WHEN I WAS 14, I SPENT THE NIGHT AT MY FRIEND’S HOUSE—AND DISCOVERED HER FATHER’S DARK SECRET

At 14, I stayed at my friend Sorrel’s house and discovered a hidden camera in her room, disguised as part of a fire alarm. When I covered it, her dad, Gideon, stormed in, yelling it was for safety, but his rage felt sinister. I confided in my cousin Orin, who suspected foul play. Sorrel later revealed her dad’s controlling behavior, even monitoring her in the bathroom. Orin helped record Gideon’s abusive outbursts, which we turned over to the police. Gideon fled with Sorrel but was caught at a motel, arrested for secretly filming her friends, including me, for years.

Sorrel’s mom, Callista, was complicit, pleading guilty to child endangerment. Sorrel and I healed together, graduated high school, and pursued psychology in college to help trauma survivors. We spoke at a safety conference, turning our pain into purpose. Trusting my gut saved us, proving bravery is speaking up and supporting each other to build lives worth living.