CHAPTER 1: "Just Ten Minutes..."
Emma Collins had spent years trying to build the perfect life.
A beautiful home. A successful career. A six-year-old daughter named Lily who laughed so loudly the whole house seemed brighter whenever she smiled.
That Tuesday afternoon felt completely ordinary.
Emma was in the kitchen preparing dinner while Lily colored pictures at the island counter. The little girl kept glancing at her mother's phone lying only a few feet away.
"Mommy, can I call Grandma after dinner?" Lily asked.
Emma smiled without looking up.
"Of course, sweetheart."
A few minutes later, Emma's phone vibrated.
Unknown Number.
She ignored it.
Thirty seconds later, it rang again.
Unknown Number.
She sighed.
"Probably another spam call."
She silenced it and continued chopping vegetables.
The phone stopped...
Then Lily suddenly looked nervous.
"Mommy... what if it's important?"
Emma laughed softly.
"If it's important, they'll leave a voicemail."
Another call.
This time the phone vibrated across the marble countertop.
Emma rolled her eyes.
"I'll answer later."
At that exact moment, Lily quietly climbed off her chair.
"I need to use the bathroom."
Emma nodded absentmindedly.
"Don't run."
The little girl disappeared around the corner.
Another minute passed.
Emma finished preparing dinner.
She finally reached for her phone.
Three missed calls.
One voicemail.
Before she could listen...
She heard a loud crash upstairs.
"Lily?"
No answer.
Her heart skipped.
"Lily!"
She rushed toward the staircase.
Silence.
Then...
A tiny voice.
"...Mommy..."
It sounded weak.
Terrified, Emma sprinted upstairs.
Lily was lying motionless near the top of the stairs.
The child had slipped while trying to answer the ringing phone herself.
Blood slowly spread across the white floor.
Emma screamed louder than she ever had in her life.
She grabbed her daughter and called 911 with trembling hands.
As the ambulance doors slammed shut...
Her phone rang again.
The same unknown number.
This time...
Emma answered.
A calm male voice spoke only one sentence.
"If you had answered ten minutes ago... your daughter would never have fallen."
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Then...
The line went dead.
