Chapter 1
I came home early and found my mother-in-law forcing my six-year-old son to lie face-down on the floor while she hit him with a broom. I didn’t even take off my shoes before I ran at her.
It happened on a Wednesday afternoon at our home outside Nashville.
My husband, Daniel, was still at work.
His mother, Patricia, had offered to watch our son, Ethan, for a few hours.
I normally got home after six.
That day, my boss sent me home early.
The second I opened the front door, I heard Ethan crying.
Not normal crying.
Terrified crying.
Then I heard Patricia shout, “Stay down!”
I ran toward the living room.
Ethan was lying on the floor with his arms over his head.
Patricia stood behind him holding a broom.
Before I could speak, she struck him again across the back of his pants.
“Stop!”
She turned toward me.
Ethan looked up and screamed, “Mom!”
I rushed across the room.
Patricia raised the broom again.
I grabbed it out of her hands.
“What are you doing to my child?”
“He lied to me,” she snapped.
“He’s six years old!”
Patricia reached for the broom.
I yanked it away and pushed her back.
Then she slapped me across the face.
Everything inside me exploded.
I swung the broom toward her legs and forced her away from Ethan.
She screamed, “You crazy woman!”
I dropped the broom and pulled my son into my arms.
His whole body was shaking.
“I’m sorry, Mommy,” he whispered.
I looked at Patricia.
“What did you do to him?”
She suddenly smiled.
“Ask him what he stole.”
Ethan buried his face against my shoulder.
Patricia pointed toward the hallway closet.
“He found something that was never supposed to leave that box.”
I stared at her.
Then Ethan slowly pulled a small envelope from inside his shirt.
On the front was my husband’s name.
May you like
Underneath it were three words written in Patricia’s handwriting.
“YOUR REAL FATHER.”
