When Genevieve’s ex-husband gave their son a rocking horse, her instincts screamed that something was wrong. Her unease grew as the horse began making strange noises, leading her to a heartbreaking discovery. Determined to protect her family at all costs, Genevieve immediately called her lawyer.
When Anthony showed up at my door with a giant rocking horse, I knew he was up to something. My ex-husband never did anything without a reason, especially when it involved Ethan.
He stood there smiling as if he had just brought the moon to Ethan, while I felt my tension rising.
“Hi, Genevieve. I thought Ethan would like this,” Anthony said in an annoyingly cheerful tone. He always knew how to mask his intentions with that fake charm.
I forced a smile, though it probably looked more like a grimace. “That’s… very thoughtful of you, Anthony.”
I never imagined that toy would change my life.
I stepped aside to let him pass and watched as he carried the huge toy into the living room.
“Ethan’s in his room,” I said.
Anthony didn’t need to be told twice. He ran up the stairs, shouting, “Hey, buddy! Come see what Dad brought you.”
I leaned against the doorframe, rubbing my temples. It wasn’t the first time Anthony tried to win Ethan’s affection with extravagant gifts. It always ended the same way.
My son’s eyes lit up, delighted with the toy. Then Anthony would drop bad news, and I’d have to pick up the emotional pieces when he left.
“Mom! Look what Dad gave me!” Ethan’s voice echoed down the stairs, full of excitement.
Moments later, he ran into the living room, closely followed by Anthony. Ethan’s face was full of joy, his hands gripping the horse’s reins. I forced a smile but was waiting for the “bad news” part of the visit.
“This is amazing, Dad! Can I ride it now?”
“Of course, champ,” Anthony said, ruffling Ethan’s hair. “But be careful, okay?”
“Alright,” I agreed, “just for a little while. It’s almost dinner time. Dad’s going to take you out for pizza, remember?”
“That reminds me…” Anthony flashed a charming smile as he turned to me. “I won’t be able to go out with Ethan tonight.”
“What?” Ethan stopped rocking to stare at Anthony.
I sighed. Here we go again.
“Sorry, buddy, but Dad has to work,” Anthony said, crouching down beside Ethan. “I’ll make it up to you next weekend, I promise.”
Ethan lowered his head and sniffled.
“And until then, you can play with your horse, okay?” Anthony continued. “If you play on it every day, I’ll buy you a real cowboy hat to wear while you ride Patches here, okay?”
Anthony patted the horse’s neck. Ethan nodded and climbed onto the horse.
“I’ll ride it every day so you can come visit me, Dad,” Ethan said.
My heart broke a little, but Anthony just ruffled Ethan’s hair and headed toward the door. I reached out and grabbed his elbow as he passed by.
“You can’t keep doing this, Tony,” I said quietly. “Expensive gifts don’t make up for the time you don’t spend with your son.”
Tony jerked his arm free.
“Don’t lecture me, Genevieve. Actually, you should try being nice to me. Or have you forgotten that my lawyers are challenging the custody agreement?”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course not.”
He gave me a smile that was more like a snarl and hurried out. Watching him leave, I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d ever reach a point where we could just be co-parents in peace.
“Hey, Ethan, we can still go get pizza if you want,” I called to my son as I closed the door.
“Thanks, Mom,” Ethan replied.
As Ethan climbed down from the horse, a knot of unease tightened in my stomach. There was something off about all of this—more than Anthony’s usual nonsense—but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Over the next few days, Ethan was inseparable from that rocking horse. Every free moment he spent riding it, his laughter filling the house. It was almost enough to drown out my growing sense of fear. Almost.
Then the noise started.
At first, it was just a faint clicking, like plastic gears grinding against each other. I dismissed it, thinking it was just an old mechanism in the toy. But the sound grew louder, more persistent, until it became impossible to ignore.
One night, while the wind howled outside, I heard the clicking again, louder than ever. Ethan had been asleep for hours, and the noise was coming from his room.
I grabbed a flashlight and crept down the hall.
Pushing open Ethan’s door, I saw the rocking horse swaying slightly, moved by the breeze from the open window. The clicking sent a chill down my spine. I approached cautiously, determined to get rid of the annoying sound.
I knelt down to examine the base. Tilting it made the clicking louder. My fingers brushed against something hard and uneven. I pulled back and shined the flashlight under the horse.
That’s when I saw a small hidden compartment in the belly of the horse. The toy didn’t have batteries, so what was it for?
I pried open the compartment door with my nails.
Something fell from the compartment into my hand. I was surprised, but then I was stunned when I realized the mysterious object was a small voice recorder.
I stared at it, trying to think how it could have gotten there, when the realization hit me like a freight train. Anthony.
He was trying to gather evidence against me, to challenge our custody agreement. The fury that flooded me was overwhelming. How dare he use our son like that?
I left Ethan’s room, leaving the horse behind but holding the voice recorder.
My mind raced as I paced the living room, tears of frustration welling up. I tried to remember everything I had said near the horse. Could they twist any of my words to make me look incapable?
My thoughts were a jumble of anger, pain, and betrayal. I couldn’t believe Anthony had stooped to such lows.
Sure, our divorce had been messy, but involving Ethan in this? That was hitting below the belt, even for him. My hands trembled as I stared at the recorder, fighting the urge to smash it against the wall.
But I had to be smart. I needed advice, someone to assure me I wouldn’t lose my son because of this.
With shaking hands, I dialed my lawyer’s number. She picked up on the second ring.
“Genevieve? What’s going on?” Susan’s calm and steady voice was a lifesaver.
“Susan, you won’t believe what Anthony has done,” I said, my voice breaking. “He placed a voice recorder inside Ethan’s rocking horse. He’s trying to gather evidence against me.”
Susan sighed, and I heard her shuffling papers in the background. “Take a deep breath, Genevieve. Any evidence collected this way is inadmissible in court. They can’t use it against you.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, barely above a whisper.
“Absolutely,” Susan replied confidently. “Stay calm. This will only backfire if it comes to light. How did you find it?”
I explained everything—from the strange noises to the late-night discovery.
Susan listened patiently and, when I finished, said, “Alright. Here’s what you’re going to do. Use this to your advantage. Make sure whatever is on that recorder is worthless. Turn the tables.”
Her words fired me up.
I wasn’t going to let Anthony get away with this. “Thanks, Susan. I’ve got this.”
Determined, I picked up the recorder and spoke directly to it. “Did you hear my lawyer, Anthony? What you’re trying won’t work.”
I spent the next few hours setting the trap. I placed the recorder near the TV and let it capture hours of children’s cartoons and TV commercials.
The mundane, repetitive noise would only bring frustration.
Once satisfied, I carefully put the recorder back inside the rocking horse, making sure everything was intact. The satisfaction of outsmarting Anthony was almost tangible.
The weekend came, along with Anthony’s visit. I greeted him with a forced courtesy, my stomach churned with anticipation. I discreetly watched how he interacted with Ethan, and his eyes drifted more than once toward the rocking horse.
“Ethan, why don’t you show Dad how to ride the horse?” I suggested, my voice as sweet as sugar.
Ethan obeyed and happily jumped on the horse. Anthony’s eyes followed him, a calculating look crossing his face.
I waited, heart pounding, as Anthony subtly retrieved the device. I could barely contain my satisfaction, imagining his frustration when he heard the useless recordings.
Days passed and Anthony never mentioned the incident. His silence said it all. It was as if he knew he’d been defeated and didn’t want to admit it. I took his silence as a tacit acknowledgment of defeat, a silent truce.
The feeling of triumph and relief was immense. I had protected my son and outsmarted my ex-husband. This small but meaningful victory strengthened my resolve to stay vigilant.
Anthony wouldn’t get the best of me. Not now, not ever.
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In the quiet moments after Ethan had gone to bed, I smiled. The house was silent, the rocking horse stood innocently in the corner.
I had been tested and had won. And I knew I would do it again, no matter what it took, to keep my son safe and happy.