Chapter 5
Mom crushed the paper in her fist.
“There is no other baby.”
Daniel didn’t move.
“Then why does that note scare you?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Emily.”
“I said there is no other baby.”
Rebecca leaned forward.
“We need to focus. Someone approached Sophie outside her school. That changes the situation.”
Mom immediately nodded.
“You’re right.”
Daniel didn’t.
His eyes stayed on her.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Not tonight.”
“That’s becoming your answer to everything.”
“And maybe you should respect it.”
His face tightened.
“I found out less than two hours ago that I have an eight-year-old daughter.”
“And Sophie found out less than two hours ago that the stranger standing in our kitchen is her father.”
That stopped him.
Mom pointed toward the door.
“She needs sleep.”
Rebecca gathered her papers.
“I’ll be back at seven. Court is at nine.”
Daniel remained standing.
“I’m staying nearby.”
“No.”
“I’m not staying here.”
“Good.”
“There’s a hotel three blocks away.”
Mom looked exhausted.
“Do whatever you want.”
He turned to me.
“Goodnight, Sophie.”
“Goodnight.”
He hesitated.
Then left.
I watched from the window as he stood on the sidewalk in the rain.
He looked up once.
I ducked back.
Mom noticed.
She didn’t say anything.
That night I couldn’t sleep.
I kept thinking about the ballroom.
Victoria’s shoes.
Daniel’s face.
Eleanor’s cold eyes.
The man outside my school.
At midnight, I heard Mom talking quietly in the kitchen.
“I know.”
Pause.
“No, he doesn’t know.”
Pause.
“Because telling him now could destroy everything.”
I climbed out of bed.
Mom’s back was toward me.
“I’m taking Sophie to court tomorrow.”
Pause.
“Yes.”
Her voice broke.
“I still have the bracelet.”
I stepped forward.
The floor creaked.
Mom spun around.
She ended the call.
“Sophie.”
“Who were you talking to?”
“No one.”
“That’s not true.”
She closed her eyes.
“You’re right.”
“Who?”
“A friend.”
“What bracelet?”
Mom stared at me.
Then she sat at the table.
“Come here.”
I walked over.
She pulled me onto her lap like she used to when I was little.
“There are things about the past I never told you because I wanted you to have a normal childhood.”
“I don’t think it’s normal anymore.”
A sad smile crossed her face.
“No.”
She kissed my hair.
“Tomorrow may be confusing.”
“Is Grandma Eleanor going to take me?”
“No one is taking you without a fight.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
Mom looked at me.
“I don’t know what the judge will decide.”
My eyes filled.
“I want to stay with you.”
“You will.”
“But you said—”
“You will.”
This time she sounded fierce enough that I believed her.
The next morning, we arrived at family court before eight-thirty.
Daniel waited on the courthouse steps.
So did Rebecca.
And Eleanor.
Eleanor had three lawyers.
Mom had Rebecca because Daniel was paying her.
That fact made Mom furious.
But Rebecca told her refusing legal help just to prove independence would only help Eleanor.
Victoria was there too.
I stopped walking when I saw her.
Mom felt it immediately.
Daniel followed my stare.
His face hardened.
“What is she doing here?”
Victoria smiled.
“Good morning.”
“Leave.”
“I was subpoenaed.”
Rebecca looked at the papers in Victoria’s hand.
“She’s telling the truth.”
Mom whispered, “Why would Eleanor call her?”
Eleanor answered from several feet away.
“Because Miss Hale witnessed the child wandering unsupervised through a private event.”
My mother almost lunged at her.
Daniel caught her arm.
“Don’t.”
Mom pulled away.
“She forced my daughter onto her knees.”
Victoria smiled coldly.
“And your daughter was running around a ballroom where she didn’t belong.”
“I was sitting in the back,” I said.
Victoria looked at me.
Daniel stepped between us.
“Do not address her.”
A court officer opened the doors.
Inside, everything smelled like paper and old wood.
The hearing moved quickly.
Too quickly.
Adults used words I didn’t understand.
Petitioner.
Respondent.
Paternity.
Temporary access.
Best interests.
I sat beside Mom holding her hand.
Eleanor’s lawyer argued that Daniel was likely my biological father and that his family had been denied any relationship with me.
Rebecca argued that Eleanor had no standing to seek custody.
Then the judge asked the question everyone was avoiding.
“Mr. Whitmore, do you intend to establish legal paternity?”
Daniel stood.
Mom’s hand went cold.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
The judge looked at Mom.
“Ms. Carter?”
She swallowed.
“I do not dispute that Mr. Whitmore is Sophie’s biological father.”
My heart beat faster.
The judge studied the papers.
“Then paternity testing should resolve the legal issue quickly.”
Daniel looked toward me.
I looked away.
Eleanor’s attorney stood.
“There are additional concerns about the mother’s conduct.”
Rebecca rose.
“Objection.”
“I’m not conducting a trial today,” the judge said. “State the concern.”
The attorney lifted a folder.
“Ms. Carter accepted substantial payment from the paternal family in exchange for disappearing.”
Mom stood up.
“That is a lie.”
“Ms. Carter.”
The judge’s voice was firm.
Mom sat.
Rebecca whispered to her.
The attorney continued.
“We also have evidence that she routinely brings Sophie to work environments late at night.”
“It happened twice,” Mom whispered.
I heard her.
“Furthermore, Ms. Carter has no immediate family support, works irregular hours, and has repeatedly changed employment.”
Rebecca stood again.
“She is a working single mother, not a criminal.”
The judge nodded.
“I understand.”
Then Victoria testified.
She described the ballroom like I had been some wild child throwing drinks on people.
She said Mom had been nowhere around.
She said I refused instructions.
She did not mention pushing me.
Rebecca asked her.
“Did you tell Sophie to kneel?”
Victoria paused.
“I asked her to clean the damage she caused.”
“Did you push her shoulder?”
“No.”
My stomach twisted.
Rebecca looked toward Daniel.
“Your Honor, the hotel has surveillance footage.”
Victoria’s head snapped around.
Daniel stared at her.
Rebecca continued.
“We request permission to submit it.”
Eleanor’s lawyer looked annoyed.
The judge agreed.
The video played on a monitor.
There I was.
Small.
Scared.
Victoria towering over me.
Everyone watched her push my shoulder.
Everyone watched my knees hit the floor.
Then Daniel appeared.
The judge’s face changed.
Victoria’s attorney whispered urgently to her.
Rebecca turned toward the judge.
“This is the witness Mrs. Whitmore wants the court to trust regarding Sophie’s welfare.”
Eleanor remained perfectly still.
The judge removed her glasses.
“Ms. Hale, you may step down.”
Victoria’s face burned.
Outside the courtroom, she passed me.
“You little brat,” she whispered.
Daniel heard her.
“Victoria.”
She stopped.
His expression frightened even me.
“If you speak to my daughter like that again, I will make sure every charity board and company board in this city sees that video.”
Victoria went pale.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
She walked away.
The hearing resumed.
The judge rejected Eleanor’s emergency custody request.
Mom nearly collapsed with relief.
But then came the second decision.
Daniel would be permitted supervised visitation twice a week once paternity was legally confirmed.
Mom didn’t argue.
I think she was too tired.
We walked outside.
Reporters were waiting.
I didn’t understand why.
Then cameras started flashing.
“Mr. Whitmore!”
“Daniel!”
“Is the child yours?”
“Did your family hide an heir?”
Mom grabbed me.
Daniel moved in front of us.
“Back up.”
Security pushed through the crowd.
Someone shouted:
“Emily, did you take money to hide Daniel Whitmore’s daughter?”
Mom flinched.
Another reporter yelled:
“Is Sophie entitled to part of the Whitmore fortune?”
My stomach hurt.
Daniel took off his jacket and held it around my head to block the cameras.
We reached a waiting car.
Mom hesitated.
Then climbed inside with me.
Daniel got in after us.
The doors closed.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then Mom’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Her face changed.
“What?”
Daniel leaned forward.
Mom listened.
“No. Absolutely not.”
She hung up.
“What happened?” he asked.
Mom looked at me.
Then at him.
“That was my landlord.”
“What?”
“Our apartment door was broken open this morning.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“Was anything stolen?”
Mom swallowed.
“Yes.”
“What?”
She whispered one word.
“Documents.”
“What documents?”
“My medical records from when I was pregnant.”
Daniel stared at her.
May you like
Then Mom added quietly:
“And Sophie’s original birth certificate.”
