As a mother, it is a natural instinct to do all that you can to protect your children. Nobody loves your children as fiercely as you do and nobody else will do a better job of making sure they are safe and cared for.
Source: Globe Tip
This was the case for Annabelle when it came to her daughter, Stacy. They had been spending some time practicing photography together in the park. When Annabelle took a closer look at the pictures, she could not believe her eyes. She immediately called the police.
A single mother’s battle
Annabelle Spencer was a single mother in her early forties. She raised her daughter, Stacy, in the suburbs of Texas. Annabelle and Stacy get along well and were like best friends. But a few years ago, this was not the case.
Source: Globe Tip
You see, a year and a half ago, Anabelle was still married to her ex-husband and Stacy’s father, Victor. A long and ugly divorce had taken place and the proceedings had put a lot of stress on both Annabelle and Stacy.
First love went wrong
Victor was Annabelle’s first love. They have been together since high school and got married just a few months after graduation. Although the lovebirds were still young when they decided to tie the knot, they believed that their love is all they need to get by.
Source: Globe Tip
However, their lack of maturity and experience turned out to make their marriage rocky from the very start. They were both suspicious of each other and ended up hurting each other most of the time. Soon, the house they shared felt like a warzone.
Staying together for the kid
But things changed when Anabelle got pregnant. Victor became more patient and understanding and Anabelle was suddenly looking forward to the future. When Stacy was born, Victor doted on their daughter and spent all his free time with her. Stacy became the priority.
Source: Globe Tip
But as Stacy grew up, it became evident that things did not really change for Anabelle and Victor. Although they did not fight as much as before, it seemed like they only had Stacy as their common point of interest. Their marriage was turning into a facade for the sake of Stacy.
Stacy speaks up
As it goes with all loveless marriages, everything has a breaking point. It came to a point where Annabelle and Victor argued even when Stacy was around. They could no longer stand to be around each other and soon, their house felt more like a prison for the two.
Source: Globe Tip
Stacy was not oblivious to what was happening between her parents. One day, the young girl shared how the situation between her parents was stressing her out. She then told Annabelle that she was no longer comfortable because of all the fighting. Stacy’s expressed feelings pushed Annabelle to finally file for a divorce.
A quick escape
Determined to get Stacy out of the toxic situation they were in, Annabelle immediately looked for a lawyer and scheduled an appointment. Annabelle knew she could not stay in the same house as Victor while the divorce proceedings were taking place. So, she made a plan to move out the next day while Victor was at work.
Source: Globe Tip
That night, Annabelle could not sleep properly. The moment Victor headed out the door, she and Stacy rushed around the house to pack up all their things. Anabelle had already made plans with her parents. She and Stacy will move in with them until the divorce was final. Annabelle made sure that everything they needed was packed so that there will be no need to return to the house.
Taking their fight to court
Victor returned home that night to a very quiet house. He was immediately confused. He went from room to room searching for his wife and his daughter. When he realized that their things were gone, he found himself sitting on her daughter’s bed as he went through a rollercoaster of emotions. Finally, pure anger settled. He could not believe that Annabelle dared to take Stacy away from him.
Source: Globe Tip
What followed was a long and toxic court battle. Annabelle and Victor fought hard to get custody of Stacy. Their resentment towards each other was very clear. Their divorce proceedings took months. But when it was all finally over, Annabelle won custody of Stacy. The divorce became final and Annabelle forbade Victor from ever seeing her or Stacy ever again.
A father reaching out
Victor may have lost the legal battle but as a father, he was not giving up on Stacy just yet. Victor was determined to find a way to keep seeing his daughter. During the months after their divorce, Victor tried to send letters, messages and even asked for help from their family friends.
Source: Globe Tip
Victor was looking for ways to get to Stacy behind Annabelle’s back. At this point, he believed that Annabelle was all that stood in the way between him having a relationship with his daughter. Anabelle knew how stubborn Victor was. So she watched Stacy like a hawk, making sure that Victor would never get near her.
Stacy’s rejection
But somehow, Victor was able to get Stacy’s new phone number and his message got through to Stacy. Fortunately, Stacy was not interested in having a reunion with her father. Stacy did not even bother to open the text messages she was getting from her father.
Source: Globe Tip
She instead handed her phone to Annabelle, who read them and deleted whatever her father had to say. Once, Victor tried to call her and asked if they could meet up. Stacy shut him down firmly and told him coldly that she was not interested.
Victor backs out
This seemed to hurt and discourage Victor. For a while, he thought that Annabelle was standing in their way but it never occurred to him that Stacy herself did not want to see him. After that confrontation, he stopped trying to reach out to his daughter.
Source: Globe Tip
Weeks had passed and there were no more messages or missed calls on her phone. Their family friends also had stopped acting as a bridge between the two. It seemed that Anabelle and Stacy will now be able to live their new life in peace.
Starting a new life
Annabelle and Stacy were relieved now that Victor had stopped bothering them. The two became closer as they were now able to go out and do fun things together without being worried that Victor will be lurking around.
Source: Pixabay
Annabelle and Stacy used to limit their time outdoors in fear that Victor will come back into their lives. But now, they were able to sit in a restaurant and enjoy their meal. They were able to go around the mall and shop as long as they want. There was no fear.
Stacy discovers Instagram
Then, Stacy started setting up an Instagram account. The exposure to social media triggered her interest in photography, which happened to be a sideline hobby of Annabelle. Soon, Stacy was spending a lot of time taking pictures on her phone and uploading them to her Instagram account, waiting for her friends to comment on them.
Source: Globe Tip
Although Annabelle disapproved of the time Stacy is spending on her phone, she could not deny that it had its perks. For one, because photography was Annabelle’s hobby, they get to spend more time together. Stacy would pose for pictures and they would go on photo walks together. Annabelle would teach her interesting angles on how to capture things. It was a great bonding moment for them.
A day in the park
One day, Annabelle and Stacy decided to head out to the park to take pictures. Stacy was well-prepared. She had a lot of ideas and knew the spots where she wanted to strike a pose. It was clear that the young teenager was looking forward to it. However, instead of the usual hour-long Photowalk, they ended up just hanging out in the park for a few minutes.
Source: Globe Tip
Anabelle had been feeling uneasy at the park that day. She felt this from the moment they arrived. As she and Stacy moved from one spot to the next to take pictures, she found herself looking around for any signs of danger. The feeling did not go away even when she was sure that she and Stacy were not in danger. Was she being paranoid?
Cutting their plans short
Stacy noticed her mother looking around. It caused her to feel uneasy too. She tried to pose for more pictures but her smile did not reach her eyes. Annabelle noticed this and asked Stacy if she was feeling okay. Stacy dismissed it and said she was not just in the mood. Annabelle suggested they go back home and to her relief, Stacy agreed.
Source: Globe Tip
When they arrived home, Stacy wanted to see the pictures Annabelle took immediately. Annabelle handed her the camera and went to her bedroom. Stacy immediately checked out the photos and was pleased to see that there were some good shots even if their day did not go so well. She wanted to show them to her mother but Annabelle was already down for a nap.
The Instagram rule
Since Stacy was still young when she first joined Instagram, there was a rule that Annabelle had to approve a picture before Stacy uploads it on Instagram – especially when it was a picture of Stacy. Annabelle wanted to make sure that Stacy will not post something that she would regret later on.
Source: Globe Tip
But Stacy was quite addicted to using Instagram and really enjoyed it when her photos get comments because it made her feel good. She knew this particular photo will get a lot of likes and she was too excited to wait.
Stacy’s rebellion
So, Stacy decided to upload the photo without waiting for Annabelle’s approval. Stacy was a teenager now and she does not need Annabelle to check on everything that she posts on her social media account. Stacy watched the picture appear on her feed with the thrilling feeling that usually comes with rebellion.
Source: Globe Tip
Stacy knew she would be in trouble when Anabelle wakes up so she decided to look busy and started doing her homework. In her effort to look like a diligent student, Stacy did not notice that she left her phone in the kitchen.
Uncovering the truth
When Annabelle woke up, she immediately headed to the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee. That’s when she noticed Stacy’s phone on the counter and it was buzzing. Annabelle picked up the phone and saw that her daughter’s Instagram app had a lot of notifications and messages. She tried to get to them but Stacy’s phone was locked.
Source: Globe Tip
Annabelle retrieved her laptop from the living room and checked on Stacy’s Instagram page. There, she saw that Stacy had uploaded the pictures from today without consulting her. Although the pictures seemed harmless, Annabelle was upset that Stacy broke the rule. She could not believe that Stacy had disobeyed her and gone behind her back.
Unusual notifications
Anabelle immediately went to Stacy’s room to confront her daughter. She found Stacy hunched over her desk, busy doing homework. When Stacy looked up and saw Annabelle holding her phone, she knew she was in trouble. Stacy did not deny that she had posted the pictures without her approval. She reasoned out that she is older and more mature now. She can decide for herself which pictures are worth posting or not.
Source: Globe Tip
Then, Anabelle told her that her notifications were going crazy. Her post had a lot of comments and she was getting a lot of direct messages too. Annabelle knew that Stacy did not have much of a following on Instagram so why was the post blowing up?
Something was wrong with the picture
Curious, Stacy gets her phone and unlocks it. She usually just gets a handful of comments. As she read the comments and the personal messages, Stacy went pale. Anabelle immediately forgot about her disappointment in Stacy and was concerned. Something had clearly upset her daughter.
Source: Globe Tip
Annabelle took Stacy’s phone to read the comments. The first ones were the usual complimentary remarks. But later on, some people were telling her that there was something in the background of the photo. The post was blowing up because they could not agree on what it is.
A startling realization
Annabelle looked at the original photo on her laptop where they could view it in a higher resolution. Annabelle checked them all and zoomed in on the picture to verify everyone’s suspicions. This is when she saw what everybody had been pointing out.
