I took photographs of the visible bruises with Sofia’s permission. I wrote down what she had told me, including the dates she remembered and the names of the people involved.
I asked whether she had any messages, photographs, or other records.
She showed me a few messages on an old tablet she had hidden beneath her mattress. Some were from Bianca, mocking her and ordering her to do chores. Others were from Patricia, telling her not to mention household problems to me.
One message made my hands go cold.
Patricia: Your father works hard enough. If you love him, you won’t fill his head with your little complaints.
Another read:
Bianca: Finish my laundry before you sleep. If you tell Dad, I’ll say you stole my necklace.
I saved copies of the messages without altering them.
Then I called Sofia’s school.
The counselor who answered recognized my daughter’s name immediately.
