Yet the thought of dragging my own parents into court made me nauseous. What kind of family does this? Plus, they had nearly destroyed Emily’s life. She could’ve faced juvenile detention. Her school reputation, her college dreams—ruined forever.

That evening, I drove to my parents’ house. Emily begged me not to go, terrified of another scene, but I promised I’d handle it. Daniel came with me.

As Helen opened the door, she looked surprised but smug. Robert sat in his recliner, TV remote in hand. I didn’t raise my voice. I put my laptop on the coffee table, opened the file, and hit play.

The room was silent except for the grainy audio of parking lot noise. Helen’s face drained of color when she watched herself planting the necklace. Robert shifted uncomfortably but he said nothing.

As the video ended, I closed the laptop.