Chapter 4
James was out of his chair and through the front door before I could blink.
I ran to the window, my heart in my throat.
He stormed across the lawn, his fists clenched.
“Get off my property,” he yelled.
Margaret didn’t flinch.
She took a slow drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke into the night air.
“Your property?” She laughed. “I paid the down payment on this house. I paid for your cars. I paid for that little girl’s private school. Everything you have is because of me.”
“I don’t care. You’re not welcome here. Leave.”
“Or what? You’ll call the police? What will you tell them? That your own mother came to check on her family after a very embarrassing night?” She tilted her head, her eyes cold. “Or will you tell them about the little arrangement we made six years ago?”
James froze.
I grabbed my phone and dialed 911.
My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped it.
“Margaret,” James said, his voice lower now. “What do you want?”
“To talk.” She flicked her cigarette onto the lawn and ground it out with her heel. “To be reasonable. We can fix this, James. No one has to know. No one has to get hurt.”
“You hurt Lily.”
“That was a mistake. I lost my temper. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” I screamed from the porch. “You called her an animal. You threw her on the floor. You stole her from me. And now you’re sorry?”
She looked past James at me, her smile fading.
“This doesn’t concern you, Emily.”
“The hell it doesn’t. That’s my daughter.”
“Is it?” She raised an eyebrow. “Biologically speaking—”
“Shut up.” James stepped between us, his back to his mother. “Don’t you ever speak to her like that again. Don’t you ever speak about Lily like that again.”
Margaret’s face hardened.
“You’re choosing her over me.”
“I’m choosing my family.”
“Your family is me.” Her voice rose. “I gave you life. I built this company from nothing so you could have everything. I sacrificed everything for you. And you throw it all away for a woman who doesn’t love you, who only wants your money, who can’t even give you a real child.”
“Lily is a real child.”
“Is she? Or is she just a replacement for the one you lost?”
The words hung in the air.
James went still.
I gripped the porch rail, my knuckles white.
“What did you say?” he whispered.
Margaret smiled, slow and cruel.
“You didn’t know? Oh, James. Your poor, poor wife never told you?” She looked at me, her eyes glinting. “Tell him, Emily. Tell him what happened to the baby you were actually carrying.”
I couldn’t breathe.
She knew.
Of course she knew.
She’d been there.
Six years ago, when I was seven months pregnant, I’d gone into preterm labor.
The doctors had done an emergency C-section.
Our son had been born too early.
He’d lived for two hours.
I’d held him until he stopped breathing.
Then I’d hemorrhaged.
I’d almost died.
When I woke up twelve hours later, the doctors had told me there was another baby.
A little girl.
They’d said it was a miracle.
A rare case of hidden twins.
I’d believed them.
I’d wanted to believe them so bad.
Because the alternative was too painful to think about.
“Emily?” James turned to me, his eyes wide. “What is she talking about?”
I couldn’t answer.
Tears were streaming down my face.
Margaret laughed.
“Oh, this is delicious. You really didn’t tell him. You let him think Lily was the miracle twin. You let him grieve his son and then pretend everything was okay.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a purr. “But there was no twin, James. Your son died. And your wife couldn’t give you another baby. So I gave you one. I gave you Lily. My gift to you. To our family.”
“You’re insane,” I whispered.
“I’m practical. You were broken. You could never give James a proper heir. The doctors said you’d never carry another child to term. So I did what any good mother would do. I fixed it.”
“You stole my life.”
“I gave you a daughter. You should be thanking me.”
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Margaret’s head snapped toward the sound.
“You called the police?” She looked at me, incredulous. “You stupid, stupid girl.”
“Get off my property before they arrest you for trespassing,” James said.
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then she nodded slowly.
“Fine. I’ll go. But this isn’t over. You two want to play hardball? Fine. I have more money than God. I have the best lawyers money can buy. And I have proof that Lily is my biological daughter. Mark my words. I will get custody of her. And you two will never see her again.”
She climbed back into her car and peeled out, tires screeching.
James stood in the middle of the lawn, his shoulders slumped.
The police arrived five minutes later.
We gave them a statement.
They said they’d drive by the house all night to make sure she didn’t come back.
But as they left, the officer patted James on the arm and said, “Custody battles between family get ugly. You’d better get yourself a good lawyer.”
Inside, we found Lily standing at the top of the stairs.
She was holding her favorite stuffed rabbit, her eyes wide.
“Is Grandma going to take me away?” she whispered.
I ran up the stairs and swept her into my arms.
“No, baby. Never. Grandma is never going to take you anywhere. You’re safe here. I promise.”
She buried her face in my neck.
“I heard her say she’s my real mommy.”
My heart shattered into a million pieces.
I looked at James over her shoulder.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs, his face streaked with tears.
I shook my head slowly.
No.
I would not let Margaret win.
I would not let her take my daughter.
I would not let her destroy my family.
Whatever it took.
Whatever I had to do.
May you like
I would fight her.
And I would win.
