Marcus shook his head firmly and looked into her eyes.
“You never have to worry about convincing anyone, ever again.
I’m right here.
And I believe you.”
For the first time in days, a genuine six-year-old smile appeared on Lily’s face.
Marcus would think about that question often afterward.
It showed him how deeply Sarah’s manipulation had affected Lily.
Even after she had spoken, been believed, moved somewhere safe, and seen doctors, she was still waiting for Sarah to appear and somehow convince everyone that she was lying.
That was the psychological foundation Sarah had deliberately built.
Not only false videos, but the belief inside Lily herself that her own truth would never be enough.
She had taught the child that the adults would trust recordings before they trusted her words.
For a six-year-old, whose world depended almost entirely on adults, that was devastating.
The deepest damage was not simply fear of Sarah.
