Father's Day Deadly Gift

Florence's words drew every eye to me.

"There's a truth here. These deaths are too strange."

"What's the real story?"

The crowd turned to Florence, but her accusing stare pinned me.

"You want the truth?" I smiled bitterly. "I'm desperate to find out. I loved them more than anyone else, but I don't know why they died after saying Dad."

"You're lying!" Florence slapped me, pointing at Stephanie's body, covered by a sheet. "That's not Stephanie. She's alive, isn't she? Where are you hiding her? Give her back!"

The room froze.

With the body lying there, they believed Florence's grief had broken her. But then, she showed a live video feed. In it, Stephanie was at preschool, alive and well.

All eyes shifted to the corpse, whose identity was now questionable.

"Why are you doing this?" Florence pressed. "Give me my daughter back. Which school is she at? When did you switch her?"

"I didn't," I started, but my mom cut me off. "Kurt, stop lying!"

She went over to Florence, tears streaming. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't bear the guilt anymore. The girl in the video isn't Stephanie. I know how she died."

"What?" Florence's eyes widened, her face ashen as she leaned closer.

"It was him." My mom pointed at me. "He killed them. He's got that super-male syndrome and he has violent streak. He killed countless pets when he was a child and I covered for him. But I never imagined he'd murder his kids. We tried to stop him, but he swore each time was the last."

She sobbed, continuing, "We're guilty for covering up for him. He's our only son. But I can't watch you lose your mind. Stephanie is gone. Kurt killed her."

The crowd was stunned.

"Did I hear that right? Kurt killed his kids?"

"Even animals don't kill their young. Why would he?"

Florence stood rigid, glancing at me.

I was dumbfounded. "I didn't."

"Your parents have always protected you. No way they'd frame you!" Florence yelled. "Why did you kill my daughter?"

I looked at my parents, who urged me with pained expressions. "You've done enough wrong. We can't keep hiding this. It's eating us alive."

I was incredulous, unable to understand why they framed me like that. I tried to speak, but the crowd believed my parents wouldn't betray me.

A man punched me in the face. "You monster, killing your kids and acting innocent? Even death is too good for you!"

"That's right. We're bringing him to justice!" Others joined in, beating me as I lay defenseless.

In my despair, I glanced at the girl's face on Florence's phone.

Then it clicked why my children died after calling me Dad.