Source: Globe Tip
Annabelle looked back at the rest of the photos and saw that it was in every shot. It was peeking between the rock wall behind Stacy! Annabelle immediately told Stacy to take down the pictures as she called the police.
Lurking in the shadows
But what did Annabelle see in the picture and why does the police have to be involved? It turned out that on the stone wall, a camera lens was peeking out and there was even a small red light to confirm that someone had been taking pictures of Stacy.
Source: Globe Tip
Annabelle did not know what to do. Should she go back to the park and investigate? But what would she find if she did? Annabelle thought it was best if she would not go by herself so she called up the police to ask for help.
Police investigates
Luckily, it was a slow day in the police station. They agreed to send a police officer to the park so they can check it out together. When Annabelle arrived in the park, a police officer was waiting for her as promised. Annabelle showed the police officer the zoomed photo on her phone and the police officer verified that it was a camera.
Source: Globe Tip
The police officer used the photo to determine the person’s hiding spot. They went behind the stone wall and the officer asked Annabelle to wait first in case the lurker was still there. Annabelle was immediately nervous. She had not thought about the possibility of the person still being there. After all, it’s been a couple of hours since they left the park.
The lurker’s identity revealed
The officer signaled to Annabelle to come over when he saw that the coast was clear. He pointed to the ground. It was evident that someone had been hanging out there. There was a cigarette butt and a candy wrapper plus shoe markings. But the most important evidence of all was in the officer’s hand.
Source: Globe Tip
Whoever was behind the stone wall taking pictures did not realize that his or her wallet had fallen off their pockets. The officer opened the wallet and sees a recent picture of Stacy in it – which was captured candidly. The officer continued to go through the wallet and finds an ID card. When Annabelle showed it, she immediately panicked.
Fearing for her daughter’s life
Annabelle and the officer immediately rushed to Annabelle’s house where Stacy was all by herself, hoping that they were not too late. Annabelle silently berated herself for foolishly leaving Stacy all alone. She knew she would not be able to forgive herself if something happened to her daughter.
Source: Globe Tip
When Anabelle and the police officer arrived at their house, Stacy was still doing her homework. The officer scoped the perimeter outside to check if there were signs of someone lurking in their home. Fortunately, there were none. Now that Anabelle knew Stacy was safe, her worry and fear immediately evolved into anger.
The confrontation
For the first time in months, Anabelle picked up the phone and called her ex-husband. She started screaming at him immediately when he picked up. There was no way he could deny this – they had evidence. How long was he stalking their daughter?
Source: Globe Tip
When Victor had a moment to speak, he immediately confessed that he had been taking pictures of Stacy. But it was just because he missed his daughter. Victor explained that being a dad was the only thing that he was good at so not being able to see Stacy was devastating for him. He knew Stacy did not want to see him so he opted to take pictures instead.
Considerations and compromises
Annabelle was furious but somehow, Victor’s explanations got to her. She breathed in deeply to calm herself down. Annabelle acknowledged that Victor was still Stacy’s father and that it was her fault that Victor could not see his own daughter. She had fought so hard in court that she failed to see that Victor was a part of Stacy’s life. He will always be. She told Victor that she would call him back.
Source: Globe Tip
Annabelle told the police officer that she will not be pressing charges. The police officer left and Annabelle sat in the kitchen for a while thinking of the situation. She thought about how crushed Victor sounded and she looked back on the times they were together. Although love was truly gone for them, she could not deny that Victor did love Stacy. Maybe they could compromise – but first, she had to talk to Stacy.
They came to an agreement
Annabelle then went to Stacy’s room to talk to her about Victor. She explained what happened and told her that her father seems to really miss her. It was too late now for Annabelle and Victor to work on their relationship but it is never too late for Stacy to work on her relationship with her father.
Source: Globe Tip
Stacy then made a confession. Over the months she had been missing her father too. After all, Victor did love her and was a good Dad to her. So, they came up with an agreement. Hopefully, Victor would accept it and would not insist on more.
Father and daughter reunite
After their talk, Annabelle called Victor back and said that she had talked to Stacy. Stacy had agreed to spend a day with Victor once a month. If the visits went well, Stacy would be open to increasing the frequency of her visits. Victor was clearly overjoyed when he heard this. He quickly agreed before Annabelle would change her mind. He could not wait to see Stacy again.
Source: Globe Tip
Stacy gave her relationship with her father a try. Soon, they were spending time together regularly. They would do fun things like bike rides, go to movies, and many more. Stacy found out how much she missed having a father around and Victor was just grateful that he gets to hang out with his daughter.
A happy ending
In the end, Annabelle realized that she had been too hard on Victor during the divorce proceedings. Although Victor was a bad husband, he was a great father. They will never be a couple again but they were now at peace.
Source: Globe Tip
In just a few months, Stacy wanted to increase her visits to her father and Annabelle knew that it will not take long before she and Victor will be co-parenting in peace. In the end, their family was able to find happiness apart and in their own way.