Chapter 2
I read the first paragraph twice.
Then a third time.
The words blurred together.
I recognized the language immediately.
Temporary guardianship.
Parental authority.
Medical decisions.
School enrollment.
Residential placement.
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Ethan.
“What is this?”
He swallowed.
“Claire, let me explain.”
Diane folded her arms.
“There’s nothing to explain.”
I looked back at the document.
My name appeared in several places.
So did Lily’s.
And Ethan’s.
But the most frightening sentence was halfway down the page.
“In the event of parental disagreement, primary authority regarding the minor child shall be assigned to Diane Morgan.”
I felt cold.
“No.”
Diane smiled.
“Yes.”
I turned another page.
There were dates.
There were signatures.
There was even a notary stamp.
The document had been prepared three weeks earlier.
Three weeks.
I looked at Ethan.
“You signed this?”
He said nothing.
“Ethan.”
His eyes dropped.
“Yes.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“You signed a document giving your mother control over our daughter?”
“It wasn't supposed to be permanent.”
“That's not what it says.”
“It was a precaution.”
“A precaution against what?”
Diane answered.
“Against you.”
Silence.
Lily moved closer to me.
I could feel her little fingers gripping the back of my dress.
I stared at Diane.
“Why would anyone need a guardianship document against a mother who has never harmed her child?”
Diane's expression hardened.
“You have been unstable for months.”
I almost laughed.
“Unstable?”
“You've been emotional.”
“I've been emotional because you've been interfering in my marriage and criticizing everything I do as a mother.”
Diane pointed toward Lily.
“Today proves exactly why this is necessary.”
I looked at Lily.
Then at the hand Diane had used to pull her hair.
“You hurt her.”
“I disciplined her.”
“You dragged her by her hair.”
“She was throwing a tantrum.”
“She was reaching for the cake.”
Diane shrugged.
“She needs boundaries.”
I turned to Ethan.
“And you signed this because of that?”
He finally looked at me.
“I didn't think she'd actually use it.”
That sentence hurt more than I expected.
“You knew she had it.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she could use it.”
“I thought we could talk about it.”
“When?”
“After the party.”
I stared at him.
“After the party?”
His voice lowered.
“Mom said if we confronted you today, you'd make everything worse.”
I felt Lily tug my hand.
“Mommy?”
I looked down.
“It's okay.”
But it wasn't.
Not anymore.
Diane picked up the document.
“You're behaving exactly as predicted.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you're proving why this paperwork exists.”
I stepped toward her.
“You planned this.”
She didn't answer.
“You wanted me to react.”
Still nothing.
“You hurt Lily in front of everyone because you wanted me angry.”
Ethan's face changed.
“Claire—”
“No.”
I pointed at the document.
“You needed witnesses.”
Diane's eyes narrowed.
“For what?”
“So you could say I became aggressive.”
Nobody spoke.
Then Lily whispered something.
“Mommy.”
I knelt beside her.
“What?”
She looked at Diane.
Then Ethan.
Then me.
“Grandma told me to say something.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
Lily's lower lip trembled.
“She said if you yelled today, Daddy would take me away.”
The room went completely silent.
I slowly stood.
I looked at Ethan.
“Did you tell her that?”
“No.”
“Did your mother?”
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
I picked up the document.
“I want to know exactly what else you signed.”
Ethan stepped toward me.
“Claire, don't.”
I held the pages against my chest.
“I'm taking this.”
Diane laughed.
“You think a piece of paper will save you?”
“No.”
I looked directly at her.
“I'm starting to think it will prove exactly what you've been doing.”
For the first time, Diane looked nervous.
Only for a second.
Then she smiled again.
“You have no idea what you're holding.”
I looked down at the final page.
There was a handwritten note attached to the back.
Only six words.
Ask Ethan why Lily isn't really yours.
My blood ran cold.
I looked at my husband.
He had gone completely pale.
“Ethan?”
He closed his eyes.
May you like
And whispered:
“Mom wasn't supposed to tell you that.”
