his phone. Honestly, he acted as though Emma wasn’t even there. At one moment, she started screaming, and although I couldn’t hear that from the footage, I could see it from her face. That went on for some time, and my husband only turned around once and let her scream without getting up.
After some time, he approached her and it was obvious he was yelling at her. He then grabbed her rabbit toy from her hands and threw it on the other side of the room. He didn’t try to calm her down or take her in his arms, but simply continued using his phone.
No, he didn’t hit her, but still, his behavior was terrifying for a child that young.
I was shocked. My husband acted as someone I didn’t know. He has never yelled at me, not once, but because of some reason, he treated our child badly and showed no empathy or affection towards her.
The following day, I took Emma to the doctor again and told him what I saw.
“I knew she lacked affection and was scared of the person taking care of her,” he said.
I promised my daughter that I would never let anyone treat her that way.
When I confronted my husband, he was mad I installed a camera. Our argument escalated and Emma and I moved into a smaller apartment.
I still don’t know what my next move will be, but I do know that my daughter doesn’t deserve to be raised by someone as cold as her father.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace