When It Split Open, I Found What He’d Been Hiding All Along

I called my neighbor Kristin, who’s good with tech, to take a look. She confirmed the AirTag could track us in real time. Then I remembered another gift Tom had brought — a pen for my granddaughter, Lily. Kristin carefully unscrewed it… and froze. Inside was a tiny audio recorder.

That’s when I knew — Tom had been monitoring everything: where we went, what we said, even our private moments at home.

I immediately gathered the evidence and called my lawyer. In court, Tom looked confident, certain he’d win custody. But when the judge saw the proof — the AirTag, the recorder, the reports — everything changed. His visitation rights were suspended, and I was granted full custody.

That night, I tucked the kids into bed. Ethan’s teddy bear was now just a toy again. Lily’s new pen was a simple one from my desk. I whispered to myself the promise I’d made to Emily: I’ll always protect them. And this time, I knew she’d be proud.