Chapter 1
I walked into my living room and found my husband’s mistress yanking my daughter by the arm, screaming, “I’m the mother in this house now.”
My husband stood there and did nothing.
Until I shoved her away and everything exploded.
I came home early from a meeting in downtown Dallas.
I was supposed to be gone until dinner.
The house was too quiet when I opened the front door.
Then I heard my daughter crying.
Not loud.
The kind of crying a child makes when she is scared to make things worse.
I dropped my purse and ran into the living room.
My six-year-old daughter Lily was backed against the sofa.
Madison had her by the wrist.
Her nails were dug into my child’s skin.
Lily’s face was wet with tears.
And Madison was leaning down in her face.
“From now on, I’m the mother in this house.”
For one second, I could not breathe.
Then I saw Daniel.
My husband was standing two feet away.
Watching.
Not moving.
“Let her go,” I said.
Madison turned and smiled like I was the one interrupting.
“Oh. You’re home.”
Lily cried, “Mommy!”
That was enough.
I rushed forward, shoved Madison away from my daughter, and pulled Lily behind me.
Madison stumbled into the coffee table.
Daniel finally stepped forward.
“Emily, calm down.”
I stared at him.
“Calm down?”
Madison straightened and slapped me.
Hard.
Right in front of my daughter.
Lily screamed.
I slapped Madison back so fast her head snapped sideways.
“Do not ever touch me,” I shouted.
She grabbed her cheek in shock.
Daniel caught my arm.
“Have you lost your mind?”
I yanked free.
“No. I just found yours standing here while another woman put her hands on our child.”
Lily clung to my leg, shaking.
Madison pointed at her.
“She needs to learn respect.”
I took one step toward her.
“You do not say one more word to my daughter.”
Daniel moved in front of Madison.
That hurt worse than the slap.
“You’re protecting her?” I asked.
He lowered his voice.
“You’re making this uglier than it has to be.”
That sentence turned my blood cold.
“Than it has to be?”
Lily was crying so hard she could barely speak.
Then she tugged my sleeve and whispered, “Mommy, Daddy said Madison is moving into your room.”
The room went silent.
I looked at Daniel.
Madison looked at him too.
Neither of them denied it.
Then I noticed a pink backpack by the stairs.
Lily’s backpack.
Half-zipped.
Stuffed with pajamas, her stuffed bunny, and her medicine.
My hands started shaking.
“Where were they taking her?”
Daniel went pale.
Madison snapped, “Don’t answer that.”
But Lily reached into the backpack and pulled out a folded paper.
“Daddy said I had to bring this,” she whispered.
I opened it.
May you like
It was a family court form.
And under Proposed Guardian, someone had already written Madison’s full name.
