Chapter 9: The Battle for Lily

I couldn’t breathe.

The words on the screen blurred.

Child custody agreement.

My name.

My signature.

A date.

Three years ago.

“I never signed this.””

Michael looked at me.

“I believe you.””

That sentence should have comforted me.

But it didn’t.

Because someone had created a legal document pretending to be me.

And Patricia had it.

“What does it say?””

I scrolled.

The agreement claimed I had granted temporary guardianship of Lily.

To Patricia.

My hands went cold.

“She was planning this.””

Michael’s face turned angry.

“She wanted custody?””

“Yes.””

“Why?””

I looked at the document.

“Because she wanted to replace me.””

The next morning, we met with an attorney.

Her name was Rachel Collins.

She studied every page carefully.

“This is not a normal custody agreement.””

“What do you mean?””

She pointed at the signature.

“This appears to be copied.””

My heart sank.

“Can someone do that?””

“Yes.””

Michael leaned forward.

“Can she use it against Sarah?””

Rachel shook her head.

“Not if we prove it’s fraudulent.””

I felt a small sense of relief.

Then Rachel continued.

“But we need evidence.””

“What kind?””

“Everything.””

She looked at me.

“Messages. Emails. Witnesses. Anyone who can prove Patricia’s behavior.””

I thought about the bathroom.

The scissors.

Lily crying.

Then I thought about something else.

The school.

Mrs. Carter.

The call.

“I have someone.””

That afternoon, we met Lily’s teacher.

Mrs. Carter listened quietly.

Then she showed us something.

A notebook.

“What is that?””

“She writes when she feels upset.””

I opened it carefully.

Inside were drawings.

Pictures of Lily and me.

Then one picture stopped me.

It showed a little girl standing between two adults.

One had a smile.

One had a dark face.

Above the dark figure, Lily had written:

*Grandma says Mommy is bad.*

My eyes filled with tears.

Mrs. Carter looked heartbroken.

“She started writing these months ago.””

“Why didn’t you tell me?””

“She begged me not to.””

“Why?””

Mrs. Carter looked down.

“She said Grandma told her everyone would leave if she talked.””

Michael turned away.

I saw his hands shaking.

Because now he understood.

This wasn’t one mistake.

This was years.

That evening, we returned home.

The house was quiet.

Too quiet.

I walked into Lily’s room.

Something was different.

Her toy box was open.

I froze.

“Michael.””

He rushed in.

“What happened?””

I pointed.

Someone had been inside.

Not stealing.

Searching.

Then I saw the envelope on Lily’s bed.

My name was written across the front.

I opened it slowly.

Inside was a photograph.

A photo of Patricia holding Lily as a baby.

On the back was a message.

*You want the truth about Lily? Ask who was in the hospital room the night she was born.*

My heart stopped.

Because I knew exactly who had been there.

Someone I had never mentioned.

Someone Patricia had never mentioned.

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